June 15
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isaiah 2:4c
Learning to stop fighting the negative and learning to start creating the good is essential to the cancer journey. We gain little by always being in battle against something. We gain much more by being for positive things – integrity, authenticity, peace of spirit and of mind, wellness and joy. When we choose to approach cancer – and life – in this way, the difference in our attitude and outlook will be remarkably refreshing.
When I approach life, O God, with an attitude that seeks to create goodness and wellness, I know I can be amazed at the results. Help me to do that beginning today. Amen.
June 16
But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
James 1:6
Our worst enemy can be our doubting natures. We so often get tangled up in fears, what ifs and speculation about what bad things might happen that we miss too much of what is happening that is good. It’s a constant struggle to control our doubts. But we need to work hard at confronting them, understanding them, working to move in action beyond them and then setting them aside. We do not need them burdening us today.
My faith at times is utterly slight, O God. I appeal to you to help me strengthen my trust and assurance in you. I need you to help me move beyond my fears. Amen.
June 17
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
Isaiah 35:3
The sense of vulnerability and instability that pours over us when cancer enters our lives is fearfully strong. Our invincibility is threatened. Our mortality is painfully driven home to us. Isaiah’s words convey an understanding of human frailty. But they also convey an understanding of God’s power to help us overcome our weakness and of God’s compassion in wanting us to find strength and renewal continually.
I’m feeling weak and feeble today, dear God. Many days are like that. Yet I pray for each hour to grow better. I pray to feel stronger and more vital in your care throughout this day. Amen.
June 18
Rejoice always.
1 Thessalonians 5:16
It might seem ridiculous to rejoice all the time. Who can be pleased at everything that happens? Who can celebrate everything that takes place? Of course, not everything, every day will please or be acceptable to us. But … when we strive earnestly to seek out positive circumstances, people, situations, happenings and attitudes, it will amaze us how the negative we see will fall away and our outlook will change in refreshing ways.
I will strive today to look for all that is positive around me. In that I know I will begin to experience the positive within me, which you have given me to know, dear God. Amen.
June 19
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!
Isaiah 55:1a
These are words of promise and hope. When we are thirsty for help our needs will be quenched. When we feel poor and unsatisfied, we will have enough to meet our needs. These words remind us of God’s ability to provide us with an abundance to care for us each day. We need to connect to God’s power to experience the tremendous blessings and goodness offered to us infinitely.
Praise be to you, O God, for the amazing gifts you offer to me every day. I pray for the will to focus on those gifts today and live in gratitude for all you do to reach out in care and concern to me. Amen.
June 20
Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content.
Philippians 4:11
Throughout our life’s journey we are constantly challenged to seek God’s will and not our own. It’s a hard struggle at times. Our self-centeredness gets in the way. Yet when we know and trust that God truly does provide us with everything we need, we begin to possess contentment with those blessings. In fact, we begin to see the blessings are far more real and profound that we could ever believe.
Not my will, but your will, O God. That is my simple prayer today. Amen.
June 21
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
Jeremiah 8:22
Our impatience gets the best of us. Our inability to see much beyond the present clouds our thinking. It is then when we grow quickly to believe there is neither relief nor hope. Humanity has struggled with this forever. When we look at our condition only through our eyes we only see suffering, disappointment and pain. But when we reframe our thinking to begin to see our situation through God’s eyes, then we grow to see relief and hope anew.
While today may seem hopeless and bad to me, O God, help me to remember that you see life eternally and not just momentarily. Help me to begin seeing things your way this day. Amen.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Week of June 8 - 14
June 8
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling …
Jude 24a
When the bottom is dropping out, we have a source of strength that can keep us from falling all the way. God is our safety net, a very present help in times of trouble. When we feel as if we cannot find our footing again, God catches us and carries us when we cannot walk the path on our own. When we find ourselves in a free fall, there are arms already reaching out for us to lift us from our distress.
When I think about it, I do know that you have reached out to catch me before, dear God. I have been rescued in more ways than I can count. I am grateful for that and I pray for the help to remember those times more and more each day. Amen.
June 9
I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest; but trouble comes.
Job 3:26
Just as with the deeply troubled Job, there are days when nothing seems right. We cannot find relief. We cannot seem to hear good news. We cannot feel the hope we seek and need. There are days when we just need to acknowledge that; days when we neither feel God’s presence nor peace. It is when we confront with honesty the dis-ease we feel, then we can begin to find the release and renewal we need.
