And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:29 NKJV)
JUSTIFIED BY FAITH
Say this about LaTonya Merritt: Never will she ever forget to remember.
In fact, when Merritt thinks of the goodness of Jesus, and all He has done for her, her soul cries out, “Hallelujah! Praise God for saving me.”
To grasp a thorough understanding of why Merritt deems it necessary to often assume this praise break approach, look no further than how God had miraculously provided for her a way of escape nearly a decade ago.
Stricken by an unlikely breast cancer diagnosis that had ultimately given way to arguably the darkest season of her life, Merritt, as she tells it, had the one pivotal thing on which she could rely: unwavering faith.
“Being a nine-year cancer survivor, I have been graced by God to let others know that through the power of prayer, healing is possible,” Merritt, during an interview this week with Making Headline News, said, recalling the memorable developments that had greatly enabled her to outlast her dreaded season in the wilderness. “(We must) have strength to know that after the pain, there is purpose.”
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Ahhhh…purpose, something by which Merritt found it imperative to highlight as one of 90 co-authors who have collectively joined forces to assemble Women Who Pray: 90 Days Of Powerful Prayers, the highly-anticipated anthology that is spearheaded by St. Mary’s, Georgia-based International Motivational Speaker and Bestselling Author Carleeka Basnight-Menendez.
A spiritually-powering, life-altering written work that has already created a national buzz, Women Who Pray: 90 Days Of Powerful Prayers is comprised of 90 co-authors from the “north, south, east and west,” Basnight-Menendez told Making Headline News during a recent interview.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, Merritt doesn’t shy away from the notion that joining Basnight-Menendez’s bestselling anthology aligns with the divine purpose for which God has created her.
Amongst the obvious reasons is that Merritt is nearly decade removed from having gone in remission amid her breast cancer diagnosis.
According to a report at Cancer.Net, more women are diagnosed with breast cancer than any other type of cancer, besides skin cancer. This year, in fact, an estimated 281,550 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 49,290 women will be diagnosed with non-invasive (or in situ) breast cancer.
And, from 2008 to 2017, invasive breast cancer in women increased by half a percent each year, while an estimated 2,650 men in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year.
Also, according to the report, it is estimated that 44,130 deaths — or 43,600 women and 530 men — from breast cancer will occur this year.
Interestingly enough, medical experts discovered that a five-year survival rate tells you what percent of people live at least five years after the cancer is found (percent means how many out of 100). In essence, the average five-year survival rate for women with non-metastatic invasive breast cancer is 90 percent, while the average 10-year survival rate for women with non-metastatic invasive breast cancer is 84%.
Fortunately for Merritt, she’s a survivor and, much to her delight, she’s been blessed mightily to live and talk about it as a first-time author in a book that debuted in Summer 2021.
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“This book is a part of my purpose to (empower others),” said Merritt, referring to her topic, “Help Heal Others One Heartbeat At A Time.”
“God gave me the vision to write during my healing process breast cancer, knowing that others were experiencing the same hurt and hopelessness,” Merritt said. “I decided to write about how God healed and delivered me, physically and mentally.”
As Merritt recalls, she was battling Stage 3 breast cancer, an affliction she described as “growing rapidly.”
But God Whom, after his child had suffered awhile, He made her perfect, not to mention established, strengthened, and settled her.
“I came out cancer free and has been for the past years,” Merritt said. “And I knew anything was possible through prayer.”
That, after, goes to show that never will she ever forget to remember.
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For more information on Charlotte, North Carolina Author LaTonya Merritt, to order her book, to schedule her for a public appearance, book signing or speaking engagement, connect with her via Facebook at: LaTonya Merritt or Hills Of Faith (Facebook Business); Instagram: hillsof_faith. Also, send email to: Hillsoffaith2018@gmail.com.
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Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to makingheadlinenews@gmail.com or to memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist or Instagram at @makingheadlinenews.