WRITE: Interview with Yvonne Ortega
Note from Marti: Today I’m posting an interview with Yvonne Ortega, author of Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer (Revell, 2010), a recent review in the READ section of my blog. If breast cancer has touched your life in some way and/or if you have an interest in writing, keep reading. CONTEST: Want to win? Leave a comment before midnight Eastern tonight. I’ll draw one winner who will receive a free copy of Yvonne’s book. I’ll announce the winner early next week. You share your very personal journey through cancer in this book. What made you decide to have your story published? I began to journal to pour out my emotions in a safe place. I asked God to use my bout with cancer for good in my life and the lives of others, for His honor and glory and for furthering His kingdom here on earth. I never dreamed a book would come from cancer. When I was in the hospital after my second chemotherapy treatment, I wrote a devotion on notebook paper. The nurse read it and wanted to have a copy for everyone on the oncology floor. She and the other patients told me I should write a book. So I kept up the journal and transformed it into a manuscript for publication. Another reason was to let people know it is OK to go through anger, fear and depression. God won’t love us less or disown us because of these emotions. He knows how we feel anyway. So we might as well talk to God about these emotions and allow Him to help us work through them. How did you handle feelings of powerlessness and fear during your journey and keep moving forward? At first I struggled with feelings of powerlessness. I thought I controlled my life and didn’t want to give that up. The funny part is I never did have that control. When I asked God for help in this area, he reminded me of Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through him who strengthens me” (NIV). From then on I relied on his strength, not mine, and God proved Himself faithful. After I received my diagnosis, fear almost swallowed me up. Two cousins had died of breast cancer, and I didn’t want to be next. I journaled and prayed about my fear and asked others to pray for me. God honored my honesty and answered our prayers. Fear seemed to dissolve once it was brought in the open and dealt with. You also talk about feeling the freedom to cry in the midst of your circumstances. How were you able to accept that as a part of your journey? The...
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