In this episode, I’m unpacking the weight we put on names like “cancer,” “divorce,” or “unemployment.” These things are experiences, not identities. They’re what we go through, not who we are. I’m sharing how God often uses difficult seasons to rewrite our stories, and yes — even to rename us. In the Bible, we see this when Abram became Abraham, “father of many,” when God promised to make him the father of nations. Sarai became Sarah, “mother of nations.” Saul, once a persecutor of Christians, became Paul, the apostle who helped spread the Gospel. And Simon became Peter, the “rock” Jesus would build His church on. Their new names represented a new identity and a new calling.

When I first heard the word “cancer,” it felt like my whole world stopped. Just hearing the name was enough to make my stomach drop. Isn’t it wild how much power a single word can carry? When I started telling people I had cancer, almost everyone’s first question was, “What kind? What stage?” — as if the stage number somehow determined how scared they should be for me. But the truth is, people can pass away from the most basic forms of cancer, and others survive the most advanced. These labels — stage, type, grade — aren’t the whole story.

For me, cancer became the tool God used to change my name. I went from being the overly-controlling planner who thought she had to hold it all together to someone who slowed down, trusted God, and let Him take the wheel. It wasn’t easy, but God doesn’t waste pain — He uses it with purpose.

Today, I want to give you hope that whatever label you’re carrying — cancer patient, divorced, unemployed — doesn’t define you. You are who God says you are, and He has a way of using even your hardest seasons to shape your future.

I’ll also share practical tips on not letting a diagnosis or situation dictate your peace, and how you can start speaking life over yourself instead of fear.