Sep 12
Two “tower” options…which would you prefer?
An 11-day visit to Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle and all-you-can-eat meals on a week-long riverboat cruise up the Seine.
Or a 12-day stay at Pottstown Hospital-Tower Health, including 10 days without eating or drinking, an NG tube, a PICC line and a bowel resection.
Is your choice made? Yeah, I thought mine was, too. But that was before the worst pain and nausea of my life convinced me to go to the ER late on the night of Aug. 12.
A CT scan showed a small bowel obstruction and I was admitted the next morning.
Did I mention that our suitcases were packed for our nonstop Paris flight leaving that night with traveling companions Bud and Carol Russell? Oh, and by the way, this was to be an early celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary coming in December!
Doctors and we decided to wait-and-see if the twisted loops would untangle themselves. We enlisted family and friends to pray and I changed our departing flight from Sunday to Wednesday night, in hopes we could still make the cruise which began Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, a thin, flexible plastic nasogastric tube was inserted in my nose, down my throat and esophagus, and into my stomach to suction out its contents. A few ice chips became the only item on my daily menu.
By Tuesday afternoon it seemed obvious that the bowel was not going to untwist itself in time and I canceled our Paris flight, notified the cruise ship and the travel insurance companies. On Friday, I was in the operating room having a bowel resection–eerily reminiscent of 33 years ago when I had a colon resection, but thankfully, this time without a cancer diagnosis.
I stayed in the hospital another week post-surgery, while my seven grandkids all prayed for Grandma to pass gas (marching and shouting “Fart! Fart!”).
I’ve been home a little over two weeks now and am trying to build up my stamina, find food that tastes good, gain weight, and get my digestive system settled into another new normal.
Homecoming day–exhausted, but had to wash my hair!
I debated about whether to even write about this ordeal, but I’ve tried to be so honest and transparent in my books and blogs that it just didn’t feel right not letting people know. Still, I worried about sharing my story when so many of you have tons of stress in your life already. And besides, I know that missing out on an amazing trip is nothing compared to so many other losses. I also thought perhaps I should wait to write until I had some profound piece of wisdom or spiritual gem learned from all this, but nothing materialized.
(Of course, I’m thankful that God didn’t allow this to happen on the 7-hour flight or after we arrived in a foreign country. But if I’m honest, I wish He would have delayed it until after we got back home!)
Last week a question posed in a Rick Warren devotion got me thinking: “What about the problems you’re going through right now–they’re a test of your faithfulness. Will you continue to serve God even when life stinks?”
So here’s my “wisdom”: life STINKS, but I will serve God no matter what.
I make this choice because I agree with Babbie Mason “When you don’t understand. When you can’t see His plan. When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.”
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Open in your browser to hear Babbie Mason sing this beautiful song “Trust His Heart.”
Jul 26
Photo by Alexas_Fotos on Unsplash
Struggles and afflictions in life produce an assortment of emotions…thankfulness is not usually one of them. In 1990 when I found out my cells had gone awry and allowed cancer to grow inside me, gratefulness was about the last thing I felt.
But I kept thinking about the Bible verse to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). I knew it didn’t mean I had to praise God for every awful thing, but instead, that I could have a thankful heart even in the midst of awful things.
So a few weeks after my diagnosis, I looked for something for which to be thankful.
Summer 1989
Let’s see . . . I have cancer at the age of 36 after taking good care of myself. No…can’t think of anything worthy of thanks there.
My three little girls may have to grow up without a mother. Nope, that doesn’t work either.
My husband already has buried one wife and now I have a 60-percent chance of dying soon. Naw, that isn’t inspiring any words of praise.
I’m going to have to take toxic chemotherapy, when I don’t even like to take an aspirin. Not much there to feel grateful about.
Finally, it came to me.
Dr. Marc Hirsh! I have a Messianic Jewish oncologist—who knows, maybe the world’s only Messianic Jewish oncologist—who last year began practicing medicine just seven miles from my home.
For the first time since hearing the words “you have cancer,” I thanked God in the midst of my devastation.
Father, you know I don’t feel any thankfulness, but I want to thank You for leading Dr. Marc Hirsh here to be my doctor.
I can only imagine God smiling and saying, “Now you’re getting it. Just wait and see how really thankful you’re going to be when I use this doctor to bless and change your life.”
