When the doctor says “it’s cancer”, your mind does not wait for the doctor to explain what cancer is, because your mind already knows. Whether through TV, movies, news reports or experiences with loved ones, it’s difficult to live in the world and not have our minds develop a picture of cancer.

Kesem is the leading national nonprofit that supports children affected by a parent’s cancer. Its flagship program, Camp Kesem, is a free week-long, sleep-away summer camp offered across the country by more than 5,300 college student volunteers.

Meet Rae Norrod (MS, RN, AOCN, CNS) a Manager in the Oncology Service Line at Kettering Health in Ohio. 

Christmas is a season of anticipation. It’s easy to look forward to fun gatherings, amazing food and joy filled gift giving. Yet you know Christmas can be hard for cancer patients.

Since cancer treatment can seem like a fast-moving medical train, it’s easy to lose focus on both. Focusing only on a patient’s body can too often result in the neglect of their soul. As the train approaches the end of our earthly life, it is vitally important to address the needs of our cancer patient’s souls.

GOAL: Design Your Own Holidays

Step #1 Decide the most important or fulfilling things about the holidays. Kids? Grandkids? Church events? Celebrations? Gift giving? Decorations?

Jesus, our coworker has cancer. We need you to rush to their side and let them know the peace that comes from Your Presence on the good cancer days and the bad. Remove their worries, fears, side effects as well as each and every cancer cell in their body.

A cancer diagnosis does not cause most Christians coping with cancer to doubt God’s existence or to question their salvation. Most feel safe and secure in the foundation of their faith, but some want to make sense out of a suffering that makes no sense to them.

The plan was to battle cancer and to be done with it forever. Now they are saying I will always live with some kind of cancer. I am trying to be hopeful. I am trying to count my blessings but it is hard. I need you Lord.

You did it! You carried my loved one through cancer treatment and now we are shouting your PRAISES! You covered them through every hardship, every pain and every fear. So now they have been declared cancer free!!

You know the difficulties which can come from Colorectal Cancer. You also know my loved one who is dealing with this disease but we know that you have gone before them.

We know how precious pastors are to you. Your word teaches us all the care You have taken to assure that your people will have Godly leadership for us to turn to in our times of need. Now we call on you to run to our pastor in his time of need.

What a wonderous thing you gave us in our mom. She shines the light of your loving care with her every touch, every smile and every joy. We call on you now to push back the darkness of cancer from our mom’s days and from her nights.

Our dad has been diagnosed with cancer. We don’t know what is to come but You do. You know each treatment, each procedure, and each scan. Take our dad’s cancer battle and declare a great victory!

What a gift you have given us in our grandparents. To be with them is to experience the blessings of all the joy and wisdom they have to share.

It’s their breath. Cancer has attacked their lungs and is striving to take away their breath, their vitality and their life. We call on you, our mighty warrior, to conquer cancer in every person facing lung cancer.

There are too many women struggling with breast cancer. They are our mothers, our daughters, our sisters, and grandmothers and our friends.

You know of the young mom that we adore who is now struggling with cancer. It feels so wrong in every way and yet we know that there is nothing beyond your domain.

Cancer can feel like a winter that keeps pushing back spring. Whether all your treatments are going as planned or it’s filled with delays, it’s easy to ask God, “When is this going to end?” You’re not doubting God’s existence or your salvation, but perhaps you wonder, “God? Are you paying attention?” “Are you really bigger than this cancer?”

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.