On the Journey With
My Personal Update...
We put our hope in the LORD.
He is our help and our shield.
Psalm 33:20
By the time you open this week’s newsletter I will be at Mayo Clinic for my six-month check-in.
As you might remember, I had surgery back in May where they took my right kidney, ureter, prostate and suspicious lymph nodes. I went back to Mayo in September to do my three-month review and received an all clear from the medical team. Praise the Lord! This is my second visit, and It’s one that has me a bit more anxious.
When I was first diagnosed with bladder cancer, they discovered low-grade non-muscle-invasive tumors. Their removal was a fairly simple out-patient procedure. The problem was that these tumors had a nasty habit of coming back. And they did. For the next four years, every six months they found new tumors. It was after my 8th surgery that I decided to go to Mayo.
What’s that definition of insanity?
At Mayo they discovered high grade tumors in my right kidney. My urologist thought that these tumors were probably seeding the tumors in my bladder, and its why they were coming back with such consistent regularity. His recommendation was to take out everything that had any remote sign of cancer cells – except for the bladder which we treated with chemo. Overall, I feel 98% better, and I was certainly delighted to get the thumbs up in September. But now I am at that tenuous six-month point. They will be doing a cystoscopy (bladder scan) at this visit.
Lord have mercy!
Over these last few weeks, I have been praying for God to prepare my heart for whatever news I receive. And I have sensed his comfort and closeness, and even with the unsettledness, I have felt a good measure of peace. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but as many of you know, both can be true at the same time.
Fast forward to this past Wednesday night.
Every week when I’m in town I try to make it to the Prayer Barn at least once/week. On Wednesday nights they have a prayer and praise evening. I went to the service and had a very meaningful experience in worship. When the service ended, I was approached by one of the faithful prayer partners, who said, “Piet, I believe the Lord has given me a word for you.” Normally I would be a bit skittish about that kind of bold proclamation. But I knew this lady and respected her maturity and depth of spirit. She said, “Piet, I believe the Lord wants to heal you completely – right now – in this moment!”
How would you respond to that?
I surprised myself by saying something like, “I’m in! I am ready to receive.” She prayed a sincere and beautiful prayer. I didn’t feel anything significant. No lightning bolts and/or shivers of electricity. Just a simple prayer, to which I said, “Lord may it be so.”
The memory of that moment has been carrying me, I am holding fast to the promise and reminding myself that God is always good, and he is still in the miracle working business. Who knows, maybe this visit to Mayo will bring me my Christmas miracle!
Soul Care with
Pastor Jenn
To Pastor (verb): to shepherd, advise, and guide into a place of deeper spiritual understanding
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!’”
Luke 4:18
In this verse, Jesus is making his purpose on earth plain. Proclaiming to all who would listen, announcing He had come for them.
I think a lot about this verse at Christmas time. The world would have us believe that we should all just be…I don’t know…jolly at this time of year. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, after all.
And it is.
But not in the way the world makes it out to be. It’s the most wonderful time of the year because we have the rather remarkable opportunity to remember that Jesus was born and His purpose on earth was for us.
It’s crazy to think about, even as someone who has walked with the Lord for many, many years. Jesus came for us. He was and is Emmanuel – God with us. His purpose was to carry the heavy burden that had previously been ours alone. He came to bring hope to the hopeless; to give healing to the brokenhearted, to allow sight for the blind and maybe the most wonderful of all – to grant freedom to all those held captive.
The best part is He’s still doing all those things today. He still gives hope. He still brings healing. He is still setting us all free from all the things that try to keep us stuck in our old lives. He is still Emmanuel – God with us.
I often think that sometimes because Christmas comes off as a “jolly holiday”, those of us who aren’t feeling so jolly tend to hide ourselves away from it. But here’s the thing, Christmas is the sufferer’s holiday. It’s why He came – to be with us, to comfort us and to acknowledge and share in our suffering. This time of year, more than any other, we should run to the manger. Jesus is born for US…for YOU. Run to Him, friend. Your Savior is born.
Caregivers Corner with
Lori Smith
To Support (noun): to provide assistance that enables one to function or act.
One of my very favorite Christmas songs is O, Holy Night. Of all the songs of the season, I think it captures the essence of what Jesus’s birth truly meant for humanity.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
The words of this verse resonated deeply with me when we were walking out our cancer journey. I was weary to my bones, and the holidays didn’t change a thing about our situation. In fact, the holidays highlighted just how much cancer had changed everything. We still had to go to the clinic several times a week. We didn’t get to socialize much because of the risk of illness to my husband, therefore we missing out on time with family and friends – that (sadly) we took for granted in years past. We still had to live with cancer every single day, Christmas or not.
And yet, Christmas actually became more meaningful to me during that time because of the words of this song. Christ came to earth to be WITH us. To experience the hurt, the sorrow, and the sadness. As Isaiah 53:3 reveals so eloquently, He was despised and rejected by men, A man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief; And like One from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him. (AMP)
The World’s interpretation of Christmas is very different from what it’s truly meant to be. When you carry grief and sadness, you embody that for which Christ came – a weary world, drowning in sin and death – and somehow it makes the rest of the story that much sweeter.
Christ is the Lord
O praise His Name forever
His power and glory
Evermore proclaim
His power and glory
Evermore proclaim
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night divine
May you find all comfort in Christ With Us this Christmas.
Worship Moment with
Joel Salabarria
To Inspire (verb): to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
Song: Joy To The World (Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music)
Band: Maverick City Music
From: A Very Maverick Christmas (20121
In this season of Christmas, I just want to remind people that the Joy of the Lord is truly our strength! Whatever we have faced all year the truth STILL remains that Jesus Christ is where we find our Hope, Strength and Joy! Sing it!
