THE DREADED 'C' WORD

C A N C E R

The very mention of it strikes terror in the heart of anyone who is old enough to know what it is and what it does.  It is the word no one wants to hear when tests are completed.  It is the word no one wants to hear when biopsies are done.  It does not matter if you are a parent, a child or an adult...you do NOT want to hear that word mentioned in relation to anyone you love or to yourself.

Yet it is prevalent in our society.  Consider this...according to the American Cancer Society, men have a lifetime risk of slightly less than 1 in 2 chance of developing or dying from cancer.  For women, it is slightly more than 1 in 3.  I doubt there is anyone reading this who has never known of anyone with cancer.  In fact, many who are reading this have either had cancer in the past, are battling it now or have a family member who has died from the disease.

Pretty depressing stuff, isn't it? 

I have several friends right now who are battling this dreaded disease as well as a family member.  My husband and I have lost numerous family members to cancer, so we are well acquainted with the havoc it wreaks on lives and families. 

But, on a positive note...we also know many people who have battled this disease and WON!!!  One of those amazing people is Jim Siegfried.  Jim was diagnosed with lung cancer (and no, he was NOT a  smoker) several years ago.  After going through treatment and surgery, he also battled re-occurences in several locations before FINALLY being declared CANCER FREE!!!  We praise God for his miraculous healing, but the wonderful thing is that Jim has used this experience...as has his wife, Cyndi, to help others who are battling this disease and to give them HOPE.

Their ministry is called F. A. I. T. H. (Facing An Illness Through Him).  They are a support group for those going through a serious illness (not limited to cancer) and for their caretakers as well.  For more information about this group, please go to http://www.faithsupportgroup.com/.  Cyndi has written a marvelous book entitled, A Cancer Journey, A Caregiver's View from the Passenger Seat.  If you know anyone who is going through this journey, either as the patient or the caregiver, I cannot recommend it enough.  You can check it out at http://www.caregivercancerjourney.com/.

If you or someone you love is facing CANCER right now, I hope you will find the following an encouragement to you!


Cancer is SO limited.....

It cannot cripple love,

It cannot shatter hope,

It cannot corrode faith,

It cannot eat away at peace,

It cannot destroy confidence,

It cannot kill friendship,

It cannot shut out memories,

It cannot silence courage,

It cannot invade the soul,

It cannot reduce eternal life,

It cannot quench the Spirit,

It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection!

Remember, through CHRIST JESUS, we are "more than conquerors through Him who loves us" Romans 8:37