Rest. Lean. Yield.
Did it have to be so hard? As I look back on my Stage IV cancer battle which began in 2002, three tendencies made the physical beat down of the cancer and treatments much more exhausting. 1) My Religious tendency…
Category battling cancer
Win-Win-Win
There is a difference between powerlessness and hopelessness. We can confuse the two, making our trials so much harder, just as I did during my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma cancer back in 2002-2004. Powerlessness is not our enemy,…
Lifting Each Other High
Anchored by entwining their roots with their fellow trees, together redwoods rise to incredible 200' heights! What an amazing Creator! And what a picture God reveals of the mutual support which we've seen among humans to hold and lift each other up!
Can We Be Fruitful Despite Cancer?
Joseph experienced some ridiculously hard times yet God still made him fruitful! And He can make us fruitful despite cancer! Joseph’s 10 brothers took steps to kill him by throwing him into a deep pit. They “got a conscience” and…
The Amazing Upside of Weakness
During my battle with Stage IV melanoma, one of the deadliest and hardest to treat cancers, I found myself so weak I could barely cope. In a five month period in 2002-2003, I had three cancer removal surgeries; several rounds…
Thrill of Hope! – Part 2
Ten Benefits Jesus Brought Us – Part 2 So what’s the big deal about Christmas? What exactly did Jesus do for this world? This is a two-part series on Jesus’ impact taken from a prophecy on His birth in Isaiah…
Thrill of Hope!
Ten Benefits Jesus Brought Us – Part 1 Ever feel like the hype of good feelings for Christmas doesn’t quite match the reality? Do you ever feel worse at Christmas time? Well, you’re not alone. Yet 500 years before Jesus’…
Don’t Shield – Develop Your Kids
I wrote previously about trying too hard to keep life “normal” for my kids during my cancer fight – Just Breathe – You Go First. My immune system became compromised and I developed a bad infection, which didn’t help anyone! I needed to…
Just Breathe – You Go First
Throughout most of December 2002, I shuttled between gym parking lots, determined not to miss either of my kid’s bi-weekly basketball games. As I moved about, I remember holding out my shirt to prevent chafing the stitches under my arm. After…
Giant Down in the Valley
-Joe Fornear We all spend time in The Valley of Elah. There, giants are found. David faced and took down the giant, Goliath, in The Valley of Elah, (1 Samuel 17). His victory came within minutes of first witnessing Goliath’s taunting…