Hey all,

Ben and I had a wonderful weekend relaxing at our house - it was a much needed weekend of doing absolutely nothing. I haven't slept that much in probably years, so I guess I needed that! We went to church yesterday and I can't seem to get the sermon out of my head. I wish all of you could have heard this sermon, it was really a valuable lesson in life. Anyone can relate to it, as we have all had tough times and many of us out there are worried about our health, our jobs, our financial situation, etc. It talked about how living the Christian life is not easy, and how when you think nothing else can go wrong, everything turns around for the better and you realize what you have just gone through is really a blessing. You wouldn't be the same person if you had not gone through it. It began with these verses from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

8) We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9) persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Our pastor talked about how you must pray for exactly what you need - don't beat around the bush. If you are having health issues, ask for the strength to keep on going.  If you are having troubles in your marriage, ask Him to strengthen your bond. If you are having financial troubles, ask Him what you should do to overcome this obstacle. If you find yourself without a job, ask Him to give you the courage to go out there and find another one. He said you must be specific and that you must not forget the power of prayer.

I personally found this sermon very comforting and thought I would share it with all of you.

Don't give up!

Love you all!

Hey all,

My blood counts are good once again - this is just fantastic!  I was a tiny bit anemic, but it is nothing to worry about.  I also got a flu shot today, and that wasn't too bad either.  The port needle access did hurt a little, but it was only for a second so no big deal.  

This past Saturday was the 2008 Light the Night Walk in Atlanta. The day started with a surprise visit by some of my closest friends, Chris and Laura Herron, who drove all the way from Columbia to spend the day with me! Lori Tvarkunas, Brandon Lacey, and Rob Stanfield also surprised me as well. This added to my original crew of my husband Ben, Steve and Linda Stephenson, Kristen and Matt Stephenson and my Mom and Dad. We all watched the Carolina-Kentucky game over at Kristen and Matt's house (thank goodness we won, go cocks!) and then headed downtown to Centennial Olympic Park. The weather was perfect, and we were on Ben's Enterprise Rent-A-Car Team of about 200 walkers. I had never participated in a charity event before, but I will never miss another one of these walks. It was so awesome to see how many people came out to show support - I think around 12,000 people were there and together raised over $1 million. It's really something to see all of those balloons lighting up simultaneously. I want to thank everyone who was there supporting me, and thank you to Kristen and Matt for organizing and hosting Saturday's surprise for me. I have the best family and friends anyone could ever ask for.

Love you all!

In the words of my oncologist, I am his "perfect patient" - and that alone puts a smile on my face! He told us today that people either do very well, or they feel like they've just been put through 2 weeks of hell, so I guess I am one of the lucky ones that has done well with my first chemo treatment.   I had my second treatment today, and once again, it was cake.  Why can't they make all tests for cancer as easy as this?  I guess I'll go ahead and shut up before I put my foot in my mouth and jinx myself!  I feel ok right now, but am assuming I will get a little more sluggish by the hour.  So, 2 down - 6 to go!