When I confront my distress, dear God, I can begin to heal where I hurt the most. Give me the courage to be open to my difficult realities and to see clearly what I must do to know your help and relief. Amen.
June 10
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.
3 John 2
The intersection of our bodies and souls is very powerful. The health of one is related to the health of the other. When one is in distress the other manifests that distress. We need to care for both for both to be strong and well. Each of the parts of ourselves is interconnected in ways we do not fully understand. But we do know that we need to nurture those parts equally and faithfully for our health to be authentic and real.
Dear God, let me not forget to care for my body and my soul today. You made them both dependent on the other. Help me not to neglect either today. Amen.
June 11
With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
Psalm 118:6
When we feel all alone in our distress, knowing that no one else can truly understand, we can be reminded that God does understand. God is on our side – the side of release, the side of renewal, the side of restoration. When loneliness sets in and hope is hard to find, we need to remember the one who never leaves us, the one who only wants what is good for us in every way.
When I am reminded of your constant presence in my life and of your never-failing love, my fears begin to melt away, O God. I need that reminder over and over. Help me to hear it, to hear your constant, soothing voice. Amen.
June 12
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
2 Peter 3:8
The good days fly by too fast. The bad days linger far too long. Time is difficult to understand. Why do the wonderful moments seem so fleeting? Why do the horrible ones endure seemingly endlessly? The promise to us is that one day we will understand the turning of time, the meaning of our days. Until we fully do our comfort comes in knowing that God has ordered the time and knows the time we need to live out the purpose of our days. Even if we do not fully understand the times we experience, we can know that God does. That assurance can sustain us today.
I cannot turn back time, O God, but I can trust that the time you give me is what I need to live fully for you. Help me to use this time well today. Amen.
June 13
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
Isaiah 30:18a
When we feel as if we are somehow being punished with this disease we have, we need to hear these words of mercy about God. God is gracious. God is patient. God is understanding. God is good. The scriptures are full of these assurances of God’s loving, compassionate concern. Look to these words when you need to hear them the most.
I forget about your constant care for me, O Lord. I forget it and then feel sorry for myself all too often. Today I will recall your graciousness and find a new attitude for this journey. Amen.
June 14
May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
1 Peter 1:2b
God created us for a life of abundance – an abundance of joy, an abundance of love, an abundance of hope, an abundance of peace. Where does your life lack those blessings of abundance today? What is causing you to be without those blessings today? What must you do to gain those blessings today? We must not throw away the opportunity to experience all the abundance God has in store for us. Choose – today – to reclaim this abundance in everything you do.
Too often I go through my days failing to live abundantly in you, dear God. Today, I ask for it to be different. Today, I ask for your guidance to live a better, more wonderful way. Amen.
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling …
Jude 24a
When the bottom is dropping out, we have a source of strength that can keep us from falling all the way. God is our safety net, a very present help in times of trouble. When we feel as if we cannot find our footing again, God catches us and carries us when we cannot walk the path on our own. When we find ourselves in a free fall, there are arms already reaching out for us to lift us from our distress.
When I think about it, I do know that you have reached out to catch me before, dear God. I have been rescued in more ways than I can count. I am grateful for that and I pray for the help to remember those times more and more each day. Amen.
June 9
I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest; but trouble comes.
Job 3:26
Just as with the deeply troubled Job, there are days when nothing seems right. We cannot find relief. We cannot seem to hear good news. We cannot feel the hope we seek and need. There are days when we just need to acknowledge that; days when we neither feel God’s presence nor peace. It is when we confront with honesty the dis-ease we feel, then we can begin to find the release and renewal we need.
When I confront my distress, dear God, I can begin to heal where I hurt the most. Give me the courage to be open to my difficult realities and to see clearly what I must do to know your help and relief. Amen.
June 10
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.
3 John 2
The intersection of our bodies and souls is very powerful. The health of one is related to the health of the other. When one is in distress the other manifests that distress. We need to care for both for both to be strong and well. Each of the parts of ourselves is interconnected in ways we do not fully understand. But we do know that we need to nurture those parts equally and faithfully for our health to be authentic and real.
Dear God, let me not forget to care for my body and my soul today. You made them both dependent on the other. Help me not to neglect either today. Amen.
June 11
With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
Psalm 118:6
When we feel all alone in our distress, knowing that no one else can truly understand, we can be reminded that God does understand. God is on our side – the side of release, the side of renewal, the side of restoration. When loneliness sets in and hope is hard to find, we need to remember the one who never leaves us, the one who only wants what is good for us in every way.
