Courage, Hope and Healing: Finding God's Presence Through Life's Toughest Circumstances

By Mary Pappas

Courage, Hope and Healing is one womans transparent journey of her battle with cancer. Your battle may be entirely different. In this book, you will be encouraged, strengthened, and empowered to overcome your toughest circumstances.

Very inspirationala great story of hope.

Wallis Marsh, MD, transplant surgeon at UPMCs Starzl Transplantation Institute in Pittsburgh

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449779207

Mary Pappas

For over 30 years, Mary Pappas has continued to fight a rare cancer of the thymus gland, overcoming six recurrences. Today she is cancer-free. As an advocate for cancer patients and survivors, Mary’s efforts encourage, comfort, and give hope to patients who are facing life-threatening illnesses. She has been a guest speaker at women’s conferences and retreats as well as the keynote speaker for her local Relay for Life event. She, her husband Steve, and sons Stephen and Michael reside in Boardman, Ohio

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Copyright © 2013 Mary Pappas.

All rights reserved. No part of this booh may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this booh may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James VersionCopyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

CLIPPINGS FROM MY NOTEBOOK by Corrie ten Boom. Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1982

THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW by C.S. Lewis copyright © C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. 1955. Extract reprinted by permission.

Quotation by Joni Eareckson Tada from THE ENCOURAGEMENT BIBLE. Zondervan Publishing House. 2001

Book cover and layout designed by

John Centofanti, Creative Stream Marketing

www.CreativeStreamMarketing.com

Cover Photo by

Scott R. Galvin, Galvin Photo

www.galvinphoto.com

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7919-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7920-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013901595

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/26/3013

Contents

Endorsements

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

About the Author

Endorsements

Very inspirational… a great story of hope.

Image4816.JPG Wallis Marsh, md, transplant surgeon at upmc’s Starzl Transplantation Institute in Pittsburgh

"This book is as wonderful as the woman who wrote it. It’s one that you absolutely cannot put down. I both laughed and cried as I read the author’s journey through her long battle with cancer. You witness the way God developed her character through trials and tribulations and how her faith was increased for a time like this. It was not easy for her during these times. She did not walk with fake spirituality but with real feelings, emotions and attitudes.

She was always carried in Gods hand because he loves her so, much as he does all of us. I challenge you to read this book without gaining a better understanding of God’s love and the devastating pain of this disease. God even arranged a few surprises for Mary. What an awesome story."

Image4822.JPG Marlene Gruver lsw cct

Once you start to read this book you can’t put it down! It will take you from hope in the midst of a storm to an overcoming miracle.

Image4828.JPG Sanford Kulkin, Ph.D, Chairman and Founder of The Institute for Motivational Living, motivational speaker,

Chairman of the Board of The Bair Foundation

"We will all experience times when the Lord will allow tragedy to occur in our lives so that our faith and trust in Him may grow. It is during those times that we become the rope in a tug of war between the devil’s temptations and God’s merciful will. Courage, Hope and Healing is an amazingly genuine and candid account of the mental struggles that a committed Christian encounters in personally discerning and accepting God’s will when confronted with a life-threatening illness. It is an intimate look inside the mind of a cancer patient and the battle to maintain her faith against all odds.

Whatever Mary’s purpose for writing this book, thank God she did. It is a real and practical discourse on putting the Word of God into action during the darkest hours. She wrote it to me-and to you-for the time when we will all look death squarely in the face and rely on the Lord to make sense of our suffering and to sustain us. As Christians, we are asked not only to believe, but to also live within the narrative that is the Gospel, to sculpt our lives according to its teachings. Just as Christ battled the devil in the wilderness with the Word of Scripture, Mary has used Holy Scripture as a sword against all temptations to abandon her trust in God. God’s Word helped her make sense of the suffering she and her family endured. In her story, Mary shows us in her own practical way how to be a Christian when the challenges in life are overwhelming.

I have known Mary Pappas for over twenty-five years. I know her better now than I ever have, and I thank her for showing me a better way to carry my cross. I believe we will all grow from understanding her story."

Image4834.JPG Dr. N.B. Nicoloff, md, Sharon Cardiology Specialists

"The honest and courageous story of this beautiful cancer survivor will leave you crying and laughing almost simultaneously.

Through honesty, humor and hope the compelling journey of a woman who stared death in the face and chose to laugh will inspire you to believe for the impossible.

In my 13 years as pastor and leader, I’ve never run across a book that made me so thankful for God, family and friendships; I’m recommending this book to every person I know who is going through a life battle.

I stand in awe of Mary’s honesty, determination, courage, and… the steadiness of her loving, not just of life, but of God, even when neither seems to make sense."

Image4840.JPG Juan Rivera, Pastor, New Life Church

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Foreword

T owards the end of his earthly life, St. Paul wrote I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

Sometimes St. Paul has compared our Christian lives to a battle, and at other times to a race in which we are running hard to win the prize. Our ultimate goal when we finish our fight or cross the finish line of our lives, is to be able to say we have kept the faith, despite the obstacles that have come our way.

The only one of these things Mary has not done (thank God) is finish her race! Thanks to the amazing grace of God and some mighty fine medical care, she is still in the race and may I say running quite well!

