January 26
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15
What gifts do you have in your life today? What fills your heart with joy? What can make your spirit overflow with love? What gives you energy? What upholds you with hope? Where do you see yourself being supported and helped in ways that are remarkable to you? All these are gifts, gifts from a God who has made you and who loves you beyond your comprehension. Think about these things. Recite them over and over again. Keep a "gratitude journal", whether it’s written down on paper or kept in the front of your mind. But keep a constant reminder of the beauty and blessings in your life. Those blessings will sustain you. Those blessings will empower and lift you in moments difficult and hard to face.
Dear God, there are too many moments that wear me down. But when I remember your gifts to me I am delivered to something better. I am grateful for your gifts. They sustain me in ways I can scarcely begin to count. Amen.
January 27
As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.
2 Corinthians 6:1
There is great certainty in this - God loves each of us very much. In fact, God loves each of us more than we can even begin to know. God loves us so much even though there are many times we are unlovable. Even when we doubt God, even when we don’t follow God and even when we go against God, we are still loved unwaveringly and unconditionally by God. This is grace – a gift we don’t deserve. Yet it is true. This gift, when we accept it, can be an amazing source of reassurance and strength for us. On this journey that often brings distressing fear and disappointment, the knowledge of God’s love and unwavering care can be of great comfort and peace.
Gracious God, comforting God, in my fear I turn to you. When I am disappointed I call to you. I reach out to you to remind me of my valued place in your heart. Your grace is an astounding gift and I know I need to accept it to be whole. Amen.
January 28
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:1
Patience is one of the most difficult virtues to possess. We often do not wait patiently. We seldom like to wait at all. Especially when we are sick, our patience grows weaker and more limited with each difficult day. But just when we are most impatient, it is important to stop, to look back and to remember how God has helped us through our most troubling times, how God has delivered us day by day. It is in remembering that we have been redeemed from pain before that we will gain confidence in the hope that we can be set free again.
Dear God, I’m listening for you. I’m watching for you to reach out to me. I’m asking for your help. And I’m waiting as patiently as I can to recognize without doubt that you are looking out for me. Amen.
January 29
… and hope does not disappoint us, …
Romans 5:5a
Disappointments abound with cancer. First, hearing the news that we have cancer is disappointing – and distressing – enough. And then the indignities and uncertainties it forces on our lives just compound the disheartening energy cancer brings. It’s very easy to become discouraged when cancer affects us so completely. But we must not give in to the disappointment. Giving in just leads us down a negative path. Instead we must hold fast to everything that is positive, everything that stirs hope in us. Hope lifts us and revives us. It is our best resource because hope comes from God. And God will never fail or give up on us.
Your name means hope, O God. Your promises inspire hope. Your goodness proves hope is not in vain. So I reach out to you today in hope, to catch a glimpse of the healing grace you offer me. Amen.
January 30
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
Isaiah 27:1a
Fear has a startling way of getting the best of us. It can prevent us from seeing or believing that we will ever have a better day. Fear brings dark, troubling clouds to rest over us. Fear haunts us and robs us of joy in our lives. But God is a light that penetrates fear. God unmasks fear by showing a greater and more lasting power than fear can ever show. God’s warming light moves fear into the shadows and bathes us with a calming, confident grace. When we connect with God fear is diminished and is put in its proper place.
In the moments when I realize how weak fear is and how fear weakens me I am renewed. Dear Lord, I pray for fear to lessen in me. I ask that your light drives fear from my heart today. Amen.
January 31
… I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
Acts 2:25
Cancer has a way of shaking us to the core. Sometimes we shake with fear. Sometimes we shake with uncertainty. Sometimes we shake from worry. Sometimes we shake from pain. Sometimes cancer shakes us with news that stuns us and takes our breath away. Sometimes it shakes us with loneliness. Sometimes it shakes us with utter fatigue. While we may shake from it, we do not have to be broken apart by it. God is with us to show us that we do not have to go through this alone. God is so concerned for us, so invested in our well-being, that God stands with us and accompanies us every step along the way. In this faithfulness, we are assured that we can withstand anything that confronts us today.
Faithful God, it’s really easy to think I will be broken apart by the force of cancer’s power. But remind me today that your power is far greater and much more enduring. Help me to see like I’ve never seen before how strong and available you are for me. Amen.
February 1
O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.
Isaiah 33:2
One key in gaining strength for the journey is to make a determined choice to rely on God as you begin every day. Don’t wait until some trouble confronts you. Don’t delay until some problem breaks you down. But start each day with the resolve to remember God’s faithfulness. Focus right away on the power of God’s presence. Commit at the first to allowing God to help you through. Anticipate that God will act and guide, for God surely will. When we believe that help is there even before we run into difficulty, the help that comes from God will already be working for us to set us on a much more positive path from the start.
I realize that when I establish my focus on you first, I am already more confident and better equipped to handle what comes my way. Dear God, I know I need to rely on you before anything else to put me in the best position to deal with all that challenges me today. Amen.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Week of January 19 - 25
January 19
But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.
Hebrews 10:39
A significant factor in healing is determination. It is determination that is a true survival trait. Determination is strength of mind and purpose, a resolve which comes from within; from the inner well-spring of power that God has given to all of us. Determination is a healing tool, empowering us to find courage and stamina, enabling us to act when we need to. It delivers us from the immobilization of passivity. It is the gift God gives us to help us follow God’s will. Determination is a by-product of our faith, an acceptance of God’s guidance and a willingness to go where God leads.
My faith in you gives me strength, O Lord. It helps me to have courage and gives me the guidance I need to find my way on this journey. I am so blessed by the help you give me and I offer you my thanks for all you do. Amen.
January 20
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Ephesians 5:11
It’s amazingly easy to go down the path of complaint and disillusionment. Cancer has an innate way of taking over our lives and robbing us of its goodness and joy. But only if we let it. Yes, cancer is tough to deal with. But don’t give it more than it is due. Don’t give in to its darker powers. Recognize when it’s taking over. Confront it when it’s creating an unwelcome imbalance in your life. Acknowledge its impact. Meet it head on. But choose to reveal its imperfect ways. And choose as well to minimize its place by deciding to be well and live well again.
It does me no good to focus only on things I see as wrong, O God. So I turn this day over to you to help me see with great clarity all that is right as well. Amen.
January 21
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Psalm 40:3a
Today take a good look at your outlook and attitudes. Do you more quickly find the good around you or do you more readily find fault? Do you more easily list the positive things in your life or do you gravitate toward recounting mostly the negative? Do you naturally see each day as an opportunity for joy and possibility or do you see mainly drudgery and debilitating challenge ahead? Healing needs a hopeful and positive environment. It requires us to view our lives and the world with joy, gratitude and grace. What are you doing within your own spirit to help nurture these qualities? Possessing them can make a transforming difference in every part of your life.
When I am inclined to complain about every little thing I don’t like, I know that I need to adjust the way I react. I pray for your help today to see a more positive way, O God. Amen.
January 22
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Romans 8:5
It’s too easy and all too common when we live with cancer to focus exclusively on the physical challenges we face. But our emotional, mental and spiritual natures require just as much attention. If we are constantly disheartened, if we are negative and disquieted or if we feel empty and uninspired, we do not lend strength to our physical healing. Our ultimate hope comes in creating an atmosphere where our bodies and spirits work in constant connection. Authentic healing begins to come when we understand how important it is to combine our bodies and spirits into a cohesive whole.
Help me to gain the proper perspective today, dear God. Help me to focus not just on my physical challenges, but just as much on my spirit. Help me to build it up and nurture it to be a stronger and healthier person in every way. Amen.
January 23
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Isaiah 27:1b
There’s a lot to be afraid of when cancer threatens us. The future seems so uncertain. Our confidence falters. We dread that our strength may diminish. We fear that the disease may take over everything in our lives. We worry that pain may overwhelm us. We agonize that we may lose all that is dear to us. We are troubled that recurrence may occur. The list goes on and on. We can get utterly caught up in the possibilities that each day ahead might bring that we lose sight of the gifts today does bring. When we lose that perspective we lose this day. And then we can find ourselves in a downward spiral that does us no good. The challenge for us is to remember that God is a God of hopeful possibilities and that God offers those possibilities to us without fail every day.
