Day 23

Day 22

This is my Monday morning commute. At first glance one might notice a whole bunch of brake lights. At second glance, you might be proud to see that I have left several car lengths between me and the car in front of me (mostly because I am taking a picture while driving-eek!) But really I was hoping you might be able to notice the pink sky that met me on my way to work this morning.

It was a sweet reminder of a six month period that I did not make this drive because I was recovering from surgeries and chemotherapy. It was a period of time that made me better able to appreciate the extraordinary opportunity I have to work part-time outside of our home.

It has been eleven and a half years since I graduated from my physical therapy program while living in one of my favorite places on earth. I have had several jobs and worked with many different therapists, techs and patients in that time. I wouldn't say I loved every one of the jobs I have ever had, but I have always loved being a PT.

I love educating people about their bodies and taking care of themselves. I love that I don't sit behind a desk and sometimes even get to exercise. I love that I get to use my hands and offer the power of a caring touch. I love that I currently work with a staff of supportive and loving people who have become like family to me.

Perhaps, the part I love the most is that I get to spend time with people and hear their stories....they are usually hurting people looking for healing. While I do not believe that I can fix every dysfunction or take every symptom away, I do believe that my salt and light have the ability to make them better than when they came in.

Day 21

More cancer, a broken marriage, a diseased liver, severe depression…..it had been one of those weeks where bad news seemed to be piling one on top of another. Even though the whole point of my own journey was a surrender of my control, I felt oppressed by my inability to change any of these circumstances for these people I love. My plea was they would feel God's unfailing love and know the Hope that only He can offer, but for some reason the spoken prayer just didn't seem like enough.

It wasn't until I read with fresh eyes the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:13-16 that I realized the reason for the heaviness I was feeling.

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16 MSG)

There is a calling on my life: to be salt to bring out the God-flavors and light to bring out the God-colors. In the past, I would have been completely overwhelmed by the idea of fulfilling this calling in the midst of such intense circumstances. I would have relied on the spoken prayer and moved on.

But I experienced my own “bend in the road” and to not act was no longer an option. It was those little acts of love poured out on us by many people that left a God-taste and opened my eyes to Grace of it all. Just as salt must lose itself in the food in order to offer the savor….just as light has to go to the darkness to dispel it….the action steps became more clear and the burden started feeling a little lighter.

Day 20

For today's post I wanted to share a ministry that has become dear to my heart during this last year. As part of a campaign to make room for people at our home church and support local and global ministries, we were asked to consider supporting The Annapolis Pregnancy Clinic. The creative minds on staff at our church put together this moving video.  Then I was able to take a tour of its home at 934 West Street.  As I stood in this modest white house on a corner lot and listened to stories of the battles for life being fought there, I began to feel a sense of urgency. It is an urgency that comes from an agreement in my spirit that there is life-changing, life-saving power in this ministry.  

Their Mission

"The Pregnancy Clinic Ministry is a medical non-profit offering Help, Hope and Healing to women and their families facing unexpected pregnancy, giving them tools to choose life for their babies and to find the Hope of the Gospel". 

Do you know of anyone that may benefit from the support, counseling, and love offered by this ministry? 

Day 19

I have mentioned that part of my long-term treatment for breast cancer is taking the drug Tamoxifen.  Approximately three quarters of all breast cancers are found to be estrogen receptor positive (ER- positive) meaning the growth of cancer cells is encouraged by the hormone estrogen as it activates receptors. Tamoxifen works by blocking the hormone receptors, and therefore, lowers the chance of recurrence of breast cancer.  Up until now the recommendation for pre-menopausal women taking the drug has always been 5 years. However, last year a new study came out revealing a significant decrease in recurrence and death in women who stay on the drug for 10 years.  For today's post I am including a link to an article about the study for those who are interested. 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/261363.php

What this study means for me is that if I can deal with the annoying but not significantly life-altering side effects of Tamoxifen, I am most likely looking at a sentence of 10 years.

Day 18

In a little over a week, our family and several of our friends are going to be getting together for the first annual "Think Pink" Run/Walk in Crofton, MD and we wanted to invite anyone following the blog to participate. You can participate by either coming out to run/walk the entire loop or part of the Crofton Parkway (approximately 3.5 miles) or by donating items to provide "kits" for women who are facing Breast Cancer surgery.  Read more about the kits from Day 6 and see our email invitation below for more details. 

Many of you know that for the last two years our family has participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Hunt Valley, MD. Although we really enjoyed the experience of uniting with so many others that have been affected by breast cancer in an effort to raise awareness and money for research/programs, we have really been desiring something that is more local and personal for us. So with the help of a friend, an idea has evolved and we were hoping you would consider joining us. On Sat, October 26th, we are going to meet at 8 am at the Village Green parking lot in Crofton, MD for a "Think Pink" Run/Walk around the Crofton Parkway in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is not a timed race. Some may run, some may walk, some may just hang out and wait for us to head over to Panera Bread (in Waugh Chapel) for Pink Ribbon Bagels and coffee! 

Since my own journey through diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer, I have had the privilege of showing care for other breast cancer patients by providing a kit of a few helpful things for going through surgery. This is a ministry that I would love to see continue for many years to come. At the "Think Pink" Walk/Run, we are hoping to collect some donations for the kits (although it is not a requirement in order to take part). 

Ideas of possible donation items would be: 

• Pink (solid or patterned) fabric and ribbon for making the drain sacks (Tammy Smith has been so graciously offering her sewing skills for these)
• Jesus Calling devotional books
•  Bars of Clear white Dial soap
• pink ribbon pens
•  thin journals/notebooks
• button down pajamas (for various sizes and seasons)
•  pink gift bags/tissue paper
•  money to cover the cost of shipping to those who are out of town
• anything pink ribbon that you see while you are out and about shopping this month that might be a nice addition to the kits.

(This is what is usually included in a kit)

If you think you can attend and can let us know, that would be awesome but feel free to just show up and bring others the morning of the walk/run.  Don't forget to sport your pink!

Day 17

I have mentioned before my previous aversion to the color pink. Prior to my breast cancer journey, there was one other time in my life when I couldn't have been happier to be surrounded by pink. A little over 4 years ago we met our baby girl, Kalea Mei. We had chosen to be in the dark about the gender of both of our kids throughout the pregnancies. I didn't have any strong feeling either way when I was prego with number #2, but I think I had convinced myself that it was a boy as a protective mechanism. Deep down I really hoped that I would have a girl.

In hoping for a girl, I never imagined I would have such a girlie girl on my hands. Being quite the tomboy myself at her age, my mom tells me that I refused to wear dresses. Meanwhile, Kalea has a drawer full of jeans that will likely never see the light of day. The struggle in my house currently is convincing my girl that wearing nothing but a Tinkerbell bathing suit to run the neighborhood is not exactly appropriate for October. I was repulsed by the idea of nail polish until I reached my college years. For Kalea, there is probably no better treat than to have her fingers and toes painted. Although, she claims her favorite color to be purple, the girl exemplifies pink.

And I am so happy she does. Although she is different from me in many ways, I like to think there are many ways we are the same. She loves people, loves to talk and loves to be a goofball (as you can see from the photo). Like me, she is also very much a momma's girl. I wonder if that will change with time but pray it never does. I feel so incredibly blessed to now be on the mom side of that very special bond.