I’ve been beating myself up about the fact that it’s been well over a month since I posted my last update. The truth is, I could have had something composed in the middle of September – I was half-way done with a new entry. But a series of events sapped my time, my attention, and my spirit.
On a positive note, I have gotten extremely busy with work. As you can imagine, leadership development and improving human effectiveness in organizational cultures isn’t high on the list of expenditures when the economy and businesses are suffering. While it is, indeed, the perfect time to help leadership think in new ways to handle new business environments, it is much more difficult to get them to sign a consulting contract that would help them do so. So when I see existing clients ramping up again and potential new clients scheduling meetings and events, I see signs that economic recovery is ahead.
I wish I could say that this has been the only thing clamoring for my attention, distracting me from making another Blog contribution. During the past two months, I have been experiencing an expanding circle of people challenged with cancer. A young mother who isn’t even old enough to qualify for annual mammograms, going through a double mastectomy and chemo; the brother of a colleague with stage 4 lung cancer preparing to enter Hospice; a nonprofit ranch in Nevada for children battling cancer; a dear friend from our bi-monthly fellowship group, just diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer metastasized to the liver. It seems that each week my prayer list grows longer and my heart is moved deeper by people suffering from this pandemic disease straight from the pit of hell.
As I have been involved with these people, I’ve heard the insidious sound of doubt creeping into my mind. I’ve questioned whether the truths that I engrafted into my heart and healing are universal enough to help others. I believe that they are. But can I be so bold and so certain as to say to others that healing is in the hands of those who believe and receive it? And how do I account for those with faith in God and hope in their hearts who fall victim to the disease that claims them? How can I answer the inevitable questions that arise about some who are healed and others who are not? How can I, or anyone, assess another person’s faith? I dare not. So, I have been struggling with how and when and if I should share what I’ve learned through my journey.
While I don’t espouse a formula, I do believe that there are body, mind and spirit factors that empower us to create health and wellness in the midst of disease. In the Blogs ahead, I will begin to put together power-filled principles that will help fighters, families and friends support and overcome the ills that plague us. We are more than survivors – we are conquerors and over comers. When we believe that, there is little that disease can do to us.

“Cancer is so limited….It cannot cripple love; it cannot shatter hope; it cannot erode faith; it cannot eat away 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.” -Carol Larsen, cancer patient