Relay for Life Link

Here is the link to the speech. I have included and an outline because my delivery wasn't too smooth and I didn't handle the mic well.

Relay for Life speech

I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, so this shapes my whole life perspective and this talk.

My purpose is to encourage all associated with cancer to flourish but it will require a brief journey through darkness.

There is an elephant in the room that is being ignored with respect to cancer and life in general. It is not mentioned and yet it is there. It is called death. Death is inevitable. If a cure is found and cancer is eradicated from the earth, we will still die. The Bible echoes this.

Ephesians 5:15-16. "See then that ye walk circumspectively, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil."

Why would God say that the days are evil? It is because each day brings us one day closer to death, therefore we should spend our time wisely and not foolishly.

How does this relate to flourishing? The Bible has more to say

Psalm 118:24. "This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."
John 10:10b (Jesus speaking). "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

God is our designer (Psalm 139:14a. "I am fearfully and wonderfully made"). It would behoove us to follow the user manual He has given us. He is obviously wanting us to get past the "evil" inherent in each day we live (one day closer to death) and to live each day as He as designed us to do.

Since contracting cancer, a constant theme has been to keep a positive mental attitude (PMA). Studies have shown that this will help but it is not specific enough nor very instructive. The Bible has much better advice. Here are 3 of many and I have organized them in levels. You (hopefully) can hear the expanded version with my life examples on the video.

1. Honest to God. Tell God exactly how you feel with your voice using all of the emotion you are feeling at the time. Insert thankfulness periodically.
Philippians 4:6-7. "Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let you requests be made known to God."
Psalm 3:4. "I cried unto the Lord with my voice and He heard me out of His holy hill. Selah."
Read the Psalms regularly. It contains about the whole gamut of emotions and you could find one to pray back to God.

2. Find and journal positive benefits from your circumstances.
Romans 8:28. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purposes."

3. Work for the benefit of others.
Galatians 6:9-10a. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men . . . "

4. Grace
Titus 2:11-12. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world."
Even though these sound simple and easy they are actually quite challenging. God recognizes this. (Psalm 103:14. "For He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust."). When we fall short of these standards that God wants us to keep we must acknowledge our missing the mark (sin) and our general nature (iniquity). God then steps in because we are putting Him in His rightful place and infuses us with grace which will teach us to deny the bad (grumbling, murmuring, self-pity etc.) and live in a way that flourishes under any circumstances.