Lord Make us Courageous

One can certainly tell that we are in an election year. A lot of you probably do keep up with politics if you are unhappy with the rapid rise of inflation and concerned that the country is “going in the wrong direction.” We hear this a lot from party members on both sides.

Jesus warns us in Mark 4:19 “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” kjv

This is very important to remember. What we meditate on whether it is fear of the unknown, grief over death or loss of job will consume our thoughts and move us from the one thing that truly comforts us. For me personally when I was diagnosed in June of 2015 and told I had only 18 months on average to live, I removed all things political from my vision. This was difficult for me as all of my life I had followed politics. I was a history and political science teacher for years. It consumed me. I realized in 2015 that I needed to allow God’s Word and His promises to consume me. I had to prepare myself for whatever was to come. This decision strengthened me and comforted me.

If you are going through an event that is trying for you whatever it might be, I encourage you to not allow the cares of this world to consume you. Hold on to the one thing that will strengthen you the most. Make a conscious decision to limit what the world says and spend more time in what God says. It will make all the difference and make you more courageous!

When my sister and I were young girls, our favorite band was the Osmonds. That I know is really dating me! Of the Osmond band, our favorite singer was of course Donny Osmond. We had their posters, especially Donny’s, all over the bedroom we shared. One of the songs Donny sang on one of his albums was entitled “Life Is Just What You Make It.” Now in reality this song was another silly love song but the title speaks to a certain amount of truth.

We have absolutely no control over many things that will happen to us during our lifetimes. Deaths of people we love will come if we live long enough. To a certain extent one could make the argument that our health problems are of our own creation but there are some conditions that occur that we did not actively participate in to create. Car accidents often occur because of someone else’ negligence but can still have devastating effects on our lives.

How do we respond when tragedies occur? That is always the universal question. Grief is normal and expected. How long it continues is really completely up to us. Whether we intentionally seek joy is up to us. One of my favorite mental exercises during especially tough times is to praise God in all things. I do not understand why things occurred but I choose to trust that God does. Remember that this life is not for the weak or faint of heart. It requires each of us to be courageous in knowing that this is not our home and something so much better is still to come. We are also reminded through scripture that we are not alone in what we experience. Trust God and be courageous!

Recently I posted that I would not be blogging on holidays. Today is the birthday of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King. I did make an exception for today for a special reason. Today is also the birthday of my oldest granddaughter Ariana Jane.

In 2012 my husband, myself and our family went through the most painful experience we had ever encountered. Our youngest son Zachariah had passed from this world into his heavenly home at the age of 17. Scripture warns us not to grieve as the world does. To be honest with all of you, my husband and I did in fact grieve probably more so then what scripture states. In reality on reflection our grief occured in waves. We knew as best we could that our son had trusted Jesus with his salvation. Based on that decision, Zach was healed in God’s presence. We knew Zach was happier than we could imagine. We knew that if Zach had a choice, he would not want to return to this world even though he loved us greatly. To be in God’s presence is beyond anything this mother could ever write. I believe that as I believe God’s Word is real 100%. However the reality of not having Zach here created waves of pain that would ebb and flow. Some of you reading this may be able to relate to what I am trying to write.

In 2012 our oldest son Aaron met a girl who would bless him and us. Her name is Betty and we love her dearly as one of our own children. She became Aaron’s wife in January of 2013 and a year later, blessed us with our first grandchild. It is so important to see God’s mercy and grace in our lives, especially in the midst of our grief. We need that and God is so faithful to provide. Though one young life was gone two years prior, a new life began and the cycle continues and God’s grace carries on.

If you are reading this and you also have experienced the painful loss of someone you loved deeply, please know from one who has also experienced that kind of pain that God is faithful. Look for the joy in everyday living. Praise God in every aspect of your life. Remember that this is not our home. The most important decision we can ever make is trusting Jesus with our lives and knowing that He is who He said He was and He will do what He said He will do. Stay courageous and keep going! In the meantime happy birthday Ariana Jane sweet girl

Jeremiah 17:14 is a beautiful reminder of one of many of God’s promises. Before I write any further, I want to make one thing very clear. All of my thoughts and writings are from a biblical perspective. Healing in today’s world is very controversial due to a lot of teachings that can be seen on many televangelist programs. One thing to always keep in mind, healing is not guaranteed in this life. As my sister explained to me many years ago, complete healing takes place in the presence of God. When Jeremiah writes about healing, if God chooses certainly healing will take place in this life for a period of time. The true promise is knowing that ultimate healing rest with God whether our number of years in this life is 17 as my son Zach’s was or 86 years as my dads was. Scripture is clear that those who trust that Jesus is the son of the living God and that He gave His life for each of us and overcame death through resurrection will have eternal life with Jesus and in God’s presence. Sadly, for a multitude of reasons, people often don’t make this decision even when facing death as with an advanced cancer diagnosis.

