In his book, Every Second Counts, Lance Armstrong writes about the ways he’s found that he can and cannot help other cancer patients. He writes, “I couldn’t help them with the primary problem of surviving, and I couldn’t change the basic biology of cancer. I couldn’t help anybody. In the end, all I could do was try to encourage their attitude and will, try to talk about what cancer couldn’t do.

I couldn’t take away your spirituality, or your intelligence. I couldn’t take away your love.”

Beyond what Armstrong says, cancer (or any other disease for that matter) might be able to take a person’s life from them, but if they know Jesus, it can never take away their eternity.

1 Cor. 15:55 NASB "O death, where is your VICTORY? O death, where is your sting?"

For more information on Every Second Counts, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385508719/fm082-20

It is so easy to become a victim of our circumstances, and develop a victim mentality. Forgotten promises, lies, and schemes do their best to convince us that life is not filled with happy endings. When he was young, Skeeter Bronson found that hard to accept. His father, who owned a Southern California hotel, shaped his idealistic world. Each night, Skeeter’s father told him bedtime stories that encouraged him to dream, and seek a better future. Reality set in when the hotel was sold to a developer several years later. Though this developer promised to make Skeeter the manager of the hotel, his promises where never fulfilled. Skeeter worked for the hotel for 25 years, and never rose above being the maintenance man. Though he knew every aspect of the business, Skeeter is overlooked again and again.

Skeeter’s dreams awaken again when he has the opportunity to care for his sister’s young children while she is away. The bedtime stories he and the children make up each evening begin to take shape in Skeeter’s life. When he has the opportunity to win the job he has always wanted, life throws Skeeter another curve, and he falls back into the mindset of defeat. A conversation with his sister coupled with words of wisdom from his father challenge Skeeter to persevere. He must decide to become more than a victim and write the next chapter of his life.

OPTION 1: Show Scene from Bedtime stories and make application. Bedtime Stories, Chapter 16, The Sad Part, 1:20:58 to 1:23:08.

Skeeter is packing up his things, preparing to leave him room at the motel, when his sister, Wendy knocks on the door. After exchanging a brief greeting, Skeeter asks, “Are you mad at me too?” His sister admits, “Not as mad as Jill, but mad, yes.” Thinking his sister is upset for the same reason as everyone else, Skeeter says, “I didn’t know the new hotel was going up there.” Wendy says, “I figured that.” Confused, Skeeter asks, “Then why are you mad? That I gave the kids junk food?” She smiles at him and says, “No, I figured you’d do that too.” Then she adds, “I’m mad because you told my kids in real life there are no happy endings.” Skeeter gets serious, and asks, “Well look around you Wendy! Do you see any happy endings here?”

Wendy pauses a moment, and says, “I don’t know.” Looking around she adds, “You and Dad always had so much fun in this room. For whatever reason, I didn’t. I was always the cynic, the sourpuss.” Skeeter interrupts and continues the thought, “The black cloud, the energy drainer… the dead fish.” Wendy smiles, “Yes, all of those things.” Thoughtfully, she continues, “When I left Bobbi and Patrick with you, I was just hoping you’d rub off on them. Get them to be lighter, have fun, enjoy themselves.” Motioning toward a picture behind Skeeter, she adds, “I thought Dad would like that.” Skeeter nods, but doesn’t say anything.

Wendy continues her thought, “Anyway…I got a job in Arizona. Teaching not principaling. Maybe you can come visit when we get settled. I know by then the kids will really want to see you.” Skeeter nods, and Wendy gets up and kisses him on the check. She socks Skeeter on the shoulder and he says, “Love you,” as he watches her leave. Skeeter is dejected, and reflects on the conversation with his sister as his father’s voice begins to narrate over the music. “And so Skeeter sat on his bed, filled with regret, wondering how to put the pieces of his life together after one magical week.” Skeeter looks up listening to the voice of his father. Talking to his dad, he says, “Great ending huh?” His father’s voice sounds surprised. “That was your ending son? I thought this was just the sad part, and you’re about to make it better.” Skeeter shakes his head. “What do you mean, how can I make it any better?” His father’s voice responds, “Well in the stories I told you, just when things looked bleakest, the hero would do something unexpected and courageous to beat the bad guy, save the day, and get the girl.” Skeeter considers the words, standing up as he asks, “Yeah, how can I do that?” His father says, “It’s your story not mine, but you’d better get moving.” As Skeeter regains his confidence and heads for the door, his father adds a final piece of encouragement. “Go get ‘em son.”

Life is not fair. As believers in Jesus, we do not have to live defeated lives. Our heavenly Father reminds us that we have a choice. When life gets hard, we can give up and be defeated or we can listen to the voice of our Father, get up and go on in the strength He gives and write a different ending to the story.

--Bedtime stories, , Chapter 16, The Sad Part, 1:20:58 to 1:23:08. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Rom 8:33-37 CEV If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? It is exactly as the Scriptures say, "For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered."

Ingeborg Sjöqvist is the world’s oldest living Olympian. She is 100-years-old. In her younger days she was a high-diver competing in the 1932 and the 1936 Olympics for her native Sweden. While she fondly remembers the events surrounding the Los Angeles Olympics, the high-diving itself is heartbreaking.

She was looking good for gold when on her last jump she messed up and finished out of the medals in fourth place. She failed to win a medal at Berlin in 1936 as well. She remembers back to that one bad dive. “If I could compete all over again I would do much better. I would have taken that dive for Sweden.”

As we look backward in life we can all find things that we regret, things we wish we would have done better or differently. It is not good to live looking backwards. Paul says that I forget the past and stretch out to the future. At 100 years, Sjöqvist may not have a long future ahead, but she can still live to reach the goal. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Philippians 3:13–14 (HCSB) Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

An Italian village is attempting to attract new residents by offering low cost housing and a safe environment. Cinquefrondi, in the southern region of Calabria considers itself “COVID-free” because there have not been any confirmed cases of coronavirus in the community, and the region has one of Italy’s lowest levels of infection. Mayor Michele Conia said the initiative known as “Operation Beauty,” is designed to attract new residents who are willing to renovate abandoned homes that have fallen into disrepair. The new owners can get the homes for $1 if they agree to complete renovations within three years. They are asked to pay a $200 insurance fee each year and would be subject to a fine if they are not finished within the three-year period. Colia said over the years many people have left the area, leaving empty homes behind. He hopes the program will inspire people to come to their village. He added, “We can’t succumb to resignation.” –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/06/12/COVID-free-Italian-village-offering-houses-for-1/6791591983043/

Officials at the Sierra Bible Camp in California confirmed that the camp was destroyed by the Dixie Fire in the summer of 2021. The camp averaged 2,200 visitors each summer and was founded in 1952. The camp advertised itself as a camp where youth could get to know more about the Savior and connect with peers of the same faith. In the announcement, staff were grateful for a successful evacuation in which no lives were lost, but sadly added that all 23 buildings were destroyed. A board member said the camp was insured and they are looking at fundraising in hopes of rebuilding. The post from the staff said, “We have enjoyed so many ears there and have come to know the communities around the lake as part of our Christian family. Yet as we mourn the loss of our facility, we realize how blessed we are that we were able to evacuate early and no life was or has been lost. We have a loving Christian family that ministers to us, and a Loving Go, who blesses us in so many ways.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.