How has cancer and this encounter with your own mortality changed how you see your life and how you see death?

On an emotional level, we really do deny the fact that we’re mortal and our time is limited. The day after my diagnosis, one of the words I put down in my journal was “focus.” What are the most important things for you to be spending your time doing? I had not been focused.

The second change was you realize that there’s one sense in which if you believe in God, it’s a mental abstraction. You believe with your head. I came to realize that the experiential side of my faith really needed to strengthen or I wasn’t going to be able to handle this.

It’s one thing to believe God loves you, another thing to actually feel his love. It’s one thing to believe he’s present with you. It’s another to actually experience his presence. So the two things I wrote down in my journal: one was focus and the other one was “Know the Lord.” My experience of his presence and his love was going to have to double, triple, quintuple or I wouldn’t make it.

Read it all.

I'm thankful to @Tish_H_Warren who interviewed me for this article. It was a joy to discuss the impact the resurrection has on our lives (and my cancer).

How a Cancer Diagnosis Makes Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Mean More https://t.co/dIQn4VMmU4

— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) April 11, 2022

Lord God, whose blessed Son, our Saviour, gave his back to the smiters, and hid not his face from shame: Grant us grace to take joyfully the sufferings of the present time, in full assurance of the glory that shall be revealed; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Morning pic.twitter.com/g05qq9cIGT

— Veritatis Cupitor (@English1Maiden) April 12, 2022

There is also still more there.

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem is a 1617 oil painting by Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck, located in the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It depicts #Jesus entering Jerusalem as described in the Gospels, the event celebrated on Palm Sunday. pic.twitter.com/luB13CgNYl

— EUROPEAN ART 💙💛 (@EuropeanArtHIST) February 12, 2019

O God, our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son before his passion cast out from the temple those who desecrated the holy place: Cleanse our hearts and minds, we pray thee, from all evil thoughts and imaginations, from all unhallowed appetites and ambitions; that in lives made pure and strong by thy Holy Spirit we may glorify thy name and advance thy kingdom in the world, as disciples of the same thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Another day another sunrise 🌅 #Views #NagsHead #OuterBanks #OBX #NC #NorthCarolina #Beach #Vacation #SpringBreak #Travel #Sunrise #GoodMorning pic.twitter.com/gpohOIBzX1

— Dominique Petty (@takeoverCEOdp) April 11, 2022

The master of the asses asked them why they untied his asses, and in the same way the chief men of every people perversely opposed the preaching of God. But when they saw that the preachers, through God’s power, healed the lame and the blind, and gave speech to the dumb, and raised the dead to life, then they could not withstand those miracles, but all at last turned to God. Christ’s disciples said, “The Lord needs the asses, and sends for them.” They did not say ‘our Lord’, or ‘your Lord’, but simply, ‘the Lord’; for Christ is Lord of all lords, both of men and of all creatures. They said, “He sends for them.” We are exhorted and invited to God’s kingdom, but we are not forced. When we are invited, we are untied; and when we are left to our own choice, then is it as though we are sent for. It is God’s mercy that we are untied; but if we live rightly, that will be both God’s grace and our own zeal. We should constantly pray for the Lord’s help, since our own choices have no success unless they are supported by the Almighty.

Christ did not command them to lead to him a proud steed adorned with golden trappings; instead he chose a poor ass to bear him, because he always taught humility, and gave the example himself, saying “Learn from me, for I am meek and very humble, and you shall find rest for your souls.” This was prophesied of Christ, and so were all the things which he did before he was born as man…

Read it all.

'Nu sceole we healdan urne palm…': An Anglo-Saxon sermon for Palm Sunday https://t.co/h4hm9XNNOW pic.twitter.com/VO7BdNGcq1

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) April 10, 2022

As on this day we keep the special memory of our Redeemer’s entry into the city, so grant, O Lord, that now and ever he may triumph in our hearts. Let the King of grace and glory enter in, and let us lay ourselves and all we are in full and joyful homage before him; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Palm Sunday

In memory of our Saviour's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when the multitude strewed palm branches before Him, for which reason the Church, on this day, blesses palms, and carries them in procession. pic.twitter.com/mWsymt9xif

— Memento Mori (@TempusFugit4016) April 10, 2022

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who didst devote thy life and thy death to our most plenteous redemption: Grant that what thou hast wrought for us may also be wrought in us: that, growing into thy likeness, we may serve and share thy redeeming work; who livest and reignest in the glory of the eternal Trinity now and for evermore.

—A Procession of Passion Prayers, ed. Eric Milner-White (London: SPCK, 1952)

Boultham Park, Lincoln #lovelincoln #visitlincoln #sunrise #spring #flowers #daffodils #thephotohour pic.twitter.com/BpDfEw6mty

— Andrew Scott Photography (@scotty_photos) April 9, 2022

Almighty and most merciful God, who hast given thy Son to die for our sins and to obtain eternal redemption for us through his own blood: Let the merit of his spotless sacrifice, we beseech thee, purge our consciences from dead works to serve thee, the living God, that we may receive the promise of eternal inheritance in Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end.