I don’t like living in fear. I don’t like what fear brings to my everyday life. So, on this day, loving God, take my fears away and fill me instead with calm reassurance and encouraging peace. Amen.
January 24
…therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope.
Acts 2:26
When we make a concerted effort to look for the blessings in our daily lives we can experience an astounding change in our perspective. When we determine that we will find goodness we will find it. When we make it a matter of course to express gratitude we will discover even more things for which to be grateful. When we decide to focus on the constructive aspects of our lives we will make strides in ever more healing directions. Hope is born in gratitude and appreciation. When we nurture those concrete feelings we will be amazed at how much more hopeful and confident we will be.
Whenever I look to you in thanksgiving, O God, I am sustained in greater and more special ways. I want to approach you with gratitude today and I want to make it a habit to maintain that attitude in everything I think and do. Amen.
January 25
May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Psalm 29:11
Strength and peace. They are two of the most significant blessings of life. They are very essential to possess when we are living with cancer. We need to stand firmly upon a foundation of strength in order to meet the challenges upon us. We need to rest confidently in an embrace of peace to know that we are loved and cared for. We must never forget that God is the ultimate source of both strength and peace. God’s strength is unbreakable. God’s peace is eternal. God offers both gifts to us in endless ways. Through every difficulty that stands in our way, we need to reach out for these gifts that will reinforce us in ways nothing else can.
When I am weak and tired and worn down, dear God, I need the blessed assurance of your power and tranquility. When I feel them I am uplifted and renewed. What great hope is mine when I have them in my life! Amen
But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.
Hebrews 10:39
A significant factor in healing is determination. It is determination that is a true survival trait. Determination is strength of mind and purpose, a resolve which comes from within; from the inner well-spring of power that God has given to all of us. Determination is a healing tool, empowering us to find courage and stamina, enabling us to act when we need to. It delivers us from the immobilization of passivity. It is the gift God gives us to help us follow God’s will. Determination is a by-product of our faith, an acceptance of God’s guidance and a willingness to go where God leads.
My faith in you gives me strength, O Lord. It helps me to have courage and gives me the guidance I need to find my way on this journey. I am so blessed by the help you give me and I offer you my thanks for all you do. Amen.
January 20
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Ephesians 5:11
It’s amazingly easy to go down the path of complaint and disillusionment. Cancer has an innate way of taking over our lives and robbing us of its goodness and joy. But only if we let it. Yes, cancer is tough to deal with. But don’t give it more than it is due. Don’t give in to its darker powers. Recognize when it’s taking over. Confront it when it’s creating an unwelcome imbalance in your life. Acknowledge its impact. Meet it head on. But choose to reveal its imperfect ways. And choose as well to minimize its place by deciding to be well and live well again.
It does me no good to focus only on things I see as wrong, O God. So I turn this day over to you to help me see with great clarity all that is right as well. Amen.
January 21
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Psalm 40:3a
Today take a good look at your outlook and attitudes. Do you more quickly find the good around you or do you more readily find fault? Do you more easily list the positive things in your life or do you gravitate toward recounting mostly the negative? Do you naturally see each day as an opportunity for joy and possibility or do you see mainly drudgery and debilitating challenge ahead? Healing needs a hopeful and positive environment. It requires us to view our lives and the world with joy, gratitude and grace. What are you doing within your own spirit to help nurture these qualities? Possessing them can make a transforming difference in every part of your life.
When I am inclined to complain about every little thing I don’t like, I know that I need to adjust the way I react. I pray for your help today to see a more positive way, O God. Amen.
January 22
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Romans 8:5
It’s too easy and all too common when we live with cancer to focus exclusively on the physical challenges we face. But our emotional, mental and spiritual natures require just as much attention. If we are constantly disheartened, if we are negative and disquieted or if we feel empty and uninspired, we do not lend strength to our physical healing. Our ultimate hope comes in creating an atmosphere where our bodies and spirits work in constant connection. Authentic healing begins to come when we understand how important it is to combine our bodies and spirits into a cohesive whole.
Help me to gain the proper perspective today, dear God. Help me to focus not just on my physical challenges, but just as much on my spirit. Help me to build it up and nurture it to be a stronger and healthier person in every way. Amen.
January 23
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Isaiah 27:1b
There’s a lot to be afraid of when cancer threatens us. The future seems so uncertain. Our confidence falters. We dread that our strength may diminish. We fear that the disease may take over everything in our lives. We worry that pain may overwhelm us. We agonize that we may lose all that is dear to us. We are troubled that recurrence may occur. The list goes on and on. We can get utterly caught up in the possibilities that each day ahead might bring that we lose sight of the gifts today does bring. When we lose that perspective we lose this day. And then we can find ourselves in a downward spiral that does us no good. The challenge for us is to remember that God is a God of hopeful possibilities and that God offers those possibilities to us without fail every day.
I don’t like living in fear. I don’t like what fear brings to my everyday life. So, on this day, loving God, take my fears away and fill me instead with calm reassurance and encouraging peace. Amen.
January 24
…therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope.
Acts 2:26
When we make a concerted effort to look for the blessings in our daily lives we can experience an astounding change in our perspective. When we determine that we will find goodness we will find it. When we make it a matter of course to express gratitude we will discover even more things for which to be grateful. When we decide to focus on the constructive aspects of our lives we will make strides in ever more healing directions. Hope is born in gratitude and appreciation. When we nurture those concrete feelings we will be amazed at how much more hopeful and confident we will be.
Whenever I look to you in thanksgiving, O God, I am sustained in greater and more special ways. I want to approach you with gratitude today and I want to make it a habit to maintain that attitude in everything I think and do. Amen.
January 25
May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Psalm 29:11
Strength and peace. They are two of the most significant blessings of life. They are very essential to possess when we are living with cancer. We need to stand firmly upon a foundation of strength in order to meet the challenges upon us. We need to rest confidently in an embrace of peace to know that we are loved and cared for. We must never forget that God is the ultimate source of both strength and peace. God’s strength is unbreakable. God’s peace is eternal. God offers both gifts to us in endless ways. Through every difficulty that stands in our way, we need to reach out for these gifts that will reinforce us in ways nothing else can.
When I am weak and tired and worn down, dear God, I need the blessed assurance of your power and tranquility. When I feel them I am uplifted and renewed. What great hope is mine when I have them in my life! Amen
Friday, January 11, 2013
Week of January 12 - 18
January 12
See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
Isaiah 42:9
God wants us to be renewed. God wants us to be restored. God wants us to be revitalized. God wants us to be refreshed. And God doesn’t want us to have to wait to begin to see, know and realize the new life we are able to achieve. Even before we begin to understand the goodness that is in store for us, God is letting us know that it is coming. This promise of coming goodness can serve as a vital sign of hope for us. Cancer often robs us of our hope and we have to struggle to regain it again. These words remind us not to give up on hope. They remind us to rely on the very real dawn of a new day where all that confronts and threatens us melts blessedly away.
On this new day of life, I cling to the vision you share of better days for me. I hold onto the assurance that I can rise above my troubles and triumph over my pain. Dear God, your promises give power to this day. Amen.
January 13
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
I Corinthians 3:16
Each of us is very special and important to God. God created us lovingly, carefully, and intricately. We have been made in the divine image of God, filled with potential for wonder, goodness and joy. The purpose of our lives is to reflect God’s love and grace, to use our lives as a witness to God’s eternal gifts of peace and hope. Even when we are confronted with cancer - especially when we are confronted with cancer – it is essential for us to remember how extraordinary and significant we are. When disease puts us to a fundamental test, knowing how vital we are in God’s eyes can give us the confidence we need to face our challenges with steadfastness, trust and resolve.
Sometimes I don’t feel so significant, when I’m worn down, broken and afraid. But I begin to feel so much better when I am reminded of your deep love. You know me beyond compare. I am deeply grateful for your devotion and care, O God. Amen.
January 14
…for God’s temple is holy and you are that temple.
