On the Journey With
Garry Guthrie..
Garry was one of the first people I met when we moved to Austin. I was introduced to him as the ‘unofficial mayor of Hutto’ – because he knew everyone AND everyone liked him. When we opened the Shoreline Hutto campus, he was part of our core team, and we became fast friends. When I received my cancer diagnosis, he was one of the first to reach out to me and offer his prayers and condolences. We are now fellow cancer warriors, and I am grateful that we get to walk this path together.
I don’t really like to talk about this kind of stuff, but if it helps helpful, I am glad to share my experience. I received a prostate cancer diagnosis about 10 years ago. Not exactly sure of the timing, but I did all the things that you might expect one should do. My PSA numbers were elevated and so I got a biopsy, and they found cancer. It was slow growing, and we decided to follow an active surveillance protocol. About that same time, I heard about an acupuncturist in the area who had some success treating patients naturally. I decided to try that and went for 15 sessions and saw some improvement in my numbers.
But honestly, what I have focused on more than anything else is building my trust in the Lord and believing that he can and will take care of this. I have thought a lot about his promise for healing. When Jesus did his miraculous work on earth, he would often point to people’s faith as being the key to their experiencing his healing touch, and that is what I have spent most of my time clinging to. The Word reminds us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). And there comes a point where you either believe that – or not. I do!
I realize there are many ways that God heals. Sometimes it is through the doctors and sometimes it is through a miraculous intervention. I am grateful for modern medicine, but I must confess I am also a bit suspicious of the ways that various medications and procedures are pushed. I have had several instances where I was dealing with different issues that the doctors were convinced were cancer related, only to discover later that it was something else. All too often they make snap-judgements on these things, and I get it, people are busy and it’s easy to overlook the out-of-norm details. And that has caused me to be a bit more reserved about seeking medical interventions.
So, mostly I take a wait and see approach.
Right now I enjoy living out in the country and appreciating nature. I also have a very supportive wife, who has walked with me through this entire process. We don’t always agree on next steps, and I’m guessing that is pretty normal. Truth is, there is no perfect road map on how to deal with any of this. We just have to lean on the Holy Spirit and take one step and day at a time. We try and do that. I am really grateful for her support and prayers. I wouldn’t be able to do this without her.
Life isn’t always easy, I’ve had a lung condition which has also slowed me down a bit, but I try and stay focused on the positive. I have been blessed in so many ways. And no matter what happens, I know my eternal home and I take a lot of comfort in that. It is our best and most reliable hope.
Soul Care with
Pastor Jenn
To Pastor (verb): to shepherd, advise, and guide into a place of deeper spiritual understanding
The world today is maybe the noisiest existence in all of history. I often feel like the world is screaming at me, practically forcing me to give it my attention. It comes from all directions. Sometimes it’s a voice for good, but often I find it’s just a noisy distraction from the things that really matter.
Jesus dealt with the noisy-ness of his time in a very specific way. The Bible says he often withdrew to a quiet place. Today we call that practice “solitude”. And it takes practice to be good at it. We aren’t used to spending time in quiet, even with the Lord. We often fill the quiet space with music or words. But Jesus showed us by example that quiet is a necessary component of our emotional, mental and spiritual health.
I encourage you this week to take even 10 minutes a day to practice solitude. Sit in quiet with the Lord. Tune your ear to His voice, the gentle whisper. He’s there in the quiet place waiting to meet with you and to restore some of the peace the noise of the world tries to take from you.
“Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength…”
Caregivers Corner with
Lori Smith
To Support (noun): to provide assistance that enables one to function or act.
After my husband’s relapse there were not a lot of options for treatment. We decided on a trial that had not been very successful with his type of Lymphoma. It required 8 weeks in Houston away from our kids and home. It was the beginning of the most difficult leg of our cancer journey, and it was one year after it had all started. We were already exhausted. When we came home from Houston, not only was the cancer not gone, but he was sicker, very weak, and needing a lot more physical care from me. And, I was sleeping on the couch and trying to be here for our kids who had missed us all summer.
