Millions of personal blogs major in egotism. Not so David Wenzel’s blog, Jump David Jump.

Most people have never heard of Jump David Jump, but it’s received over 1,000 hits a day over the past four months. It’s a place where Wenzel talks about his work, his wife, Amy, and faith pushed hard by the recent grade II olio-based glioma tumor that now occupies one-fourth of his brain. (The blog’s title refers to “jumps” Wenzel has taken in his life; his cancer diagnosis is just another.)

While Wenzel had been blogging before his diagnosis, the site shifted in tone—and traffic—after he discovered he had cancer and began detailing his every step in the journey online, even posting updates on Twitter and Facebook between initial MRIs.

He reported a grand mal seizure upon bumping his head at a conference in California in June. This led to a stay at the Mayo Clinic, appointments with multiple brain specialists, and the sobering diagnosis that the tumor is “not a lump you can scoop out. It’s like chicken wire that has infused itself in my brain,” Wenzel says. That means it’s inoperable: Doctors give patients up to 10 years to live if they do radiation and chemotherapy.

Through his blog, followers learn the tumor has probably been growing in his head for 10 years and has wrapped itself in Wenzel’s speech centers. His blog posts range from the humorous to the inspirational. Some have been controversial, including his view that God placed this specific type of cancer in this specific area of his brain for a specific reason (he credits John Piper’s essay “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” as inspiration).

Wenzel’s blog is just one medium through which he’s telling his story. A group on Facebook—Pray for David Wenzel! – Operation 55 Zebra!—has nearly 1,300 members; he posts general updates there and links back to his blog. His basic message: “Having cancer is a bummer but if that’s what it takes for me to understand who God is and what He wants for my life I’ll gladly take it.” Readers often leave Wenzel’s site either puzzled or in awe of a man choosing faith and optimism over anger and discouragement.

Nicole Russell is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.