I Corinthians 3:17b
Undoubtedly, when we don’t feel well, we don’t feel much like a temple of God. It’s hard to feel holy when pain does not go away, when sleep does not come or when our bodies no longer can do the things they have always done before. It’s hard to feel like a reflection of God when our hope is diminished, our outlook is downbeat or our dreams seem defeated. Yet, no matter how low we feel and how uncertain we are, we are reassured of this: • God made us and understands our every need;
• in God’s understanding, God is deeply involved in meeting those needs;
• even though we do not always recognize how God may be at work for us, we can know that God is caring for us in ways too profound to number.
This intimate care is a reflection of God’s love, a sign of our holiness in God’s eyes.
Holy God, by creating me in your divine image you announce that you want neither harm nor defeat to mark my life. In my darkest moments with disease and despair, I need to be reminded of your love. And I’m glad that you do. Amen.
January 15
The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish …
2 Peter 3:9
We want what we want when we want it. That’s natural and human. But in our humanness we fail to remember that we don’t know everything. One of the most difficult things for us to consider is God’s infinite knowledge about our needs and the larger picture surrounding us. We show this most with our impatience. We hate to wait. We beg for relief, we cry for better answers and we tell God what to do. Our limited understandings and perspectives and our preconceived ideas often close our minds and hearts to God’s better plans and more perfect timing. But when we remember that God wants nothing more than our well-being and healing, we can remain assured that in the best timing we will be blessed with every one of our needs.
Waiting and trusting in you to show me your better way are the hardest things I have to do, loving God. Teach me your patience. Assure me of your devotion. Help me to know your perfect care – even in the face of my fear and doubt. Amen.
January 16
And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1 John 5:14
God responds to our needs with only the best of answers. Because God sees and knows far beyond anything we are able to, God’s response to our needs may be far different than anything we may think is best or expect. With cancer there is often a lot of pleading to God, a lot of bargaining with God to change the realities confronting us. And far too often many of us pull back from God because we think – wrongly – that God is not attentive or that God does not care. We must always keep in the forefront of our minds that God knows even more intimately than we do just what we need to find strength and healing. Don’t be afraid to pour out to God what’s on your mind and what’s in your heart. But also don’t be afraid to listen with a more open and receptive spirit for what God has in store for you. What God has arranged is far more wonderful than anything we can devise or imagine on our own.
I need to open my spirit to you, O Lord. I need to be open to receiving and accepting your will. I need to remember that what you give is always what is right and best for me. Amen.
January 17
May mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Jude 2
Mercy – compassion, kindness, forgiveness, understanding.
Peace – calm, tranquility, harmony, serenity.
Love – affection, devotion, care, concern.
To respond to cancer with confidence and strength, we need these gifts in supreme abundance. We can’t thrive without them. Seek them out. Surround yourself with those who share those gifts and who are examples of them. Treasure them when you find them. Nurture them. Hold onto them with gratitude and grace. They are your best hope to begin creating wellness in your life.
I hold onto you, dear God, because you are my best example of mercy, peace and love. You show me what they mean. You provide these healing blessings in my life. What wonderful gifts they are! Amen.
January 18
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:16
Cancer survivors realize that they need to give as well as receive. It is dangerous when we get so caught up in our own limitations and struggles. As we retreat further and further within ourselves, we lose a vital perspective about the larger world. We forget that there is life beyond cancer. But it is by reaching out, by opening ourselves up to others and their lives and by sharing our gifts and blessings, we begin to grow and change in significant ways. Soon, as we look beyond ourselves, we experience new ideas, new answers and new attitudes, so many that are positive and good. This is the beginning of our healing. It is what we are created to do. It is an essential part of our hope.
I can all too easily get caught up in my own problems. I can get so self-absorbed that I miss the joy and love around me. So today, O God, I will try to look beyond myself to see a better perspective. Today, I ask for your help. Amen.
See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
Isaiah 42:9
God wants us to be renewed. God wants us to be restored. God wants us to be revitalized. God wants us to be refreshed. And God doesn’t want us to have to wait to begin to see, know and realize the new life we are able to achieve. Even before we begin to understand the goodness that is in store for us, God is letting us know that it is coming. This promise of coming goodness can serve as a vital sign of hope for us. Cancer often robs us of our hope and we have to struggle to regain it again. These words remind us not to give up on hope. They remind us to rely on the very real dawn of a new day where all that confronts and threatens us melts blessedly away.
On this new day of life, I cling to the vision you share of better days for me. I hold onto the assurance that I can rise above my troubles and triumph over my pain. Dear God, your promises give power to this day. Amen.
January 13
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
I Corinthians 3:16
Each of us is very special and important to God. God created us lovingly, carefully, and intricately. We have been made in the divine image of God, filled with potential for wonder, goodness and joy. The purpose of our lives is to reflect God’s love and grace, to use our lives as a witness to God’s eternal gifts of peace and hope. Even when we are confronted with cancer - especially when we are confronted with cancer – it is essential for us to remember how extraordinary and significant we are. When disease puts us to a fundamental test, knowing how vital we are in God’s eyes can give us the confidence we need to face our challenges with steadfastness, trust and resolve.
Sometimes I don’t feel so significant, when I’m worn down, broken and afraid. But I begin to feel so much better when I am reminded of your deep love. You know me beyond compare. I am deeply grateful for your devotion and care, O God. Amen.
January 14
…for God’s temple is holy and you are that temple.
I Corinthians 3:17b
Undoubtedly, when we don’t feel well, we don’t feel much like a temple of God. It’s hard to feel holy when pain does not go away, when sleep does not come or when our bodies no longer can do the things they have always done before. It’s hard to feel like a reflection of God when our hope is diminished, our outlook is downbeat or our dreams seem defeated. Yet, no matter how low we feel and how uncertain we are, we are reassured of this: • God made us and understands our every need;
• in God’s understanding, God is deeply involved in meeting those needs;
• even though we do not always recognize how God may be at work for us, we can know that God is caring for us in ways too profound to number.
This intimate care is a reflection of God’s love, a sign of our holiness in God’s eyes.
Holy God, by creating me in your divine image you announce that you want neither harm nor defeat to mark my life. In my darkest moments with disease and despair, I need to be reminded of your love. And I’m glad that you do. Amen.
January 15
The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish …
2 Peter 3:9
We want what we want when we want it. That’s natural and human. But in our humanness we fail to remember that we don’t know everything. One of the most difficult things for us to consider is God’s infinite knowledge about our needs and the larger picture surrounding us. We show this most with our impatience. We hate to wait. We beg for relief, we cry for better answers and we tell God what to do. Our limited understandings and perspectives and our preconceived ideas often close our minds and hearts to God’s better plans and more perfect timing. But when we remember that God wants nothing more than our well-being and healing, we can remain assured that in the best timing we will be blessed with every one of our needs.
Waiting and trusting in you to show me your better way are the hardest things I have to do, loving God. Teach me your patience. Assure me of your devotion. Help me to know your perfect care – even in the face of my fear and doubt. Amen.
January 16
And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1 John 5:14
God responds to our needs with only the best of answers. Because God sees and knows far beyond anything we are able to, God’s response to our needs may be far different than anything we may think is best or expect. With cancer there is often a lot of pleading to God, a lot of bargaining with God to change the realities confronting us. And far too often many of us pull back from God because we think – wrongly – that God is not attentive or that God does not care. We must always keep in the forefront of our minds that God knows even more intimately than we do just what we need to find strength and healing. Don’t be afraid to pour out to God what’s on your mind and what’s in your heart. But also don’t be afraid to listen with a more open and receptive spirit for what God has in store for you. What God has arranged is far more wonderful than anything we can devise or imagine on our own.
I need to open my spirit to you, O Lord. I need to be open to receiving and accepting your will. I need to remember that what you give is always what is right and best for me. Amen.
January 17
May mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Jude 2
Mercy – compassion, kindness, forgiveness, understanding.
Peace – calm, tranquility, harmony, serenity.
Love – affection, devotion, care, concern.
To respond to cancer with confidence and strength, we need these gifts in supreme abundance. We can’t thrive without them. Seek them out. Surround yourself with those who share those gifts and who are examples of them. Treasure them when you find them. Nurture them. Hold onto them with gratitude and grace. They are your best hope to begin creating wellness in your life.
I hold onto you, dear God, because you are my best example of mercy, peace and love. You show me what they mean. You provide these healing blessings in my life. What wonderful gifts they are! Amen.
