Facing Your Giant

Dear Family and Friends,

On August 29th I was diagnosed with breast cancer. A lump had been found by my doctor at a yearly physical exam. I was sent for a mammogram and sonogram with a needle biopsy. I received the call at work that there was cancer in my right breast and also my lymph node. Since then I have had an MRI, echocardiogram, EKG, and bone scan. On Monday I will have a PET scan which looks at the sugar levels in the cells throughout the body. Cancer feeds on sugar so this is another marker to determine if cancer is anywhere else in the body.

You can imagine that our heads and hearts were reeling. But in the midst of all of this God has given me such a peace. I have read the scripture about peace that passes understanding and how it can guard our hearts and minds. I am truly experiencing this now.

Max Lucado has written a book called "Facing Your Giants" which is where I took the title of my journey from. It is the story of David and Goliath. Lucado says, "David majors in God. He sees the giant mind you; he just sees God more." David didn't shrink back from Goliath. The Bible says he ran to meet the giant. I am choosing to rush this giant of cancer with a God saturated soul.

This cancer will only take what I allow it to take. I refuse to surrender my trust in God. He has always proved faithful to me in the past. He will not change His love and care for me. I refuse to let it destroy my joy. I know the joy of the Lord is my strength. Each day I am thanking Him for His grace to face the day. I am blessing Him for the friends and family that are supporting me. I am clinging to His promises of hope and healing in His word. I refuse to let cancer rob me of the minstry of helping and encouraging others. I will continue to be used by God to proclaim His goodness during this time. I refuse to surrender my health to cancer. I will fight it with good nutrition, rest, love, faith and lots of prayer.

This past Monday the MRI picked up another spot in the same breast they think may be cancerous. I have an MRI guided needle biopsy on Monday. My surgery is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday. I don't know at this time if it will be a lumpectomy or mastectomy. It will depend on what they find on Monday.

We have some specific prayer requests:
Pray for wisdom as we seek God for His pathway of healing for my body.
For the doctors as they give me wise counsel.
Confirmation about the nutrition program I am on.
Sewell's father is in the hospital with a collapsed lung. He has been in ICU for over a week.

What giant are you facing today? It may be the giant of fear, depression, hopelessness or sin. I encourage you to build your faith so you may rush your giant. If you focus on your giant you will stumble. If you focus on God your giant will tumble. He is able to do above and beyond what you can think or imagine. Turn your heart fully to Him and entrust your life to Him. Lift your eyes to God and become a giant slayer.