Laughing at Cancer. A Glimpse into my Journal

My journal entry written the day I learned I had cancer made me laugh out loud. I hope you are encouraged reading my unedited thoughts. Go ahead. Have a laugh on me.

 "Leukemia.

So pretty. So feminine.

It almost sounds like a young maiden's name.

I think I'll call you Leu on days you treat me spunky—like a hurricane roaring through my body.

On pleasant days I'll call you Mia and sing,

Leukemia.

I just met a girl named Leukemia.

And suddenly I see how beautiful the world can be.

Leukemia.

Say it loud and there's music playing.

Leukemia.

Say it soft and it's almost like praying.

How true. If I have to die of a disease, I'm glad it has a pretty name like Leukemia. 

A name that makes my death the beautiful event it will be as God takes my hand and ushers me to

 the Divine—

My eternal home—

the place I was born to live—

where there are no more tears or pain and I will enjoy beauty as I've never seen before.

I'm glad I won't die of rheumatoid or arthritis or heart attack or tuberculosis or blood clot or alzheimers, train wreck, or car crash.

I will make my exit arm in arm with the lovely Leukemia."

Ha! Only God could give me a sense of humor, total peace, and a song when my world came tumbling down. 

Truly God did not lie when He promised me in Isaiah 43:1-3 (NIV): 

". . . 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name;

you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . ."

I'm so glad God has a sense of humor! Enjoy Him today. Surely, He is all the Splashes of Serenity we ever need.

PS: Surely, I am laughing at leukemia because God is choosing to keep me on this earth longer than we first expected. My blood counts are normal and we anticipate years before my exit with the grand belle leukemia. Thanks for your prayers.

"Experiencing God's Presence — Learning to Listen While You Pray." A Book Review

 

 

Does God seem far away when you pray?

 

Does your prayer time seem more like sitting on a cold Santa's lap, going through your "I want" list, and scurrying away from the frightening man with the white beard?

 

Do you yearn for more from the Lord? Do you want to sense His presence and hear His voice?

 

Are you without hope?

 

In Experiencing God's Presence: Learning to Listen While You Pray, Linda Evans Shepherd leads the reader into the presence of God and allows your heart to beat with His.

 

Gentle, yet powerful, Experiencing God's Presence teaches using Scripture, Shepherd's personal experiences, and powerful prayers. Your life will change as Linda Evans Shepherd guides the reader into a deeper, more intimate, prayer time face-to-face with God.

 

Experiencing God's Presence ministered healing to my broken heart as I focused on Christ and His will for my life. No more do I shout out my "to do" list every morning. Now, I ask God what He wants to do with me and I listen with expectancy for His answer.

 

Experiencing God's Presence will transform your prayer life! Please buy this book.

 

BACK COVER: God wants to hear from you — but He also wants you to hear from Him.

 

What if every time you had a conversation, your best friend never got a word in edgewise? Your relationship would be less than fulfilling — for both of you! In the same way, a fulfilling prayer life is more than just regularly talking to God. And its more than checking items off a prayer list. God loves us so much that he wants us to draw close enough not only to talk but also to listen.

 

Now, from the award winning author of When You Don't Know What to Pray comes a bold and life-transforming book that will help you nurture a vibrant two-way relationship with God. Linda Evans Shepherd shows you how to develop a dialogue with God, continually seeking him and seeing him at work in your life. Steeped in Scripture and filled with personal stories of answered prayer, this book also includes sample prayers and action steps you can put into practice immediately.

 



 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Linda Evans Shepherd is an award-winning author, a successful speaker, and a radio personality. The president of Right to the Heart Ministries, she is the author of When You Don't Know What to Pray and When You Need a Miracle and the co-author of the Potluck Club books and the Potluck Catering Club series. She lives with her family in Colorado.

 

 

 Splash serenity into your prayer life and read Experiencing God's Presence,