January 18
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:16
Cancer survivors realize that they need to give as well as receive. It is dangerous when we get so caught up in our own limitations and struggles. As we retreat further and further within ourselves, we lose a vital perspective about the larger world. We forget that there is life beyond cancer. But it is by reaching out, by opening ourselves up to others and their lives and by sharing our gifts and blessings, we begin to grow and change in significant ways. Soon, as we look beyond ourselves, we experience new ideas, new answers and new attitudes, so many that are positive and good. This is the beginning of our healing. It is what we are created to do. It is an essential part of our hope.
I can all too easily get caught up in my own problems. I can get so self-absorbed that I miss the joy and love around me. So today, O God, I will try to look beyond myself to see a better perspective. Today, I ask for your help. Amen.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Week of January 5 - 11
January 5
… a time to be born and a time to die; …
Ecclesiastes 3:2a
Part of the healing journey is acknowledging the end of things that no longer serve us well. In all aspects of our lives there are natural and necessary beginnings and endings. It is vitally important as you live with cancer to take stock of what is positive and working in your life and also what is not. Perhaps some aspect of your medical care no longer serves you well. Perhaps your long established diet is not healthy. Maybe your exercise habits need re-energizing. Possibly certain cherished attitudes and opinions need to change. At times some relationships may need to be put on hold or even ended. Also, new ways of finding spiritual connection may need to be cultivated. Not everything on this earth lasts forever. To achieve authentic healing we need to assess what is vital and what is not.
Eternal God, your love and grace never end. Help me to know when things in my life are not based on your will for me. Help me to have the courage to make the changes I need to make so that my healing can be real. Amen.
January 6
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1
The reminders are constant. They are woven through every book in the scriptures. Without fail we are reminded that God loves us. We are assured that God looks upon us with favor. The good news is told that God has created us for joy, for blessing and for peace. This message is especially important to remember when we are in the midst of disease and pain. It is essential to recall when we are struggling with our own survival. In the dark moments of our distress, we desperately need the confidence and certainty that come from knowing we have God looking only for our greatest good and perfect healing in every way. This we must not forget.
God of goodness and healing, in my impatience and anxiety I quickly forget the reassuring words proclaiming your love. In your devotion you show me over and over again how much you care and are doing to give me new and abundant life. Thank you. Amen.
January 7
For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
Isaiah 60:2
In this life there will always be times when difficulties and dilemmas confront us. Even when much is going well there is always something to bring darkness to our lives. All around us – and often within – we each struggle in our own ways with uncertainties, fears, unpleasant realities and regrets. In the darkness that descends when cancer enters our lives it often becomes impossible to see any light or any hope in our circumstances. But this passage reminds us no matter how dark or hopeless it may seem, that God is working to lift us, protect us, help us, deliver us and save from defeat and despair.
I can hardly comprehend how deeply you watch over me and how carefully you look after my needs. Yet even in my limited understanding of your deep love, I am reassured that your grace gives me everything I need, O God. Amen.
January 8
For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept still and restrained myself; now I cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.
Isaiah 42:14
Many of us try to be tough and stoic when we are dealing with cancer. We don’t like to be a burden or we find it hard to accept much of the help and care we really need. While strength and resolve are certainly good traits to possess, there are times when we just need to let go of our toughness and let our feelings out. There can be nothing more satisfying than to just share what we are going through. There can be nothing more helpful than to pour out our frustrations, resentments, anxieties and deepest concerns to someone we trust. It is genuinely healing to be able to express what is truly on our hearts and minds. This kind of confession is truly good for our health and our souls.
In reality, dear God, I know you already understand my deepest fears and needs even before I do. You are already reaching out to alleviate my pain and direct my path. I’m so grateful you know me so well. Help to share my most intimate thoughts so that I will understand myself much better too. Amen.
January 9
Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
Isaiah 42:5
The creator of this world and our lives is the source of everything we have and all that we need. When God created this world God declared all creation to be good. God’s spirit of love, hope, peace, joy and eternity has been created within each of us. And within each of us there exists a wellspring of possibility and promise that we need to draw from as we live with cancer. Within us all there is already a power to heal that few of us realize exists. God has placed it there. Just knowing that we are made with God’s spirit within us gives us a tremendous built-in capacity to find renewal and restoration exactly when we need them most.
God of renewal, God of restoration, help me to see and use the power you have already created within me to find the strength I need today. Amen.
January 10
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations.
Isaiah 42:6
Isaiah continues to reaffirm God’s deep concern and love for us. God creates virtue and goodness within us. God guides us by the hand and watches over us to protect us from the ravages of disease and pain. God has made eternal promises to us to always stay with us. God has made us to share love and hope to a world often plunged in darkness and despair. All this can serve as blessed reassurance that no matter how difficult our journey with cancer may be, we have God to help us deal with it, travel through it and rise above it.
To know that I am never left to face this – or any - day alone is of great comfort to me, O God. I know you have made a promise to always be with me and I am so grateful for that. Amen.
January 11
To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:7
Because God loves us so much, God wants us to see all that is best for us. Because God wants us to live in joy and peace, God wants us to be released from all the chains that bind us from living fully and well. Because God is a God of light and illumination, God wants us to come out from the darkness that clouds our thinking, restrains our spirits and inhibits our souls. God does not want cancer to blind us to hope, imprison us to fear or plunge us into distress. Please know that these things need not be the final word for any of us. But know that a clearer, freer and brighter day awaits – with God as our guide.
Open my eyes that I may see all the truth and healing you have for me, dear God. I need your vision and your perspective today. Amen.
… a time to be born and a time to die; …
Ecclesiastes 3:2a
Part of the healing journey is acknowledging the end of things that no longer serve us well. In all aspects of our lives there are natural and necessary beginnings and endings. It is vitally important as you live with cancer to take stock of what is positive and working in your life and also what is not. Perhaps some aspect of your medical care no longer serves you well. Perhaps your long established diet is not healthy. Maybe your exercise habits need re-energizing. Possibly certain cherished attitudes and opinions need to change. At times some relationships may need to be put on hold or even ended. Also, new ways of finding spiritual connection may need to be cultivated. Not everything on this earth lasts forever. To achieve authentic healing we need to assess what is vital and what is not.
Eternal God, your love and grace never end. Help me to know when things in my life are not based on your will for me. Help me to have the courage to make the changes I need to make so that my healing can be real. Amen.
January 6
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1
The reminders are constant. They are woven through every book in the scriptures. Without fail we are reminded that God loves us. We are assured that God looks upon us with favor. The good news is told that God has created us for joy, for blessing and for peace. This message is especially important to remember when we are in the midst of disease and pain. It is essential to recall when we are struggling with our own survival. In the dark moments of our distress, we desperately need the confidence and certainty that come from knowing we have God looking only for our greatest good and perfect healing in every way. This we must not forget.
God of goodness and healing, in my impatience and anxiety I quickly forget the reassuring words proclaiming your love. In your devotion you show me over and over again how much you care and are doing to give me new and abundant life. Thank you. Amen.
January 7
For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
Isaiah 60:2
In this life there will always be times when difficulties and dilemmas confront us. Even when much is going well there is always something to bring darkness to our lives. All around us – and often within – we each struggle in our own ways with uncertainties, fears, unpleasant realities and regrets. In the darkness that descends when cancer enters our lives it often becomes impossible to see any light or any hope in our circumstances. But this passage reminds us no matter how dark or hopeless it may seem, that God is working to lift us, protect us, help us, deliver us and save from defeat and despair.
I can hardly comprehend how deeply you watch over me and how carefully you look after my needs. Yet even in my limited understanding of your deep love, I am reassured that your grace gives me everything I need, O God. Amen.
January 8
For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept still and restrained myself; now I cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.
Isaiah 42:14
Many of us try to be tough and stoic when we are dealing with cancer. We don’t like to be a burden or we find it hard to accept much of the help and care we really need. While strength and resolve are certainly good traits to possess, there are times when we just need to let go of our toughness and let our feelings out. There can be nothing more satisfying than to just share what we are going through. There can be nothing more helpful than to pour out our frustrations, resentments, anxieties and deepest concerns to someone we trust. It is genuinely healing to be able to express what is truly on our hearts and minds. This kind of confession is truly good for our health and our souls.
