Hope

Hope

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Honestly

Happy Thursday everyone!  We just got back from Atlanta yesterday.  Karley and I were doing a media interview for the Atlanta Free to Breathe Event coming up August 16th.  We had the interview on NBC with the only other committee member besides me that has lung cancer.

I last saw her in April.  She was so vibrant then.  Now, I'm worried.  She's such a sweet person with such a positive attitude but this disease is a beast.  It's relentless no matter what your attitude is...  Karley left the interview tearing up, afraid that I would get so sick....  I couldn't respond much except to say that I would do my best not too.   It broke my heart into a million pieces.

Recently I was told that "I can change my outcome with my mind.   Just believe I don't have cancer".   Well, I say to that, "I believe I can fly".  What will happen if I try to do that?  Us cancer patients are busting our butts trying to survive.  The last thing we need is someone telling us how to "survive" cancer.  Don't you think we've done the research?  I'm sorry but it's really getting to me lately.  Everyone is trying to help and have an opinion, but some things are just part of God's plan and beyond our control.  

I just had to rant for tonight.  Sorry for that.  Some days are good, some are not.  Please understand that we are fighting for our lives and don't need to feel like it is our own fault that we have this disease and that we can control it if we want too.

Ephesians 2:8
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - "

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Clueless...but not anymore

Happy Sunday all!  I hope everyone is having a fabulous day thus far.   We just got back from Atlanta again on Wednesday.  We've been on the go all summer and it's been fun.  Yesterday and today have been lazy days for me though.  I've been going so much I think it may have caught up with me.  It's been amazing laying around though...

Today I watched that movie Clueless.  I realized it's been almost 20 years since it was released.  I used to love that movie when I was like 15....and I watched the whole thing again today.  I love watching movies that take me back to a simpler time when I had my whole life ahead of me.  Things were so different back then, anything was possible.  And there wasn't freakin cancer anywhere on my radar of course.  I didn't appreciate how great my health really was.

Then I began thinking, I was Clueless, not like the movie of course, but the title.  I thought my whole life would be different.  I had no idea all of this was coming.  Who does?  When we are younger, we have this sense of invincibility that can be so dangerous.  I pray, and believe, that I will be here for Karley when she hits that age.   I look back at the stupid things I did and am so grateful I had two parents that cared so much.  But me, I was totally Clueless.  If only we could see the future...I'm not sure I really would have done much differently except have a closer relationship to God and appreciate the little things more.  Time goes by so fast...

On another note, but somewhat related, I'm on the Atlanta Free to Breathe 5K committee this year, and if you don't have plans and are in the Atlanta area August 16th, we would love for you to come out and join us for this run/walk fundraising event.  Our team this year is called "Team Karley" and you can register or donate here:  Free to Breathe Atlanta

I've included our group photos from last year.  You don't have to run....some of our friends did and even placed in the race, but I'll probably be walking.  Free To Breathe is dedicated to doubling lung cancer survival by the year 2022 and 80% of your fundraising efforts go directly to research.  That's amazing!  So, if you can't come out, you can still help by donating to our Team.

In the meantime, thank you for your continuous prayers and support for my family and me.  They mean so much.  This is a never-ending battle and I'm so blessed to have our Father and all of you on my side.  God bless you!










Romans 8:31
"What shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?"