Ultimate Blog Party 2011

If you are visiting my little piece of blogosphere real estate as part of the Ultimate Blog Party 2011, welcome! I must confess upfront that I am extremely new to the “art of blogging” and have spent the last several months trying to figure it out as I go along! When I first started this little adventure, I thought “how hard could it be?” HA! Famous last words! Learning about widgets and linkys and code has been a bit daunting at times, but slowly I am learning–mostly by trial and error, but learning nonetheless! So with that disclosure out of the way let me tell you a bit about me and why I started Tickled Pink Life.

A few years back, my twin sister and I were both diagnosed with catamenial pneumothorax (CPT), a rare form of endometriosis which causes the lung to collapse during menses. Over the course of about a year, we were in and out of the hospital with multiple collapses which required several chest tubes, pleurodesis, thoracic surgery and finally hysterectomies. During that year we learned a lot about CPT so we started a web site to help other ladies with the same condition. Following that, my twin was diagnosed with renal artery stenosis and lost her right kidney due to that condition. Shortly thereafter our healthy mom of 61 was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of anal cancer known as cloacogenic carcinoma. Although she was treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, the Lord took her home within seven months of her diagnosis.

All of this understandably, took a toll on our family, as we traveled the road of suffering and grief. During that time of adjusting to a new normal without our mom, my sister and I decided to write a book about God’s provision. While our suffering had not been easy, God had provided in tangible and practical ways as well as some miraculous ways that reminded us that we were not alone. Since our story was not unique, our goal was to help others also find hope by recognizing when God was providing for them. Held by God: Finding Hope by Recognizing His Provision in the Midst of Suffering was published in June 2010.

The title may be a bit of a misnomer, as the book is much more about HOPE than it is about suffering. We do cover the specifics of our story, but much of the book centers around people from the Old and New Testaments, who were in similar situations. We really enjoyed writing the “Bible study” aspect of the book—or how the stories apply to us today. Once the book was finished, I thought a blog was the best way to continue to be able to share what I was learning.

The title of my blog, Tickled Pink Life is really about making a choice to see God’s goodness in a world gone awry. Suffering is a fact of life, but we don’t need to give into despair over it. I know that God’s plan for my life is ultimately good, even if (from my perspective) the details are sometimes painful. Eventually I will understand, but for now my focus is to trust him with the specifics.

So, Tickled Pink Life is here to uplift and encourage, to come along side, to offer hope and to celebrate the goodness of God in the process. I blog about what I’ve learned from Scripture and I blog about my interests, passions and hobbies. Some posts will be about tangible things like china, vintage-style crafts, Victorian lampshades, and easy-to-make desserts. Other posts will focus on adventures and activities, like garden tours, travel destinations, the art of taking tea, or fun trips to Disneyland. But mostly, posts will be dedicated to encouraging and comforting you with the comfort that I myself have received from God (2Cor 1:3-4).

Ultimately, my blog is here to point to the most important gift God has ever provided to us. It was a message describing his great love for mankind—written in blood and nailed to a wooden cross in Judea, 2000 years ago. Jesus was the message and He is our HOPE!

Well that is my blog in a nutshell. Thanks for visiting, and if you’d be so kind, I would love to have you follow me on Twitter or Facebook!

On the journey toward Home,

Tagged as: blog party, book, cancer, catatmenial pneumothorax, faith, God, Held by God, tickled pink life, twin, Ultimate Blog Party 2011