Glamorgan Heritage Coast #Wales #ThePhotoHour #StormHour #seascape @ItsYourWales #picoftheday #moody @visitthevale @southern_wales pic.twitter.com/PYip9uKgnC

— Itay Kaplan (@Itkap1308) April 8, 2022

Thanks be to thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which thou hast given us, for all the pains and insults which thou hast borne for us. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, may we know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, now and for evermore.

Moody sky and blowing a hoolie in Stilton, Cambridgeshire this morning @ChrisPage90 @WeatherAisling @itvanglia @metoffice @ThePhotoHour #LoveUKWeather #StormHour pic.twitter.com/96xQAMs2VY

— Christine Mitchell (@chris_alpacas) April 7, 2022

O God, whose blessed Son did overcome death for our salvation: Mercifully grant that we, who have his glorious passion in remembrance, may take up our cross daily and follow him; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

#POTM competition entry by Caroline @CaroBenyon "Starry Aurora – nature’s firework display"#StormHour #ThePhotoHour @RMetS pic.twitter.com/QAQEaDosTm

— #StormHour (@StormHour) April 6, 2022

O God, who by the cross and passion of thy Son Jesus Christ didst save and deliver mankind: Grant that by steadfast faith in the merits of that holy sacrifice we may find help and salvation, and may triumph in the power of his victory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Beautiful sunrise over Downtown Charleston! #chswx @stormhour pic.twitter.com/7YtyFx0S6u

— JoeyLive5 (@JoeySovine) April 5, 2022

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

The Golden Pipit#BirdsSeenIn2022 #Kenya #IndiAves #ThePhotoHour #ThePhotoMode #TwitterNatureCommunity #BirdTwitter pic.twitter.com/vnbs51XdWN

— Kenyan Ornithologist-Kenyan Birds (@KOrnithologist) April 4, 2022

Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

First peek of sun on the east coast. #sunrise #Eastcoast #Maine pic.twitter.com/jQPzdue0rH

— Mags Jeter (@MagsJeter) April 3, 2022

Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to seek for any reward, save that of knowing that we do your will; through Christ our Lord.

There are so many signs of spring around us. The yellow blooms of daffodils, leaves budding and…aaahchoo. Excuse me, allergies.

But one of our favorites is the new life born on our public lands, like these swallow babies anxiously waiting for a meal.

Photo by Koustav Maity pic.twitter.com/gbLCU7mR8D

— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) April 1, 2022

O Lord and heavenly Father, who hast given unto us thy people the true bread that cometh down from heaven, even thy Son Jesus Christ: Grant that our souls may so be fed by him who giveth life unto the world, that we may abide in him and he in us, and thy Church be filled with the power of his unending life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Good morning from Brodick Bay on the beautiful Isle of Arran. Have a fabulous Friday, whatever you are up to. ☀️😎📸@VisitArran @VisitScotland @bbcweather @stvweatherwatch @carolkirkwood @StormHour @ThePhotoHour #isleofarran #sunrise #FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/o3uso7XWUc

— Scot Down South (@LesleyAM13) April 1, 2022

O Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who art thyself the bread of life, and hast promised that he who comes to thee shall never hunger: Grant us faith truly to partake of thee through Word and Sacrament, that we may find refreshment of spirit and be strengthened for thy service; who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

Up On Top. 2°C and snow showers. Sheep in the valley. pic.twitter.com/P2g6La6XNp

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) March 31, 2022

Grant us, O Lord, to rejoice in beholding the bliss of the heavenly Jerusalem; that as she is the home and mother of the multitude of the saints, we also may be counted worthy to have our portion within her; through thine only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

A. Murray MacKay bridge floated on clouds yesterday as I used a mirror to challenge the horizon with a bit of reflection. Dare to look at life from different angles! #ThePhotoHour #StormHour #VisitNovaScotia pic.twitter.com/1YhjyAKHRl

— Stuart Moors (@AnchorsAweighNS) March 30, 2022

God of glory, present in all places and filling all things, treasury of blessings and source of life: come and dwell with us, cleanse us from all sin and grant us your salvation.

On the edge of life. #trees#thicktrunktuesday #ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/T5d2g2g77y

— Dharamveer Meena, IFS🌲 (@dharamveerifs) March 29, 2022

Almighty God, who has taught us in thy holy Word that the law was given by Moses, but that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ: Grant that we, being not under the law but under grace, may live as children of that Jerusalem which is above, and rejoice in the freedom of our heavenly citizenship; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

–The Rev. James Mountain (1844-1933)

"Stormy March Sky at Daybreak"#AlmostHeaven #WestVirginia #Highlands #StormHour #ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/HVnQWBlmSD

— Thomas R Fletcher (@ThomasRFletcher) March 28, 2022

Merciful Lord,
you know our struggle to serve you:
when sin spoils our lives
and overshadows our hearts,
through the ministry of your Spirit come to our aid
and turn us back to you again;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen (slightly edited; KSH).

