As we prepare to ring the new year, I thought I'd stop by and update everyone on our progress with this cancer rehab center. By the grace of God, things are beginning to fall into place. A little over a month ago, I was officially granted corporation status. I must confess that I'm not exactly sure what this means, other than the fact that I had to get it before I was allowed to apply for non-profit status. I was also issued an employee identification number....Again, not too sure what I will do with this, being that I do not have any employees yet, but it is one more box I can check on the 501(c)3 application!
Little by little, God has placed people in my path that are willing and able to help me with this project. Friends gifted with the ability to do web design and offer legal advice have stepped forward. I've met a retired preacher who specializes in end-of-life counsel...A nursing student who has had an unexplained passion for cancer since she was in junior high...And a sweet friend from Bible study who turned out to be an accountant...God's mighty hand is surely at work!
Every time I find myself getting distracted with daily life, God finds a way to bring my mind back to cancer. A few weeks ago, as I was starting to feel overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of Christmas, I learned that a friend of mine has been diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive form of cancer. As I pray for this individual's strength and healing, I can't help but stand in awe of the Gift he has been given. Understandably, most people would not consider a cancer diagnosis to be a gift...But the fact is, we are all mortal beings. There is nothing stopping me from stepping off my front porch tomorrow and getting hit by a bus. At some point, we will all face death...It's just that most of us like to live in denial of this fact. The Gift of cancer is that those who are diagnosed with it are forced to face their own mortality; to question where they are going when they die, and learn how they will get there. As long as we are living, it is never too late to accept Christ as our Savior. What a Gift from our merciful God!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
konk over the head
Wow, I can't believe over a month has passed since my last post! I think I sat down to write a few days ago, but fell asleep at my laptop instead. My baby is teething, so sleep is sporadic these days. Oh, the joys of motherhood!
So, I suppose I should fill you in on what has been going on around here! Although slow, I have made some progress. I always joke that I'm hoping that it takes about 5 years to get this thing set-up - - enough time to get all my babies in school...but it seems to me like God has other plans.
I've been really interested lately in the different ways God chooses to speak to us (or as a friend of mine lovingly calls it "konks us over the head"). How He knows the perfect thing to put in our path at the perfect time that will let us know that He is with us; that He loves us. A few weeks ago, a girl in my Bible study at church told us that she was going through a hard time, and one day while she was taking a walk, a beautiful leaf fell on her arm. It was all she needed to know that God was with her. What a gift it is, that our God knows us so well that He knows exactly what will speak to our hearts...or konk us over the head. Sometimes I am just in awe of Him.
I got one of those konks the other day. I was walking with my 2-year-old, and my neighbor was just getting home from work. We have always been friendly with each other, but her children are older, so we don't really talk THAT much. I had intended to just smile and wave and keep on going...we were approaching bed time, so my to do list was swirling around in my head, and I didn't want to bother her as she was just getting home from a long day at work. Plus, I never feel very comfortable making small talk. But - konk - I felt a strange urge to stop and talk with her. As we were talking - konk - I felt led to ask her where she worked. She told me she worked at a local hospital. At this point, I'm thinking about what a coincidence it was that she worked in the same hospital where I delivered my last two children....cancer rehab was the furthest thing from my mind. So - konk - I asked her which department she worked in (thinking maternity ward, of course...)...and KONK - she told me she was an oncology nurse!! I think I almost fell over! So, I quickly told her about my little project, and her eyes lit up. We've met a few times, and it looks as though the hospital is very interested in becoming involved with the rehab center. At this point, I'm not sure in what capacity they will be involved (still praying about that), but it looks like we will be able to form some kind of relationship.
Isn't God awesome? Four years of living down the street from her, and I never knew her job! What an awesome God we serve!
So, I suppose I should fill you in on what has been going on around here! Although slow, I have made some progress. I always joke that I'm hoping that it takes about 5 years to get this thing set-up - - enough time to get all my babies in school...but it seems to me like God has other plans.
