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From Faith to Possibilities 🙏

Jun21

 

Faith or the lack thereof contributes to the overall outcome of a situation or goal we’re trying to attain. It’s our attitude adjustment that sets us on the right path.

Stress, worry, negative thoughts are all manifestations of lack of Faith. Is the glass half empty?, making lemonade out of lemons are both expressions we use to describe Faith; how we approach challenges in our lives.

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The teachings of my guru Don Miguel Ruiz, author of the philosophical guidebook, “The Four Agreements”, explains the relationship between Faith and manifest destiny. We manifest what we believe in our minds; the reality we create for ourselves. We’ve been conditioned by family, teachers, peers to think of ourselves in a certain way – “you’re lazy, beautiful, creative, evil” – but Faith can help free us from that mindset to create the life experience we desire. We write our own story and Faith is the key.

 

 

I’m a walking testament of Faith. My cancer journey started with me adopting the Fourth Agreement – “Don’t Make Assumptions” – as my mantra. I asked my doctors’ crucial questions and wasn’t afraid to express to the Universe what outcome I envisioned.

So, let’s not misunderstand, Faith is not passive. It requires actions alongside the belief that I will come out stronger and more empowered as a result of my challenges. To that end, I researched my diagnosis of colon and breast cancer and armed with that knowledge embarked upon the mission of beating cancer.

I had faith that I wouldn’t have any major side effects and I didn’t. I had Faith that all my cancer would be removed and it was. In my mind’s eye, I saw myself walking hand and hand with God and always believed that with him beside me I could make my Faith a reality. Everyone’s circumstances are different, but with Faith, Gratitude, and Prayer, I was blessed to come out on the other side stronger and my Faith endures.

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If we can release fear and disbelief and embrace Faith and possibilities, there’s no limit to what we can achieve!

 

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Blessings

Jun16

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My motivation for creating this blog was to share my experiences in my fight against breast and colon cancer. To let my friends and family join in my journey if from afar. My message has always been about strength and the power of God to get us through our trials and tribulations.

My other motivation was to express and give testimony for my many, many blessings and favor from God. I continue to praise and pray for friends, acquaintances and fellow bloggers who are fighting the terror of cancer and loss.

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One thing is for sure, tomorrow is not promised so be grateful and live a purposeful life of love. Even as we read the newspapers and watch tv we confront the realization of the uncertainty and fragility of our lives.

In the spirit of praise and gratitude for another day, I share “Blessings”. My testimony to the power and miracle of faith and prayer.

 

Random Acts of Kindness

Jun13

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I subscribe to Rodale Wellness and receive their daily newsletter for ideas and inspiration for living a healthy life. This particular article stood out as an excellent and very relevant topic for Livinginthemoment2015. The idea of this piece is instead of focusing on negatives, make positive changes in your life. Practice acts of kindness.

Here’s the challenge:

In the next seven days complete at least one random act of kindness. But, not just any act of kindness, it must be an unsuspecting random act of kindness.

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Holding doors, giving up your seat for the elderly, and picking up trash on the street does not count as completed homework. You should do those things all the time! An example of an unsuspecting random act of kindness could be paying the toll for the vehicle behind you, picking up a round of coffee for people you always see in the morning on the way to work, or giving your jacket to a runner that looks cold during early morning hours.

But here’s the catch: Please do not tweet, post, or brag about anything you do for this homework assignment. Bragging about doing nice things defeats the purpose of that very same act. The only two people that will know the exact details of what you did is you and the person that you surprised. Now go make your city and the world a better place!

I’m up for the challenge, how about you?

Inspired by an article in Rodale Wellness by —  BROGAN GRAHAM & BOJAN MANDARIC

Don’t Lose the Gratitude 🙏

Jun8

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My morning and evening praise is part of living my life deliberately and holding gratitude in my heart. I’ve come this far by faith and I have no intention of letting that go.

