The last few weeks have been a blur of hospital visits and diagnostic tests as well as sleepless nights and anxiety. But can I tell you….
God has been so good, so faithful, so utterly amazing.
Of all the days that the news of the cancer could have arrived, I received the news less than half an hour before teaching the first of four sessions at a week-long family camp at Mount Hermon in California.
More than 40 members of Leif’s extended family had come in for a week from as far away as South Africa, Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, Ripon, and Fresno. I spent that week surrounded by loving family. When we arrived home from California, my parents who live on a remote island in the Bahamas greeted me. They only travel through Colorado twice a year, and the day we arrived home from California was one of those days planned long before.
Wherever we look—to the left or right—we see God’s perfect timing and presence. Our sweet office manager, Jessica, who has watched the details of all this unfold even observed, “God is so present in all of this—He’s obnoxious!”
Each day we find ourselves increasingly wonderstruck.
People fight cancer with many tools. And in this dirty-dog fight, you fight with anything you can. Some turn to anger. Others sadness. Others research. And others still, control. When it comes to cancer, the only rule is fight, fight, fight.
But my weapon of choice for this fight is joy.
I am fighting with laughter and happiness and levity and winsomeness and mirth and gladness and gratefulness. I’m taking on this Goliath battle, not with a handful of stones, but a balloon of joy. In the midst of the darkness, we will laugh and play and celebrate.
Joy is my weapon.
I’ve found such great joy in your outpouring of love!
Many of you have asked how you can help specifically:
1. We need your prayer. Everything I’ve written to date highlights my faith in Scripture and the power of prayer. Prayer is the ultimate game changer. Please pray the cancer will be eradicated and never return, but also pray for emotional, physical, and spiritual strength during this time. Pray for joy and pray that we sleep sweetly. This is crucial. When I don’t sleep, my body can’t fight the cancer and my emotions and mind are weakened to fight the daily assault of negative thinking. Will you commit to pray for Leif and I?
2. If you’re going to buy a resource, snatch it directly through our website. When you order books and Bible studies through our website, it increases the funds we receive by 5-10 times. If you’re considering taking a group through one of my Bible studies, know that orders placed through www.margaretfeinberg.com make an enormous difference.
3. Consider the best kind of gift. Send a gift to someone that you know who already has cancer or who is battling another illness! Remind them that you are praying for them and thinking of them.
We are grateful for you and all of your support.
Much love and joy,
Margaret, Leif & Hershey
Margaret, thank you for this update and for giving these very practical ways to be helpful. I am praying for you, as well as the rest of your family.
Your ministry and writing continue to make a real kingdom difference for so many people.
Margaret!
You’re right – God’s got this. But that doesn’t mean my prayers stop for one iota of time. Your joy for our Lord has always been infectious and His live for the both of you is overwhelming.
God will bring you through this fire. We’re all along for the ride!
In Christ’s love and mine,
Felecia
Dear Margaret I do believe God will take care of you.. I am praying for you. I love you dearly.
Margeret, I am a pastor who battled cancer recently too. You’re right that A LOT of well-meaning people will give you advice that no doctor has ever heard of. I’ll put you on my prayer list right away! You are a blessing to the Body of Christ!
I always said (in response to tongue and neck cancer), “My life and ministry are in the hands of God and the prayers of his people!” The same is true for you now too. It’s not a bad place to be. I’m still ticking and I believe you will be too!
Margaret
I am committed to praying for you and Lief as you journey through this with The Lord right at your side, giving you joy, strength and courage and watching expectantly to see Him in the midst of all this.
Prayers for you and Leif will continue until this cancer is gone, in the precious name of Jesus!
Margret and Leif
John and I are praying for you.
Margaret,
I just came to hear about your illness from my online Bible Cafe sisters. Cancer affecting all kind of our body has become an epidemic. We just lost one of our missionaries two days ago to an Esophagus cancer. My son’s best friend’s girl friend, 26 years old, is battling cancer, so is a close friend’s Dad. As I am adding you to my prayers, would you share what the Lord has revealed to you about cleaning supplies, foods, make up items to avoid? We are surrounded by toxic products and as the Holy Spirit dwells within us, I would like to have a healthy sense of what to eat and have around me.