I've been really interested lately in the different ways God chooses to speak to us (or as a friend of mine lovingly calls it "konks us over the head"). How He knows the perfect thing to put in our path at the perfect time that will let us know that He is with us; that He loves us. A few weeks ago, a girl in my Bible study at church told us that she was going through a hard time, and one day while she was taking a walk, a beautiful leaf fell on her arm. It was all she needed to know that God was with her. What a gift it is, that our God knows us so well that He knows exactly what will speak to our hearts...or konk us over the head. Sometimes I am just in awe of Him.
I got one of those konks the other day. I was walking with my 2-year-old, and my neighbor was just getting home from work. We have always been friendly with each other, but her children are older, so we don't really talk THAT much. I had intended to just smile and wave and keep on going...we were approaching bed time, so my to do list was swirling around in my head, and I didn't want to bother her as she was just getting home from a long day at work. Plus, I never feel very comfortable making small talk. But - konk - I felt a strange urge to stop and talk with her. As we were talking - konk - I felt led to ask her where she worked. She told me she worked at a local hospital. At this point, I'm thinking about what a coincidence it was that she worked in the same hospital where I delivered my last two children....cancer rehab was the furthest thing from my mind. So - konk - I asked her which department she worked in (thinking maternity ward, of course...)...and KONK - she told me she was an oncology nurse!! I think I almost fell over! So, I quickly told her about my little project, and her eyes lit up. We've met a few times, and it looks as though the hospital is very interested in becoming involved with the rehab center. At this point, I'm not sure in what capacity they will be involved (still praying about that), but it looks like we will be able to form some kind of relationship.
Isn't God awesome? Four years of living down the street from her, and I never knew her job! What an awesome God we serve!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Salty
Ever have one of those weeks where you feel like you just can't do it all? Or maybe "can't" isn't the right word....maybe "can, but just don't want to" is better. Well, I had one (two) of those days earlier this week. I was overwhelmed at all the new stuff I have to learn and do. I felt like I just didn't want to bother with it all. I just wanted to enjoy life with my family (in my pj's) and forget about Maple Trees for a while.
Then I was reading my Bible one night and stumbled across the verse from Luke 14:34 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?". At the time, I didn't think much of that verse (except maybe that it made me thirsty), and went to bed. Then the next day I was reading Francis Chan's book Crazy Love (GREAT book, by the way!). He was warning us not to be "lukewarm" Christians, and cited Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." (so basically the same as Luke 14:34, but with a little bit more umph...). A day later, I checked my email and received KLOVE's Encouraging Word of the Day. You guessed it - it was Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?" Yikes.....Was God trying to tell me something? In my desire to stay in my pj's and hide in my house, was I losing my saltiness??? I wondered how it would feel to stand at the judgement seat of Christ and hear Him tell me that I'm not good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Double Yikes.
So I'm going to press on. It is going to be hard and scary and I know there will be days I'd rather just go back to bed, but I'm at least going to try. The good news is, I am starting to make sense of some of this stuff. Thanks to a great friend, who just so happens to be a lawyer, I now know I need to form a corporation (easy) THEN apply for 501(c)3 status (hard). I purchased a web site domain (http://mapletreecanceralliance.org)(easy), and my wonderful husband is helping me design a web page (hard). I have a logo (easy) and exercise log books (easy) and am still trying to figure out rental space (hard). I know we'll get there, and that God will use this. I can't wait to see how :-)
Then I was reading my Bible one night and stumbled across the verse from Luke 14:34 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?". At the time, I didn't think much of that verse (except maybe that it made me thirsty), and went to bed. Then the next day I was reading Francis Chan's book Crazy Love (GREAT book, by the way!). He was warning us not to be "lukewarm" Christians, and cited Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." (so basically the same as Luke 14:34, but with a little bit more umph...). A day later, I checked my email and received KLOVE's Encouraging Word of the Day. You guessed it - it was Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?" Yikes.....Was God trying to tell me something? In my desire to stay in my pj's and hide in my house, was I losing my saltiness??? I wondered how it would feel to stand at the judgement seat of Christ and hear Him tell me that I'm not good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Double Yikes.
