You know, sometimes bulldozers are pretty handy things to have around. I have on occasion been called a bulldozer. This is hopefully not referring to my physique, but rather my tendency to become intensely focused. This can be a good thing—as long as no innocent bystanders are in my way. After all, bulldozers like me have real problems slowing down or changing directions.

Have you ever played hard to get? It’s when you like someone—I mean REALLY like someone—but you don’t want them to know you like them. So, what do you do? You act like you don’t like them.

Our family plays in creeks. Other families have leisure pastimes like biking or camping or playing softball. My kids have grown up playing in creeks, I played in creeks and even my dad played in creeks. We have a creek-playing season, and we even have creek shoes. You can’t go out and buy creek shoes; they have to be the too-small pair of tennis shoes from last summer with your toe poking out of the top to really qualify.

Heavenly Father, Fill my days with more Christmas and less cancer. May the joys of the season bring me a new hope that is so strong the clouds of cancer in my thoughts disappear.

Listen to Building 429’s song We Won’t be Shaken.

Listen to I have This Hope by Tenth Avenue North.

Listen to God’s Not Done with You by Tauren Wells.

Listen to Even When It Hurts by Hillsong United.

In this prayer Doug prays for all those who may be dealing with depression on their cancer journey.

Focusing on Christ does not mean pretending that cancer is small and has no impact on your life. We need to be honest with ourselves and face the truth that cancer is big, really big, gigantically big - but Christ is BIGGER!

We don’t like thinking about cancer because it can be a downer. And, do you know how sometimes one negative thought can grow, and the next thing you know your thoughts are spiraling down to “Negative Land”? Sometimes even talking to God about your cancer can seem too much.

There are so many amazing ways that Jesus can show up in the midst of your cancer walk. This helps us to breathe in our hope in Jesus. But, on some days, cancer looms so big that it can be hard to remember that Jesus Christ is bigger than the darkness of cancer.

To battle dark lies, we need a good weapon-the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) This means that to battle the lies we must think, speak and believe Scripture. We all need some Scriptures for when the lies get into our heads.

Sometimes, as we go through struggles, it’s easy to only pray for the big things, such as healing, and forget to pray for the little things along the way. The more things you pray about, the more opportunity Jesus has to answer your prayers.