The joy, the joy
The joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy, the joy
The joy of the Lord is my strength
Oh-oh-oh, He is my hope
The joy, the joy
The joy of the Lord is my strength
Poetic Encouragement with
Julie Clarke
To Encourage (noun): to give support and hope to someone so that they will do or continue to do something.
Boy to Man
From boy to man, God’s perfect plan,
He sees in you a mighty man.
You’ll step up with a quickened pace,
Your heart’s held tightly in the Lord’s embrace.
Remember, life takes work and grit,
And good things come to those who sit
Humbly in the Father’s love,
Take time to know His perfect love.
You’ve studied every twist and turn
Of the comic sagas that you yearn.
Now please “soak” within His Word,
Then share the stories that you’ve heard.
Of the epic battles left and right,
And warriors who’ve won the fight
And conquered their promised land.
And shown that God is their winning hand.
In this you will share life
With tired hearts, beat down by strife
My Son… Jesus, is the only truth,
To guide you on from youth to YOU.
So hold His mighty hand,
Let Him guide you to your Promised Land.
A boy to man, God’s perfect master plan
He sees in you a gentle man
Quick never wins the race to fly,
And greed, for you, won’t satisfy
His gift for you is perfect grace.
So seek to know Him, seek His face;
God’s heart will lead you there,
And give you all your gifts to share.
Trust in this perfect plan,
Become a faith-filled mighty man.
Embrace and face the trials you’ll see,
Through all life’s storms, just bend a knee
Each stumble teaches, each fall refines,
In every moment, His love reminds
So with courage rise and stand,
You’re a beacon, bright, with His guiding hand.
Let kindness shape your every deed,
In serving others, your heart will lead.
As shadows lengthen, doubts may creep,
Hold fast to dreams, and don’t lose sleep.
For in the silence, He speaks so clear,
His whispers shout, “Son I am near.”
So walk, don’t run, with all your faith,
And know with courage, you are safe
From a boy to man, your hope unfolds,
And, In your face, His story gets told.
Nutrition Nuggets with
Suzanna Hake
To Nourish (verb): the act or process of being nourished.
During the holidays it can be tough to get out to the gym amid all the other things going on, but we can get in the habit of doing an effective ‘on-the-go’ (at home) workout to keep us moving during our busy seasons. Here’s one for you to try, whether you are tight on time, off-schedule, out of town, or just looking for a solid way to love your body today!
Some of these moves might be new-to-you…GREAT! A quick online search will reveal a plethora of fitness pro videos to demonstrate. Here’s a good one for the 90/90 stretch:
Foam Roller
:45-:60 Hip flexors/adductors/psoas
:60-:90 Mid-back Erectors
:60-:90/side QL/Glute Med
Stretching
:60-:120 Catcher’s Stretch
:60-:120 Overhead Lying Bridge
:60/side 90/90 Stretch
Strengthen
8/8 Dead Bugs
:30-:45 RKC Plank – Squeeze!
10/10 Banded Bridge – No band? No problem. Focus on your form & hold for 3 sec at the top.
8-12/8-12 Goblet Squat – No weight? No problem! You can get more out of the movement by slowing it down with a 3-sec down, 1-sec hold, 3-sec-up tempo.
Not only is this a good general work out, but it’s especially good if you have found yourself snacking on too many holiday treats.
Piet's Ponderings
To Ponder (verb): to think about something carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion.
Every now and again I will run across a random statement that nails it!
This is one of them…
Healing takes time and doesn’t typically come in the way we expect. This is why healing can never be separated from trusting.
It’s all about learning how to say, “Lord I am trusting you to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, in whatever way suits your purposes.”
And isn’t that just another way of saying, “I am letting go of control – it’s all about you and what you want to do!”
Yes – exactly – I understood the assignment!
Prayer of the Week
A Prayer Poem by Crosswalk.com
To Pray (verb): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer ad petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God )Philippians 4:6)
Lord, we bring before you the ongoing struggles of my friend – and of me too. We ask for your enduring strength and grace to sustain us in our journey. Grant us all patience and faith as we navigate this difficult path before us. May we find a way to keep perspective and not lose heart. In fact, use this experience to draw us closer to you and deepen our trust in your plan. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Coming Soon!
I am very excited about the launch of a new platform our team is creating under the banner of “The Cancer Pastor” – it will be a place for us to house all our resources from one central hub – videos, pocket prayers, newsletters, Bibles Studies, and support group access – all with unique membership benefits and a new course on “Building Your Resiliency”.
Look for more information coming soon!
Yeah, that sums up 2024 for me…
Interested in supporting this new initative?
The Van Waarde Foundation underwrites and supports a variety of projects and team members committed to supporting, educating, and encouraging fellow cancer warriors and their families. As we look to the future, we are excited about creating a variety of new resources that will provide pastoral support to those battling cancer. This initiative will include this newsletter AND a host of other resources including a new podcast providing helpful information on health and fitness, fresh pocket prayers delivered daily to fellow cancer warriors, a new page on the website “heal” Heal – Piet Van Waarde with weekly reflections on navigating the “dailyness” of the journey, plus a soon-coming book Keep on Healing that will address the top 50 questions people face when confronted by a cancer diagnosis. We want to make these resources available at little/no cost to those who need them, and your support through the Foundation (https://www.patreon.com/pietvanwaarde) makes that possible.
Thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration.