©Kevin Glibert, “Physician” Magazine
The short story of what happened with our “doctor-patient relationship” is that our families became close friends and in 1996, Marc and his wife offered me a position as a patient advocate providing emotional and spiritual care to his cancer patients and their caregivers.
I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without being a patient advocate for nearly 20 years. It’s incredible to me what one small prayer of thankfulness set in motion.
Dear friend, I don’t know what trial or heartache you’re facing, but I’m wondering if you have found anything for which to be thankful in the midst of your circumstances?
The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk penned a wonderful example of thankfulness even when everything around him was going wrong:
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
And though there are no grapes on the vines;
Even though the olive crop fails,
And the fields lie empty and barren;
Even though the flocks die in the fields,
And the cattle barns are empty,
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! Habakkuk 3:17,18
Go ahead, be thankful in all things—even when the chemo hair follicles have no “blossoms,” even though your strength “fails”” and even though your dreams “lie empty and barren.” Go ahead and rejoice in the Lord because a prayer of thanksgiving can unleash the power of God in truly amazing ways.
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Be sure to open in your browser to hear “Good God Almighty” by Crowder ©2021.
Jul 05
When our oldest daughter was six months old, we took her on a two-week car trip out West with my parents and she was a model passenger…well, almost.
I had just finished nursing Danielle while riding in the backseat (back before that was deemed unsafe!) and was holding her in my lap when she let loose with more than her disposable diaper could contain. (Did I mention I was wearing white slacks because we were going to eat at the Officers’ Club when we reached our destination?)
My dad pulled on to a sideroad so I could change Danielle’s diaper, her outfit and wipe off my no-longer-white slacks. And that’s when he noticed the sign: Sore Finger Road.
It seemed like such a funny name out in the middle of the desert that we all just started laughing. From them on, every blowout was judged by whether or not it was “Sore Finger Road” worthy.
Poop happens.
At predictable times, at inconvenient times, sometimes too many times, occasionally not enough times…but it happens.
As a 33-year colorectal cancer survivor, I’m probably a little more obsessed with this topic than most people. But I got the idea to blog about it when I heard songwriter-musician Tim Timmons https://www.timtimmonsmusic.com give a talk on “Poop Happens” at the Bob Goff retreat where we both spoke last month.
Tim explained (and I, of course, verified at https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-08/documents/beneficial_uses_of_manure_final_aug2015_1.pdf ) that manure is actually extremely beneficial.
It loosens (softens) compacted soil.
When soil absorbs manure, helpful nutrients are released, contributing to overall soil health.
It produces oxygen which helps soil breathe.
Runoff is reduced by adding manure, which as Tim explained “holds together the good stuff and lets the bad stuff go.”
It improves crop yield.
No wonder that driving by farmland in the spring assaults our noses with odoriferous country air! 
But poop doesn’t just happen literally. It happens figuratively too, doesn’t it?
Something occurs in our life–or the life of someone we care about–and it really stinks! As NY Times bestselling author Rick Warren puts it, “Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one.”
So true! And if you’re like me, your first response is to want the “stink” gone…and fast!
But since hearing Tim’s message, I’ve been trying to view the “manure” getting dumped on me as a way God can soften my heart, increase my spiritual growth, and help me let go of the bad stuff while hanging on to the really important, good stuff.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
—Romans 5:3-4
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
–James 1:2-3
Tim Timmons
“I lived most of my life trying to stop manure,” Tim says. “I was trying to keep my comfort…but now I ask ‘What’s it revealing about the condition of my heart?'”
In my next blog, I’ll share Tim’s amazing 22-year journey with chronic cancer, but in the meantime, poop is going to happen to you and me. Let’s allow it soften our hearts to the goodness of the Lord and in Him find our joy.
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Be sure to open in your browser to hear “This is the Day,” a very short, upbeat, encouraging song by Tim Timmons © 2021 Integrity Music . (It’s a perfect song to sing any day when poop happens!)
Jun 21
Photo by Sherise Van Dyk on Unsplash
So, do you ever get distracted…or is it just me?
The other day while mulling the idea of blogging about “distractions,” I headed toward my bathroom (to pee), but I got so distracted by taking care of other things that I left the bathroom without ever doing what I went in there to do!
But that’s not even my best (worst?) distraction story.
