Expecting Hope

Sometimes cancer and other chronic illnesses can leave you feeling like life isn't fair. I've wanted to stomp my foot and pitch a fit on more than one occasion. But what I've learned is that those are the times when hope is waiting just around the corner. Next time you feel like life's not fair, start looking for the hope in the situation. I promise you'll find it!

Sometimes even I find myself surprised when I find the hope that I was expecting! In today's podcast I share with you my most recent experience at MD Anderson along with some Scripture that has encouraged me. And best of all I share about a friend of mine that has is taking steps of faith because of what I've been sharing here. That has been my desire since the very first episode but it's still surprising and encouraging when it happens!

This month marks three years since the Big C entered my life. I share with you the unusual way we learned about the cancer and how it was finally diagnosed. And I share about how even in the midst of the tough times, we can trust that God has a plan and purpose.

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8

It's been far longer than I anticipated when I decided to take a break, but we're finally back. I've got an update from the trial.......trigger warning, it's not a good update. But Hope is still out there and we're still expecting good things to come!

Imposter syndrome is when you portray something on the outside that doesn't quite match how you feel or what's really happening on the inside. Lately, I feel like I'm impersonating a cancer patient.....and not doing a great job at that. But also, I struggle with imposter syndrome in my spiritual life too. It's easy to look like I have it all together when reality is that I've been neglecting my walk with Jesus far too often. This episode gives us a chance to evaluate ourselves and try to eliminate the imposter and become a little more real. Well, at least with the spiritual side. I'm gonna try to keep feeling great while cancer does whatever it does on the inside!

We talk about side effects, which may be the most misunderstood aspect of medication. It's become a little pet peeve of mine how people just don't seem to understand how it all works. After that long rant, I talk about what I've just learned about what it means to walk in the Spirit. I hope you're able to learn a little something and that we'll all live out the fruit of the Spirit a little better because of what we learned. Also, I totally know the name of my podcast despite my brief memory loss at the beginning of the episode!

There's a faith that comes from your head, and a faith that comes from your heart. The journey from head faith to heart faith may be the longest and hardest journey of your life! Just remember that you have the faith needed to move mountains. It only has to be as big as a mustard seed.

Hope is the confident expectation that something good can come out of something bad. It doesn't explain the bad and it definitely doesn't justify the situation. But God is doing something good in the midst of the negative and when we recognize that, it can at least help take the sting off the situation.

I jump around a bit sharing some stories of how God showed up and reminded me to focus on Him during my trip last week, to telling the very long story of how I went into ministry and my time at Wagoner First. Finally, I end up with explaining how much my church means to me and how we need you too! You don't have to go to church to be a Christian, but by golly, we need you here! And you need the church - so come join me on Sunday. Or find you a church a little less awesome than mine......wherever you end up, you need to be there as much as they need you!

God still does miracles......so why does it surprise me every time? We've been praying for it, and God made it happen! A new clinical trial opened up and I share all the amazing details. I'm still in the middle of happy dancing as I type this up! You want encouragement? You want hope? Listen up because this episode is full of it!!