When Mary writes personal feelings and stories on Facebook, she calls it Confessions of a Pastor's Wife. Thus the reason for my title today. I'm going to try to be personal. Partly because I think it will help you and partly because it will help me.

A curious thing happens when one receives "a diagnosis." Many people begin to ask all sorts of questions about it (symptoms, etc.). I noticed that they were clearly asking out of anxiety about their own well-being and not mine. When I was first diagnosed, a nurse began asking me questions before a procedure I was about to have done. I thought she was being medical until I saw she wasn't taking notes. It was evident that she was worried about herself. Having been a professional worrier for much of my former life, her fear was easy to spot.

This is similar to what preachers do to each other. 99% of the time when a minister asks another minister what they have been preaching on, it is because the minister wants to tell his latest revelation, not because he wants an answer to the question...but that's okay. It is human nature. People want to talk about themselves, because that's who they live with most of the time.

So here is Lesson One...

Knowing that the majority of people are most interested in themselves (all of you true-followers of Jesus, living a self-less life of Love are excluded!), use that truth to advance the Kingdom and be a witness. Start conversations with others by asking them questions about themselves. You'll never have a problem talking to people again, because once they start talking they won't stop! :) Life isn't about us if we are true believers. It's about them! ...regardless of what's going on with you.