So I'm going to press on. It is going to be hard and scary and I know there will be days I'd rather just go back to bed, but I'm at least going to try. The good news is, I am starting to make sense of some of this stuff. Thanks to a great friend, who just so happens to be a lawyer, I now know I need to form a corporation (easy) THEN apply for 501(c)3 status (hard). I purchased a web site domain (http://mapletreecanceralliance.org)(easy), and my wonderful husband is helping me design a web page (hard). I have a logo (easy) and exercise log books (easy) and am still trying to figure out rental space (hard). I know we'll get there, and that God will use this. I can't wait to see how :-)
Friday, September 10, 2010
A cool God story!
I just love a good God story. I love when my friends share with me how God is moving in their lives, and I love when something happens in my own life that I know could only be from God. It is so amazing to me that the creator of this universe cares enough about little old me to stop and tell me so.
So, I mentioned in last night's post that a number of "cool God things" have happened to point me in the right direction with this rehab center. Well, last night I was too tired to go into much detail, but with the help of my friend, Mr. Diet Dr. Pepper, I'd like to share one of those stories with you now :-)
About a week ago I was driving in my car to meet with our new Dean. I wanted to talk with her about my idea and get all the proper clearances I would need in order to start this new endeavor. Of course, I was in a frenzy because I was running my typical 5 minutes late...and I was also pretty nervous because I really wanted the meeting to go well. I want this center to be a separate entity from the university, and wasn't sure if I would be allowed to do this (outside employment, non-profit, etc). Anyone who has worked in a university setting knows that there are several layers of red tape you have to go through to get approvals on anything! So, my entire drive there, I was in my own little world of worry and "what if's". As I pulled into the parking lot, it was like something reached over and took hold of me. Suddenly I became very still. It was then that God used KLOVE to speak to me. (KLOVE is a Christian radio station that I listen to constantly - in my car, in my office at work, in my home....you name it!). Chris Tomlin's song "Our God" was playing. Just as I started to listen, this verse came on - "And if our God is for us, then what could ever stop us. And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?". I couldn't help but smile. I have felt God telling me over and over again to trust him with this whole thing - something that doesn't come naturally to me - and here He was again, telling me not to worry. I am in HIS hands and He will go before me and direct my path. Anyway, in that instant, all my anxiety melted away. My meeting with my Dean went very well, and I was given the green light to move forward. Isn't it amazing how something so simple can help so much??!
A number of people have emailed me asking me for more info about this rehab center and how they could help me get this thing started. The center will be called The Maple Tree. Every day I get a new idea on how we can use this center to minister to patients and their families. As of now, I plan to offer exercise training, nutrition counseling, and Christian fellowship (prayer groups/Bible study/etc) to cancer patients. I would also like to offer some kind of program for children with cancer, and also children whose parents have cancer...maybe summer camps, perhaps??? Right now, I am in the process of forming a non-profit, and am looking to secure some office space to rent. I appreciate the offers to help so very much. I'd say that the best way people could help is through prayer. If you are a prayerful person, please pray for my little center. Pray that it will bring glory to God, and that He will use it to draw others near to Him. And pray for me - that I make wise business decisions, and can balance this with my family life. One of the greatest fears I have in starting this endeavor is taking precious time away from my little ones, so please pray that I will use good time management, have patience, and not become (too) overwhelmed. And after all that praying, if anyone would still like to lend their business expertise - I will gladly take you up on that offer!!!
So, I mentioned in last night's post that a number of "cool God things" have happened to point me in the right direction with this rehab center. Well, last night I was too tired to go into much detail, but with the help of my friend, Mr. Diet Dr. Pepper, I'd like to share one of those stories with you now :-)
About a week ago I was driving in my car to meet with our new Dean. I wanted to talk with her about my idea and get all the proper clearances I would need in order to start this new endeavor. Of course, I was in a frenzy because I was running my typical 5 minutes late...and I was also pretty nervous because I really wanted the meeting to go well. I want this center to be a separate entity from the university, and wasn't sure if I would be allowed to do this (outside employment, non-profit, etc). Anyone who has worked in a university setting knows that there are several layers of red tape you have to go through to get approvals on anything! So, my entire drive there, I was in my own little world of worry and "what if's". As I pulled into the parking lot, it was like something reached over and took hold of me. Suddenly I became very still. It was then that God used KLOVE to speak to me. (KLOVE is a Christian radio station that I listen to constantly - in my car, in my office at work, in my home....you name it!). Chris Tomlin's song "Our God" was playing. Just as I started to listen, this verse came on - "And if our God is for us, then what could ever stop us. And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?". I couldn't help but smile. I have felt God telling me over and over again to trust him with this whole thing - something that doesn't come naturally to me - and here He was again, telling me not to worry. I am in HIS hands and He will go before me and direct my path. Anyway, in that instant, all my anxiety melted away. My meeting with my Dean went very well, and I was given the green light to move forward. Isn't it amazing how something so simple can help so much??!
