Colliding with My Destiny from God

Joanie Shawhan's ministry reflects who she is—an optimist, wise, secure in her relationship with God, and reaching out to others in need. In this Discernment UPGRADE, she shares about her health crisis and offers encouraging words for those who wonder how to go forward in their own tough circumstance."A crisis of any kind," Joanie says, "is an unwelcome intrusion upon my very well-orchestrated plans."

Oh, I (Dawn) identify with that! But I also identify with what Joanie discovered: the "intrusion" is often God's "motivation" for fresh and meaningful ministry.

Joanie continues . . .

When I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, little did I know how cancer would change the course of my life. I searched for other survivors. But there were no support groups or Gilda's clubs.

Were there any survivors?

A friend gave me a journal to write about my cancer experience. Eventually, I wrote the book In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer which includes my story and the stories of eleven other women with cancer diagnoses. My hope was that other women would be encouraged by our stories.

But destiny didn't begin with a published book.

A friend invited me to a writing conference where the Lord connected me with other Christian writers and provided a place where I could hone my skills since I had no previous writing experience.

My friend also started a writing group where we critiqued and encouraged one another on our writing journeys.

During this season of writing and learning, I discovered an ovarian cancer camp in Missoula, Montana. There I met other survivors who connected me with the Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance (WOCA).

Through WOCA, other survivor and I shared our ovarian cancer stories with medical students in a program called Survivors Teaching Students. We hope the students will recognize the symptoms of ovarian cancer so they can diagnose it in the earlier stages.

We also started a local ovarian cancer social group: The Fried Eggs—Sunny-Side Up. We meet monthly, sponsor speakers of interest, and participate in fundraisers.

Writing a book and sharing my story opened doors to radio, television, and podcast interviews. I have also contributed to numerous Christian compilations and devotional books.

I never planned on being an author or speaker.

I never anticipated that a cancer diagnosis would be my collision with God's destiny for me.

Discernment in Our Unexpected Circumstances

How can we discern if our unexpected circumstances are leading us into God's destiny for us?

1. Pray.

When I was told I had cancer, I didn't know what to do. I cried out, God, I need your help.

I'm reminded of Jehoshaphat when he ws surrounded by powerful armies. He prayed, "We do not know what to do, but we are looking to ou for help" (2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT). Jehoshaphat knew only God could help him.

Cancer was too big for me, and only God could help me too.

2. Obey God.

As a nurse, I had watched my patients suffer the devastating side effects of chemotherapy. I vowed I would never take those drugs. But I sensed the Lord telling me, Go through the process. That meant chemotherapy.

I recall the Lord's words to Jehoshaphat,

"Do not be afraid or discouraged. . . for the Lord is with you!" (2 Chronicles 20:17 NLT).

If I had refused to obey God and not go through chemotherapy, I would not have written a book, spoken to medical students, or advocated for the amazing women I've met along this journey.

3. Praise God.

I may have been blindsided by cancer, but God was not. Jesus is still Lord.

Even in the messy middle, Jehoshaphat appointed the singers to go before the army singing, "Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!" (2 Chronicles 20:21 NLT)

Jehoshaphat didn't know how the Lord would bring about the victory, but he believed in God's promises and faithfulness. The battle was too big.

My battle was too big for me too. But God would be faithful to me just like he was for Jehoshaphat.

4. Trust God.

I was helpless to change my situation. I had no idea how God oculd bring anything good out of something so destructive.

As I reflect on the path God chose for me, I see the steppingstones that led me to my destiny. Each step could stand alone, but together they led me along a path to being a published author and an avocate for ovarian cancer survivors.

Like Jehoshaphat, I need to watch how God's plan unfolds. Then I will see how God brings about His purposes and plans for my life.

"God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on]" (1 Corinthians 1:9 AMP).

Sometimes it's the unexpected circumstances in our lives that lead us into our destiny in Christ.

"For we are His workmanshipo, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV).

