Apr 20
Dr. Marc Hirsh has walked some deep valleys since he was diagnosed in 2020 with such a serious and rare cancer that he and every specialist he consulted thought his death was imminent.
Within days he was forced to close his busy, solo practice of more than three decades and then undergo a painful thoracotomy to biopsy and de-bulk the nearly cantaloupe-size tumor behind his heart. That was followed by six weeks of radiation, daily oral chemo and monthly hormone injections. Just a few weeks later came the deep valley of having to say goodbye to his very sick, beloved rescue-dog Jake who had accompanied him to the office every day and greeted patients for 10 years.
But then the valleys started leveling out.
Camping in Oregon with grandchildren
The tumor shrank to about the size of an egg. The terrible pain, constant headaches, and difficulty breathing disappeared. He resumed his rigorous exercising—swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, jogging, biking, punching a heavy bag, and backyard sports with grandkids.
And then came a definite mountaintop: turning 70 and celebrating one-year as a survivor last May.
And now nearly a year later, more mountaintops–the first being another stable scan last month.
“I still have a tumor, but it’s not growing,” Marc explains. “I have a little chest pain and shortness of breath sometimes, but I’m able to pretty much do anything I want.”
The second followed shortly after and was a literal mountaintop experience.
After the good news at the Hershey Medical Center check-up, Marc and wife Elizabeth headed out West to visit older daughter Jessi and her family. As Elizabeth drove through Idaho, Marc commented that they were “only” about 100 miles from Sun Valley, where he had heard the downhill skiing was incredible.
Cell phone photo by Marc Hirsh 3/22
“So Elizabeth gave me an early birthday present and drove all the way to Sun Valley,” he explains.
They arrived about midnight and secured a room at the lodge so Marc could celebrate his soon-to-be 71st birthday with his first ski in the West. (Normally he skis near his south-central PA home where the mountain vertical drops are about 400 feet or enjoys trips to Vermont with slopes of about 1,000-2,000 feet.)
An avid skier since his early teens, Marc got up early the next day and boarded the shuttle to Bald Mountain. When he got to the top, he could hardly believe his eyes.
“The vertical drop is in excess of 3,000 feet and I was looking down on snow-covered peaks!” he explains. “It was amazing!”
Three hours later and completely exhausted from plowing through the white powder, Marc came down from the mountain.
But that thrill remains.
“While I was up there I was thinking about this whole (cancer) experience,” Marc says. “Two years ago I was at the lowest point and now I’m on top of a mountain. I have a special gift just being alive–God didn’t have to give me this, but He did.”
LifeHopeandTruth.com
“I’m just blessed to think of the whole experience,” he adds. “I have less distractions in my life so I’m more appreciative, more grateful. I still don’t know what’s in the future, but I’m not afraid of it.”
Happy birthday, dear Marc, with prayers for many more.
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Don’t miss the short, music video of “Calling Out Your Name” by Rich Mullins, Marc and Elizabeth’s favorite Christian artist.
Apr 06
Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash
You may or may not be familiar with the 1969 Beatles’ song, “Give Peace a Chance” but years later John Lennon explained its message: “It wasn’t like ‘You have to have peace!’ Just give it a chance. We ain’t giving any gospel here – just saying how about this version for a change? We think we have the right to have a say in the future. And we think the future is made in your mind.”
Say what?
I’m not even going to try and dissect what that explanation might mean. I realize Lennon was mainly talking about peace in the world—as in the absence of war or conflict. But I’m guessing he also was looking for peace for his mind and soul.
Life doesn’t feel very peaceful right now.
The war in Ukraine weighs heavily on my heart and I imagine on yours, too. My personal to-do list seems longer than usual these days, including multiple doctor appointments to try and get some pain relief from undiagnosed medical issues.
So I was thinking that I could save a lot of time by not writing a whole new blog, but instead simply share some of my favorite “peace” verses. And then I felt bad that I would “only” be sharing verses. Like maybe I should apologize for not writing more.
Say what?
