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Pray for Jan - Back to Work
Thanks for continuing to pray for Jan as she returns to work.
Back to Work
I have been in recovery from my home for several weeks - So what have I been doing?
Big surprise - I’ve been to several doctor appointments, tests, and follow up meetings. It’s not very exciting and nothing to take pictures of.
Mark and I have been on a few trips to our ranch. Recently, we relocated our RV to be a better viewpoint, hooked up the power, brought in water, set up feeders/cameras and had some paths mowed down - it’s getting better all the time.
Lexie, John and their dog Piper met us at the ranch one weekend. I was giving Lexie a tour on the ATV when I gave us a wild ride. I hit a stump and threw us into the fence while stepping on the gas pedal at the same time. We flew in the air, bounced off the fence and finally landed square on the ground. It was a miracle we didn’t get hurt.
I decorated my home for fall before surgery, but while recuperating I did a little estate sale shopping. I found a collection of Waterford Crystal for a deal. Couldn’t wait to set my table and share.
Luke and Jordan (who live in Colorado) flew home for a friend’s wedding and spent part of the weekend with us. We had family dinner - but no pics.
Happy birthday to Ashley and James. We had a couple of family meals to celebrate them as well.
I’ve also taken tons of naps and watched hours and hours of Downtown Abbey.
What’s Next?
Will you continue to pray for me as I return to a more normal schedule and work life?
Pray I will return to work well and I will be able to do so with kindness to others.
Pray for my continued health and healing to manifest in my body.
Pray that my mind, will and emotions are centered on what God is thinking about so that I may follow His lead with ease.
Pray for Jan - New Update
Jan Greenwood shares a new update on her physical, mental and emotional health.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement and for following my updates. I am leaning on you.
I am three weeks post surgery and my recovery from the procedure is terrific. My incision is almost completely healed. I am no longer experiencing any headaches or equilibrium issues. My fatigue is much less.
Medical Update
The spots in my brain are manifestations of breast cancer. Although we had hoped for better news, it is good to know for certain the details of what is actually happening.
I am waiting on additional results which will reveal more details about the pathology as well as the information from my gene study.
Today I am beginning a new drug treatment. I will be taking a drug designed for HER2 positive patients who have had previous treatments. These drugs will be given to me on a three-week rotation.
Prayer Requests
Pray that the new drug will work to fight the disease in my brain and that it will not only reduce but eliminate the remaining spots in my brain without debilitating symptoms or side effects.
Pray for my physical, mental and emotional health to remain steadfast and courageous.
Pray that my spiritual stance will honor God and give hope and encouragement to others who face struggles of their own.
Square Up
You might remember that when I experienced my first recurrence of cancer in 2015, I heard the Lord say square up, and I saw an image of my son in his high school football uniform. This encounter is still ringing in my ears.
Squaring up isn’t so much about going to war but more about positioning myself in the presence of God and waiting on Him to war on my behalf. In this position, I become steadfast, single-minded, brave and courageous.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Ephesians 6:13
The vision of square up was life-giving for me. If you find yourself in need of spiritual wisdom, encouragement or hope, please read.
Here’s the original blog post from 2015:
Ready for Action
Pray for Jan - New Update
Pastor Jan Greenwood shares a new update with some specific prayer requests.
“Lord, give me firmness without hardness, steadfastness without dogmatism, love without weakness.”
It’s been a long week - but a good one.
I am so grateful for the countless prayers, gifts, phone calls and text messages I’ve received from you.
Reviewing all the posts has been like taking a road trip down memory lane. Thank you for spreading the prayer call all over the world.
Personal Update:
I am currently in recovery from the biopsy procedure and doing quite well. My incision is healing well and I am scheduled to see see the doctor for a follow-up (with more results/plan of action) on September 9th.
Prayer Requests:
Continued healing and overcoming of the related fatigue and nausea.
Grace for myself and my family as we prepare for the next season. (Worry free!)