In what ways has God used the circumstances of your life to direct you into His plans and purposes?

Joanie Shawhan shares true-life stories, offering her reader an eyewitness view of the action. Her Selah Awards Finalist book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, reflects the value of "Your story plus my story become our stories." An ovarian cancer survivor and registered nurse, Joanie speaks to medical students in the Survivors Teaching Students program. She co-founded an ovarian cancer social group: The Fried Eggs—Sunny-Side Up. Publishing credits include: Guideposts Divine Interventions; Snapshots of Hope & Heart; Sage, Salt & Sunshine; Life Repurposed; and We May Be Done But We're Not Finished. Follow Joanie at joanieshawhan.com.

Graphic adapted, from an ad on Amazon for an ovarian cancer decal.

The Gifts of the Magi

Joanie Shawhan has turned suffering into an occasion for joyful worship. In this Christmas UPGRADE, she reminds us of the gifts of the Magi in a unique way—by sharing her own gifts to Jesus.

"My cry echoed the cries of many throughout the centuries," Joanie says, "culminating in the haunting strains of 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.'"

That is one of my (Dawn's) favorite Christmas songs. It has always brought me such peace; and apparently it brings Joanie peace too.

You can listen to two beautiful renditions of the Christmas hymn here and here. (The second one is in English and Hebrew, performed in Jerusalem.)

Joanie continues . . .

In 2006, my treadmill of holiday festivities sputtered to a halt. Instead of my Christmas letter brimming with the clever antics of beloved children and pets, I announced:

“I have ovarian cancer.”

Chemotherapy had sapped my stamina, my strength, and my joy. I didn’t have the energy to drag out the boxes of Christmas baubles and decorate.

I wanted to do more, but I settled on a simple hand-painted nativity set gracing my fireplace mantel.

Multi-colored lights surrounded the figurines in a valiant attempt to cheer me. I watched the shadows play across the wall as I faced another round of chemotherapy.

Where ARE You, God?

As I sought God in the unfamiliarity of a Christmas on chemotherapy, He reminded me of the Magi.

They left their familiar homeland filled with joy and embarked on a journey seeking to worship the newborn king bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

As I reflected on the Magi, I wondered, "What gifts could I offer this Christmas—gifts fit for a King?"

My Three Gifts

1. Gold

I offer that which is more precious than gold, my FAITH. A faith that continues to believe in the goodness of God. A faith that acknowledges Jesus as the King of Kings who reigns over the whole world, including my circumstances.

Even cancer.

This season, I honor the King by walking in faith and trusting Him with my future, relying on Jesus to bring me through the cancer and chemotherapy. God is faithful.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold (1 Peter 1:7a NLT).

2. Frankincense

Frankincense is an expensive and fragrant incense offered in the worship of a deity.

My fragrant offering pleasing to God is praise and WORSHIP.

Even in the midst of pain, confusion, and chemotherapy, He is worthy.

You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created (Revelation 4:11 NKJV).

3. Myrrh

The bitter perfume of suffering foreshadowed the death of Jesus on the cross. By his death and resurrection, He rescued us from our sinful way of life and gave us access to the living God.  

For me, myrrh represents my altar of SURRENDER to the Lordship of Jesus. I surrender my circumstances, hopes, and dreams to the One who loves me, created me, and died for me.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV).

This Christmas, I will follow in the footsteps of the Magi and offer my gifts of faith, worship, and surrender to Jesus.

I will look past my sufferings and focus on the majesty of my Savior. He is the source of my joy—a joy not dependent upon my circumstances, but a joy that comes from His presence.

Like the Magi, I will rejoice with great joy.

"Joy to the World, the Lord Is Come!"

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy… they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:10-11 NKJV).

God heard my cry:

Where are You, God?

Through the gifts of the Magi, He revealed himself as Emmanuel—"God with us."

And He is still with me.

Is Jesus your "Emmanuel?" What gifts will you offer Jesus this Christmas?