A Misty Start. 8°C with just a glimmer of the sun. Rooks pic.twitter.com/BnFKvmL52w

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) March 27, 2022

Defend us, O Lord, with your heavenly grace, that we may continue yours for ever and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more, until we come to your everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rills and runnels; the Vinalopo River makes use of both as it makes it way, inexorably, southwards. #ThePhotoHour #naturaleza #nikond750 #Alicante pic.twitter.com/XrjHOq5tvf

— Kevin Rendall (@KevinRendall) March 26, 2022

We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that we who have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

On this feast of the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary on Hubert Adderley's reredos of 1926 at Brigstock, Northamptonshire. The crucifix on the altar in front of it seems a precursor of a kind. pic.twitter.com/YW53rcuiKU

— Simon Knott (@last_of_england) March 25, 2022

O Thou who hast prepared a place for my soul, prepare my soul for that place. Prepare it with holiness; prepare it with desire; and even while it sojourneth upon earth, let it dwell in heaven with thee, beholding the beauty of thy countenance and the glory of thy saints, now and for evermore.

A beautiful sunrise at Corfe Castle last Friday morning. For once I'd managed to time a visit to Dorset with good conditions!

Nikon Z6 & 24-200Z@kasefiltersuk 0.6nd Hard Grad & Exposure Blend@StormHour#Dorset pic.twitter.com/qMVtBBOXID

— Stu Meech (@stumeech) March 23, 2022

Though we cannot love you as we ought, O Lord, let us love you as we are able, that guided by your light and kept by your power, we come at the last, into your glorious presence. Amen.

"Fly Away" ….. A peaceful scene in a troubled world #PrayForPeace @StormHour @ThePhotoHour #Weather pic.twitter.com/RGl0oaiDHZ

— simon c woodley (@simoncwoodley) March 23, 2022

Lord Christ, almighty Saviour, we cry to thee for aid against our strong enemy. O thou who art the Stronger than the strong, deliver us, we pray thee, from the evil one, and take sole possession of our hearts and minds; that filled with thy Spirit we may henceforth devote our lives to thy service, and therein find our perfect freedom; for the honour of thy great name.

Stunning Aurora activity in Ivalo this evening #StormHour #ThePhotoHour #northernlights #Finland #Ivalo pic.twitter.com/3wBUPvLL0i

— Caroline Benyon (@CaroBenyon) March 21, 2022

Heavenly Father, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you: Look with compassion upon the heartfelt desires of your servants, and purify our disordered affections, that we may behold your eternal glory in the face of Christ Jesus; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Robin in Shelf Woods, Halifax. #ThePhotoHour #TwitterNatureCommunity #wildlifephotography #nature #birds #DDOR pic.twitter.com/kdFuBWItYV

— Rodshelf (@rodshelf) March 20, 2022

O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

St Joseph with the Infant Christ in his Arms
by Guido Reni who was born #otd 4 Nov 1575

(The Hermitage Museum) pic.twitter.com/HW95UjCVg4

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) November 4, 2020

O God, who through thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised help to man according to his faith: Grant us the freedom of the children to taste the food of eternal life, and to share with others what we ourselves receive; through the merits of the same thy Son, our Lord.

The Full Moon setting behind the Ship of the Fens this misty spring morning 🌕.
Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire #FullMoon #WormMoon #Stormhour pic.twitter.com/NVkFCOImep

— Veronica in the Fens 🧚🏼‍♀️ (@VeronicaJoPo) March 18, 2022

O Eternal God, who hast taught us by thy holy Word that our bodies are temples of thy Spirit: Keep us, we most humbly beseech thee, temperate and holy in thought, word and deed, that at the last we, with all the pure in heart, may see thee and be made like unto thee in thy heavenly kingdom; through Christ our Lord.

Good morning. I got some nice colours this morning. 🌅 pic.twitter.com/JD7mG3YWby

— Sharon (@sharonwelby1) March 15, 2022

Write deeply upon our minds, O Lord God, the lesson of thy holy Word, that only the pure in heart can see thee. Leave us not in the bondage of any sinful inclination. May we neither deceive ourselves with the thought that we have no sin, nor acquiesce idly in aught of which our conscience accuses us. Strengthen us by thy Holy Spirit to fight the good fight of faith, and grant that no day may pass without its victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Glorious Spring Morning. 10°C and very still. Voles in the long grass. pic.twitter.com/aYQlNNkfUw

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) March 14, 2022