Monday, January 31, 2011

When the storms of life hit...

Dr. Tony Evans, Weekly Devotional, January 31, 2011:

 When the storms of life hit, we are often tempted to run for cover. When they continue indefinitely, we struggle to find encouragement. When the rain and the wind gather strength until they turn into what seems to be a hurricane, we find ourselves saying, “I can’t do this any longer,” The truth is this: we can’t, but God can.

He is the only One who can help us victoriously fight through the battles of life. Nothing can provide the type of strength that He provides, especially when we feel overwhelmed and discouraged. He stands beside us, and He never retreats.

Daniel never worried about being cast into the lion’s den. He knew that the Lord would provide the help and protection he needed to make it through the night. Some of the people who read these words are fighting a battle with a life-threatening disease. It is an unseen enemy from a human standpoint but not from God’s. He knows exactly what we are facing and how it is affecting our lives.

There is an incredible sense of peace that comes from learning how to rest in the Lord and allow Him to take care of your troubles. This does not mean that you abandon the fight and just give up trying. It means that you shift the focus of your effort from yourself to God. This is where the true victory is gained.

The apostle Paul faced many life-threatening situations. At one point, he debated whether it was better to ask God to allow him to go home to heaven where he would have unending peace and glory in the presence of Christ or to continue living the earthly life God had given him. Paul chose the latter. As much as he longed to see the Lord in heaven, he loved having the opportunity here to tell others about God’s unending, unconditional love and forgiveness.

The suffering you face today is directly related to the joy you will experience in the future.

Friday, January 28, 2011

I Will Exalt You

Today has been a difficult day. My 36 year old daughter found out she has breast cancer. She went for her routine yearly female checkup last Thursday. She had noticed the lump for a couple of months but knew she was going to the doctor anyway. They did a mammogram, then sent her for an ultrasound, then sent her for a needle biopsy. She just got the results this afternoon at her appointment. She will have more tests next week: chest x-ray, MRI, bone scan, nuclear medicine for her heart (MUGA) to see if it's strong enough for her to have chemo, and more blood work. We are devastated but walking in the peace of God that he has showered over us. I know this is totally treatable. The hard part is doing what needs to be done while she still has children to raise. When I got in the car last Friday morning, I had a CD in the player that I had already been listening to. This was the song that came on immediately, and I've been listening to it over and over:

I Will Exalt You
(Brooke Ligertwood)

I will exalt You,
I will exalt You,
I will exalt You,
You are my God.

My hiding place, my safe refuge,
My treasure, Lord, You are;
My friend and King
Anointed One, most holy.

Because You're with me,
Because You're with me,
Because You're with me,
I will not fear.

My hiding place, my safe refuge,
My treasure, Lord, You are;
My friend and King,
Anointed One, most holy.

I will exalt You,
I will exalt You,
I will exalt You,
You are my God.




Friday, January 7, 2011

Interesting

Came across this article today (Estrogen May Play Role in Rising Rates of Head, Neck Cancer) and found it quite interesting considering my cancer history. The breast cancer I had in 2000 was estrogen receptive. I had been diagnosed with the pre-cancerous lesions, leukoplakia, on my tongue in 1995. It sounds like the article is saying that they already know that estrogen can be a factor for changes in the lungs when smoking has been a factor resulting in lung cancer. So now they are looking into the changes estrogen may cause for some with pre-cancerous cells that result in oral, head, & neck cancer as well.  They have seen when the enzyme, CYP1B1, is targeted and slowed down it could help prevent lesions from progressing. This would be a wonderful finding to prevent further progression into O,H,&N cancer. Cancer research is alive and well!!