Joanie Shawhan is a Selah Awards Finalist for In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer. She is an ovarian cancer survivor, registered nurse, speaker, and featured radio and television guest. Contact Joanie at www.joanieshawhan.com.

Graphic adapted from a vector courtesy of Pixabay.

Seven Gifts Hidden in the Shadow of Cancer

Joanie Shawhan knows how to introduce light into shadows. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she turned to the Lord for encouragement, and now she offers that same encouragement to others. In this Health and Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, she offers a positive perspective for an otherwise difficult diagnosis.

Joanie asks, "How could anything good come from cancer?"

I (Dawn) asked myself that question when diagnosed with blood cancer. But then I read scriptures (1 Chronicles 16:34; Romans 8:28; James 1:17) about my good Father God, and I believed He could bring good from anything!

Joanie continues . . .

As an oncology nurse, I was familiar with the ravages of cancer and chemotherapy. But in 2006, ovarian cancer flung me to the other side of the bed.

I dutifully exchanged my nursing scrubs for peekaboo gowns and skid-free gripper socks. Instead of threading needles into the veins of my patients, machines pumped chemotherapy into my veins.

Chemotherapy pummeled my body, and I didn’t think I would survive the next hour, the next minute. But somewhere in the midst of this devastation and beyond, God surprised me with an overriding sense of His grace and showered me with gifts, hidden in the shadow of cancer.

Seven Gifts Hidden in the Shadow of Cancer

1. Family and Friends

I experienced the love and support of many people who prayed with and for me.

They:

• provided meals,
• comforted me,
• sat with me during tests,
• helped me select wigs,
• and provided rides to chemotherapy.

Well-wishers sent cards, gifts, and flowers, reminding me I was not forgotten.

2. Rest

I could do nothing, absolutely nothing, for several days following chemotherapy.

I wasn’t only physically and mentally impaired, but I also felt spiritually impaired, unable to focus to read my Bible or pray.

But God only asked that I rest like a child in His arms—the arms of a loving Father—and allow Him to carry me through this trial.

3. Laughter

While I lay in the hospital bed with my finger poised over the pain medication button, my sister surfed the internet for wigs, hats, and scarves.

“We have to make this fun,” she said.

Fun? Where was sisterly commiseration?

But she was right. Shopping for wigs and hats was fun. I laughed as I tied scarves that turned askew on my bald head and morphed into pirate patches. Books and humorous cards buoyed my spirits.

4. New Friends

Nine years after my diagnosis, I finally met other ovarian cancer survivors at an ovarian cancer camp:  Camp-Make-A-Dream, in Missoula, Montana.

Eventually I connected with local survivors. We meet monthly for lunch and plan social outings and fundraisers for ovarian cancer. We are . . .

"The Fried Eggs — Sunny-Side Up."

5. Empathy

As a nurse, I felt sympathy for my cancer patients, but I never really understood the struggle of living in the world of cancer.

But now as a survivor, I experience this unspoken bond, a glance that says it all. I KNOW.

6. Gratitude

I am thankful for God’s faithfulness through the many trials in my life, including cancer. He has brought me out on the other side.

I am cancer-free.

7. New Direction and Purpose

I wrote the book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, to help other women struggling with a cancer diagnosis. I included my ovarian cancer story and the stories of other women surviving cancer as well as helpful tips.

I also write encouraging articles for women undergoing chemotherapy.

Along with other survivors, I share my ovarian cancer story with medical students in the Survivors Teaching Students program, hoping that earlier detection will save women’s lives.

God gives many gifts, sometimes hidden, but always a blessing.

If you, imperfect as you are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what’s best, how much more ready is your heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask him? (Matthew 7:11 TPT)

What hidden gifts have you received from the Lord when you were going through a difficult season?

Joanie Shawhan is an ovarian cancer survivor, registered nurse, speaker, Selah Awards Finalist for In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, and radio and television guest. Contact Joanie on her website for more information.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Harry Strauss (Image4U) at Pixabay.

