The great thing for those who believe in God is that there’s hope. It doesn’t matter how hard life gets or how gray the things around us look we have hope. We have the hope that not only we can survive anything that crosses our path, but also that God will use it for our good.
Romans 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
By Sheryl Holmes
“Jumping up and jumping down, screaming NO(!) inside my heart,…atoms crashing one by one, frozen in the moment; releasing — rushing — over the cliff…. Let this not be true oh God, Let this not be true!”
These are excerpts of word phrases from the lyrics of a song I wrote in attempt to describe the nauseating and shocking state of being when I was given the diagnosis of cancer.
Universal to all are the emotions and the bewilderment. The anger and the fear. Is there anyone who does not shake their fist at God for a moment and demand to know, “WHY ME?” I sure did. Even after following the Lord for twenty-plus years, I stood indignant before God.
Weeping an gnashing my teeth, I drooled on my pillow as I bit it in frustration — silently wailing and heaving. Voiceless cries filled the night. I wrestled with God.
In the morning, I was weary; weariness gave up the weeping and the gnashing and the cries. Through the gentle reminder of a friend, came my answer to my prideful questioning of the Lord. I was asking the wrong question….not “why me?” — but I should’ve been asking “Why not me.”
Jesus had already done everything for me — “…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8b
“Towdah: A Cancer Survivor’s Song of Hope” is my book. It is filled with hard questions like, “Why Me?” — “Is Salvation enough?” — “Would God stand by me? — by His promises? — Would He spare me of stage three cancer?” — “Am I going to die?” I weave these hard grappling’s throughout my book and sprinkle in childhood reminiscing, humor, and poignant studies on life as I have experienced it as a home schooling mother of nine children and a wife of 27 years.
Treatment was harsh and my body produced every side effect that was predicted: mouth sores, fevers, aches in the joints and muscles, nerve issues that even plagued me today 24/7. Radiation annihilated my feminine parts and forced me right through menopause reeking havoc on my relationship with my husband.
Yet, God’s mercy came in abundance. His grace and compassion came in various forms of support.
Treatment ended. My cancer is nonexistent at this time. One year out of treatment I struggle with what I am calling the second phase of recovery: grieving loss. I have been internalizing my losses – loss of who I was before I had cancer. I am not the same person physically, emotionally, or spiritually. I have a “new normal” and I do not really like it… depression lurks in the doorway of my life.
So where do I go now?
In the scriptures, Paul tells us: “Whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord….” My profits, who I was and what I had accomplished before are now lost. But, in giving the old me up, I am able to draw closer to my Lord and rely on Him for filling my losses with the gains of knowing Him deeper and deeper. The eyes of my heart have been opened. My reaction is thanksgiving and praise for who God is. I look to see His grace poured into my day — every day. He IS there! I call these God Sparkles and I share them often on my Face Book page and in my blog writings.
Fellow survivor of this difficult life – come join me in resting in HOPE; no matter your circumstance there is always a song of hope to sing! Check me out at: alwaysasongofhope.com — signup to receive my blog postings and LIKE me!
I also have been nominated on Yahoo’s online magazine as “A Woman Who Shines” — please vote for me by Oct 26th at:bit.ly/SherylHolmes and I will have the chance at winning a sweet prize and have a featured article spot in their magazine(!).
My book: “Towdah: A Cancer Survivor’s Song of Hope” is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble online for a mere $3.99 for ebook and $9.99 for paperbacks. Though my story is of my battle with cancer, it has a universal message of striving and persevering in HOPE through the pains and agony of life and all the trials we face in this world.
May Grace and Peace abound to dear reader friend. What God has done for me — He will do for you in a way that is unique to your being and life.
He’s just THAT kind of God!
By Shelley Hitz
Today I felt like I needed safety from the storm swirling in my life right now. I sensed God say to me that He is here with me and that I can find safety and refuge in Him…even when I feel like everything around me is uncertain and feels unsafe.
