“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT

I have not posted in this category since January 2021. That doesn’t mean the blessings stopped, or that I stopped praying or being thankful. (This Category is “The Blessings in the Curse”)

None of that could be farther from the truth. In fact, I have never been more joyful, I will never stop praying, and I can think of no other way to be, but thankful – no matter what the circumstances.

And I do have some circumstances, that much is certain.

Life has presented me with many new opportunities to draw closer to God and rely on Him more and more since my lung cancer treatment ended in June 2020. Spread out over those years, I have undergone procedures to remove four different types of skin cancer. In February, 2023 I was diagnosed with metastasized prostate cancer and have been on daily immunotherapy since. I was also diagnosed in July of 2025 with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

Now, those with little or no faith – or even some who think their faith is strong – might be asking, “Where’s the joy in all that?”

Well, the answer is simple: The above scripture says, “Always be joyful.”

Uh huh. That easy is it? Yes, if we truly believe that Jesus loves us.

Just how much does he love us? He died for us. And before He did He said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13 NLT)

I am alive because He died for me. Were it not for the blood Jesus shed on the cross, I would have died covered in my own blood 17 years ago as a result of a brutal attack on myself. The blood He shed for me (and you, and you, and so on) set me free from the chains of sin that had bound me so tightly for so many years.

But what to do with that freedom?

To determine that answer, we must first understand what the true definition of freedom is, and that, my friends, is clearly stated in the Bible:

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13 NLT

Being joyful for others, praying for others, and being thankful for others sets us free and enables us to be joyful in our hearts no matter the personal trials or tribulations we are going through.

So you see, my friends, it is not the various cancers that give me joy. Of course not.

It is the knowledge that I serve a God Who loves me, guides me, and gives me each breath I take in each new day that dawns that gives me joy.

You don’t need cancer to be joyful, of course.

You just need God.

And may God bless each and every one of you and fill your hearts with joy and thanksgiving no matter what your circumstances may be. This is my prayer for each and every one of you.

Amen