Kicking Breast Cancer in the Face

I've signed up to do something I've never done... to push myself harder than I've pushed... and it will be an honor to walk in support of one of my CYT student's Mama... an amazing woman with a huge fight ahead of her. Would you support me? Let's show Lisa just how many people support her in her fight... Click here to donate!

I've committed to participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It's a big commitment, one that will require me to spend the next couple months training and fundraising. But breast cancer is a big disease, one that still affects far too many people, and I'm determined to do everything I can to help put an end to it. The money I raise will be managed and disbursed by the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade to help provide access to care for those that most need it, fund educational programs, and accelerate research into new treatments and potential cures. I'll be just one of thousands of people that will walk up to a marathon and a half over a weekend, raising awareness of the cause and educating even more people.

I can't do it without your help. Though I'm required to raise at least $1,800 in donation, I plan to raise much more!

I hope that I can count on your support.

You can make a donation to my fundraising campaign by clicking here => Click here to donate! If you prefer to write a check, just contact me and I'll send you the information and form.

As I prepare for this exciting event, I plan to update my page frequently so that all my supporters can follow my progress, so please visit often. While you're there, you might want to spend some time on the site to find out more information on why this event is so important, and the organizations and people that will be helped by the money we all raise.

Thank you in advance.

Click here to donate!

He is Faithful...

June 10th, 2010 was one of the hardest days of my life. I was less than 2 months from my due date, had just been in L & D due to pre-term labor, and on that particular morning, I sat in a conference room being told I was no longer going to be working for Alcon.
7 months pregnant and I needed to find a new job.
2 months away from having a baby and we were loosing our main source of income.

Due to the nature of my parting ways with Alcon, I don't think I ever really got to mourn what happened; to grieve how useless and foolish I felt; to cry about how unfair and unjust it all was. We dove into taking legal action due to wrongful termination, and just as we were finishing up with that, our amazing son Max turned our world upside-down.

It was a glorious time... overwhelming, yes... but newness of this tiny person and our new normal slowly gave way to realizing I had to start looking for work.

Month after month, we would look at our bills, often cry over them, and pray for God to provide. Month after month, we'd pray over how I'd get around as we could not afford to buy another car. We found ways to sacrifice- sold Ben's car, cancelled cable, lowered our cell phone plan, and I even gave up my beloved Starbucks. Most times it seemed like it wouldn't be enough. And many times, it wasn't. But month after month, family and friends blessed us with cars to borrow, ears for listening, a meal to share. A few weeks ago, my parent's just gave us one of their cars. Just gave it to us. Wow.

I started really interviewing/applying for work again in November. I went through about 6 major interviews, 3 with the same company; I flew to Texas, drove to an interview in the Blizzard of 2011, networked with any and everyone who would listen. I was about *thisclose* to a job what felt like once a month, and then something would happen- they had to offer the job to an internal transfer, someone else with 15+ years experience would interview at the last minute- I felt like I'd never get another job.

We learned a lot about ourselves and our shortcomings in these months. I've grown more in these past 10 months than I think I have in my entire life. We decided that, when we were done with this time (whenever God decided that would be), we would be better stewards of our time, finances, relationships. I came to the decision that, if I didn't find a job by May 1st I'd go back to school for Nursing. It's been a back-burner dream of mine, and I had decided now was as good a time as any.

Then a few weeks ago, I had an interview and it went really, really well. And a follow-up with a current rep that went even better. And another phone call that ended on a great note. And then a request to call the manager Friday (this) morning to discuss "next steps"... the only step left was to get hired!!! Come ON guy! Don't leave me hanging!

And the call this morning... I got the job. I received my offer letter moments after hanging up the phone. I did not have to take even a penny pay-cut from what I was earning at Alcon.

And the part, when all the laughing and screaming and praising was done, when I really noticed my new start date with Eli Lilly (the company I have ALWAYS wanted to work for):

June 10th, 2011. One year to the day after I lost my job.

God is so faithful, so funny, so humbling.

We didn't lose our house, we didn't have to buy another car, we had food on our table, clothes on our backs and diapers on Max's butt.

I'm Choreographing Godspell for CYT right now, and one of the songs, All Good Gifts, just keeps playing over and over in my head. The chorus is as follows:
All good gifts around us are sent from Heaven above.
So thank the Lord, so thank the Lord for all His Love.

I want to make one thing clear- God loves us whether I have a job or not. He cares about us even when times are hard. I don't base my understanding and thankfulness for His care on how much money we make or what cars we drive. He is faithful, He HAS been faithful, and He will continue to be faithful, no matter the circumstances.

But man... June 10th has been redeemed, and I am so humbled.