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2
I have a picture of what that “safe refuge” looks like for me. There may be times when I have to go out in the storm and get wet and cold. But I know that God is always with me. He will never leave me or forsake me. And whenever I need rest, our safe place is waiting for us. I pictured that safe refuge as a warm inviting cave where I am protected from the storms. God offers me warmth by the fire to dry off and food for my soul. He says, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls.”
He walks with me. He doesn’t stay behind in the cave. He will be with me to give me the strength and wisdom I need to navigate this storm. Storms come and go and I can’t predict when they will come.
This is a storm that has entered my life. I wasn’t expecting or planning my dad to be assaulted resulting in a coma and a severe brain injury. But, now I have to deal with it. Kind of like floods, wild fires, hurricanes and earthquakes are unexpected disasters that leave behind so much damage.
I feel like my life is in rubble again. It feels as if my heart is broken and hurting.
Rebuilding After a “Storm”
This is what I sensed God saying to me in my journal today:
“Shelley, you may feel like your life is in rubble again, but realize that I am able to ‘restore what the locusts have eaten’ and I am the Ultimate Rebuilder of hearts and lives. As we work together at ‘rebuilding the walls’ of your life, there will be a greater and deeper beauty seen in you than was evident before. I am able to bring good out of any situation…I am about healing and restoring the brokenhearted. Beloved, your heart has been broken, but as we rebuild and restore the brokenness within you, there will be a beauty that far exceeds anything you could have imagined before. Trust me. Hold on to my hand as we walk through this storm together. Come take shelter with me and find refuge in me. And surrender your broken heart to me. I am the Healer and Restorer of broken hearts.”
And so, today I found that peaceful place again. That safe refuge. I’m not sure how long this storm will rage, but I do know that I can always find safety in Him in the midst of it all. And I am given the hope of a promise today. The promise of rebuilding after the storm….the rebuilding of my broken heart.
“He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.”Psalm 147:3
“He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted.”Isaiah 61:1
This was an excerpt from “Finding Hope in the Midst of Tragedy” which is free on Amazon 10/17-10/19/12 here: www.amazon.com/dp/B008RSQFJC. During this special promotion, you can also download 19 other Christian books and enter to win a $25 Amazon gift certificate here: www.bodyandsoulpublishing.com/sale.
Shelley Hitz is an author and speaker. Her main passion is to share God’s truth 
and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements. Shelley’s openness and vulnerability, as she shares her own story of hope and healing, will inspire and encourage you. You can find out more about Shelley and connect with her online at www.ShelleyHitz.com or invite her to speak at your event at: www.ChristianSpeakers.tv.
During this month we’re talking about the dangers of hatred and my dear friend Shelley Hitz is here to talk to us about forgiveness. Very timely, enjoy!!
I practiced as a Physical Therapist for twelve years, and therefore know the general process required to heal from a broken bone. First, the doctor will give you a diagnosis via x-ray, MRI or other test. Then, a cast or splint is applied and you are given orders to rest your body part as the healing takes place. For a broken leg, crutches are often needed for a period of time. Finally, the last step is to exercise your joints and muscles again to regain your strength and be able to walk again on your own.
However, when God began to heal my broken heart, this was new territory for me. There is no textbook answer on what the process is for healing a broken heart. However, one of the first steps God took me through was forgiving those that hurt me.
Forgiveness…Often the Hardest Step To Take But Necessary For Lasting Freedom
Years ago, I was at a retreat for Christian women where the speaker shared her story of being sexually abused and the healing God brought to her broken heart. As I listened to her story, a memory from my past began to surface. I could relate to her story in that I was not violently raped and therefore had unknowingly dismissed the incident as simply part of “growing up.” However, when I later shared with my counselor what happened to me in junior high when a boy did sexual things to me that I neither wanted nor knew how to resist, she affirmed that it was indeed sexual abuse.