When I am reminded of your constant presence in my life and of your never-failing love, my fears begin to melt away, O God. I need that reminder over and over. Help me to hear it, to hear your constant, soothing voice. Amen.
June 12
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
2 Peter 3:8
The good days fly by too fast. The bad days linger far too long. Time is difficult to understand. Why do the wonderful moments seem so fleeting? Why do the horrible ones endure seemingly endlessly? The promise to us is that one day we will understand the turning of time, the meaning of our days. Until we fully do our comfort comes in knowing that God has ordered the time and knows the time we need to live out the purpose of our days. Even if we do not fully understand the times we experience, we can know that God does. That assurance can sustain us today.
I cannot turn back time, O God, but I can trust that the time you give me is what I need to live fully for you. Help me to use this time well today. Amen.
June 13
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
Isaiah 30:18a
When we feel as if we are somehow being punished with this disease we have, we need to hear these words of mercy about God. God is gracious. God is patient. God is understanding. God is good. The scriptures are full of these assurances of God’s loving, compassionate concern. Look to these words when you need to hear them the most.
I forget about your constant care for me, O Lord. I forget it and then feel sorry for myself all too often. Today I will recall your graciousness and find a new attitude for this journey. Amen.
June 14
May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
1 Peter 1:2b
God created us for a life of abundance – an abundance of joy, an abundance of love, an abundance of hope, an abundance of peace. Where does your life lack those blessings of abundance today? What is causing you to be without those blessings today? What must you do to gain those blessings today? We must not throw away the opportunity to experience all the abundance God has in store for us. Choose – today – to reclaim this abundance in everything you do.
Too often I go through my days failing to live abundantly in you, dear God. Today, I ask for it to be different. Today, I ask for your guidance to live a better, more wonderful way. Amen.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Week of June 1 - 7
June 1
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9
What extraordinary words! What a powerful promise from God! We need not be shattered, anguished, forgotten or defeated by the cancer in our lives. We can think of all the negative possibilities we want. But because God is on our side we can be lifted and carried through all the trials that confront us. God will make us victorious in infinite, profound and eternal ways.
I will focus on these promises today, O God. I will rest on your outstretched arm and hold onto your stabilizing hand. I will look to you to see me through. Amen.
June 2
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
2 Corinthians 11:30
Cancer makes us very vulnerable. It opens us to thoughts, feelings and emotions we may never have had before. It confronts us with mortality. It strips away our defenses and our strength. Cancer rudely threatens us in constant ways. But in our weakness, cancer is also an opportunity to grow, to reprioritize and to change the way we look at life. Cancer can defeat us or it can empower us. It is our choice.
It often seems easier to choose defeat with this cancer I’m living with. Dear God, help me to choose triumph instead. Help me to use this time to discover who I have really been created to be. Amen.
June 3
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4
We have a choice between looking at all that is wrong and bad in our lives or between seeking what is right and good. Where will we put our focus? Of course, we must confront the things that are hurting us and find ways to correct them. But we must also, even more importantly, choose to be open to actively recognizing the countless blessings and benefits we are given every day. They are all around. Start counting them. See how your life takes on a brand new, refreshing perspective.
Dear Lord, giver of all that is good. Help us to recognize the many gifts of joy, love, hope and peace in our lives. May we be transformed by them in untold ways. Amen.
June 4
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds ….
Philippians 4:7
Peace within is the crucial gift we need to face cancer and each of the challenges in our lives. Peace … in appreciating that we are loved. Peace … in knowing that we are never alone. Peace … in understanding that we are cared for. Peace in seeing tangible evidence of authentic healing grace in our lives. Allow God to work in your life to show you that peace today.
Peace. Peace. Peace. Peace. God grant me peace … of mind, of heart, of spirit, of body this day. Amen.
June 5
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer opens up the lines of communication to God, especially the listening lines. Like a little child who needs to take hold of her parent’s hand to keep from getting hurt and lost, we need to take hold of the prayer line to keep from being overwhelmed and from getting off course along life’s way. We must always allow our minds and hearts to be open to the guiding, healing, soothing voice of God. God is always holding out the way for us. We just need to listen to hear what it is.
When I close myself to hearing your voice of calm and of direction, I struggle along the way. Remind me, Voice of Hope, to keep myself open to you to find your path for me. Amen.