When Circumstances Look Hopeless, Hope Prevails!

Dr. Michelle Bengtson was one of the first "strangers" who reached out to me when I was going through my Myeloma journey in 2019. It didn't take long for me to count her as a new friend. Her posts about hope encouraged me for many months.

In this special Hope UPGRADE, she tells us a little about her own journey, and encourages us to hold onto hope in our own tough circumstances."When everything around me looked hopeless," Michelle says, "hope was all I had to hang onto."

Like Michelle, I (Dawn) believe hope is no small thing to hang onto! It is solid. It can be counted on—because our hope is in the God of Hope!

Michelle continues . . .

My husband and I were on the way to his oncologist appointment. As he drove, my cell phone rang. Across the screen scrolled my doctor’s name and phone number.

Thinking they were just calling to confirm an upcoming appointment I had scheduled, I answered and was greeted with the words no one ever expects nor wants to hear—“I hate to have to tell you this, Dr. Bengtson, but you have cancer. We need to schedule you for surgery.”

Wait. What? This must be a mistake.

They must have the wrong person. I’m healthy.

We’re on our way to see my husband’s doctor. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been given another bad report, but me?

“Dr. Bengtson? We need to schedule surgery. Would now be a convenient time to do that?”

I could hardly think straight, much less talk on the phone and access my calendar.

“Um, I’m sorry. I’m going to have to call you back.”

As my husband and I sat in the waiting room of his oncologist’s office, we sat in silence, holding hands. Neither of us needed to say anything… we knew what the other was thinking, and words wouldn’t change anything.

In as short as a minute, my mind started going down the “what if?” rabbit trail. But I knew how very counterproductive that usually was.

I had just written my book, “Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises,” and turned it in to my publisher two weeks before.

As I sat in silence, I thought,

“You have just written the script for the next phase of your journey. Either you can go down the slippery slope of worry, fear, and anxiety, or you can choose to trust God and remain in His peace. This did not take God by surprise, and He already knows how He’s going to help you navigate your future.”

In that moment, a calm assurance came over me consistent with Philippians 4:7 (NIV), “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

There was no earthly explanation.

There was no earthly explanation for the peace I felt. It had to have come from God.

As time progressed, I underwent surgery, and began treatment. My approach during that time was different than most. I told my doctor that I didn’t want to know how many treatment cycles she expected, because I didn’t want to wish my life away, waiting for treatment to be over.

I wanted to wake up every day thankful that God gave me a new day, and ask Him how He wanted me to spend it.

As I went through treatment—while my husband dealt with his own cancer—life could have felt very hopeless. Yet through my husband’s first bout of cancer, we were told by doctors to get our affairs in order because he wasn’t going to live.

The doctors were wrong, and God had another plan.

Through that experience, I learned that doctors diagnose and make their best guestimate, but the Lord’s report is the one that I choose to listen to and hold onto.

Jeremiah 29:11 assures us,

“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”

Because I could look back over my life and see God’s faithfulness so many times before, in this new journey, when life seemed hopeless, hope in God was all I had, and it was enough.

I learned that when live seems hopeless, there are ways to hold onto hope:

1. Think back on your life, and record previous times when God was faithful to you.
2. Look in the Bible for examples of when God was faithful then.
3. Turn off the negative outside influences like the news and media and, instead, listen to praise and worship music.
4. Write down promises in Scripture that apply to your situation.
5. Pray and ask God to give you a greater measure of faith.
6. Repeatedly thank God in advance for what He is going to do.

Jesus warned us that in this world, we would experience trials, but because of Him, hope prevails!

How will you maintain your hope when you face seemingly hopeless situations?

Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, and author of the award-winning Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey through Depression, the award-winning companion, Hope Prevails Bible Study, and Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises. A neuropsychologist in private practice for more than 20 years, this doctor knows pain and despair firsthand. She combines her professional expertise and personal experience with her faith to address her patients’ issues—both for those who suffer and the ones who care for them. Michelle blogs regularly on her own site and is the popular podcast show host of “Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson.”