Feelings surfaced that I did not even know existed…anger, grief, unforgiveness. For the first time, I cried and grieved the innocence that was taken from me that day. As I sobbed, I asked God to help me. And He gently showed me that I needed to forgive the boy that did this to me. Forgiving him did not mean that what he did was right or that I was justifying his actions. It was for me, so that I could be free. I’ve heard it said that unforgiveness and bitterness is like taking poison and expecting it to kill the other person. The only person it hurts is me.
I Did Not Feel Like Forgiving
It took a step of faith to forgive as I did not feel like letting go of my anger and unforgiveness. Not only was my innocence taken that day, but there was a door opened to the enemy in the area of my sexuality. And later on in my life, I became captive to sexual sin. As a Christian woman, I found myself struggling with pornography. Although I don’t blame my choices and my sin on the sexual abuse, I know it was part of the process. And so I was angry and did not feel like forgiving.
And yet, God empowered me to surrender my anger to Him and forgive.
It was a process and not an instant fix. But, as I took the step of forgiveness, God led me down the path of healing my broken heart. I am thankful today that I am free from my struggle with pornography. God is now using what the enemy meant for evil for good – to provide hope to many.
Shelley Hitz has been ministering alongside her husband, CJ, since 1998. They currently travel and speak to teens and adults around the country. Shelley’s main passion is to share God’s truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements. Shelley’s openness and vulnerability, as she shares her own story of hope and healing, will inspire and encourage you.
Shelley has been writing and publishing books since 2008 including the book she co-authored with S’ambrosia Curtis, “A Christian Woman’s Guide to Breaking Free From Pornography: It’s Not Just a Guy’s Problem.” During their book launch on 9/26/12 – 9/27/12, you can download a free Kindle copy and also enter to win over $400 worth of resources. Find out more at www.ChristianWomenandPorn.com
In life we go through struggles and sometimes all that keeps us going is our faith.
One of my favorite passages in the bible is the exit of the Israelites out of Egypt and how God saw them through. Sometimes we are in our personal dessert and have to trust that since we serve the same God, he too will see us through.
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In Growth Lessons, I was reminded of this beautiful truth: Our walk with the Lord is a process of growing up into the image of Christ. P. Yates
I would recommend this book for anyone who would like some common sense and light added to their life. C. Cunningham
Great for meditations and daily devotions. N. Thames
How often do we really notice what goes around us? We live our little Christian lives, with our Christian friends and our Christian activities. How many times do we really live the life that Jesus called us to live.
Listen careful to this song, it will give you a lot of food for thought. This weekend while having fun and rest with our loved ones, lets think about what else we can do with the time we have available.
Do you want to read about real life lessons on how to do this thing called Christian Life? Pick up a copy of my devotional Growth Lessons
In Growth Lessons, I was reminded of this beautiful truth: Our walk with the Lord is a process of growing up into the image of Christ. P. Yates
I would recommend this book for anyone who would like some common sense and light added to their life. C. Cunningham
Great for meditations and daily devotions. N. Thames
I ran into this scripture the other day and let out a chuckle. Not because it’s 
funny but because we all know someone who needs to be reminded of this part of the bible. Have you ever ran into someone who says, but I’m (insert churchy title and their name)? My thought is always, is that the name your Momma gave you? So let’s go ahead and make sure that we are all reminded.
Romans 12:3
[Humble Service in the Body of Christ] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
As leaders in the body of Christ we have to remember that we should be the first ones to be of service and not to be served. That the leadership position is just a call to serve and it’s really more responsibility than prestige. A title given to organize our responsibilities doesn’t give us status. Jesus being God humble himself washing the feet of his disciples.
Jesus said in Matthew 23:1-13 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Yes, we are to respect, follow and honor our leaders. But for those of us who are leaders, we need to remember that we are all part of the body and nobody is more important in the eyes of God than other.
Until next time, Be Blessed.
