Celebrate! Celebrate!

This past weekend, I invited (read: forced) my family to pack up the car and head to the mountains of Northern Georgia to celebrate my 5 year anniversary, free of breast cancer. The first two anniversaries were kind of a big deal to everyone, however, as the years rolled along, it became less of one. However, for all of you cancer survivors out there, every year that date rolls around is special. Anyway, we drove 5 hours to Amicalola Falls again, one of my favorite spots. Some of us had been before but this was Carey’s first time to join us.
February 27 marks 5 years since being diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. So I thought it would be fun to celebrate with the family and do something special. We decided to pack up the car and head down to Georgia. Carey had never been with us in the past so it was a new adventure for her. We headed out for Amicalola Falls. It took us about 4-1/2 hours (with a couple of stops) and we decided to stop in Dohlonega to eat lunch and walk around the town square. We ate at Chik-fil-a, a safe place to eat I thought, but I ended up getting sick. We did make it to a few shops but I was out of it for a while. We got to the park around 6 and checked in to our cabin. (BTW we’re driving on 1/4 tank of gas, actually a little less, and the nearest gas station is 18 miles away. We’ll see if we make it back to town.)
Our cabin is quite roomy--2 bedrooms with 3 double beds, bathroom, full kitchen, living and dining room. It sits in front of the creek. The family honored me with gifts--Season 1 of “Father Dowling”, Barnes & Noble gift card, Olivia stuffed pig and a Shutterfly book of E and J-Bear. (Yes, I cried.)
We played games, watched some “Monk” and had lots of fun.
Jim and Charley got up early to go to the lodge for a breakfast buffet. Expecting to pay $7 each, the waitress didn’t charge them. SCORE! Free bacon. lol The rest of us should have gone.
It’s really cold outside but we plan to take a hike then head to Helen, a little German town after stopping off at the Cabbage Patch Babyland Hospital in Cleveland. Remember those dolls? Did you have one too?
We took a short walk up to the Nature Center--the docents had a Barred Owl and a Screech Owl out. Before that was a Great Horned Owl and another small one. The corn snake was a favorite with the children there. We headed up to the Reflection pond but Jim wasn’t feeling well so bowed out. The girls and I continued our walk up. Carey wants to try climbing the 604 steps to the top of the falls tomorrow. No one wants to join her so we’ll drive to the top. (Read: cheaters)
After our walk we drove over to Helen, the little German town I mentioned. On the way we saw the Cabbage Patch Hospital so went in to visit the babies. We got there just in time to witness a birth. We saw it right after being removed from the cabbage. The nurse then took the baby to the nursery to weigh and measure. The were a lot of children and they loved it. All around the room were displays of dolls and several with their heads poking out of the cabbages in the cabbage patch. They had adoption waiting rooms and a huge gift shop.
We then headed to Helen, walked around town and stopped in to share a funnel cake. We had dinner at Johnny B’s and now back at the cabin relaxing. Hope it warms up tomorrow.
Still cold but took a little walk to the falls. Carey climbed the 604 steps to the top of the falls. We met her at the top. Then left for home. Had a great time this weekend.

Sacrifice

Sac-ri-fice: an act of offering to a deity something precious, to offer as a sacrifice. (Webster’s)
The Ultimate Sacrifice: Jesus’ death on the cross.
What sacrifice means to me: giving of oneself til it hurts. Not when you have lots of time and you decide to use it to feed the homeless. Not when you have wealth and you give it to charities. It’s when you have a little, and you’re willing to give that.
I don’t believe that I’ve sacrificed to the point that it really hurts. That’s why I’ve chosen to share about someone else, my daughter. To me, she sacrificed til it hurt. Cory sacrificed the comforts of the Western world to spend nine years in a third world country because she heard the heart and call of God.
Though living on less than a missionary’s budget, she may have still lived better than most nationals. She gave up much to serve the people of Madagascar.
She sacrificed her health--getting malaria more than once and respiratory problems caused from polluted air. So much so she was hospitalized and at one point thought she wasn’t going to make it.
She sacrificed being with family for those years--missing birthdays (hers and ours), Christmas and all of the other holidays and just day to day life.
She wasn’t here when her grandparents passed into Heaven or when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She gave up many modern conveniences like a washer and dryer--she learned to wash her clothes by hand. Also, modern toilets--ever tried a “squatty potty”? 101? She did have some modern conveniences, depending on where she lived. But if you want hot water, you heat it on the stove, if you have one or if not, coals.
So why would she sacrifice so much? To be in the center of God’s will. What better place to be.
Though she sacrificed much, she had some remarkable experiences living in another culture and being a light to the island. She spent time learning the language and the culture of the Malagasy by living with them. She shared the love of Jesus Christ with the children. She prayed with the sick in the hospital and brought joy into the lives of orphans. She made some special friends and also faced some heartaches, but she does want to return some day.


The Children




Places To Go





Health

Lent

Lent: the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by the Roman Catholic, Eastern and some Protestant churches as a period of penitence and fasting. (a period of fasting and regret for one's sins that is observed on the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter by many churches) (Webster's online dictionary)

I've never fully participated in Lent. I may have given up something at one time or another for Lent, however, I really don't remember if it had much meaning for me.
Last year I half-heartedly took part in World Visions Act:s ReLentless Acts of Justice--mainly sharing the stories sent to me on Facebook. I do feel fairly strongly about injustice issues and I want others to be aware. Not everyone lives in a world of rainbows and lollipops. There is much suffering around the world as well as in our own country. If I can bring awareness to just one person, it's worth taking a little time to advocate. Of course this gave me a focused time of prayer for these issues, but was it really considered Lent for me?
So, what am I going to sacrifice for Lent this year? Well, I told myself yesterday morning I would give up chocolate and XXX Vitamin Water--both items I feel I am addicted to. So what did I do at Target? I walked down the Valentine's clearance aisle and found chocolate kisses (my all time favorites) for 70% off. Score! They were small boxes with 6 kisses each at only 10c a box. What a bargain! And what goes better with candy than a bottle of vitamin water? Well, that idea went over like a lead balloon. So what will I do with 1/2 bottle of XXX now and 4 candy kisses?
Another idea came as I read a new book: 7: AN EXPERIMENTAL MUTINY AGAINST EXCESS, written by Jen Hatmaker. Along the lines of David Platt's RADICAL, Jen decides to spend 7 months ridding her life of material possessions, using less, or giving up a few things. She would spend one month on each of the 7 topics: clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media and stress. So I thought I'd try the same challenge for 7 weeks (a little longer than Lent but that's okay). The only trouble, I'm not quite ready, I want to read a little more.
In the meantime, this years W.V. Act:s challenge is ReLentless Sacrifice which actually fits nicely with the "7" challenge.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Isaiah 58 (read the entire chapter if you have a few minutes)
vs. 5-10 "Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
"Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
"Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
"Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.