I was at a loss because not only was my husband’s physical state much worse, but his mental state declined too due to him being on high dose steroids for an extended period of time. He was not cognitively himself, and it became very difficult to communicate. It felt like we were being kicked repeatedly when we were already down. One morning as I was reading Psalm 51, verse 10 spoke to my spirit.
Create in me a pure [loyal] heart, O God, and renew a steadfast [loyal] spirit within me.
I’m an Enneagram 6 – The Loyalist. God knew that my loyal heart needed some encouragement, and this verse became my prayer for the next few months as my husband’s health continued to decline. I wanted to love him well, with a steadfast spirit, for as long as the Lord allowed him to be here with us. But, my soul was so tired! I needed to be renewed.
If your soul is tired, trust God to show you this week the exact thing your heart needs to keep going. Caregiving is not easy! God knows it, and He sees you. You can do this!
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: Living Hope (Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music)
Band: Bethel Music
From: How He Reveals * 2019
This week has been living hope! Just the way it describes the layers of what God has done for us is extremely humbling and inspiring when it comes to pursing the things of the Lord passionately!
How great the chasm
That lay between us
How high the mountain
I could not climb
In desperation I turned to Heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness
Your loving kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished
The end is written
Jesus Christ my living hope
Who could Imagine
So great a mercy
What heart could fathom
Such boundless grace
The God of ages
Stepped down from glory
To wear my sin
And bear my shame
The cross has spoken I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ my living hope
Hallelujah
Praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah
Death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ my living hope
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.
Everything I See
They get careless with their words
And and restless with their souls
And trample on your goodness
Till this worlds a deep dark hole
But everything I see
Reminds of Gods love for me
From this woven mat to that stuff they
Shat upon for me to read
Everything I see draws me
Deeper still in thee
And I’ll renew my mind as this day begins
And breathe….!
I thank you Lord for love
And I lift my eyes above
And I look to you for each new step
That you planned before the dove
I look to you for guidance
On how to wear these clothes
On how to walk these steps
And how to use my nose
To sniff out every single lie
The ones that like to linger
And pick out every single tune
With truth sung by the singer
I look to you my Father
The maker of my mind
Fill it with only goodness
So my life for you will shine
Nutrition Nuggets with
Suzanna Hake
To Nourish (verb): the act or process of being nourished.
Some of the things I have found most helpful in this journey are not found on your typical cancer fighting protocol list. Some of what I do doesn’t even fit neatly into the nutrition space. But I like to think outside the box, and things – even like red-light therapy – can be a positive contributor to health and healing. Every little bit helps – right?
Red light therapy is such a great daily detox practice to reduce inflammation, support skin health, optimize sleep and strengthen mitochondria (the part of the cell that creates energy). It triggers a process called photobiomodulation, which involves the absorption of light energy by cells. It’s a non invasive treatment that involves exposing the skin to red and near-infrared light which penetrates the skin to reach the cells to increase energy production and reduce damage caused by oxidative stress.
Why not give it a try?
Keep Your Eyes Open
Survey Coming
I have decided to bring back the Black Sheep Messenger Newsletter. It will be a once/month publication and have a similar format to what it had before. I will send out a separate e-mail where you can choose what newsletter you receive – The Healing Chronicle, The Black Sheep Messenger, OR both. Let us know your preference!
Prayer of the Week
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)
“Living Lord, your love has held me and kept me through this suffering. Now may your hope and healing lead me quickly to a place of restoration. O Lord the oil of your healing flows through me like a living stream. I choose to bathe in these clear waters each day. I will keep my eyes on you, and trust in you that I will fully recover. I give you all that I am, and rest in your peace. I hold tightly to your promises. They are like a spring that overflows with goodness. I wait on you.”
Reminder!
Keep On Healing Support Group Starting Soon!
Carol and I are starting an in-person support group for cancer patients and their loved ones. It will be on Sunday mornings at 11:00am at Shoreline Church here in Austin (15201 Burnet Rd., Austin, TX 78728). We will start meeting on September 8. You do not need to be a member of the church to attend, and childcare is provided. If you have interest or want to know more, please feel free to give me a call/text at 573.673.6241. If you know someone who might be helped, please feel free to pass this information along.
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.