That my actions and attitudes will be helpful, encouraging and honest and honor God’s leadership in my life.
Thanks to each of you who sent flowers - they are stunning - and to the many of you who donated gift cards - we shall be satisfied for weeks to come.
Get your own personalized bracelets from @stacksbysanch.
Do you need prayer too?
Are you facing a cancer diagnosis? Maybe you're in the midst of a financial crisis, a marriage collapse or the loss of someone you love. Maybe you are simply lonely or discouraged. Can I encourage you? God has not forgotten you or your pain. He's present to encourage you. Lean into God, even in your darkest moments. You will find him faithful.
Hold Fast - A Personal Update from Jan Greenwood
Pastor Jan Greenwood shares a personal health update with some specific prayer requests.
A Health Update for Friends
This week I am having a biopsy to determine if cancer is reappearing in my brain. I will be in the hospital for a couple of days and in recovery for several weeks. Since my initial diagnosis in 2009, I have enjoyed the privilege of sharing my life with family and friends, via my blogs. It seems natural to continue to communicate through this tool.
When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, I fell in love with this Scripture.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ”
This verse became so important to me because it taught me how to be steadfast.
Steadfast: firmly fixed in place, immovable, not subject to change, firm in belief, determination, or adherence, loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dependable, reliable
For many years, I tried to behave in all the ways outlined in the definition, but often I found myself double minded, lacking in determination or commitment. As I faced my initial diagnosis in 2009 this verse freed me. I was taught to “hold fast” to one thing - the confession of my hope, and then to allow all the pressure to be steadfast to rest on God alone.
This week I will be having a brain biopsy. We will be looking for answers to questions about my recent test results and of course determining the next steps to sustain my healing. Regardless of the outcome of the procedure or what the days ahead might involve, it’s still true -
my hope is in Him.
As we prepare for the next few weeks, I have some specific prayer requests.
Please pray for my healing and full recovery.
Please pray for Mark, our children and our family as we walk together.
Please pray for clarity and for unity regarding what comes next.
Please pray that I will be steadfast and reflect my love for Jesus to those who care for me.
Many of you are also asking if there is something you can do to help us. Mark and I really have few needs, but if you would like to contribute toward a meal card for us, a good friend set up a simple link to make it easy.
I am grateful for your ongoing love and support and I hope today’s post communicates how thankful I am for this community of faith-filled prayer warriors.
The Inside Job That Drives You to Community
No matter where you are right now, at some point, the pain of life will require you to lean in and do the work of healing.
Guest blog by Jamie Stapleton
When I was four years old, my mom fled an abusive relationship.
One sunny afternoon, we crammed everything we could into her little car and hightailed it from Virginia to Texas.
Over the years, memories of the room I occupied would come to the surface, especially one toy in particular - a beautiful ballerina that twirled to music when you turned her metal knob.
Life moved on in Texas, we put down roots, and I began to grow up. I did not pay any further attention to that part of life, thinking it was forgotten…until it wasn’t.
Today, I work in the corporate world, attend college and care for my children. I love Jesus and have a passion to minister the hope and healing I have found in Him to others. My youngest daughter is wrapping up her final week as a four-year-old, and I am reminded that it is only a matter of time until she experiences heartbreak and pain from this life. I’ve been learning that what I choose to do with my pain now will, in large part, condition her on how to handle her own.
Recently, I was attending my Biblical Counseling class via Zoom, which has become a regular occurrence. During one session my professor told us that early in her own ministry she helped a woman flee an abusive relationship. As she described how this woman had to escape from Washington to California to begin a new life, hot tears filled my eyes. The emotion of that long ago, seemingly forgotten event suddenly burst to the surface.
Once the tears started, it seemed like they would never stop.
No one is immune to the effects of sin and a broken world. We have all experienced hardship, pain, turmoil, and loss in our own distinct and unique ways.