That one happened decades ago so I can’t blame it on aging. I put six eggs in a covered pan with cold water to hard-boil them. I knew it would take a few moments for the water to come to a boil so I headed downstairs to take care of some laundry in the basement.
I passed by the answering machine (remember those?), noticed the blinking light, so I listened to and wrote down several messages. I also saw that someone had carried down the recyclables from the kitchen, but not taken them out to the garage…so I did.
Then I went into the laundry room, started a load of wash and emptied the dryer. Because the room doubled as my office, I glanced at my desk and decided to check my (dial-up!) email. I got thoroughly engrossed in emails and in writing an article for the local newspaper where I worked.
Eventually I heard a loud POP, but had no thought of what it could be.
Upstairs I discovered that the noise came from the saucepan which had boiled dry and flown off the stove on to the floor, scorching the linoleum. There were no eggs in the pan nor on the stove, but when I looked up, there were tiny, yellow egg bits clinging all over the textured ceiling.
I was so distracted I could have burned down the house!
But it’s not just my everyday life where I get distracted, it’s my spiritual life, as well.
My mind wanders when I’m praying and I fail to listen for the Father’s voice.
I get busy playing word games, skip reading my Bible and the message there for me from the Lord.
I’m preoccupied with my to-do list and miss Spirit-led opportunities to love like Jesus.
I let worries and fears fill my thoughts and steal my peace.
My friend, what distracts your heart from God’s presence and His gifts? Health concerns? Money matters? Marital strife? Controlling addictions? Heavy grief? Wayward sons or daughters?
Or maybe it’s not “bad” things, but good things– like the tasks that distracted me during the egg-explosion-event. But they still divert your heart from the best things God has for you.
I don’t know the answer for how you personally can be less distracted by the weariness of life and more focused on the Lord, but the song below has become my prayer. Perhaps it will be yours, too.
In the morning, You have my attention
In the evening, You have my attention
Every season, the laughing, the breaking
The dancing, the waiting
You have my attention
So, I’ll place no other gods before You
No other gods before You
I know they don’t work
So, I’ll place no other one above You
No other thing beside You
You are God alone
You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
— Deuteronomy 6:5
You must not have any other god but Me.
–Exodus 20:3
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Open in your browser to hear the powerful music video “No Other Gods” by Tim Timmons with whom I recently had the privilege of ministering alongside at the Bob Goff cancer survivor retreat.
Jun 07
So, who do you think you talk most to every day? 
I know who that person is for me and although I can’t prove it, I bet it’s the same for you.
I don’t usually speak out loud to this person although once in awhile I have been known to blurt out a few words.
I don’t often engage in long conversations with this person, but during the night when I’d rather be sleeping they occasionally drag on. Sometimes when I talk to this person it’s encouraging, but other times I feel worse when I hear this person speaking.
Can you guess who it is?
Well…the person with whom I converse the most each day is me! And I betting the one with whom you talk most is you.
So if we all talk that much to ourselves, what we tell ourselves becomes really important, doesn’t it?
Especially because our mind’s influence on our body can be positive as well as negative!
And while I don’t believe our thoughts can guarantee completely restored physical, emotional and mental health, I do believe they can influence all of these. Christian psychologist, the late Dr. William Backus says we need to remember three facts:
Your beliefs create your thoughts.
Your thoughts generate feelings.
Your feelings affect your body’s healing systems.
Dr. Backus advocates not just positive-thinking, but telling ourselves the truth about our situation. He has gathered many examples of truthful healing beliefs embraced by those who have survived life-threatening illnesses. Here are a few—I hope you add them to your mind’s “pharmacy” or share them with someone else who needs a healing touch:
You don’t just honor God when you speak pleasing words to Him, but you also honor Him when you speak pleasing words to yourself.
Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
–Proverbs 15:4
Kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.–Proverbs 16:24
*William Backus, The Healing Power of the Christian Mind (Minneapolis: Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 1996) 96.
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Open in your browser to hear “Let the Words of My Mouth” by Fernando Ortega.
I’m a newspaper reporter-turned-author. And I’m a passionate encourager, but always a truth-teller. I worked for nearly two decades in a unique position as a patient advocate in my oncologist’s office and the Cancer Prayer Support Group I founded in 1991 is the country’s oldest such faith-based group.