In reality, dear God, I know you already understand my deepest fears and needs even before I do. You are already reaching out to alleviate my pain and direct my path. I’m so grateful you know me so well. Help to share my most intimate thoughts so that I will understand myself much better too. Amen.
January 9
Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
Isaiah 42:5
The creator of this world and our lives is the source of everything we have and all that we need. When God created this world God declared all creation to be good. God’s spirit of love, hope, peace, joy and eternity has been created within each of us. And within each of us there exists a wellspring of possibility and promise that we need to draw from as we live with cancer. Within us all there is already a power to heal that few of us realize exists. God has placed it there. Just knowing that we are made with God’s spirit within us gives us a tremendous built-in capacity to find renewal and restoration exactly when we need them most.
God of renewal, God of restoration, help me to see and use the power you have already created within me to find the strength I need today. Amen.
January 10
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations.
Isaiah 42:6
Isaiah continues to reaffirm God’s deep concern and love for us. God creates virtue and goodness within us. God guides us by the hand and watches over us to protect us from the ravages of disease and pain. God has made eternal promises to us to always stay with us. God has made us to share love and hope to a world often plunged in darkness and despair. All this can serve as blessed reassurance that no matter how difficult our journey with cancer may be, we have God to help us deal with it, travel through it and rise above it.
To know that I am never left to face this – or any - day alone is of great comfort to me, O God. I know you have made a promise to always be with me and I am so grateful for that. Amen.
January 11
To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:7
Because God loves us so much, God wants us to see all that is best for us. Because God wants us to live in joy and peace, God wants us to be released from all the chains that bind us from living fully and well. Because God is a God of light and illumination, God wants us to come out from the darkness that clouds our thinking, restrains our spirits and inhibits our souls. God does not want cancer to blind us to hope, imprison us to fear or plunge us into distress. Please know that these things need not be the final word for any of us. But know that a clearer, freer and brighter day awaits – with God as our guide.
Open my eyes that I may see all the truth and healing you have for me, dear God. I need your vision and your perspective today. Amen.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Week of December 29 - January 4
December 29
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
The world around us often brings us news that is both pessimistic and bad. So many times the prevailing wisdom is cynical and lacks a promising hope. Conventional thinking frequently limits our options and neither encourages nor uplifts us. Always on this journey, we must look beyond this world’s limited vision to see instead the vision that God wants us to see. God is not defined by negativity and limitation. God does not conform to human cynicism or convention. God instead has different ideas. And it is to God that we need to turn – for understanding, for guidance, for discernment, for strength and for a better way beyond our current circumstances. The answers of this world alone will limit us. But the answers from God will set us free.
I need to move beyond any thinking that pulls me down or keeps me from realizing all the hope and promise you have created for me. Dear God, I’m calling on you to help me see things your way, a way of possibility, of healing and of peace. Amen.
December 30
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18
As another year comes to a close, it is a good time to resolve to let lingering animosities, bitter feelings and festering resentments end with it. We don’t need them weighing us down, distracting us from the work of creating wellness and staying well. The burdens of the heart and mind that we hold onto only hinder our healing and survival. They serve no discernable good, but drain us of the energy we need, to grow in health with each new day. As this year and all its challenges and frustrations begin to move behind us, make it a matter of course for the new year ahead to find a way to make peace where there is tension. The journey will be incredibly smoother and better when we do.
Dear God, I say it all the time, letting go of the hurt that has been placed upon me is the hardest thing I have to do. But I know I need to do it for my own well-being and peace of mind. Help me today, help me tomorrow, help me with every day ahead to do what you have already done for me – forgive. Amen.
December 31
… that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
Isaiah 63:7c
Today, on this last day of this year, we continue to recall how generous God is to us. As we look back on the year and all that’s happened to us, there will surely be many mixed feelings. Certainly, we have had struggles and fears; we have had heartache and pain. But just as certainly we have been touched with rest and relief; as well as moments of joy and comfort, too. While it’s easy to focus on what has gone wrong, we must refocus on what has gone right. God has joined us and is accompanying us on this journey. God understands our distress and God is bringing help in every moment of need. Look back and you will see this to be evident and true. This is cause for celebration and relief.
As this year closes and another is about to begin, I resolve not to focus just on what has been hard for me. Instead I am finding encouragement and hope in recounting all that has blessed and uplifted me this year. There are more blessings than I can say. Thank you, O God. Amen.
January 1
… and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.
Revelation 21:3b,4
On this first day of this new year we are given the centuries-old hope that indeed God is with us. We are reminded once again that God is with us to help take away our reasons for sadness and disappointment. We are reminded that death need not destroy us nor be the last word for us. We are reminded that no longer will grief consume us or lament and hurt be part of our lives. On this new day in this new year we are promised that all these things can be put behind us once and for all. These are words of triumph. These are words to bring us infinite hope today.
O God of new life, I come to you with great hope and expectation today for what this new year will bring. I pray with a vision of your great promises on my heart and in my mind. Amen.
January 2
For he has said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and he became their savior in all their distress.
Isaiah 63:8
We all want to belong. We all want to know that we are valued, included and loved. We need the reassurance of belonging; it is a basic human requirement. Knowing we belong means knowing that we are cared for. It means knowing that others have compassion on our needs. It means knowing that we are not alone in our circumstances and distress. That wonderful knowledge is extremely powerful for us. It reminds us that we are never without help, never forced to face disease, disappointment or danger by ourselves. It means, above all, that God is always with us, always helping us and always reaching out to us – even when we do not realize it. This is wonderful news. This we must remember every day.
While there are many times when I feel as if no one understands or cares, ultimately I come back to the knowledge that you care and that you understand what I need. Dear Lord, I am glad that I belong to you and that you so deeply love me. Amen.
January 3
It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them, in his love and in his pity he redeemed them.
Isaiah 63:9
Ultimately, it is God who supplies us with everything we need. It is God who knows us infinitely better than anyone else. It is God who knows us far more intimately than we know ourselves. It is God who created us in a divine image. Because of God’s creation of us and God’s thorough knowledge of us, God’s love for us is profound and deep. In that love God desires nothing bad or harmful for us. God’s love compels God to only offer us hope, forgiveness, grace and peace. It is this knowledge that can inspire us on the journey with cancer. Because when the days get difficult and rough, we can find confidence in the assurance that God is working out a better way for us.
I know that when I have had troubled days in the past, you, dear God, have carried me through them. You have always shown me a way out of my distress. I am deeply grateful for that and I will remember that in days to come. Amen.
January 4
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: …
Ecclesiastes 3:1
God has ordered this world and the life within it with natural rhythms and cycles, with beginnings and endings, that are time-honored and enduring. All too often our human inclination is to try to reorder those rhythms to suit our self-appointed desires. We are not good at waiting when we should. We are too quick to break into cycles, disrupting and subverting them. We are too slow to recognize the rhythms we should let play out and too slow to understand when we need to act in concert with them. In our journey toward healing we need to take time for discernment about what we can change and what we cannot. We need to become more sensitive to the natural order that God has established for our health and our well-being.
Dear God, one of the hardest things for me to do is to recognize when I need to act and when I need to step back and wait. Help me to know when I am getting in the way of your timing and seasons. I know that when I do understand your rhythms everything goes so much better. Amen.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
The world around us often brings us news that is both pessimistic and bad. So many times the prevailing wisdom is cynical and lacks a promising hope. Conventional thinking frequently limits our options and neither encourages nor uplifts us. Always on this journey, we must look beyond this world’s limited vision to see instead the vision that God wants us to see. God is not defined by negativity and limitation. God does not conform to human cynicism or convention. God instead has different ideas. And it is to God that we need to turn – for understanding, for guidance, for discernment, for strength and for a better way beyond our current circumstances. The answers of this world alone will limit us. But the answers from God will set us free.
I need to move beyond any thinking that pulls me down or keeps me from realizing all the hope and promise you have created for me. Dear God, I’m calling on you to help me see things your way, a way of possibility, of healing and of peace. Amen.