God never intended for us to hide in shame or despair or for the pain and brokenness of sin to permeate our lives. We can look back to the garden to see even after Adam and Eve took of the apple and invited sin into the world, God was immediately calling them out of hiding and preparing a way for restoration.
The blessing in the pain is that if we turn to God, He will give us the grace to help others in similar situations. 2 Corinthians 1:4 tells us that He comforts us in our troubles so that we can then comfort others. Together, we then rip the power from the enemy to use that part of our lives to torment us.
Here are some things I am learning about how to process my own personal pain that I hope will be a blessing to you.
1. It’s an Inside Job
The saying “do the work” has become more than a mantra; it is a plea to a culture that looks down on suffering and desires a quick fix to life’s deepest trials. To confront the places in our lives that require healing, we must be willing to endure the pain that those memories will bring.
We are not people who like pain, but growing pains are an unavoidable part of life. When we are willing to do the work, when we are eager to grow, we tell ourselves (and our legacy) that we (and they) are worth it.
Therefore, I am facing the “inside job” of my own healing.
2. Time Reveals
Rather than processing our pain right away, most of us try to bury it, pretending it doesn’t exist. We have all heard the statement “time heals all wounds”, but I disagree. I believe that instead “time reveals“ all wounds.
It took me thirty-seven years to become aware of my own deep wound that needed healing. How long did it take you?
3. Community Too!
Some say that Jesus is all they need, and then use that mindset as an excuse to wrestle alone with their pain without seeking someone for help. We need Jesus and we need one another. These are not mutually exclusive events, but they are both necessary to walk in the fullness and abundance that Christ intended us to have.
I believe that Jesus did the atoning work on the cross to remove the enemy’s power in our lives. I also believe that He then turned and gave men and women the ability to help people walk out issues that come with living in a broken world.
Author and Bible teacher Christine Caine once said: “To the degree that you lean into the pain of recovery, is the degree that you will recover.” Leaning into the pain can look like prayer and a private conversation with a good mentor and sometimes leaning in can mean being courageous enough to take the time to meet with a counselor, therapist or small group.
No matter where you are right now, at some point, the pain of life will require you to lean in and do the work of healing. My prayer is that you remember that you don’t have to walk it out alone.
Let what begins as an inside job drive you to your community for help.
It's Not Enough to be Aware
You must fight for your health with intention and courage.
It’s almost over…
the month of October…
breast cancer awareness month.
I am celebrating 11 years since I became “aware” of breast cancer. I’m so grateful to be alive but at the same time I am deeply grieved by the many woman I personally know who have or are currently living with this disease.
Every October I am a little bothered by the fact that pink has become a color I don’t really love and that every where I turn someone is saying “be aware”.
Frankly, I think we are already aware. We are aware and we are either afraid or apathetic.
It’s not enough to be aware.
You have to take action.
You must fight for your health with intention and courage. You must face your fears in order to overcome your weakness. You have the power to do more now to protect your future.
Please join me in checking on those you love. Ask your mom, your friend, your sister or your co-worker if she has scheduled her well visit and mammogram - and don’t forget your own.
Early detection saves lives.
Jan Greenwood
wife, mom, survivor
Every Battle by Rita Springer
Every Battle is a new song of victory by Rita Springer, recently released on a Gateway Create project called Voices.
This blog is a repost from September of 2016. Since it’s original publishing, Rita Springer has released her 10th album called Battles. If you find yourself in a fight for your life - then use this worship album as a weapon against discouragement and fear. As you worship, you will be revived, empowered and deeply encouraged to fight with power.
Read on to learn a little more about the feature track called Every Battle.
Rita Springer is my friend.
I mean it.
My friend.
I can hardly believe it. That's why I wrote it out.
For years, her worship has impacted my life.
One time I worshiped among hundreds under her anointing. I was transformed.
From then on, when I worship with her, I imagine I'm resting under her key board and I can feel the presence of God the way that she does.