Fears, Fears ... Go Away!

Dawn Wilson is the creator of Upgrade with Dawn. In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she gets honest about her fears and how the Lord has encouraged her to confront them with His truth.

I argued with the Lord a bit.

“I’m not a fearful person; I know better than that.”

But the Lord pressed a few examples into my thoughts and I had to admit, I was filled with more fears than I thought.

When my children were small, I feared for their safety. Then they grew up and I found out—once a mama, always a mama—I still had fears for their safety. And I added my grandchildren to that fear list too! I was afraid of my husband’s safety in his many travels too.

Many fears have come, but I’ve suppressed them all rather than dealing with them biblically.

Then, this past January, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Talk about fears!

Somehow, that first day in the hospital, I kept repeating a verse I learned long ago: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).

Still, my mantra from February through late April was pretty much, “Fears, fears… go away!”

All that time, my cancer treatment wasn’t working, and I became anxious and afraid.

Maybe I going to only live a year, I thought. I started downgrading my priorities list to something simpler and more manageable. What would I want to accomplish if I only had one year to live?

I started developing a plan, and the only time I cried was when I thought of leaving my family members.

Thankfully, in early May, my oncologist decided to upgrade my cancer treatment. He prescribed a super-expensive drug, which the Lord graciously covered for almost five months through a nonprofit grant.

But my fears that the drug wouldn’t work—or that it would tank my hemoglobin, one of the oncologist’s concerns—continued.

Beneath the surface ... subtle fears. But fears that still had a grip on my heart.

In many ways, I was trying to trust the Lord through all this. I chose to praise and worship Him. I wrote about my struggle on Facebook. I tried to be honest about how I was trying to overcome my fears; and many friends—I call them #TeamDawn—encouraged me.

• "You're in God's grip."
• "I'm praying God will completely heal you."
• "Keep trusting!"

Most people praised me for being a good example. They recognized the battle, but also some of my victories in trusting God.

Yet the toxic thinking continued. Especially in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep.

And then around Mother’s Day, one of my daughters-in-love, Tracy, gave me a book. Switch on Your Brain by cognitive neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf,* who is also a Christian. It's heavy-duty science, but fascinating to realize how science is catching up with the Bible!

The book affirmed me in all that I’ve taught for many years: As we think, so we come to believe, and so we choose. My ministry, Heart Choices Today, is built on that simple-yet-profound concept.

We build our thoughts, choices and habits based on what we’re thinking.

As I read the book, the Lord began to speak to me about my toxic thinking and the fears and anxieties that wouldn’t seem to go away no matter how I wished them to leave.

There was a lot at stake! And Dr. Leaf made a strong case:

She wrote that fear alone triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses in our bodies, activating more than 30 different hormones.

Left unchecked, toxic thoughts (like fear) create ideal conditions for illnesses.

I figured "unchecked" fears weren't going to help me battle my illness!

So I decided to do what the book recommended. I'm a writer, but I don't journal. Yet using Dr. Leaf's process—you'll have to get the book to read about that—I began a 21-Day Detox to confront my anxious thoughts and fears. I chose scriptures to study and I am memorizing key verses to make them a deeper part of my life—replacing toxic thinking with strengthening, biblical truth.

It's an ongoing process, but here are some things I've already discovered during my Detox from the scriptures I'm studying.