December 30
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18
As another year comes to a close, it is a good time to resolve to let lingering animosities, bitter feelings and festering resentments end with it. We don’t need them weighing us down, distracting us from the work of creating wellness and staying well. The burdens of the heart and mind that we hold onto only hinder our healing and survival. They serve no discernable good, but drain us of the energy we need, to grow in health with each new day. As this year and all its challenges and frustrations begin to move behind us, make it a matter of course for the new year ahead to find a way to make peace where there is tension. The journey will be incredibly smoother and better when we do.
Dear God, I say it all the time, letting go of the hurt that has been placed upon me is the hardest thing I have to do. But I know I need to do it for my own well-being and peace of mind. Help me today, help me tomorrow, help me with every day ahead to do what you have already done for me – forgive. Amen.
December 31
… that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
Isaiah 63:7c
Today, on this last day of this year, we continue to recall how generous God is to us. As we look back on the year and all that’s happened to us, there will surely be many mixed feelings. Certainly, we have had struggles and fears; we have had heartache and pain. But just as certainly we have been touched with rest and relief; as well as moments of joy and comfort, too. While it’s easy to focus on what has gone wrong, we must refocus on what has gone right. God has joined us and is accompanying us on this journey. God understands our distress and God is bringing help in every moment of need. Look back and you will see this to be evident and true. This is cause for celebration and relief.
As this year closes and another is about to begin, I resolve not to focus just on what has been hard for me. Instead I am finding encouragement and hope in recounting all that has blessed and uplifted me this year. There are more blessings than I can say. Thank you, O God. Amen.
January 1
… and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.
Revelation 21:3b,4
On this first day of this new year we are given the centuries-old hope that indeed God is with us. We are reminded once again that God is with us to help take away our reasons for sadness and disappointment. We are reminded that death need not destroy us nor be the last word for us. We are reminded that no longer will grief consume us or lament and hurt be part of our lives. On this new day in this new year we are promised that all these things can be put behind us once and for all. These are words of triumph. These are words to bring us infinite hope today.
O God of new life, I come to you with great hope and expectation today for what this new year will bring. I pray with a vision of your great promises on my heart and in my mind. Amen.
January 2
For he has said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and he became their savior in all their distress.
Isaiah 63:8
We all want to belong. We all want to know that we are valued, included and loved. We need the reassurance of belonging; it is a basic human requirement. Knowing we belong means knowing that we are cared for. It means knowing that others have compassion on our needs. It means knowing that we are not alone in our circumstances and distress. That wonderful knowledge is extremely powerful for us. It reminds us that we are never without help, never forced to face disease, disappointment or danger by ourselves. It means, above all, that God is always with us, always helping us and always reaching out to us – even when we do not realize it. This is wonderful news. This we must remember every day.
While there are many times when I feel as if no one understands or cares, ultimately I come back to the knowledge that you care and that you understand what I need. Dear Lord, I am glad that I belong to you and that you so deeply love me. Amen.
January 3
It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them, in his love and in his pity he redeemed them.
Isaiah 63:9
Ultimately, it is God who supplies us with everything we need. It is God who knows us infinitely better than anyone else. It is God who knows us far more intimately than we know ourselves. It is God who created us in a divine image. Because of God’s creation of us and God’s thorough knowledge of us, God’s love for us is profound and deep. In that love God desires nothing bad or harmful for us. God’s love compels God to only offer us hope, forgiveness, grace and peace. It is this knowledge that can inspire us on the journey with cancer. Because when the days get difficult and rough, we can find confidence in the assurance that God is working out a better way for us.
I know that when I have had troubled days in the past, you, dear God, have carried me through them. You have always shown me a way out of my distress. I am deeply grateful for that and I will remember that in days to come. Amen.
January 4
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: …
Ecclesiastes 3:1
God has ordered this world and the life within it with natural rhythms and cycles, with beginnings and endings, that are time-honored and enduring. All too often our human inclination is to try to reorder those rhythms to suit our self-appointed desires. We are not good at waiting when we should. We are too quick to break into cycles, disrupting and subverting them. We are too slow to recognize the rhythms we should let play out and too slow to understand when we need to act in concert with them. In our journey toward healing we need to take time for discernment about what we can change and what we cannot. We need to become more sensitive to the natural order that God has established for our health and our well-being.
Dear God, one of the hardest things for me to do is to recognize when I need to act and when I need to step back and wait. Help me to know when I am getting in the way of your timing and seasons. I know that when I do understand your rhythms everything goes so much better. Amen.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Week of December 22 - 28
December 22
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
Isaiah 35:5
There are days when we wonder if we will ever understand what is happening to us. There are times when we have serious doubts about whether or not we will ever really know when God is speaking to us and showing us the direction we need to go. As we go through our lives, and especially our lives with cancer, we often have more doubts and uncertain moments than we can number. Yet today we are reminded that our uncertainty shall not last. Today we are promised that our doubting will not linger. Today we can know that we will have the ability to see all we need to perceive and hear all we need to regard. Today we must trust that in God’s time it will happen.
My patience is usually not strong enough to wait, O God. I don’t listen as I should. I don’t see as I could. So today, help me to remember that you promise to show me and tell me all I will need. Amen.
December 23
…they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:10c
There will come a day when all the fear and worry and anxiety can be put behind us. On that day, we are promised, we will experience wonderful elation and tremendous delight. On that day we will no longer posses a mournful spirit or a groaning, weary heart. What a day that will be. So why can’t that day start today? Well, it can. Right now, today, even as we live with disease, we can still experience joy – a feeling of well-being no matter what is going on around us. We can be glad - finding gratitude and goodness even as bad things confront us. We do not have to allow sadness and heartache to linger. Today we can act to change our outlook and our reactions. Today our world can be better simply because we resolve it to be.
Today, gracious Lord, my attitudes and my understandings will change. Today, with your help, I will modify the way I view my circumstances and things will begin to be more positive and hopeful. Amen.
December 24
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all your people…
Luke 2:10
The diagnosis of a serious disease like cancer will certainly take most of us aback. It’s shocking news none of us ever wants to hear. But we do not need to be afraid of the news. While our lives will definitely change because of it, the changes do not all have to be negative or bad. In fact, if we place our trust in God, who is the author of all hope and the source of all healing, we can find great comfort, strength and peace. This is good news. We are deeply loved by God. And God does not want any of us to be broken down by disease. God wants only for us to find restoration and renewed life. In this we have nothing to fear.
God of new life, I pray for renewal today. My prayer is to put aside all my fears, to have new confidence and hope, and to believe with assurance that I am held tightly in your loving, healing hands. Amen.
December 25
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1:5
Today we are reminded that there is always light to brighten our darkness. Today we are reminded there is always hope to encourage us to discover a better day. Today we are reminded there is always a way to find relief from everything that overwhelms us. Today we are reminded that God is indeed always with us, providing the answers we need just when we need them. Today is a day to celebrate the light that shines just for us, a light sent by a loving, compassionate and caring God who only wants what is best for us. Today is a day to look into the darkness that invades our lives – whatever disease or fears or threats – to remember and declare that we will not be overcome by any of it, ever again.
Today I thank you, generous God, for the warm and generous light of your goodness and love. Your goodness encourages me. Your love carries me through. You give me gifts beyond compare. Amen.
December 26
Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you.
Titus 2:15
Do not ever forget that you are the leader on your healing journey. Remember that this is your life, that it’s your well-being and that it’s your future you are working for. Always know that you have the right and the responsibility to set the agenda and direct the path on which you want to travel. While all the others who love you, support you and care for you have a role and a vital interest in the course of your journey, you are the most important person on it. Let your voice be heard. Let your feelings be known. Let your needs be shared. You know what you need better than anyone else. Don’t forget that. Now more than ever you need to acknowledge what gives you strength and joy.
Under gird me with your power, O God, and build me up with your grace. I need a confident presence today. I need you, who knows me best, to give me understanding and wisdom to establish a healing way. Amen.
December 27
I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all the Lord has done for us, …
Isaiah 63:7a,b
Once again we are called from days of old to remember the goodness that God has done for us. We are encouraged to be ever mindful of the blessings God has given us day after day. It is so easy, when we are dealing with cancer, to get caught up entirely in seeing what is wrong and in recalling all that is challenging us. But when we do, we only find ourselves trapped in a downward cycle of frustration and negativity. Today it is vital that we renew our commitment to remembering and recounting the endless gifts with which God graces our daily lives.
