Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV ‬‬— Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

Today God is writing our stories, just like He did with the Israelites. What is God doing with your story? Join us as we wrap up the week sharing on Julie’s testimony story.

Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV ‬‬— Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

I would have loved to be with Moses and the Israelites to see the Red Sea part. Can you imagine walking through with sea walls all around you? Thankfully we have this story written in the word of God to know that we serve a mighty God who is faithful in His promises. Today God is writing our stories, just like He did with the Israelites. 

What is God doing with my story? More often HPV will go away on its own. After three years of screenings and biopsies, I was advised by trusted doctors to have a Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure, otherwise known as a LEEP. This was hard for me to plan because I was in the middle of training for a marathon that I felt sure God had called me to do. Back in January 2022, less than two months before my race I had the procedure. Thankfully I recovered well and was able to run my race.

I thought I would finally be done with this HPV journey. I was at peace knowing that I had taken every preventive measure possible. Five months later I went in for a follow-up screening and my results came back High-grade (HSIL) Dysplasia/Carcinoma in Situ. This isn’t cancer but pre-cancer. 

From there I was advised by a gynecological oncologist to have a hysterectomy. It can take up to a decade for HPV to turn into cancer. Mine had been more aggressive and, therefore, was at a higher risk. Leading up to my hysterectomy, I had four months to mentally, physically, and spiritually prepare. It was no different than training. Life isn’t a 5K, it is a marathon. Surgery day was just another race. Praise God, my biopsy results came back with no signs of cancer. My miracle is that God answered my prayers. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for parting the waters and walking through the Red Sea with me. I continually seek You as You are writing my story. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Look at these U.S. yearly stats from CDC.gov. Each day has been something different about my HPV journey. If you missed one, I encourage you to go back and read:

Tuesday’s post, Transform Tuesday

Wednesday’s post, Water Walking Wednesday

Thursday’s post, Trust Thursday

@biblegateway @youversion

Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV ‬‬— I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

What does it mean to live by faith? To seek the Lord in everything we do. In this verse from Psalms, David isn’t saying we will be delivered from our trials, but if we seek God He will deliver us from our fears. I can relate to David. When my HPV journey first started, my Dad was in the middle of his cancer journey. Through these two journeys, God had been there for me every time I sought Him. He has even held me when I didn’t.

Often our trials are meant to transform us in the process. I have learned to be an advocate for my health. It is not much different from being an advocate for our faith. Everytime Satan tries to get a foothold, we can stand on God’s word. With every test result, I would have more questions. I encourage us all to ask those questions and to keep asking. It is so important to be educated on our health. After all, we are living temples for the Holy Spirit, so we must take care of our bodies. I encourage you to listen to this clip, He Knows What’s next? As Steven Furtick talks about living by faith. 

I also encourage you to listen to the song, Fear Is Not My Future by Brandon Lake. This entire song speaks to my story. My favorite part is saying goodbye to fear, guilt, shame, pain, and grave.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You that fear is not my future. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

HPV is more common than you think. There are groups of more than 150 related viruses to HPV. Learn more facts from Cancer.org

This week I am sharing a very personal journey. Each day will be something different about my journey. If you missed one, I encourage you to go back and read:

Tuesday’s post, Transform Tuesday

Wednesday’s post, Water Walking Wednesday

@biblegateway @youversion

Ruth‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

I can relate to Naomi’s mindset. Sometimes we blame God and question His faithfulness. For me, three long years of cervical screenings, biopsies, and procedures had me questioning God. At times I felt forgotten. Thankfully I have had many Ruths along my journey to be faithful prayer warriors, a listening ear, and a shoulder to cry on.

In Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV doesn’t say that God makes all things good. It says that God is working the good, bad, and ugly for our good and His glory; “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.” ‬‬

What mindset did I take on? Making the best of my story. We may not have control of the beginning, middle, or end, but God is in control. We can take our thoughts and point them Christ. The best action for me had been being proactive with preventative medicine and following my doctor’s recommendations. Cervical cancer, along with many others, can be a silent killer. I encourage all ladies to get their screenings. I have included a schedule chart published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. Is your mindset pointed toward Christ?

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for the Ruths in my life. Use me to share my testimony for Your glory. Equip me to be a Ruth for others. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

This week I am sharing a very personal journey. Each day will be something different about my journey. If you missed Tuesday’s post, you can follow the link: Transform Tuesday .

@biblegateway @youversion

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV ‬‬— And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

Can you imagine living in biblical days, when no one wanted to come near a bleeding woman because she was considered unclean? Can you imagine this going on for 12 years? What bold faith to walk out in a crowd of people and reach for Jesus in Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭48‬ ‭NIV — Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” 

‬‬Thankfully we can reach for Jesus. God sees us all the same, worthy to be healed. Have you ever felt like an outcast, unwanted, or unclean? I can relate to the story of the bleeding woman. We all know that Satan is good at making us feel like an outcast, unworthy of God’s love and healing. A few years back, I had been on a three-year health Journey that at times tested my faith and my worth. This week I will be sharing my story each day in hopes that through my transparency I can bring awareness and help others.

Here my story goes. Six years ago I was diagnosed with the Human Papillomavirus, otherwise known as HPV. At times I felt outcast and unworthy of God’s love. I would eventually learn that HPV lives in everyone’s body at some point in their lives. Many times HPV goes away on its own. For someone like me, I had the cancer-causing kind. My immune system wasn’t fighting it, thus surgical methods were warranted. 

We all have trials we face. Through God we can have courage to face those trials. Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV ‬‬tells us: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for calling me worthy of Your love, redemption and healing. You know my story. Use me to share my testimony for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.For more information, visit the CDC.gov on Cervical Cancer.

@biblegateway @youversion

Take a moment to meditate on this week’s scripture verses.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV ‬‬— And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

Ruth‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV ‬‬— “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV ‬‬— I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

@biblegateway @youversion

This week I am sharing a very personal journey that led to having a hysterectomy in 2022. 

Just before my surgery, God gave me the song, Truth I’m Standing On by Leanna Crawford. Some of the lyrics sing, “The God who parts the sea promises he’s gonna make a way for me.”

I had to put my trust in God and the doctors God had equipped to take care of me. Join me in worshiping with the song, Me On Your Mind by Matthew West. Some of the lyrics that speak to me are, “Who am I that the God of all grace Wipes the tears from my face and says, “Come as you are?” I don’t know about your story, but I do know that you and I are invited to come to God as we are. No one walks alone. I pray each of us can go to God through word and prayer to be healed mentally, physically, and emotionally from whatever trial we are facing.

@biblegateway @youversion