June 6
Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, …
Ephesians 4:31
Of all the actions faith calls us to take, the act of forgiving is arguably the most difficult. Yet, it’s even harder to keep carrying on our spirits and hearts the heavy weight of resentment, the burden of sustained bitterness and the debilitating load of unresolved anger and rage. Healing, in all its forms, must start with forgiveness – the lifting from our shoulders of the pain and disappointment we feel and giving them over to God.
Dear God, I am weighed down with too many feelings that are negative and harsh. Help me to resolve them. Help me to allow them to be lifted. Help me to begin that healing today. Amen.
June 7
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6
Along the cancer journey, as in all of life itself, we too often live in a state of worry and anxiety. We take on the problems of the world and those in our own lives and don’t know how to solve them. But we have the promise that God will help us solve them, if only we turn to God to listen for the voice that will give us the discernment to face all the obstacles in our way. We can be grateful that we have this God to help us sort out the issues every day.
When I don’t know where to turn, remind me, O God, that you are the ultimate source for the answers we need. Thank you for this wonderful gift. Help us remember that your offer of help never goes away. Amen.
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9
What extraordinary words! What a powerful promise from God! We need not be shattered, anguished, forgotten or defeated by the cancer in our lives. We can think of all the negative possibilities we want. But because God is on our side we can be lifted and carried through all the trials that confront us. God will make us victorious in infinite, profound and eternal ways.
I will focus on these promises today, O God. I will rest on your outstretched arm and hold onto your stabilizing hand. I will look to you to see me through. Amen.
June 2
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
2 Corinthians 11:30
Cancer makes us very vulnerable. It opens us to thoughts, feelings and emotions we may never have had before. It confronts us with mortality. It strips away our defenses and our strength. Cancer rudely threatens us in constant ways. But in our weakness, cancer is also an opportunity to grow, to reprioritize and to change the way we look at life. Cancer can defeat us or it can empower us. It is our choice.
It often seems easier to choose defeat with this cancer I’m living with. Dear God, help me to choose triumph instead. Help me to use this time to discover who I have really been created to be. Amen.
June 3
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4
We have a choice between looking at all that is wrong and bad in our lives or between seeking what is right and good. Where will we put our focus? Of course, we must confront the things that are hurting us and find ways to correct them. But we must also, even more importantly, choose to be open to actively recognizing the countless blessings and benefits we are given every day. They are all around. Start counting them. See how your life takes on a brand new, refreshing perspective.
Dear Lord, giver of all that is good. Help us to recognize the many gifts of joy, love, hope and peace in our lives. May we be transformed by them in untold ways. Amen.
June 4
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds ….
Philippians 4:7
Peace within is the crucial gift we need to face cancer and each of the challenges in our lives. Peace … in appreciating that we are loved. Peace … in knowing that we are never alone. Peace … in understanding that we are cared for. Peace in seeing tangible evidence of authentic healing grace in our lives. Allow God to work in your life to show you that peace today.
Peace. Peace. Peace. Peace. God grant me peace … of mind, of heart, of spirit, of body this day. Amen.
June 5
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer opens up the lines of communication to God, especially the listening lines. Like a little child who needs to take hold of her parent’s hand to keep from getting hurt and lost, we need to take hold of the prayer line to keep from being overwhelmed and from getting off course along life’s way. We must always allow our minds and hearts to be open to the guiding, healing, soothing voice of God. God is always holding out the way for us. We just need to listen to hear what it is.
When I close myself to hearing your voice of calm and of direction, I struggle along the way. Remind me, Voice of Hope, to keep myself open to you to find your path for me. Amen.
June 6
Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, …
Ephesians 4:31
Of all the actions faith calls us to take, the act of forgiving is arguably the most difficult. Yet, it’s even harder to keep carrying on our spirits and hearts the heavy weight of resentment, the burden of sustained bitterness and the debilitating load of unresolved anger and rage. Healing, in all its forms, must start with forgiveness – the lifting from our shoulders of the pain and disappointment we feel and giving them over to God.
Dear God, I am weighed down with too many feelings that are negative and harsh. Help me to resolve them. Help me to allow them to be lifted. Help me to begin that healing today. Amen.
June 7
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6
Along the cancer journey, as in all of life itself, we too often live in a state of worry and anxiety. We take on the problems of the world and those in our own lives and don’t know how to solve them. But we have the promise that God will help us solve them, if only we turn to God to listen for the voice that will give us the discernment to face all the obstacles in our way. We can be grateful that we have this God to help us sort out the issues every day.
When I don’t know where to turn, remind me, O God, that you are the ultimate source for the answers we need. Thank you for this wonderful gift. Help us remember that your offer of help never goes away. Amen.
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