I know that when I begin to name the ways in which you help and carry me, dear God, I realize the list actually never ends. Just to be reminded of your endless gifts is the first blessing on my list. Thank you for being so good to me every day. Amen.
December 28
… for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
Psalm 6:8b
There is also no doubt that there are many times when it seems as if God isn’t listening, doesn’t care or won’t act on our behalf. When we are in pain it is often difficult to see past the anguish to know there will be relief. But we can be reassured today beyond any shadow of doubt that God does hear us when we are in distress. We can be certain that God is listening to our fears, understands our worries and is already at work to help soothe them – before we know to ask. Even in our darkest hours, when hope is fragile and confidence is lost, the one defining truth is that God knows us intimately, loves us unconditionally and reaches out to comfort us completely. Our faith reminds us continually of that.
You know just how often I waver in my faith, O God. You know how much I falter in my trust. You know how many times I doubt your care. So remind me today, that your love and concern is deep and real. Amen.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
Isaiah 35:5
There are days when we wonder if we will ever understand what is happening to us. There are times when we have serious doubts about whether or not we will ever really know when God is speaking to us and showing us the direction we need to go. As we go through our lives, and especially our lives with cancer, we often have more doubts and uncertain moments than we can number. Yet today we are reminded that our uncertainty shall not last. Today we are promised that our doubting will not linger. Today we can know that we will have the ability to see all we need to perceive and hear all we need to regard. Today we must trust that in God’s time it will happen.
My patience is usually not strong enough to wait, O God. I don’t listen as I should. I don’t see as I could. So today, help me to remember that you promise to show me and tell me all I will need. Amen.
December 23
…they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:10c
There will come a day when all the fear and worry and anxiety can be put behind us. On that day, we are promised, we will experience wonderful elation and tremendous delight. On that day we will no longer posses a mournful spirit or a groaning, weary heart. What a day that will be. So why can’t that day start today? Well, it can. Right now, today, even as we live with disease, we can still experience joy – a feeling of well-being no matter what is going on around us. We can be glad - finding gratitude and goodness even as bad things confront us. We do not have to allow sadness and heartache to linger. Today we can act to change our outlook and our reactions. Today our world can be better simply because we resolve it to be.
Today, gracious Lord, my attitudes and my understandings will change. Today, with your help, I will modify the way I view my circumstances and things will begin to be more positive and hopeful. Amen.
December 24
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all your people…
Luke 2:10
The diagnosis of a serious disease like cancer will certainly take most of us aback. It’s shocking news none of us ever wants to hear. But we do not need to be afraid of the news. While our lives will definitely change because of it, the changes do not all have to be negative or bad. In fact, if we place our trust in God, who is the author of all hope and the source of all healing, we can find great comfort, strength and peace. This is good news. We are deeply loved by God. And God does not want any of us to be broken down by disease. God wants only for us to find restoration and renewed life. In this we have nothing to fear.
God of new life, I pray for renewal today. My prayer is to put aside all my fears, to have new confidence and hope, and to believe with assurance that I am held tightly in your loving, healing hands. Amen.
December 25
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1:5
Today we are reminded that there is always light to brighten our darkness. Today we are reminded there is always hope to encourage us to discover a better day. Today we are reminded there is always a way to find relief from everything that overwhelms us. Today we are reminded that God is indeed always with us, providing the answers we need just when we need them. Today is a day to celebrate the light that shines just for us, a light sent by a loving, compassionate and caring God who only wants what is best for us. Today is a day to look into the darkness that invades our lives – whatever disease or fears or threats – to remember and declare that we will not be overcome by any of it, ever again.
Today I thank you, generous God, for the warm and generous light of your goodness and love. Your goodness encourages me. Your love carries me through. You give me gifts beyond compare. Amen.
December 26
Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you.
Titus 2:15
Do not ever forget that you are the leader on your healing journey. Remember that this is your life, that it’s your well-being and that it’s your future you are working for. Always know that you have the right and the responsibility to set the agenda and direct the path on which you want to travel. While all the others who love you, support you and care for you have a role and a vital interest in the course of your journey, you are the most important person on it. Let your voice be heard. Let your feelings be known. Let your needs be shared. You know what you need better than anyone else. Don’t forget that. Now more than ever you need to acknowledge what gives you strength and joy.
Under gird me with your power, O God, and build me up with your grace. I need a confident presence today. I need you, who knows me best, to give me understanding and wisdom to establish a healing way. Amen.
December 27
I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all the Lord has done for us, …
Isaiah 63:7a,b
Once again we are called from days of old to remember the goodness that God has done for us. We are encouraged to be ever mindful of the blessings God has given us day after day. It is so easy, when we are dealing with cancer, to get caught up entirely in seeing what is wrong and in recalling all that is challenging us. But when we do, we only find ourselves trapped in a downward cycle of frustration and negativity. Today it is vital that we renew our commitment to remembering and recounting the endless gifts with which God graces our daily lives.
I know that when I begin to name the ways in which you help and carry me, dear God, I realize the list actually never ends. Just to be reminded of your endless gifts is the first blessing on my list. Thank you for being so good to me every day. Amen.
December 28
… for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
Psalm 6:8b
There is also no doubt that there are many times when it seems as if God isn’t listening, doesn’t care or won’t act on our behalf. When we are in pain it is often difficult to see past the anguish to know there will be relief. But we can be reassured today beyond any shadow of doubt that God does hear us when we are in distress. We can be certain that God is listening to our fears, understands our worries and is already at work to help soothe them – before we know to ask. Even in our darkest hours, when hope is fragile and confidence is lost, the one defining truth is that God knows us intimately, loves us unconditionally and reaches out to comfort us completely. Our faith reminds us continually of that.
You know just how often I waver in my faith, O God. You know how much I falter in my trust. You know how many times I doubt your care. So remind me today, that your love and concern is deep and real. Amen.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Week of December 15 - 21
December 15
We all growl like bears; like doves we moan mournfully. We wait for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.
Isaiah 59:11
Our complaints are many and varied. We seldom find contentment and peace with our circumstances and situations, especially when we’re sick. We are slow to see what is good and quick to list what we view as wrong. It’s been like that since the beginning of human time. But God is gracious toward us. And God understands us, because God has made us. In God’s intimate knowledge of our minds and hearts, God certainly understands our reasons for doubt and despair. And that is exactly why God takes care of us when we cannot see how to care for ourselves. While we are quick to grumble and complain, God is even quicker to begin to meet our needs before we even know what they are.
I am so grateful you understand my restless mind, patient God. When I get into a place where I fail to see how you are at work, you continue to work for my well-being – in spite of me. And I find immense comfort in that. Amen.
December 16
One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.”
Acts 18:9-10
We may be utterly surprised how often God speaks to us to reassure us that on this journey we are protected and guided. But too often we listen and look for God in some grand way, when God is speaking and working through different ways. We easily overlook the quiet, gentle voice of God as it speaks to us of hope, help and healing. God’s voice seldom comes through in thunderous and outwardly dramatic ways, But it comes most often in a caring touch from a friend, in a word of comfort from a doctor, in a prayer from an understanding neighbor or in a forgiving gesture from someone who loves us. God is working in more ways than we can begin to know or count. God is working through many others, even those we do not know.
How easy it is to overlook the subtle and yet obvious work you are doing for me, dear God. I miss it by forgetting how you often act – in gentle gestures, thorough countless others, in infinite ways. Today I will remember. Amen.
December 17
Your gates shall always be open; day and night they shall not be shut …
Isaiah 60:11
Long ago, there were those who instinctively understood that God never abandons or forgets about us. Long ago, wise and faithful people grasped that God is always attentive and always listens to our needs. Long ago, they spoke about God’s tireless faithfulness and endless patience with our disbelief. Long ago they wrote these words so that all of us today could be reminded, when we are apt that to forget, that we are never kept at a distance from God, that God always has our lives and needs intimately at hand. When we are inclined to question and doubt if God really cares, these words serve to call us back to the One who is always here even when we are uncertain.
I know that I close my eyes and ears and mind and heart to you, too often, O God. I know that it does me no good when I do. Today I strive to live more confidently in your help and in your grace. Amen.