1. Fear does not come from God (2 Timothy 1:7). It is a learned response.
2. God gives me a spirit of power, love and a sound mind (also 2 Timothy 1:7). A sound mind is right thinking!
3. It is possible to be in “bondage” to fear—or any other fleshly attitude (Romans 8:15). This verse is talking about fear we suffered before knowing Christ, but now we have a Heavenly Father, and the Spirit does not make us “slaves” to fears.
4. God’s presence, strength and help allow us to not be fearful (Isaiah 41:10). He’s got a firm grip on me!
5. Whenever we are afraid, we can choose to trust the Lord (Psalm 56:3-4). That was the only verse I could remember in the hospital in January—but it was enough!
6. God will never leave or forsake me, and because of that, He wants me to be “strong and courageous” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
7. I can cast all my burdens, including fearful times, on the Lord, and He will sustain me— strengthen, support and encourage me, and cheer me up! (Psalm 55:22).
8. I don’t need to be afraid of bad news (but instead need to live in light of the “good news”); and when I think rightly, my heart will be firm and steady, not afraid (Psalm 112:7-8).
9. I don’t need to be fearful or anxious about anything, but instead, I can pray about everything, with thanksgiving, and God will give me His peace… and He will then guard my heart and mind in Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
10. Like a loving father with a trusting child, God holds my right hand; and He is the One who helps me (Isaiah 41:13).
11. The peace Jesus gives us is not like the world’s concept of peace (John 14:27). Though some of the world’s solutions may work if they are based on biblical truth—whether they give God credit or not—Jesus’ peace is a gift from Him, and an answer to my fears.
12. When fears and anxiety arise in me, I can turn to the Lord and His consolation (comforting) will restore my joy (Psalm 94:19).
13. God expects/commands me to “be strong and courageous” and not afraid (Joshua 1:9)—because He is with me.
14. God redeemed me and I am His. Like the children of Israel, I never need to fear that I am forgotten (Isaiah 43:1).
15. Anxiety and fear is like a heavy weight in the emotions, but a “kind word” of encouragement from God (or others) can cheer the heart (Proverbs 12:25). (I am so thankful for my #TeamDawn prayer warriors and encouragers!)
16. I don’t need to worry or fear about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34); I need to live in day-tight compartments. God is already in my tomorrows.
17. I can cast (throw) all my fears and anxieties on the Lord, knowing He cares about me and what I’m going through (1 Peter 5:7).
18. Even if I must walk through the darkest valley—the “shadow of death”—I do not need to fear, because God is and will be with me to protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4).
19. The Lord is my light and salvation, my stronghold—whom (or what) shall I fear (Psalm 27:1).
20. God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1); and verse 10 says, “Be still and know that I am God….” I am challenged to be still and know my “refuge more.”
21. When I seek the Lord, He responds; and He wants to deliver me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4).
22. When I call out to God, He answers and He is with me in my troubles (Psalm 91:15), rescuing me and honoring me (for trusting Him).
23. The Lord doesn’t want me to worry about the details of my life (Matthew 6:25), but He is concerned about those details. He will provide, but He wants me to know there is more to life than what’s going on with my body.
24. I can be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10)—and He gives me the tools for standing strong (the Armor of God, vv. 11-18).
25. I want the peace of Christ to rule in my heart (Colossians 3:15). I will subject my fears to His control and be thankful for His loving Lordship in my life.

Obviously, I’m going beyond the recommended 21-Day Detox. I want to continue building positive reinforcement thoughts into my life. I want right thinking, godly thinking about my fears, to become my new habit of life.

This is what Paul means when He writes of “renewing the mind” (Romans 12:2) instead of following the unhealthy “pattern” of this world. Scientists are finally beginning to see the brain as having "renewable" characteristics. Biblically, a renewed mind is a Word-founded, Spirit-controlled mind—and from our mind, our thoughts, come our beliefs, choices and habits.

It's the best way I know to make the fears go away ... or at least to confront them God's way.

Is fear a biggie in your life? Or is it something else? Begin now to replace toxic thinking with biblical thinking.

(*NOTE: You might want to read the book I recommended, Switch On Your Brain—there is also a workbook if you want that—to understand how the brain works from a scientific viewpoint, and rejoice that science is finally catching up with God’s truth about our thinking!)

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for Revive Our Hearts, and a writer at Christianity.com (wiki posts) and Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in Southern California and have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesty of M. McKein at Pixabay.