Committing to pray for you regularly!
They cried out to the Lord in their trouble and He saved them in their distress. He sent His Word and healed them… Psalm 107:19-20
Praying fervently. And for the compulsive helpers among us (I’m talking about me!) thank you for kind words and specific directions. That is so good on so many levels. Joining you in joy, my friend.
Margaret…praying, praying, praying. Dear lady, I wish I were there to laugh with you. This laughter and joy is a true gift from God and don’t be fooled, it is an actual supernatural outworking of His Spirit…concrete evidence of HIM. When my 18 year old daughter was diagnosed entering the late stages of CML and in need of a bone-marrow transplant and when she went through it and suffered many complications we knew JOY, JOY, JOY. Grins and giggles and out right guffaws….what should have demoralized us God showed us through the len of goofy humour. As my daughter said one day, “Mom, this attitude we have is something supernatural from God”. Yes, it was. And we were blessed and others saw HIM. So I pray this greatest of wonders and joy for you and Leif.
Now, as a weird aside — you said you were changing your cleaning products so I thought I’d tell you something I discovered that may be helpful (but you do the research and decide for yourself). I now use a mixture of alcohol and water (you need very little alcohol and the smell of it dissapates quite quickly). Alcohol sanitizes without mutating bacterial genes. (I can’t remember for sure, but I think it was on a study by the CDC (center for disease control) that I read this– a reputable sight) so you don’t need to worry about creating other problems with bacteria etc. by using it. As well, it is safe for use on your surfaces (I use it on granite, marble, tile, etc.) Just a little FYI you may or may not find helpful.
Margaret and Leif, I don’t know why you are having to live this particular journey, but I am praying for blessings through it that you could not have begun to imagine and that God is so real you are Wonderstruck nanosecond by nanosecond.
Debbie
Wishing you many many nights of contented sleep. Praying for the cancer to be totally removed from your little tiny body, never to return! Praying this amazing test is one that you and Leif pass with flying colors.
Committed to continually keeping you, Leif, and your medical team lifted in prayers. Also keeping you on our weekly prayer requests at church.
Sometimes concerns for people we love and care about make us feel helpless. Your suggestions and sense of joy empowers me to feel helpful to you in this fight.
Joy, unspeakable joy…
Standing at my prayer post, reporting for duty with joy balloons.
I’m praying for you!
Very helpful – thank you.
My wife, Susan and I were saddened to hear the news too and we’ll keep praying for you and Leif. Prayers for healing, peace and joy as you journey through.
Dearest Margaret,
Amen! The joy of The Lord is your strength! Keep smiling, keep laughing, keep living! Live❤Love❤Laugh❤
I believe prayer changes things! I’m praying for you and believing for your healing! Hugs❤
Good for you Margaret to choose JOY!! (^_^)
Christmas of the year I was diagnosed was probably one of the most joyful of my life! Oh, and how palpable was God’s presence…and still is nine years later!!! Like you, I was surrounded by a wonderful group of family and church friends…..You will be lifted up in prayer….”Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:11…..verses 3-11 were very meaningful for us!)
Margaret,
Thank you so much for your openness in sharing. I am committed to pray for Leif and you during this journey, especially for your sleep. This is the same request a very dear friend of mine has asked me to pray for her during her journey to healing from cancer. God’s abundant blessings be continually upon you.
I am praying for you, Margaret.
Praying for you!!!
Margaret, thank you sharing this news. You, Leif and Hersey will be in my prayers. Stand firm against this enemy that has invaded your body knowing God will bring a healing.
In love and peace
Margaret! I am so sad to hear of this news, but so inspired by the faith you have! I shouldn’t say this, but I did, bleakly, chuckle in the back of my mind because it’s just another thing we now have in common. I grew up with a tumor I was told would come back over and over until I died, but that I could very well live to be over a hundred. The surgeries took a lot out of me and I refused chemo and similar treatments. There was a lot of risk, and although the tumor was benign, it could change, and the increased size from one to the next was alarming, though everyone always lied to me about my health. The point is, the Lord healed me of this and I have not had a tumor since I was 12 (I am now almost 24) and I know he can do the same. I hope you don’t mind, but I created a page to help raise funds for you in these times. I understand financial hardship, and the worst is when you are sick.
