Summary
This episode brings the fire like we’ve never had before on this podcast, so buckle up sisters, because this episode is going to change your perspective on so many levels!
Today on the Podcast we have a special guest, Erika Diaz-Castro, your Jesus-loving, Puerto Rican life coach!
So much value, encouragement, and insight is crammed into this episode as Erika shares from 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, her recent life experience through child birth, cancer, and the realness of clinging to Christ.
We talk about Biblical Mindset, focusing on Christ through the storms, identity in Christ over our current circumstances, finding a Christian Life Coach, anxiety, and more as Erika shares her beautiful, encouraging, and humbling testimony of God’s faithfulness through His inexplicable Joy & Peace, regardless of circumstances and outcome.
The Write Up
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 17-18
What exactly does this scripture mean to you?
“I think the bigger thing about reading from Scripture is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and show you what it is that the Lord would have you to understand and to receive.”
Erika Diaz-Castro
So lets talk about Erika and just how this scripture came into revelation in her life.
In episode no. 19 of The Intentional Abundant Life Podcast, Sasha Star Robertson and Erika Diaz-Castro and I went deep into the Biblical Mindset through affliction when she gave an incredible testimony of God’s healing in the time frame that he promised. Her faith in God comforted her and guided her during that difficult period. Have you ever been in a situation that was meant for your harm but God turned it around for your good? I’m sure you have, I know for sure that I have been there many times and God has never failed me. He has always come through for me, even when I couldn’t see the outcome, I held on to faith and he came through EVERY TIME!
In 2016 Erika was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Over time she learned to manage it naturally by controlling her diet, exercising regularly and managing stress, she also saw a therapist and indulged herself in a lot of journaling. It was at this time that Erika decided that she needed to deepen her relationship with Jesus. “After having been diagnosed I quite literally ran after Jesus, I started taking Bible study way more seriously, my prayer life transformed. And I started to really seek the presence of the Lord more committedly, if that makes sense” said Erika during her interview.
During the time from 2016 to 2020, Erica went on to manage lymphoma, had her daughter and the cancer was getting smaller without chemo or radiation treatments. In the year 2020, with the unseen circumstances of the pandemic both her grandparents and parents contracted Covid-19. Her grandfather, who was also diagnosed with lymphoma, battled the disease for a year and a half and was in remission up until that point. Compounded with her personal issues, Erika’s stress level began to rise and soon she found that the little lymph node that was left in her neck, was now growing. By the time she was able to get to a doctor, she was already pregnant and could not do chemo or radiation treatments to battle lymphoma.
Erika felt peace as she knew the Lord’s hands were placed upon her situation and she would be victorious. She delivered her baby early and began steroid treatment which bought her a little more time with her newborn son before she had to begin chemo. Erika prayed and asked God how long she would have to wait to be healed and the Lord revealed to her that it would take two months for her to be completely healed of cancer. She held tightly to his word and attended her treatments, always identifying herself as a Christian and not a cancer victim. At this point, Erika was diagnosed with stage three cancer but she paid that diagnosis no mind, she attended her chemo sessions always armed with her bible and used that time for bible study and journaling. While there she prayed with and for the other patients, everyone could feel her sense of peace through it all.
When it was exactly two months of treatment, her doctors advised her that she was in remission and Ericka immediately gave the glory to God as she remember what he said to her. She believes that its because of her holding on to God’s promise to her and intentionally seeking him that she was healed from cancer.
“Throughout the entire time. I heard from the Lord more than I ever had. Part of that was that I was in the word more than it ever was. And the peace of the Lord was with me. And I know that is, in large part, probably I would venture to say, only because I was running after Christ and no one else. To the point where there were times I took social media breaks, I didn’t do anything except take care of the newborn that I had a home. My husband was working. My family’s on the East Coast. My daughter was in daycare. And I would take care of my son who’s a newborn, and I would do Bible study, I was sleeping between… and that was literally it.” – Erika Diaz-Castro
Erika also gives thanks to her support system which includes two friends who were there for her, sending messages, videos, calling her, supporting her in her bible studies and praying with her. They helped her to bring her mind back to Christ during low periods and to combat anxiousness she pulled out the ultimate weapon…worship! “And I tell you, as soon as I started worshipping, this, like this, inexplicable joy and peace would come over me, I would I would be like, on a high. And, you know, there’s a lot of other things that I could get into to share how well I know that feeling. But I would, I would really feel that just from worshipping and feeling, you know, being filled with the Spirit at that point.”
Not many people knew what Erika was going through at that time since she is a very private person. Had it not been for her bald head, no one would have guessed as they said she didn’t look or act sick at any point. Erika holds on to her identity in Christ through all her afflictions and continues to preach the goodness of God come what may.
“God is good and I don’t disagree, I just want to add the caveat that whether I’m in remission or not, he’s still good, you know, he didn’t give me cancer, he used the cancer for his good, because he is good. And you know, had it not been for the fall, we wouldn’t have to go through all these things, but we go through them. And it’s not to say that this is like giving an okay to be sinful or to take our eyes off of him, we go through them, and he can use it to draw us closer. And I think that’s the bigger part of understanding how affliction can benefit us. Because affliction is going to afflict us whether we want it to or not, whether we have our eyes on him or not. We, you know, I’m not unique in that I was experiencing and feeling and being filled with the peace and the joy of the Holy Spirit. We all are invited to participate in that to receive that these are gifts of the Spirit.”
Erika Diaz-Castro
This blog post is adapted from episode no. 19 of The Intentional Abundant Life podcast, where we strive to help create productively peaceful lives for Christian moms. My guests and I are focused on the peace that surpasses understanding, and the steadfast loving kindness that comes from our Father in heaven. We’re also focused on being good stewards of all the gifts and resources that we have been given in this life, and we want to be productive members of our family and our home, as well as our community and the kingdom. Article written by Keiva Reyes of Momtrepreneurs & me
About Erika Diaz-Castro
Erika is a servant of Christ, wife and mama of 2… life coach for Christian women & host of Her Renewed Strength – the Podcast….. equipping and encouraging Christian women to properly steward their gifts, time and resources; shift from focusing on the temporal to the eternal; and live aligned with their purpose, identity and calling in Christ…. so you aren’t paralyzed by anxiety and can boldly serve His KINGDOM.
Want more of Erika, subscribe to Her Renewed Strength – The Podcast at www.herrenewedstrength.com/podcast or plug into her Bible Study Group at https://herrenewedstrength.com/community
Transcription
Coming Soon
Join us in the Intentional Abundance Community to further discuss this episode and more, ask podcast questions, hang out with other incredible Jesus loving mommas, and get even more value on your journey towards peacefully productive motherhood. https://intentionalabundance.life/community
Intentional Momlife with Jesus 