Now when he was in affliction, he sought the face of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him. And the Lord received his entreaty, heard his cry, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his Kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God (2 Chronicles 33:12-13 OSB).

When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me (Psalm 42:4 NKJV).

The writer of this psalm reveals that his soul is downcast and disquieted! I love the vulnerability of this message. Even though the psalmist is downcast and hurting, he trusts that “pouring out his soul” before God will bring healing. He misses being with fellow believers, sharing his faith and celebrating God’s blessings. He is not ashamed to “pour out his heart” before God. 

[God] alone is my safe place. His wraparound presence always protects me as my champion defender. There’s no risk of failure with God! So why would I let worry paralyze me, even when troubles multiply around me? (Psalm 62:5-6 TPT)

I asked a friend battling cancer how she was doing. Her response surprised me: "My scans look terrible, but I feel great!"

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2 NIV).

So we do not give up. Our body gets weak, but our heart gets new strength day after day (2 Corinthians 4:16 WE).

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV).

The glorious worship service featured a musical cantata expounding upon the sacrificial death of Jesus. A choir numbering fifty singers, several soloists with beautiful voices, a magnificent pipe organ, grand piano, and stringed instruments filled the sanctuary with beautiful sounds. As the cantata came to its final crescendo and the choir sang, “Christ, we adore Thee, and we do praise Thee forever!” bright sunlight shone through the stained-glass windows, making the experience even more heavenly.  

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1 ESV).

I’m an Olympics junkie. My whole family is, really…. My hubby was lucky enough to work for the Olympic Games in both 2000 and 2002, so it’s in our blood, I suppose. Therefore, as you can imagine, every two years we find ourselves watching people race down hills, and flip, twist, and turn their way to Olympic glory. I cheer them on as if it were one of my own kids out there!It’s amazing how much attention a person can draw just from their coffee-drinking behaviors.

You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete (James 2:22 NLT).

Let me ask you this. Can you be accused of being a coffee snob? Do you show up at meetings where there is free coffee with a five-dollar latte? Do you believe that cream comes out of the cow flavored with hazelnuts? Do your loved ones give you coffee paraphernalia for gifts? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you might be in danger of being labeled a coffee snob. It’s amazing how much attention a person can draw just from their coffee-drinking behaviors.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).

Going through breast cancer is definitely not something you wish for. It is a shock to be diagnosed with breast cancer. However, looking back on my journey, I see now that God was preparing me for this walk even before I received my diagnosis. After the shock wore off, I was worried about the unknown, but I also had peace. I knew I was in God’s hands. He would bring light out of the darkness of this disease to His glory.

Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand (Psalm 37:24 NIV).    

The great American inventor, Charles Kettering, owned 186 patents—including for most automobile parts using electricity. He is quoted as saying, “Keep on going and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.”¹

I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you (Isaiah 44:22 NKJV).

I have a confession to make. Many times, my prayer life consists of asking God for answers or actions I need to take. Of course, God gladly receives and honors any prayers. However, I often treat God as a guru dispensing good advice or pearls of wisdom that I must implement. Yes, I return to the Lord. Yet, I still believe it is up to me to be more loving or forgiving or whatever direction God reveals. Consequently, I continue to run on the treadmill of good works, getting more exhausted every day.

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV).

The children of Israel wanted to be like other nations and have a king. They chose Saul as their king. However, King Saul developed a rebellious nature. Thus, God instructed Samuel, God’s prophet, to pick one of Jesse’s sons as king. The children of Israel had tried it their own way. But Saul had turned his back on God. Subsequently, God informed Samuel of a better way to find a faithful king. Samuel is told to look at the heart and not the outward appearance.

Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it (Judges 16:30 NIV).

Whether we’re talking about comic books or blockbuster movies, dreaded enemies too often have a way of showing up again and again. They’re like the Philistines from the Bible, always showing back up to battle God’s people, the Israelites. Perhaps you remember the story of Delilah betraying the mighty Samson, leaving him weak, captured, and sentenced to die. As a last request, God gave Samson the strength to pull apart the pillars of the pagan temple, crushing the enemy inside.

Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire (Jeremiah 36:23 NIV).

Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, was given a word from the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah. Jehudi, the king’s attendant, read the scroll containing God’s Word to Jehoiakim. The message was not what the king wanted to hear. The king had the scroll cut into pieces and burned in a firepot.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12 NIV).

“Numbering our days” is a curious expression. It doesn’t mean counting the days you have been alive, although that is an interesting exercise.

Numbering our days also doesn’t mean counting how many days we think we have left to live. That can be a real downer, and not our job. David wrote, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15 NIV). Only God knows when your life on earth will end.

But I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you (Psalm 88:13 NIV).

Psalm 88 is a prayer from a place of deep distress. After twelve agonizing verses, the psalmist says, “but I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.” Here we see a template on how to cope with despair.

When Mary met Jesus, she looked at him, and then fell down at his feet. “If only you had been here, Lord,” she said, “my brother would never have died” (John 11:32 PHI).

Have you ever questioned, “What if…?” Or have you ever thought, “If only.…” in response to some tragedy in life?

If so, you are in good company. People throughout the Bible have asked the same question. One of the more familiar examples occurred in relation to Jesus after the death of his friend, Lazarus.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV).

What if the only things you woke up with today were the same things you thanked God for yesterday? Would you wake up with very much? So often we go about our days with a spirit of discontentment. We spend our time thinking that if only _____________ was different, then we would be happy. If only I had that new gadget. If only my kids would clean their room. If only I could afford to pay that bill. If only my cancer was gone. If only.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV).

Your cancer journey may bring to the surface deep regrets, missed opportunities, and mistakes. Memories of hurting others and letting God down may overwhelm you. Feeling helpless to right any wrongs, you may cry out like David, “My sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me” (Psalm 40:12 NIV). 

Hope delayed makes the heart sick; longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12 CEB).

Radiation I received for cancer on my esophagus badly damaged it. For the next couple of years, swallowing became nearly impossible. Treatment has required multiple endoscopies, feeding tubes, surgery, hospitalizations, and a stent placed in my esophagus for several weeks to keep it open and hopefully help it heal.