Apologize for “only” sharing God’s Word? Yikes! Where did I get that idea?
So without apology, here are some peace-seeking, peace-promising verses (bold emphasis mine). Meditate on them and give GOD a chance to bring His perfect peace into your or your loved one’s lives (or even in the lives of Ukranian and Russian Christian brothers and sisters). I believe that at least one of these will be used by the Holy Spirit to speak to your weary heart today. (Feel free to comment which one it was.)
Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace. Luke 1:78-79
You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Jesus speaking in John 14:27
LifeHopeandTruth.com
I pray that God, the source of hope,
will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Jesus speaking in John 16:33
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.
The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
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I pray you’ll be encouraged through this beautiful song “Peace” by Bethel Music featuring We the Kingdom.
Mar 23
When our grandson Benjamin was four, he was a total Daddy’s boy—as in, the best time of day was when Daddy came home and the worst time was when he had to leave.
So it wasn’t surprising when we were together at a local pizza buffet a few years ago and Benny stopped eating pasta Alfredo long enough to ask: “Where’s Daddy?”
“He’s at the buffet getting salad,” I replied. “Remember, he told you he was going there and he would be right back?”
“No, I can’t see him,” Benny said as his inside “restaurant” voice got a little louder.
“I can see him, Ben,” I calmly told him. “He’s right there,” I said, gesturing to the salad bar at the end of the room.
Benny surveyed as much of the room as he could see from his height advantage and frantically announced: “I can’t see Daddy!”
Quickly he jumped down from his seat while calling for “Daaaaaaaaddy!”
“Over here, Ben!” his dad quickly replied, as the little guy followed that familiar voice to the salad bar, where, surprise, surprise, Daddy stood smiling. The two joined hands as Ben swallowed his tears and waited patiently for Dad to finish and walk back to the table with him.
Poor little Benny: he was worried and afraid because he lost sight of his daddy.
Do you know how he felt?
Are the struggles of this world weighing you down, leaving you straining to glimpse your heavenly Father?
Perhaps you know in your head that God is there, but your heart just doesn’t feel His presence. Maybe you’re wondering if He really can work all things together for good.
I suggest you follow the steps my grandson took when he lost sight of his father at the pizza parlor.
Tell someone that you’re having trouble seeing God right now.
Make sure it’s a trusted friend/family member who will listen to your feelings and not minimize or belittle them. Someone who loves you and will pray for you to see God again.
Call out to God.
Psalm 61:2 From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety.
Psalm 34:17 The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
LifeHopeandTruth.com
Listen for your heavenly Father’s familiar voice.
John 10:14,16 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep and they know me…They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
Run to His open arms.
Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.
Luke 15:20 And while he (the prodigal son) was a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
Let Him love you.
Jeremiah 31:3-4 “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
Zephaniah 3:17 He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love.
It was wonderful to watch my son-in-law Frank quiet Benjamin with his love. And it’s even more wonderful to feel God quiet us with His great love. May you see your Abba Father today and let Him love you as only He can.
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Be sure to open in your browser to hear the song “How He Loves Us” by the Dave Crowder Band
Mar 08
My 60th in 2013
My younger brother Jim and I invented a game as little kids and for some inexplicable reason we continue to play it now in our late 60s.
We call it “Touched You Last.”
The rules are simple: When it’s time to part, be the last person to touch the other. Finesse is important as we each aim to have the final tap before darting away yelling “touched you last!”
However, the person who was touched last is allowed to run after the last-toucher and attempt a final feel, so the game can last quite a while.
(The photo to the right shows my brother a few years ago supposedly “helping” me up on one of his horses, but I know he really was making sure he touched me last because I wouldn’t be able to chase him! )
Jim and I haven’t played our game since the pandemic began, but hopefully we’ll be able to travel to Ohio this summer and I can secure the decisive pat. (For some reason, my husband–an only child–doesn’t understand this important sibling pastime, including why my brother and I still find such enjoyment in it.)
Regardless of whether you agree with my husband or me concerning the wisdom of this ritual, I believe we all would concur that human touch is essential.