For all your followers, please follow the link I provide and help us to raise support for Margaret in these times.
http://www.gofundme.com/3y05wc?utm_campaign=Emails&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email
You and your family are still on my heart and in my prayers. “But my weapon of choice for this fight is joy.” Yes!
My sister and aunt are survivors and you will be also. I will pray for you and I would recommend Mandisa’s song overcomer because that is exactly what you will do.
I have your picture on my frig so I pray for you when I see it! I met you at CPC in San Diego. You told me you liked my bright colored scarf and I said I was from MN and was wanting to think spring and you said you called it “hopeful dressing” or “wishful dressing” or something like that–wish I could remember exactly cuz I loved it!
Oh Margaret….what your diagnosis has done for me! I took your “Wonderstruck” bible study the beginning of the summer, and was opened up to God’s wonder in our world, his presence in the everyday…….shortly before bible study ended , the beginning of June, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, and honestly making the last night of your bible study after being diagnosed the day before was hard…..”Wonderstruck!” I thought, really God? ….I am to continue to be Wonderstruck in the midst of the darkness , anxiety, sleeplessness, the pain I feel when I look into my son and husbands eyes, when they are scared about me….when my world as I knew it, turned upside down with the words “You have Cancer”! Funny thing is ….yes, that is exactly what I am to be is Wonderstruck by God’s contuing LOVE. He is staying close to me, as I am to him, and on some level I believe this is just the diagnosis I needed to truly test my love for him. I am acutely aware of his provision, through the right people he has brought to me, the abundance of unconditional love from family and friends, and how his word is the only thing I find peace in, when I am shaken to the bone with fear for the future…..I have chosen to not treat my cancer with conventional methods, rather through whole foods (green), chinese herbals, yoga
and mind/body Christian therapy. I believe God has given us all we need to heal……but we must make changes and know he is faithful.
When I recieved word from our women’s bible ministry that you were given the diagnosis, I was truly feeling closer to you and selfishly not as alone in this journey….knowing that a beautiful woman of God such as you, are being used as an instrument of God, to continue to teach others how to navigate life even in the darkest moments…..and trust God. Feel free to e-mail me, we are sisters, and God will impress on your heart to do so, if any of what I have said resonates with you.
Just order a couple books… we are praying for you daily. Much love from Nashville.
I resound “YES” to what you need. I am a 15-year ovarian cancer survivor. Request prayer here,at the ministry that I Co-Founded, and know you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses in prayer: http://www.thelydiaproject.org
Dear Margaret,
I understand your battle cry, fight, fighting, fought. I too am on this cancer fighting journey. I have Inflammatory breast cancer. God is getting us through this. I am getting through this by not thinking and not saying the worlds words. God has our truth. He opens His hands and satisfies the desires of every living thing. Before this disease I read, by His stripes we are healed, and knew when input my trust in Jesus for salvation, that He saved my soul. Now I think differently. God created us in His image. The Bible states we are to love our Lord with all our mind , heart and soul. That makes me a trinity. By His stripes Donna is healed mind heart and soul…Margaret too. I am on this journey, God is with me for His glory. I am gaining a closer walk.
I received my third chemo treatment today. No more bad hair days, rather no hair days. I am embracing this beautiful bald head, knowing this too quill pass.
I will pray for you as you pray for me . Thank you for your blog.
Hi Margaret: I was at the EWomen conference in Roanoke this past weekend and really enjoyed the time spent with you and your words. I wanted to talk personally with you, but there was always such a long line. I want you to know that I too am a breast cancer survivor and I too chose to fight the disease with JOY. God’s JOY! It was an amazing journey that I wouldn’t take anything for, but wouldn’t want to go through again 🙂 I just found out this week that one of my church family friends is now starting the process of breast cancer. I am standing with her and will pass along your article on fighting with JOY. I found that when I looked around, outside of my troubles, that I found lots of fighters to share God’s love with and to help. Hopefully you will find some too. God bless you in your journey and if I can be of any help to you, please contact me. Love you sweet sister, Rhonda