This afternoon I was blessed to meet a few wonderful people at a cancer awareness luncheon in Cuyahoga Falls. One of whom is Tiffany Baumann Cantelupe– a fellow breast cancer survivor (5 years out) who is a mother of two kids close in age to my girls. She understands, relates to, and shares in her testimony the way that her diagnosis affected her life with young children. And she motivated me with her resolve to fight, endure, and survive through this. Two points were made during her speech that I needed to hear today. The first is her commitment not to just walk with God through this, but run. And I relate to that as a runner (more like “jogger” 
) and as I have compared this treatment to enduring a long race. I need to hold onto Him and run- quit looking back and totally focus on every step being further away from that unwanted starting line.
The second point that I want to share with all of you is the scripture she shared at the end of her speech.
Romans 5:2-5(ESV)
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
What a beautiful verse. I know I needed to hear it today. As always, I’m impressed at God’s timing for placing the people and His word into my life at just the right moments. Today was no exception.
Scars in the Sunlight 