My Breast Cancer Journey | Episode 68
“You have breast cancer.” I heard those words on a Wednesday morning when I got a phone call that turned my world upside down. This week marks eight years since I heard the words that no woman wants to hear. It’s honestly hard to believe that phone call...14 Life Lessons Learned From a Difficult Hike
Last fall, Mark and I hiked a trail in the Rockies that was listed as easy. However, we later found out it was mismarked and it was really a moderate 6.5-mile trail! The scenery was beautiful. We saw waterfalls, wildlife, and an alpine lake at the top of the mountain....33 Bible Verses to Share with a Friend Going Through a Hard Time
We all need each other. In good times and bad, we’re designed to live in community with other people. More than anything, when we care for one another, we’re Jesus with skin on. No friend will ever forget a time when you were Jesus to them. In my Better Together book,...Are You Spiritually Fit? | Episode 22
In the past ten years I’ve walked through a breast cancer diagnosis and 8 months of treatment, my husband’s infidelity, and our adopted son’s mental health issues which included several suicide attempts. There were many days I just wanted to pull the...Hope for the Undone Life with Michele Cushatt | Episode 16
At times, life is unfair. Sometimes we go through pain–physical, emotional, and relational. Loss and grief become real. Life unravels and comes “undone” in a way we never imagined. There’s no one better to talk about the undone life than my...10 Cancer Resources for You or A Friend
It was seven years ago next month that I heard the words, “You have breast cancer.” One simple phone call turned my world upside-down as words like lumpectomy, mastectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy forced their way into my well-ordered world. My cancer...My Clean Makeup Journey
Having cancer makes you look closely at what you put in your body. Just a little over six years ago my breast cancer diagnosis started me on a clean eating journey. Once my treatment was over, my oncologist told me I had three jobs: Keep my weight at a healthy BMI....When A Loved One Needs Your Care
When I was growing up, my Dad’s uncle lived with us for several months during my teen years. My grandparents also cared for two men in their home who had no extended family. “Shorty” and “Mr. Lewis” became members of our family in a way....Why We Choose Samaritan Ministries
As a full-time missionary ministry family–health insurance is not a given. When Obamacare became available we bought a policy through the marketplace. We quickly learned, however, that the “Affordable Care Act” was anything but affordable. Insuring...Cancer Cured Me of These Five Things
“Hello Jill, this is Dr. Nord’s office. I have the results of your breast biopsy. Are you alone?” It was five years ago today that those words turned my world upside down. Yes, I was alone. In fact, I was driving and had answered the phone using my Bluetooth. I pulled...He’s Holding Your Hand
The nurse walked into my room and said, “Jill it’s time to go. You’ll need to leave your glasses here.” Mark prayed for me, gave me a kiss and then waved as the nurse wheeled me out of my room towards my lumpectomy surgery. Without my glasses I...When Life Is Hard
It was today, February 2, six years ago, that Mark left. Disillusioned with life, God, people, the world, and marriage, he was determined to ride off in the sunset with another relationship. It was today, February 2, four years ago that we both shaved our...Our Shared Purpose
Mark: Last Fall, Jill and I were challenged by our friends Greg and Julie Gorman to begin thinking about the core values of our marriage. These are shared values that help us to clarify our shared purpose. As individuals we may have personal core values that our...My Breast Cancer Journey
Four years ago this week my life changed when breast cancer became a part of my vocabulary. It had been a part of my extended family’s vocabulary for some time because my aunt, my mom, and my grandmother had all received breast cancer diagnoses before I did. We...
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