Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

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“When Your Friend Has Cancer” ~ Check out this guest post!

May 2, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

When your friend has cancer (1)Today I’m thankful for an opportunity to share on my husband’s cousin’s blog. Lisa Lloyd is a writer, actor, speaker, and upcoming author. We are eagerly awaiting the release of her first book! In the meantime, she writes inspiring, heartfelt words on faith, forgiveness and motherhood.

 

Here’s a preview of my post on her website. Check it out and read some of Lisa’s posts while you’re there!

 

Five years ago, I was a young mom of three when I first heard the words: “It’s cancer.” I was standing alone in my bedroom, but I wasn’t alone for long.

 

Within hours, a few family members and friends came over and joined me in my shock and grief. The next day—my 34th birthday—a larger group of friends gathered for a surprise birthday party full of tearful prayers. And over the coming months, a multitude of supporters sustained our family with love, prayers and service.

 

My battle against angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer with a grim prognosis, involved months of high-dose chemotherapy, a clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center, radiation, and surgery. I spent 14 weeks away from my family receiving treatment in Houston and fighting to see my children grow up.

 

Our logistical, emotional and spiritual needs seemed overwhelming. And yet, God met all of our needs, often through our friends’ sacrificial service. My friends loved us so well that I’ve written a book to share my friends’ example with other women and equip them to support their friends with cancer.

 

I hope that you never need to know how to love a friend through cancer. But it’s likely that at some point, you will. So here are a few tips I learned from my friends about how to support someone with cancer.

 

Finish reading on Lisa’s blog by clicking here! 

 

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The Steadfast Anchor for our Soul {No Matter What Monday}

April 11, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

heb 6.19

What is your anchor? When the storms come and the wind throws your small boat up into the air, what keeps it from being tossed so far that it’s destroyed by the waves?

 

When the waves threaten, we need an anchor. Anchors are strong. Anchors are immovable. Anchors provide stability when life around us is turbulent.

 

In Hebrews 6:19, we are given a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul: “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor . . . ”

 

What is this anchor? If we at the context of the chapter, we see this anchor is the unchanging character of God’s promises. Theses promises are sure and steadfast because of the character of the One who makes them: His unwavering faithfulness.

 

What else in your life is unchanging? What else can you cling to that will never fail or waver? I haven’t found anything in my life that is more steadfast than the promises of my Heavenly Father.

 

Our Creator, Redeemer and Lord beckons us to find refuge in Him. He makes these promises and guarantees them with an oath to show us the “unchangeable character of his purpose,” so that “we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (verses 17-18).

 

Are your circumstances tossing you haphazardly? Does life feel chaotic or out of control? Find refuge in the Lord. Let his arms wrap around your rocking boat as he lowers the anchor of his steadfast promises.

 

Because the Lord is holding fast to you, you can hold fast to the hope set before you and face the storm ahead.

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A Prayer for the Weary Soul

April 8, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

A Prayer for a Weary Soul

Do you ever struggle to pray?

Do you wonder if God is listening?

Do you worry that your faith is too weak or your doubt is too strong?

Do you wonder if you are even welcome to come before Him with your pleas for mercy, healing, comfort or strength?

If so, this is a prayer for you.

 

“Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul” is one of my favorite hymns. The words were written by Anne Steele centuries ago. She knew the pain of suffering. She endured loss, serious health issues, singleness, and hardship. (You can read more about her here.) In these words, we get a glimpse into her struggle to place her hope in Christ.

 

Dear refuge of my weary soul,

On Thee, when sorrows rise

On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,

My fainting hope relies . . .

 

Waves of trouble, a fainting hope–does that sound familiar to you? It does to me.

 

But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,

I fear to call Thee mine

The springs of comfort seem to fail,

And all my hopes decline . . .

 

And then comes the internal struggle. Doubt and fear creep in. Finding hope and comfort in the Lord doesn’t seem to be working!

 

Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?

Thou art my only trust

And still my soul would cleave to Thee

Though prostrate in the dust

 

And yet, where else should we turn? Who else do we have besides the Lord? We know He is the only secure place for our hope and trust, and so even in our pain, we cling to Him.

 

Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,

And shall I seek in vain?

And can the ear of sovereign grace,

Be deaf when I complain?

 

This is my favorite line: Can the ear of sovereign grace be deaf when I complain? We take our sorrows to Him, and in His grace, He promises to hear our pleas for comfort. We know for certain that He cannot turn us away.

 

Thy mercy seat is open still,

Here let my soul retreat

With humble hope attend Thy will,

And wait beneath Thy feet.

 

I love this beautiful picture of a weary soul finding rest at the mercy seat of God. Often struggle, fear and doubt come before rest. But in the end, the place for our hurting soul is at the feet of Jesus.

Have a listen to this version by Indelible Grace. I hope it refreshes your soul as it does mine.

(If you don’t have Spotify, you can listen to the entire song here.)

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God Will Complete the Good Work {No Matter What Monday}

March 21, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

phil 1.6

Do you ever wonder what in the world God is doing? I do.

I wonder what He’s doing in our world, in our country, and in the lives of those around me.

And I often wonder what He’s doing with me. I wonder what He’s doing in me.

Philippians 1:6 gives insight into those questions: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Other Scriptures say it this way:

“I cry out to the God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2).

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands” (Psalm 138:8).

“[God] who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (I Thessalonians 5:24).

God began a good work in me when He redeemed me by His grace and sent His Spirit to live in me. And this good work will be finished someday, because the Lord who is faithful will surely do it! 

I love this quote about how God uses our suffering to complete His good work in us:

“God is faithful; he will use the brokenness of the world that is your present address to complete the loving work of personal transformation that he has begun” (Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies, March 8 devotional).

When I feel discouraged by the sin that runs rampant in this world and the sin that runs rampant in my own heart, I can take comfort in knowing that the Lord will fulfill all His purposes for me.

No matter what, you can trust your faithful God to complete the loving work of transformation He has begun in you.

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marissahenley.com

I write to remind myself of the truth of God's promises. I share my writing here in case you need to be reminded sometimes, too.

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Click the image above to learn more about Marissa's books: After Cancer and Loving Your Friend through Cancer

Recent Posts

  • The Journey After Cancer – CanCare Podcast {Guest Appearance}
  • Guest appearance – Bookish Talks with Lia Podcast
  • Finding Hope Amid Severe Illness {Guest Post for Ligonier Ministries}

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