She knows how to love, how to endure, how to worship and how to fight.
Recently, she stepped into my fight with cancer in a very personal way.
Every Battle is a new song of victory, recently released on a Gateway Create project called Voices. This is the first ever project celebrating the female voices of Gateway Worship and can be purchased at any Gateway Church bookstore or online by clicking here.
Every Battle was partly inspired by her compassion for my fight. She and her fellow worship leader from Bethel Music, Kalley Helligenthal, partnered together to write one of the most beautiful and powerful anthems I've ever heard.
"I love words. When writing songs I stack my words around and then start trimming. Last winter I was standing in the kitchen and words hit me. We fight wars and battles in our lives daily. I felt it time to write a song and now a complete new record around fight, victory and God's defense! I want my words to be shouts of truth and bursts of declaration! Every Battle became just that!" - Rita Springer
Here is the official lyric video and full audio recording for your own private worship. In addition, the story of Every Battle was recently featured in Gateway Life Magazine. Here is the feature by Katie Smith.
This past week, she did a live recording for a new project.
The Project is called Battles.
If you missed it, watch this live video clip of Every Battle from a recording made by our mutual friend, Mary Beth Miller.
This is how she ended the evening...and what she had to say about it.
"I cannot even describe how grateful I am. Please hear me when I tell you that this is the kind of posture is what it will take for us to arise. I have been through the toughest of fights and I am still standing in this position to tell you, to shout out to you that God does not need our fake responses or our over performed sacrifices. He needs our openness and willingness to just let go and surrender to what he's more capable of accomplishing. If you ache, worship. If you war, worship. If you've been betrayed, worship. If you are under it and over it, worship. Our posture in the fire is what he looks for and sets his gaze on. I have wanted to give up but threw my hands up instead. Surrender is the road to dependence on Him." - Rita Springer
This is how I want to worship. This is how I want to war. This is how I want to surrender. This is how I want to overcome.
To all my friends who face a battle - I offer my friend and her gifts to you. God through her will lift us up.
Every battle belongs to the Lord.
Healed by Light and Sound
God reveals His glory and brings His healing through both light and sound.
If you’ve ever had an x-ray or a radiation procedure - or if you or someone you love is facing this kind of treatment - be encouraged.
God still heals by light and sound.
Align Your Body and Experience Healing
Your body is a healing machine. When things are in alignment, it will naturally heal.
Your body is a healing machine. It has a miraculous ability to heal itself. No one has to tell it what or how to do it. Yet, every day many deal with chronic sickness.
Why?
In this video blog, I share why and how alignment is a critical factor for your physical, emotional and spiritual healing. When what is missing, broken or out of place is properly repositioned we can heal.
The First 48 Hours
Receiving bad news is never easy. Shock comes quickly and so many unanswered questions often overwhelm us.
Receiving bad news is never easy. Shock comes quickly and so many unanswered questions often overwhelm us. It isn’t until later - looking back - that we can identify the miracles that were happening all along the way.
I recently shared my “First 48 Hours” with my Equip team at Gateway Church. They encouraged me to share with you this window into the moments following my diagnosis with breast cancer. Join me as I share about my first 48 hours and how God met in the midst of a really hard day.
Celebrating 10 Years of Healing
My health journey reaches an important mile marker.
When I began my cancer journey in 2009, I had no idea all of the struggles - nor the blessings - that lie ahead. Despite the cost and the struggle, I’ve gained much more than I’ve lost.
How to Overcome the Fear of Death
Are you afraid of death? I was too.
If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord.
So, if we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
Romans 14:8
It wasn’t so long ago that I found myself face-to-face with the fear of death. My morality came crashing down around me and the awareness that my life could be nearing its end overwhelmed me with fear. Some days I could hold it at bay, but bad reports or even happy moments triggered my anxiety, and I would walk around acting, talking and looking normal, but on the inside experiencing “death days.”