When I was first diagnosed with stage 4 LMS in June of 2015, this verse with many others was extremely comforting to me because I knew that either the Lord in His mercy would extend my days here or that my healing would take place in His presence. The entire verse reads as “Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise.” If you are facing a health crisis, I would encourage you to read scripture and reflect on what this scripture means. It is not a mantra or a chant that will get the healing in this life that you may desire. It is a promise that healing will come whether here or after death for those who choose to submit to Christ.

Remember that this life is not an easy one to navigate. It is not intended for the fearful but for those who choose to be overcomers through Christ. Lean on Him, trust Him, submit to Him. Be courageous!

If any of you are as old as I am, you may be familiar with a christian artist by the name of Carmen. Many years ago, Carmen wrote a song entitled “Sundays On The Way.” In the chorus of the song, the lyrics go as follows: “if troubles try to conquer you and make it hard to pray, it may seem like Friday night but Sundays on the way.” The song was a clear reference to the crucifixion of Christ on Friday and His resurrection on Sunday. When my son Zach was diagnosed with stage 4 Ewings’ sarcoma in 2011, it was a very rough beginnng. He began to shut down before treatment could even begin. He was placed in a medically induced coma and had to be moved from MD Anderson in the medical center to Hermann Hospital because Hermann was the experts on what was happening with his lungs. During that time I started a Caring Bridge account so family and friends could know what was going on and how to pray. The lyrics to the above song kept going through my mind. Have you ever done that? It was comforting to me because that was one of the hardest and most challenging periods of my life which reflected the sadness of what Jesus did on Good Friday. Hope however flourished on Sunday as Jesus had overcome death. I was looking for that “Sunday” moment in regards to my son.

Please know that I plan to update this blog daily Monday through Friday except on holidays and when my husband and I travel. My purpose in writing this is to encourage each of you in Christ as viewed from the perspective of one who has been on both sides of the cancer experience. It is my prayer that you will become stronger in your trust in Christ regardless of what you have faced and are currently going through. In my opinion our true strength is in God alone. Lord please make each of us courageous to face what we must face and do what we must do.

Franklin D Roosevelt, the only four term elected President, made the concept of fear quite famous with the line “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” If you have lived well into midlife as I have, you have grown to understand that there is quite a bit in this world to fear. My name is Sheri Peters. I live in a small southern town in Texas. Over 12 years ago, I really got to know and understand the concept of fear when my youngest son, Zachariah, was diagnosed at the age of 16 with stage 4 Ewings’ sarcoma. Going through cancer is like a rollercoaster. Going through it with one of your children is an even tougher ride. Zach fought hard for one year. He endured the amputation of his left leg and part of his left hip. He endured six different chemotherapy mixtures and all the emotional ups and downs that goes with such a tough battle. At the end of that following year however at the age of 17, the Lord made His decision and Zach’s healing took place in His presence. Three years later, in 2015, I too would face a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and told I had 18 months to live if everything MD Anderson had to fight the disease worked. As you can perceive from the fact that I am writing this blog, you realize that I have lived much longer than 18 months. My testimony is astounding and miraculous and reflects the grace and kindness of God. Two close family members, two devastating cancer diagnosis and two totally different outcomes. Yet the same loving and powerful God was with both of us through all of it. This blog will focus on my experience both as the caregiver and parent who had to let go of a child way too young and as someone who has experienced the same kind of devastating news and my remaining family had to endure with me. Join me as I reflect on the past and how I witnessed God working in the midst of the struggle and pain. It is my hope that as you read these posts, you will feel encouraged by God’s grace even during the hardest and most painful of times and that you will learn that through Christ, you too are an overcomer. Lord make each of us courageous to face what we must face and do what we must do.