That race; the journey of Mary’s life and her multiple battles with terminal cancer is only part of what this book is about. With gentle humor, Mary takes us with her on a candid reflection of the crossroads we all face when life doesn’t make sense; when things don’t turn out the way we think they should or the way God should have done things, but didn’t. While there are no easy answers to life’s puzzling questions, holding on to Jesus Christ is the simplest and yet the most profound thing any of us can do. Mary’s life has typified that basic truth.

It has been a blessing and privilege being Mary’s Pastor for nearly 30 years. During that time my wife and I have walked the ups and down, the trials and the triumphs with Mary, her husband Steve, and her family.

As you read Courage, Hope and Healing you will be inspired, you will laugh, you will be brought to tears. But I believe, most importantly, you will find genuine hope rising in your heart.

Image4852.JPG David L. Thomas, Mary’s Pastor and Lead Pastor of Victory Christian Center, a multisite, megachurch with six campuses and over 5,000people; founder of Next Level Leadership Network, and John Maxwell Certified Coach, Trainer, and Speaker

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Introduction

I always thought someday I would write a book, perhaps a mystery novel, or a romantic saga of love lost then found, but it never occurred to me that I would write a book about my own life. I think most of us grow into adulthood thinking our lives will probably be pretty ordinary, certainly nothing anyone would want to read about.

I could have never foreseen that I would be a young Christian and newlywed facing cancer, or a young woman who was pregnant and diagnosed with a rare tumor at the same time. It was beyond my reasoning that I would face inoperable cancer, wake from a coma, and continue to beat medical odds for the past 25 years of my life!

Each person’s cancer journey is unique. This is my story. It is not intended to teach any religious doctrine or theology, but it is designed for every cancer survivor and patient to know the road they are traveling has been traveled before, and there is a light at the end of what seems like a never ending road. It is my hope that this book will encourage every reader to know that it is ultimately God who orders our steps and steers our lives, and it is likewise the same God who anchors our souls in times of trouble.

Moreover, I would like to appeal to each and every healthcare worker, from doctor to nurse’s aide, especially those working in oncology, to wholeheartedly reach out to their patients who pass through their offices doors every day. Oncology may be routine to you, but it is not routine to a cancer patient. A hug, a gentle touch or a smile can mean so much to a frightened and hurting patient, and believe me, most of us are. Likewise, I also would like to sincerely thank all those doctors and nurses who have compassionately touched my life and for using their God given talents to help heal the sick and encourage me throughout my journey.

I would like to give special thanks for my husband Steve for his support of this project, and for giving me the freedom to candidly write about our lives together, and to my children, Stephen and Michael who are my promises from God. I pray you will always follow Him. I would also like to thank my most wonderful parents. Mom and Dad, thank you for being there through the toughest of times. I’d also like to thank my sister Lori, and brother John, as well as my many nieces and nephews who have also supported and loved me throughout the years.

Warm thanks and loving appreciation also go to my dear pastors, especially David and Kathie Thomas, Carol Hutchins, and Joe Thomas. Thank you for your amazing love for me and my family. You are priceless! Additional thanks goes to my wonderful church family at Victory Christian Center. Thank you for praying, believing and loving!

I am, above all, humbled by God’s incredible mercy, grace and love toward me. I am forever grateful that I asked Him to come into my heart so many years ago. Throughout my life He has never left my side and I know He never will. I love you Lord Jesus.

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Chapter One

T he doctor stepped back into the room, gently closing the door behind her. I studied the expression on her face, but before I could draw a conclusion, she spoke. Mary, you have the most unusual chest x-ray I’ve ever seen.

What is that supposed to mean? I thought. Unusual how, I questioned? What did she see on my x-ray? What was so different that it was the most unusual x-ray she had ever seen? Was I like the old lady in the children’s song who swallowed the bird, to catch the spider, to catch the fly? She looked puzzled and I was confused.

A few days earlier, I began having horrible pain in the upper right quadrant of my chest. The pain seemed to radiate into my right shoulder. I went to see my doctor who thought I might have developed bursitis.

She sent me to an orthopedist that confirmed the diagnosis and gave me a cortisone injection in my right shoulder.

I heard bursitis can hurt like crazy, so I assumed it was true, but I felt so weak and remained in such pain that I spent a few days in bed at my parent’s home. Then, my chest began to hurt every time I took a breath. After a few days, the pain improved, but I still felt very weak. I decided to go back to the doctor. Now I sat in the same exam room again. Was all this chest x-ray commotion related to bursitis? What could possibly be causing such a stir?

My doctor hesitated a moment, then she told me that the x-ray showed I had fluid around my lungs. She also mentioned some type of shadow on the film. She wasn’t sure what it all meant. Was she sure she was looking at my x-ray? She carefully listened to my lungs over and over again. She appeared highly concerned and upon her insistence, I was immediately admitted to the hospital.

Once at the hospital, my husband Steve and I were met by my parents who were also quite bewildered by the series of events that were taking place. Everything was happening so fast. I felt like I was in a whirlwind. Once admitted, doctor after doctor came in asking me dozens of questions. When did the pain start? Where did it