“Aimee is a constant positive influence in Desiree’s life, gently demonstrating God’s love and mercy. ”Mary Anne Benedetto
“I would recommend The Road Home to any romantic, any lover of books, anyone struggling with forgiveness, anyone. ”Cynthia
I’m not sure who it was. I was listening to the radio and there was a Christian artist who was being interviewed. He said that he struggled with promoting his work because people would be looking at him and crediting him for his work and not necessarily God. He said that through prayer he realized that this was his business and that not promoting it would not be wise, but that he had to make sure of two things:
1) Keep his focus on the Lord
2) Give God the Glory for his success
I read the following scripture and it reminded me of this…
2 Corinthians 10:17-18
But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
That was the main messages that Tim Tebow tried to impart on people, that yes he had great abilities but they were given to him by God and any success he had was given by Him and him only.
I know at the beginning of my journey as an author I thought I should not place my name on anything. I should not promote anything and let God place my things where they should. Like the singer, whom I wish I could remember his name, I realized that if I hid under a rock nobody would find the message that God had entrusted in me. I would be just like the man who hid the talent that God gave him in the parable. However, although my name is there, I make sure that when people cheer me on, to tell them that it was all God. That I am just using what I was given for the Glory of the Kingdom and He who called me to proclaim His message. All the honor, glory and accolades belong to HIM.
Christian Authors, Artists, Business Owners, have you struggle with this? How have you reconciled this concept?
Until then, Be Be blessed!
In Growth Lessons, I was reminded of this beautiful truth: Our walk with the Lord is a process of growing up into the image of Christ. P. Yates
I would recommend this book for anyone who would like some common sense and light added to their life. C. Cunningham
Great for meditations and daily devotions. N. Thames
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8
In the passage above we read that we are supposed to rest. Our modern life goes totally against this principle. When God created the world including humanity everything worked inside a principle of balance.
Do you remember that ecosystem science project in school? You needed certain elements for everything to function properly. The same way our lives were designed to work, to have fun but also to rest. The Word of God doesn’t call us to exhaust ourselves and wait for a week vacation once in a while to recuperate, it says that out of every seven days we need one to rest.
Society works against this principle. Our “days off” are usually the weekends, 
and what do we do with those? Some people work, some people spend both days running errands, doing housework. And like a good friend of mine would say, How is that working for you? How is your body functioning on little rest? How is your relationship with God when your mind is cluttered with business? How is your relationship with those around you when they don’t have down time with you?
Like I said before, everything in God’s perfect plan has an order and a purpose, so aside from obedience conserving the Sabbath is about the balance in our lives to fulfill God’s purpose.
Be blessed
If you want to read about some of my own life lessons in my walk with Christ, check out my book Growth Lessons.
In Growth Lessons, I was reminded of this beautiful truth: Our walk with the Lord is a process of growing up into the image of Christ. P. Yates
I would recommend this book for anyone who would like some common sense and light added to their life. C. Cunningham
Great for meditations and daily devotions. N. Thames
When God spoke to Moses in the desert about the things he required from us, the first thing he sais was for us to always consider him first. God wants our love and our affections without competing with anything else in our life.
The scripture says, “You shall have no other gods before me” Exodus 20:3 We may think that as Christians we are already serving the right God, therefore this is already covered. Think again.
Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30 ” Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
David shows us in Psalms 73:25-26 what that love would look like. When we realize that God is all we need. “Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
A love so powerful sometimes is hard to comprehend. Do not give up. If we allow God to take over our lives he will show us how to live that love.
Let’s pray today that we can have our heart after God, that we can surrender from our selfish ways, shedding all our other passions for a passion for him.
Talking about passions. Check out my new book, The Road Home and learn how Desiree went after the wrong passions in her life and her struggles to find the right passion to follow.
“Aimee is a constant positive influence in Desiree’s life, gently demonstrating God’s love and mercy. ”Mary Anne Benedetto
“I would recommend The Road Home to any romantic, any lover of books, anyone struggling with forgiveness, anyone. ”cynthia
