About Us
Our Journey Together with God Through Brain Cancer
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:12-14-ESV)
Any life-threatening illness is apt to require resources beyond the average person’s ability to cope and overcome. Our experience with brain cancer has led us to value significant rest and authentic friendships as necessary resources for this journey.
Neither of us was fully prepared for the level of fatigue we both experienced under the duress of brain cancer, with Jim as the patient and Lois as the caregiver. Three brain surgeries, three rounds of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, a seizure, a stroke, and numerous medications have all taken their toll on my body, brain, and emotions over the past five years. While I am on a prescription drug to combat fatigue, my need for additional rest remains significant. Meanwhile, Lois has done a marvelous job of meeting those needs as well as providing nearly all the transportation for both of us for over a year. The constant need for sufficient rest has significantly reduced our social agendas and interaction with friends and family.
Prolonged fatigue tends to isolate people from society, friends and even family. Isolation compounds fatigue by separating weary people from those who are likely to lend a helpful hand or provide the emotional support they crave.
God has been preparing us for this journey throughout our lives. Our sovereign Lord has instilled two desires within us: the desire for rest and the desire for friendships.
My quest for rest moved me to write a book called For God’s Sake, Rest! Discovering the Pleasure of His Rest.
Years later, my quest for deep friendships motivated me to write a book called The Seven Essential Powers of Friendships, a Path to Authentic Relationships.
Click on the book covers below for more information regarding each book.
Rest? Who needs it? I have too much to accomplish for God! Do those words sound familiar? Have you ever said them to yourself or others? Jim Anderson lived the same lifestyle that a majority of Christians, especially pastors, often follow. He tried to be all things to all people while striving to do more at the expense of his health, personal relationships, and his walk with God.
After serving as a pastor for 25 years, Jim Anderson wanted to help other pastors thrive as they serve local churches. Knowing that pastors often experience burnout from personal and ministry fatigue, he wrote the book For God’s Sake Rest! Since he also knew how lonely pastors often feel even while surrounded by the people they serve, Jim has now written the book The Seven Essential Powers of Friendship: A Path to Authentic Relationships.