I will admit that when my friend, Elaine Olsen, told me she was writing a book about her cancer journey, my immediate thought was that it would be a fantastic niche book. I know Elaine to be an eloquent writer of words and so I had no doubt the book would be beautifully written. Yet, I was not convinced it would be a book for the masses.
How very wrong I was. Beyond Cancer’s Scars: Laying Claim to a Stronger Spirit is a book for me and for you!
In this beautifully written work by a woman whose heart for Jesus is as big as the sky, I found that Elaine’s cancer journey spoke into the depths of my heart and reached places where metaphorical cancers grew.
Cancer….it is a word that strikes terror in the heart, and rightly so. The physical disease and treatments prescribed to attack it are ravaging to the body and mind. But the truth of the matter is that most of us deal with cancers; just not of the physical kind. Some of us battle the cancer of greed or discontent, while others live with the cancer of loss or abandonment; fear, anger, or anxiety. Regardless of what kind of cancer you battle, whether the physical disease or one of the heart, this book is strong medicine for you.
Elaine wrote this book in 40 days the summer following the completion of her chemotherapy. Hence, it is a 40 day journey into the heart. While there is a personal story in every day of writing, Elaine links each story to a broader spiritual concept. Allow me to share a few that reached deep into my heart:
On a day when I felt like giving up and giving up on this call to ministry, I read this:
“Don’t die midstream. Live on. Press through. You are known by our heavenly Father. He sees your sacred obedience and regards your faith as genuine in his eyes. If you remain faithful to live on in Jesus, despite personal suffering, then there is nothing in your past, present, or future that will be able to undercut the witness of God’s kingdom in your flesh.” P. 141
In chapter 24 Elaine speaks of legacy, which, as you know, is my obsession. She tells the story of refereeing an angry argument between her two adult sons. Consider her words of legacy:
“The words that we give to one another matter. If today were to be your last one on earth, the angry words that you’ve just released into the air are not the ones you’ll want to leave as your final benediction. Words mean something, even when you don’t think they do. You must understand that with every word from your heart, you plant a seed, either for good or for evil.” P. 94
For any of us whom God has given the privilege of standing on a stage, be it great or small, Elaine’s words from chapter 17 will be hugely convicting:
“There’s a fine line between my need to matter and my making God matter. All too often, that line gets blurred because of the innate desire within me to make a mark on this world, to leave a trace of me that I can see in the present moment, on the front side of my exit from this earth. P.65
“Pride needs an audience to prosper. Humility needs just one—God—and you alone, making sure you are not confused about who he is and that you understand who you are in relation to who he is. When you stand beneath the weightiness of this revelation, then you stand closer to being over yourself.” P.66
Do you see what I mean, friends, about Beyond Cancer’s Scars being a book for everyone? I’d love it if you visited Elaine at her website and ordered yourself a copy of Beyond Cancer’s Scars. I promise you it will be a read worthy of your time and attention. If you have a friend who has been through or is going through a cancer journey, order an extra copy to give to them. Elaine’s story will be a blessing to them as well. Click here to visit Elaine’s website.
GIVEAWAY!!!!
I am doing a giveaway of a copy of Beyond Cancer’s Scars. ACTUALLY TWO PEOPLE WILL WIN! Elaine is providing one book and I am providing the other!! All you have to do to be eligible to win is simply leave a comment in the comments section below. If you are not able to comment, send me an email to [email protected] and I’ll enter you for the drawing. Make sure you leave your name and a way I can get in touch with you should you win the giveaway. I will draw the winners on Saturday morning, January 19th.
You can increase your chances of winning in a few ways:
- If you are on Twitter, tweet about this giveaway for an extra chance to win. Be sure to leave me a second comment telling me you tweeted.
- If you are on Facebook, post on your wall about this giveaway for another extra chance to win. Be sure to leave me another comment letting me know you posted on Facebook.
- If you have a blog and want to post about the giveaway on your blog, that will give you yet another opportunity to be the winner of the drawing.