December 18
…“What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”
Luke 18:27
In our humanness we give up all too easily. With our limited understandings and our finite vision we fail to see what God can see. Our shortsightedness causes us to give in to despair, to settle for flawed reasoning and to chase after uncertain answers. It causes us too often to devise our own solutions without waiting for God to show us a better way. Cancer is a frightening thing for all of us. For many of us it pushes us to think there is no hope, no way out, no good ending. But that is impossibility thinking. God is able to show us more. God’s possibilities can get us thinking with greater hope and broader perspectives. Remember that God opens us up to so much more than anything we can think of on our own.
God of limitless understandings, show me today a broader glimpse of your vision for my journey. When I try to look ahead on my own I can quickly get discouraged. But I know you will help me to see beyond my present troubles to a better day. Amen.
December 19
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence - …
Isaiah 64:1
Why doesn’t God just enter this world of disease and distress and clean it all up for us? Why can’t God just assert divine power and take care of the problems and poverty of spirit we have? Why won’t God just declare enough is enough and put an end to all our suffering and pain? Why? The litany could go on and on. Where is God in this world of despair and disappointment? We often look for the dramatic event, the earth shattering blow that will change it all in an instant. But God usually works more quietly, more subtlety … and more constantly … than that. When we actually stop to look at what God is doing, we will see that God is already with us, shaking the foundations of the earth with healing and power and hope.
You are a constant presence in times of trouble, dear Lord, acting without fail to give us all that we need. Help me to look not just for the big, spectacular event, but also for the continuous healing you are offering every moment of every day. Amen.
December 20
Let anyone with ears listen!
Matthew 11:15
Listening is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. We need to:
• listen to our bodies - it can speak volumes about what we need;
• listen to our minds - it will help us to sort out the issues and areas where we need clarity and direction;
• listen to our hearts - it will reveal feelings and hopes that can guide us in the directions we need to go.
• above all, listen to our spirits - it contains the voice of God who is whispering words of love and peace to encourage us endlessly.
The way to finding authentic healing requires a willingness to listen – and then to respond to all we hear.
I find it incredibly hard at times to listen to myself and even harder to know when you are speaking to me, dear God. But in this season of darkness, I need to listen more than ever before. Help me to have the discipline to listen to everything I need to hear. Amen.
December 21
Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong and do not fear!...
Isaiah 35:4a
It’s easy to feel strong when things are going our way. It’s easy to be confident when there is little to threaten or challenge us. But when we hear the words - It’s cancer - fear can suddenly debilitate us and strength can immediately abandon us. Then our hearts can lose hope and our lives are turned upside down. Yet we are encouraged to remember that God knows infinitely more than we do. God sees more than we can see. God understands more than we can ever comprehend. We are reassured that a bigger picture, a larger plan, is at work. And God is in charge. So if God is in charge, and God loves us, God will work through us to give us everything we need.
Fear gets in my way so much of the time. It paralyzes me, dear God, and throws too much uncertainty my way. I need to be confident. I need to be strong. I know you are helping me to be those things and I thank you. Amen.
We all growl like bears; like doves we moan mournfully. We wait for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.
Isaiah 59:11
Our complaints are many and varied. We seldom find contentment and peace with our circumstances and situations, especially when we’re sick. We are slow to see what is good and quick to list what we view as wrong. It’s been like that since the beginning of human time. But God is gracious toward us. And God understands us, because God has made us. In God’s intimate knowledge of our minds and hearts, God certainly understands our reasons for doubt and despair. And that is exactly why God takes care of us when we cannot see how to care for ourselves. While we are quick to grumble and complain, God is even quicker to begin to meet our needs before we even know what they are.
I am so grateful you understand my restless mind, patient God. When I get into a place where I fail to see how you are at work, you continue to work for my well-being – in spite of me. And I find immense comfort in that. Amen.
December 16
One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.”
Acts 18:9-10
We may be utterly surprised how often God speaks to us to reassure us that on this journey we are protected and guided. But too often we listen and look for God in some grand way, when God is speaking and working through different ways. We easily overlook the quiet, gentle voice of God as it speaks to us of hope, help and healing. God’s voice seldom comes through in thunderous and outwardly dramatic ways, But it comes most often in a caring touch from a friend, in a word of comfort from a doctor, in a prayer from an understanding neighbor or in a forgiving gesture from someone who loves us. God is working in more ways than we can begin to know or count. God is working through many others, even those we do not know.
How easy it is to overlook the subtle and yet obvious work you are doing for me, dear God. I miss it by forgetting how you often act – in gentle gestures, thorough countless others, in infinite ways. Today I will remember. Amen.
December 17
Your gates shall always be open; day and night they shall not be shut …
Isaiah 60:11
Long ago, there were those who instinctively understood that God never abandons or forgets about us. Long ago, wise and faithful people grasped that God is always attentive and always listens to our needs. Long ago, they spoke about God’s tireless faithfulness and endless patience with our disbelief. Long ago they wrote these words so that all of us today could be reminded, when we are apt that to forget, that we are never kept at a distance from God, that God always has our lives and needs intimately at hand. When we are inclined to question and doubt if God really cares, these words serve to call us back to the One who is always here even when we are uncertain.
I know that I close my eyes and ears and mind and heart to you, too often, O God. I know that it does me no good when I do. Today I strive to live more confidently in your help and in your grace. Amen.
December 18
…“What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”
Luke 18:27
In our humanness we give up all too easily. With our limited understandings and our finite vision we fail to see what God can see. Our shortsightedness causes us to give in to despair, to settle for flawed reasoning and to chase after uncertain answers. It causes us too often to devise our own solutions without waiting for God to show us a better way. Cancer is a frightening thing for all of us. For many of us it pushes us to think there is no hope, no way out, no good ending. But that is impossibility thinking. God is able to show us more. God’s possibilities can get us thinking with greater hope and broader perspectives. Remember that God opens us up to so much more than anything we can think of on our own.
God of limitless understandings, show me today a broader glimpse of your vision for my journey. When I try to look ahead on my own I can quickly get discouraged. But I know you will help me to see beyond my present troubles to a better day. Amen.
December 19
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence - …
Isaiah 64:1
Why doesn’t God just enter this world of disease and distress and clean it all up for us? Why can’t God just assert divine power and take care of the problems and poverty of spirit we have? Why won’t God just declare enough is enough and put an end to all our suffering and pain? Why? The litany could go on and on. Where is God in this world of despair and disappointment? We often look for the dramatic event, the earth shattering blow that will change it all in an instant. But God usually works more quietly, more subtlety … and more constantly … than that. When we actually stop to look at what God is doing, we will see that God is already with us, shaking the foundations of the earth with healing and power and hope.
You are a constant presence in times of trouble, dear Lord, acting without fail to give us all that we need. Help me to look not just for the big, spectacular event, but also for the continuous healing you are offering every moment of every day. Amen.
December 20
Let anyone with ears listen!
Matthew 11:15
Listening is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. We need to:
• listen to our bodies - it can speak volumes about what we need;
• listen to our minds - it will help us to sort out the issues and areas where we need clarity and direction;
• listen to our hearts - it will reveal feelings and hopes that can guide us in the directions we need to go.
• above all, listen to our spirits - it contains the voice of God who is whispering words of love and peace to encourage us endlessly.
The way to finding authentic healing requires a willingness to listen – and then to respond to all we hear.
I find it incredibly hard at times to listen to myself and even harder to know when you are speaking to me, dear God. But in this season of darkness, I need to listen more than ever before. Help me to have the discipline to listen to everything I need to hear. Amen.
December 21
Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong and do not fear!...
Isaiah 35:4a
It’s easy to feel strong when things are going our way. It’s easy to be confident when there is little to threaten or challenge us. But when we hear the words - It’s cancer - fear can suddenly debilitate us and strength can immediately abandon us. Then our hearts can lose hope and our lives are turned upside down. Yet we are encouraged to remember that God knows infinitely more than we do. God sees more than we can see. God understands more than we can ever comprehend. We are reassured that a bigger picture, a larger plan, is at work. And God is in charge. So if God is in charge, and God loves us, God will work through us to give us everything we need.
Fear gets in my way so much of the time. It paralyzes me, dear God, and throws too much uncertainty my way. I need to be confident. I need to be strong. I know you are helping me to be those things and I thank you. Amen.
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