Every time I think about my blessings I well up inside. I can’t help giving my testimony and sharing my joy.

Each of us is a miracle and it’s so important to grasp that concept and move through life bearing that knowledge and living for love and peace.

I’ve adopted a personal mantra to refocus on trying days and situations, “Don’t Let the Bad Behavior of Others Destroy Your Inner Peace.”

Each day let us live our truths in peace and harmony. ✌💗

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Deconstructing Love

Jun3

Love is a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that range from interpersonal affection (“I love my mother”) to pleasure (“I loved that meal”). It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment. It can also be a virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection—”the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another”. It may also describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one’s self or animals. (Wikipedia)

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While taking a brisk walk around my subdivision and listening to my iPod,”All You Need is Love” began to play. I’ve always felt this John Lennon classic was revolutionary and served up some tremendous food for thought.

Living life with a loving purpose is not easy. Opening up your heart to those who disagree with you. Loving those whom you claim to hate. Understanding that we are all one and what you do to others affects not only their life but yours as well. We are not all good nor all bad.

 

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I’ve mentioned before how I revere and often reference Don Miguel Ruiz’s brilliant guidebook, “The Four Agreements”. He really opened my eyes to a definition of an all-encompassing view of love; accepting the concept that the worse person I can think of is part of me. Cult leader and murderer Charles Manson became my love/acceptance test. If we are all one, then Manson is part of the circle.

To be truthful, I still struggle with the idea that there is a human connection between Manson and myself. However, he is a reminder that the full range of emotions we all possess can be used for the benefit of mankind or its detriment. We decide because we all have the ability to write our own story. Bring to fruition our dreams and desires.

 

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Commit to love and peace 

John Lennon believed this even back in the turbulent times of the 1960’s. “All You Need is Love” is an anthem and vision that we can turn this world around. If we take the leap of faith.

 

 

Hating is easy. Loving can be hard. Our skin is merely a covering. Underneath we are all the same. Spirits created by God.

 

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A Community of Souls

May30

 

Communicating thoughts and ideas are wonderfully enriching effects of writing. I’ve connected with some marvelous people through this medium. Writers are part of a community. A sense that we are connected in our desire to share our emotions, and observations. When we compose with honesty, it can touch the hearts and minds of others who need to know that they are not alone.

Communing through blogging with a fellow breast cancer survivor brought to the forefront of my mind that we all belong to the community of souls.

Love, sadness, fear and joy. All are human. All common bonds we share. 

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The Absolutely Perfect Day!

May26

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My Birthday/Chemo Over Party was absolutely incredible! Words can’t express my heartfelt feelings of appreciation and jubilation. The blessing of sharing this day with my fabulous family and friends was a dream come true! I’d been planning this celebration in my head for months, and my bestie Carmen and her husband, Ron opened up their hearts and beautiful home to make the day complete. I thank you and love you forever!

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I moved away from my family, friends, and hometown of Detroit years ago so I don’t get to share in the day to day moments. When I decided to throw this bash it was very important for me to go home to commemorate the remarkable accomplishments of my colon and breast cancer journey. I am living proof of the power of prayer and the miracle of God. As we traveled back to Charlotte my husband noted that there was a light and expression of happiness on my face that lit up the entire room. 

I’m still grinning, rejoicing and reveling in God’s blessings, grace, and favor!

Wow! What an amazing feeling.

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Celebrate Good Times!

May14

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The day is fast approaching and I am super excited about my upcoming Birthday and Chemo Over Party next Saturday! Gathering with family and friends is such a tremendous blessing.

This past year has truly been a world wind. Last May at this time I was preparing to celebrate my birthday with my buddies, the Minions and my very favorite wizard, Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Florida. It was the perfect way to enjoy and commemorate my 60th birthday. After all, I’m just a big kid at heart.

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Happy Birthday to Me!

Then, only 2 months later, wham! A diagnosis of not one but two unrelated cancers – Colon and Breast. Was not expecting that, but my philosophy was to not assume what would happen throughout the process but trust in God, do my medical research and engage in the fight to survive.