A number of people have emailed me asking me for more info about this rehab center and how they could help me get this thing started. The center will be called The Maple Tree. Every day I get a new idea on how we can use this center to minister to patients and their families. As of now, I plan to offer exercise training, nutrition counseling, and Christian fellowship (prayer groups/Bible study/etc) to cancer patients. I would also like to offer some kind of program for children with cancer, and also children whose parents have cancer...maybe summer camps, perhaps??? Right now, I am in the process of forming a non-profit, and am looking to secure some office space to rent. I appreciate the offers to help so very much. I'd say that the best way people could help is through prayer. If you are a prayerful person, please pray for my little center. Pray that it will bring glory to God, and that He will use it to draw others near to Him. And pray for me - that I make wise business decisions, and can balance this with my family life. One of the greatest fears I have in starting this endeavor is taking precious time away from my little ones, so please pray that I will use good time management, have patience, and not become (too) overwhelmed. And after all that praying, if anyone would still like to lend their business expertise - I will gladly take you up on that offer!!!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Summons
Welcome!!
I decided to start this blog as a way to chronicle a new journey I am undertaking. A few weeks ago, after years of prayer and many long talks with my husband, I decided to start a cancer rehabilitation center. I have been involved with cancer research for several years now, and have witnessed first-hand the positive effect that exercise and proper nutrition can have on a cancer patient's life. However, in the 4 years I have lived in southwest Ohio, I have been unable to find anything that offers patients this sort of service. So.....why not start my own?? How hard could it be???? HA!
If you know me, you would realize just how crazy this sounds. I work as an associate professor at a local university, have 3 very young children (ages 4, 2, and almost 5 months), and my husband travels about 60-70% of the time for work......Add to that list weekly ballet classes, Bible studies, soccer practice, gymnastics, and a crazy dog......I guess you could say that I'm a pretty busy lady! Oh, and have I mentioned that I have never taken a business class in my life and have no idea what the difference between a LLC and a Corporation is (in fact, I just googled that tonight!). This should be interesting, to say the least!
Underling all this are some pretty cool God stories. Throughout this entire journey, He has been there to gently steer me in the right direction. So many times, in fact, that it was one of the main reasons I decided to start this blog. I'd like to share some of these stories with you in hopes of encouraging you to search for God in your own life. It is amazing the way He speaks to us, if we are just willing to listen...
Below are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, and is the inspiration for this blog. Thanks for joining me on this journey! I am looking forward to see where He takes us!!
The Summons:
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
If you know me, you would realize just how crazy this sounds. I work as an associate professor at a local university, have 3 very young children (ages 4, 2, and almost 5 months), and my husband travels about 60-70% of the time for work......Add to that list weekly ballet classes, Bible studies, soccer practice, gymnastics, and a crazy dog......I guess you could say that I'm a pretty busy lady! Oh, and have I mentioned that I have never taken a business class in my life and have no idea what the difference between a LLC and a Corporation is (in fact, I just googled that tonight!). This should be interesting, to say the least!
Underling all this are some pretty cool God stories. Throughout this entire journey, He has been there to gently steer me in the right direction. So many times, in fact, that it was one of the main reasons I decided to start this blog. I'd like to share some of these stories with you in hopes of encouraging you to search for God in your own life. It is amazing the way He speaks to us, if we are just willing to listen...
Below are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, and is the inspiration for this blog. Thanks for joining me on this journey! I am looking forward to see where He takes us!!
The Summons:
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
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