Think About It!
Don’t Even by Susie Shellenberger
Sure, it’s natural for your mind to wander . . . but don’t let it go this direction.
If you’re reading this, you’re a Brio Sis. You’re loved, you’re beautiful, and we think you’re totally amazing! So don’t you dare even think about . . . putting yourself down. being phony. letting your love letter from God collect dust.
giving up.
being pressured to be a size zero with skin made from silk. going along with the crowd to be accepted. letting a guy use you. going
behind your parents’
backs. compromising your morality.
forgetting
how uniquely and wonderfully made you are.
briomag.com • march 2007
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Game On!
How would you respond to such horrifying news as cancer? Nineteen-year-old BreAnne Miller presses on!
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” —Isaiah 41:10
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by BreAnne Miller as told to briomag.com David Long • march 2007
briomag.com • march 2007
My dreams are still alive. I want to skip without it hurting my calves. I’m tired of using hand sanitizer. I want to run up and down the court five times instead of three. I want to play basketball soon. I want to continue smothering my 11year-old brother with kisses that embarrass him. Eventually, I’d love to teach high school and coach. And my ultimate dream is to be a mom and deliver a healthy baby of my own. Most important, I thank Jesus for this experience. He’s refining my faith, making me tough and strengthening me each day. To Him be all the glory as I continue to trust Him with my entire life. f David Long lives in Fort Wayne, Ind.
BreAnne Miller says she’s felt God’s comfort during her struggle with cancer.
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In spite of my situation, I felt God’s comforting hand. Prior to leukemia, I was nervous about lots of things: basketball games, public speaking and big exams. But this was different. I was staring potential death in the face, yet I remained calm. My faith—most important, my Jesus—was carrying the load. I learned that faith is just faith . . . until it’s all you have. The community of Huntington rallied on my behalf. My home church launched a prayer chain that spread to other congregations. Community members, many of whom I don’t even know, started selling BreAnne bracelets to help offset my treatment costs. Indiana Wesleyan University honored my basketball scholarship even though I missed first-semester enrollment. A local utility company gave our family a Christmas basket filled with coupons, gas money and my
Living a Full Life
BREANNE
And so I embarked on what will eventually be two-and-a-half years and four phases of chemotherapy treatment. Doctors inserted a portal into my chest, where I received the chemotherapy. From the portal, a line runs under my skin to my vena cava that pumps chemo throughout my blood. My first treatment lasted eight days, and I never got
Jesus, the Rock
favorite—endless goodies from Bath & Body Works. I even have my own Web site, caringbridge.com (to access, type in breannemiller). All visitors welcome! In spite of the support, I still have setbacks. An injectable medication administered in my thigh caused a mild stroke. Due to my weakened immune system, I acquired histoplasmosis—a lung infection caused by fungus spores. Doctors also cautioned me that extended chemo treatments could cause infertility. My hair hung in there for seven months, but it’s almost gone. I now wear a wig that makes me look a little sassy, if I do say so myself. As of January 2006, I’m taking two classes at Indiana Wesleyan University in between chemotherapy. I’m halfway through treatments, and doctors give me a 70 percent chance of survival, but if the Lord takes me home, I can honestly say I’ve had a great 19 years.
OF
A Long Journey
out of bed. I lost 25 pounds along with all my energy. When it came time to leave the hospital, I refused wheelchair assistance. I walked all the way to our van by myself, but it felt like a marathon. The bad news was that I forgot to use the restroom before I left. To complicate matters, our van didn’t start, so I told my mom I’d run (slight exaggeration) inside while someone jump-started the vehicle. I barely made it inside the hospital entrance when my vision blurred. I staggered inside the women’s restroom and collapsed. There I lay in a bathroom stall with no one to help. My mom was preoccupied, and I felt that using the bathroom was the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest. After 30 minutes, I made it back to the van, stopping every few minutes for a rest. Only two months prior, I was competing with all the top athletes in the state, and now using the restroom became an overwhelming task. Returning home meant lots of time on the couch. Crawling became my primary means of getting around the house. Sometimes I would even call my mom on my cell phone for help. The funny thing was, she was only upstairs.