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With the support of friends, family, and the medical community, I was able to not only survive but thrive in what I call my “second chance” at life. Facing this challenge helped me realize the importance of living in the moment and loving out loud. So, I want to tell everyone how much I love them and appreciate the uplifting support I’ve been given. Thank you so very much!

As Dinah Washington once sang, “What a Difference a Day Makes…” I see this celebration as an accomplish not only for myself but for cancer survivors everywhere. So let’s celebrate good times!

Rise – A Relay For Life 👣💜

May9

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Here we are, sharing the walk for those of us who’ve survived and those in remembrance. 

I continue to testify that my cancer journey has been simply amazing! Meeting the bravest and most determined people in spite of and because of our quest for hope and a second chance at life. The Cancer Survivor Dinner and the Relay For Life fundraiser have been a heartwarming introduction to the cancer community.

I was a newbie at Relay For Life but met and celebrated with survivors with varying years of being cancer free. I’ve written about the sense of kinship throughout my journey with doctors, nurses, and technicians and now I can add more fellow cancer patients, volunteers, and caregivers to my inner circle.

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The Relay For Life is all about celebrating our lives and successes while also honoring those who’ve lost the fight. We walked, talked, played games and some even broke out with the Whip and the Nae Nae! 😄

Whip and Nae Nae!

The conclusion of the night featured a sunset lighting of the Luminaries Ceremony. We decorated and left messages of love on each, a beautiful tribute to survivors and lost loved ones. Afterwards, attendees were invited to speak on why they Relay For Life.  The words were moving and emotional. I was feeling too much and didn’t testify, but my husband spoke eloquently and even attributed the quote “never give up, never surrender” from the film Galaxy Quest to me.

A wonderful friend recently dedicated “Rise” by Andra Day to me and this empowering message sums up exactly my sentiments and the determination of cancer survivors everywhere.

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Hope and Gratitude 💖

May5

May 4, 2016

Last night I attended my first Cancer Survivor Dinner. I wasn’t sure what to expect but felt thrilled about connecting with others who’ve been affected by cancer as either a patient or a caregiver.

When my husband and I arrived, we were greeted by smiling and welcoming faces. I was given a “goodie bag” (which I always love!) filled with my survivor tee-shirt for the Relay for Life Event happening on Friday, May 6th an assortment of other purple colored items like an umbrella, a survivor pin, water bottle and other treasures.🎁 The American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network signature color is purple. (which felt like providence – Prince)

 

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Survivor t-shirt

There was a very positive vibe in the room as others arrived and filled in the decorated tables. I snagged a seat at a table that was right up front. (just like back in school:) I didn’t want to miss a thing. My tablemates all introduced themselves and it felt warm sharing this moment with those who’ve gone through their own cancer journey and could understand the significance of the fight, the hope, and the survival. Like in the Infusion (chemotherapy) Suite,  there was an instant bond.

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The theme of the dinner and mission of CAN – Cancer Action Network is Hope. Never give up. We can do this! I’m all about hope and determination, which I write about. My nature tends to be outgoing so I loved all the other positive and upbeat personalities. As we broke bread we talked about if this was our first time at this event and how it’s grown over the past 3 years.

I also found out that the Cancer Center that took care of me didn’t exist 8 years ago. Listening to the guest speaker, who’s an oncologist with Novant Health (the medical group that organized the Cancer Center), I counted my blessings realizing I was able to take advantage of the union of various doctors – oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, etc, and the nurse navigator, Pat! My nurse navigator “angel”.  This consolidation of medical professionals proves that when we work together as a team we can accomplish so much more!

My Nurse Navigator “Angel” Pat and me!

I’m so grateful for the Huntersville community, my Nurse Navigator – Pat, Novant Health, and the American Cancer Society for enriching my cancer experience with their tremendous support and encouragement!