I remember how awful it felt at the very beginning of the pandemic when we were pretty much afraid to touch one another–even our family and closest friends. And then how wonderful it was to feel safe enough to hug and kiss our daughters and grandkids.
But it’s not only human touch we crave; I believe we all long for a divine touch.
The New Testament is full of stories of Jesus touching:
The leper’s scaly skin.
The disciples’ dirty feet.
The blind man’s eyes.
Luke, the physician and Gospel writer, records a night in the life of Jesus:
As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.” Luke 4:40
And how about the time when parents wanted to bring their children near Jesus, but were stopped by His disciples before He interceded?
But Jesus said ‘Let the children come to me’…
And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.” Matthew 19:14-15
Katy Nichole’s No. 1 debut single
Would you, too, like a touch from God? I may not know exactly what you are seeking from the Lord, but in the words of singer-songwriter Katy Nichole, I would love “to speak the Name of Jesus over you.”
As you listen* to this very short prayer-song, know that I am asking the Lord to touch you at your point of need. Please don’t miss it as it’s the best part of this blog.
As the song’s chorus says: “I pray for your healing, that circumstances would change. I pray that the fear inside would flee in Jesus’ Name. I pray that a breakthrough would happen today. I pray miracles over your life in Jesus’ Name.”
And for you to trust that He is the God of the possible.
*BE SURE TO OPEN IN YOUR BROWSER.
Feb 22
Chemo room 1997. Photo credit Steve Lock.
After I became a patient advocate for Dr. Marc Hirsh in 1996, I discovered I was in for a real education. I was working for the first time in a medical office and constantly had to ask the nurses to explain medical jargon.
What’s a DVT? I thought he had a blood clot?
“He does. It stands for deep vein thrombosis.”
Oh. Why not BC for blood clot?
One day I noticed our head nurse Ruth had written “SOB” next to a patient’s name on the daily schedule. I was curious why she would make such a disparaging comment about the gentleman who didn’t seem cranky to me.
When I asked her about it–and she finally stopped laughing–Ruth explained “SOB” stood for “short of breath!”
I eventually learned to speak the “lingo” and even tried to impress my husband with dinner conversation.
ME: “We thought there was nothing to help her, but the immunohistochemistry showed KIT positive and it’s a GIST so we can use a tyrosine kinase inhibitor! Isn’t that great?”
MY HUBBY: “Could you please pass the salt?”
National Human Genome Research Institute
But even better than deciphering the “secret” language of health professionals has been discovering the human body’s amazing intricacies.
In fact our bodies are so complex that in some ways I’m not as surprised they break down as I am that they don’t break down more often!
The Human Genome Project completed in 2003 identified the 20,000+ genes in the human body and sequenced the 3 billion chemical base pairs that comprise our DNA or hereditary code of life.
The head of the project, Dr. Francis Collins (who recently retired as National Institutes of Health director) explains that the DNA in each human is 3 billion letters long and written in a “strange and cryptographic four-letter code.”
The code is so complex, Collins says, that if someone were to read it out loud at three letters per second, it would take 37 years!
Collins is one of the world’s leading scientists and also a man of Christian faith who calls our DNA “the language of God.”
“We have caught the first glimpse of our own instruction book, previously known only to God,” Collins said when the genome project’s completion was announced.
He later wrote: “Science is not threatened by God; it is enhanced. God is most certainly not threatened by science; He made it all possible.”
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it!
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb…
How precious are you thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me! Psalm 139:13-15, 17-18
Whether we feel like our body has “let us down” or we discover our DNA includes an unwanted genetic mutation, I hope we still will praise our marvelous Creator who never leaves us or forsakes us even when our health does. (And don’t forget that one day we get to trade these temporary “tents” for immortal bodies with no sorrow or pain. Oh, what a day that will be!)
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Be sure to open in your browser to hear the classic song “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlim. I encourage you to add your voice in praise. (If it doesn’t open, please use this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IlVfkY5q54&list=RD5IlVfkY5q54&start_radio=1)
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.