COURTESEY
arely do high school senior years live up to the hype, but mine did. I was blessed to have graduated sixth in a class of 400 at Huntington North High School in Huntington, Ind. I started all four years on the basketball team and earned a partial scholarship to play at Indiana Wesleyan University. I threw shotput at the state trackand-field finals. I finished seven powerful years in a local Youth for Christ program. And—oh, yeah—I got leukemia. In late July 2005, I was like any other high school graduate. While anxiously anticipating college, I spent time with friends. I tried saving money for school, and I finally quit procrastinating and had my wisdom teeth removed. Unfortunately, my recovery following surgery didn’t progress. I ran a temperature exceeding 103 for more than five days and experienced terrible headaches. With only two weeks until school, I returned to the doctor, and he tested me for mono. After suspicious blood work results, I was sent to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. On Aug. 19, 2005, I learned my headaches were a side effect of cancer. My weakened immune system explained the high fever. At Riley, an Albert Einstein-looking doctor waddled into my hospital room and told me I had A.L.L. (acute lymphoblastic leukemia), a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. My parents crumpled in fear, but in all honesty, I was relieved to finally learn why I felt so crummy. The competitor in me screamed, “Game on!” and from that day forward I’ve been fighting leukemia blow for blow.
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s old this month. Here are some of our It’s birthday time for Brio. We turn 17 year love what we do, and we do it for you! favorite memories from this past year. We
BRIO!
and her sister Hosanna help at Susie’s house 3. 2006 Peruve It! missions trip 4. Martha hic[k] on a rollercoaster 1. Celebrating Susie’s 50th birthday 2. Staff Christmas partythinks Superc and Martha 6. she found a treasure—a book by Susie for Associate Editor with the bedroom makeover in the April 2006 issue. 5. Ashley theme the was M&M’s 9. shoot photo issue 2006 er the farm for a Decemb 11. Interview Family. the at Universal Studios 7. Brian Littrell visits Brioland 8. Onland on Focus at building moved to a different area of the International facemask test Martha Krishana Kraft’s goodbye party in July. 10. In August Brio birthda and Ashley Kathy, 14. d weeken Girl Brio 2007 13. y in September with Big Daddy Weave 12. Celebrating Brio & Beyond’s fifth Brio Prize Machine in November recipes for the October 2006 issue. 15. Contest entries for 28
briomag.com • march 2007
Bige
Decision Fourteen-year-old
Robert Pierre wants you to let Jesus Christ turn your life inside out.
GROUP LABEL PROVIDENT OF COURTESY PHOTO
Web site references do not constitute blanket endorsements or complete agreement by Focus on the Family with information or resources offered at or through those sites.
by Martha Krienke
Robert Pierre had to make a choice: Join his middle school football team or pursue a music career? “It was a tough decision, because all my friends are [playing football]. I had to pray about it for a couple weeks to find out what God wanted me to do,” he says. “I ended up not playing, because I had a peace in my heart not to.” Robert may have felt discouraged this past fall when his buddies came to school wearing their jerseys on game days, but with his busy schedule and unique opportunities, Robert says he doesn’t regret his decision. “My friends are really supportive through all this. When we gave them sampler CDs, they learned the songs, and they sing them in class sometimes.”
Talent Discovered Robert’s interest in music began when he and his cousin saw the movie That Thing You Do! “I had a guitar back then and a little toy drum. My cousin would sit down and play [the drums], and I got to be the guitar player,” Robert says. In fall 2005, Robert recorded a
briomag.com • march 2007
song as a holiday gift for friends and family. The demo caught the attention of Robert’s local Christian radio station and its listeners. Because of so many requests for Robert’s music, his family decided to post it online for 10 days of free downloading. This overwhelming interest in his music encouraged Robert to use his voice to reach out to his peers with the message of the Gospel.
Living It Out Robert’s parents have played a significant role in helping his career take off. His mom even helped write some of the songs on the album and has encouraged Robert to take piano lessons. “Without [my parents], a lot of this wouldn’t happen,” Robert says. “If I need to talk to them about something or if I’m not feeling good, I can come to
them and openly talk to them.” For other Brio readers who may also dream of a career in music, Robert says to never give up. “That’s the only step, because if you give up and stop trying, it’ll never happen,” he says. Then, if or when your dream comes true, Robert says you’ve got to watch your pride. “It’s fun to go out there and entertain with the ministry, but afterward you’ve got to be humble. People will have a bad thought about you if you’re not talking, just have sunglasses on, walking around and ignoring people.” Robert says you’re never too young to do what you’re passionate about. “Age has nothing to do with it. It’s usually all about how you act. You show other people [your maturity] through how you act and being an example.” And that’s true whether you’re on the field in uniform or on stage with a microphone. f Check out Robert’s album Inside Out by hearing a sample at robertpierre.com 29