Snack Drive! April 18-22

Most of you know that Jace goes to the clinic at least once a month for his chemo treatments. But in the very beginning of his fighting of leukemia he was at the clinic many days of the week for at least 8 hours. 

The time there is taxing even with such a great staff. 

Oftentimes, the highlight of the day for these kids is the one prize they get to pick and one snack. 

We'd love to have any donations so we can bombard our clinic goers with tons of drinks and snacks! You can drop off at Celina Intermediate School or deliver directly to Children's CCBD in Plano. 

Ideas: 

Gatorade or Sports drinks

Juice

Soft Drinks

Chips in individual size

Granola Bars

Crackers

Cookies

*Individually wrapped snacks are most appropriate for this setting! 

Thank you to all of you who are helping us love on these kids and families! 

xoxo

Worry --Joy

5:00 AM - I woke up overwhelmed with worry. I couldn't go back to sleep. 
5:30 AM - After 30 minutes of talking to God and repeating scripture in my head, I snuggled up to Jason and just cried, then we prayed together. 
6:00 AM- I decided to just simply ask for prayer on FB and twitter. 

Wednesdays are always big days for us. It use to be every Wednesday. Now it's just a few Wednesdays a month. They DO become routine in our minds, but actually going through them is a different story. I mentally start preparing the day before which makes it hard to concentrate on anything else.

There's nothing routine about your child having to have chemo, a lumbar puncture, or stay in a clinic for most of the day. 

I DO worry about a multitude of things, but usually only for a millisecond until I redirect my thought process. 

This morning was different. I knew last night that anxieties were high around our house. They always are when Jace goes in for a big day, even in maintenance. My instinct was to let Avery miss school and go with us. I had no idea why. 

This morning was different. I don't wake up often with such heavy worry surrounding me, but it was engulfing me so that I woke up because of it. 

SO I stopped and sent out this specific prayer request:

Specific prayer for Jason & I today: for the worries we have (finances, girls, jobs, this day with Jace) to be overtaken by complete faith and trust. This struggle is real and I have no doubt we are being molded for something else, but YOUR prayers and HIS grace sustain us and hold us up. #gratitude

By 6:30, I began feeling better and feeling like I could get up and tackle whatever was in store. We did let Avery miss school and go with us. She has a spirit that calms Jace and makes him do things with more ease - like putting on numbing cream on the places that will be "poked" or going back to the "sleepy room." She is such a warrior herself because the things we did today, however "routine," are still difficult to just watch from the sidelines. She learned what a lumbar puncture is and why we do them and how cancer cells like to "hide" out around the spinal cord. 

That alone could keep me in a place of worry.

BUT

Just like He always has, God took our worries and transformed them into JOY. 

A great friend dropped off lunch for us after her bible study. 

We got to see our Children's Legacy family - ALL of them: nurses, drs, families, patients!

We laughed A LOT today. 

We had some divine appointments that we know God had all planned out. 

We had Operation Love bags delivered to Dallas today! 

We were contacted by some amazing people for some small, yet amazing opportunities. 

Those opportunities are just reminders to us that God has a MUCH bigger plan for us than we have for ourselves. 

MANY, MANY of you are praying for us and lifting our family up. 

We decided to try to start a BIG movement called #yellowWednesdays for #childhoodcancerawareness. (we hope you will join us to support all the families affected!)

Pete Delkus and John McCaa  (WFAA8) RT our tweet about #yellowWednesdays! 

We had a carpet picnic dinner and watched The Middle (our favorite family show). 

Pete Delkus briefly talked about Jace and our family during the 5 pm news on WFAA. (we missed it) 

We heard that the last line of that broadcast was "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!" 

This morning I woke up with overwhelming worry. 

Tonight, I sign off and go to bed with overwhelming joy.

Friends supporting Super Jace!
(including Jody Dean, Pete Delkus, John McCaa)

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37 Gifts

*If you're looking for Operation Love, the blog, item list and details are found here. 

Today, 37 years ago I became a part of this world. I was born with no idea who my family was, but I had a PROMISE bigger than I even knew. 

Our circumstances DO NOT have to be our future. 

Two years ago, I asked you to donate to an adoption organization. (Yes, I had another blog before OTWG. So, if you're bored you can read blogs, there, too.) 

Last year, I asked you to join me in 36 Random Acts of Kindness and I had, hands-down, THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER! You can read about it and see photos here.

Today, in lieu of getting anything for myself, instead of the 100 Facebook messages or texts, I, again, challenge YOU. 

Instead of doing that, do THIS: 

Give. 

Use your time and energy doing something for someone else. Open the door an extra minute. Pay for someone's food in the fast food or coffee line. Surprise someone with a text message or email. If for no other reason, do it for me, for my birthday. :) Let the celebration be about GIVING. 

Your giving doesn't have to be BIG to make a HUGE impact.

Today, I will be seeing a tiny idea and dream come to fruition. Operation Love was born months ago after our own family learned what childhood cancer TRIES to do to families. This project has been tweaked, thought out and discussed with so many, including those that inspired the idea, those that listened every time I talked about it, those that shared ideas of how to help, those that donated items, those that allowed me to speak to groups about our mission, those that are in the same boat we are, those that wanted to help but didn't know how... 

Today, I will make a delivery of 37+ "gratitude bags" to Children's Medical Center in Dallas. (You can check Instagram for photos!) Today, someone will receive YOUR donations. 

Today, someone will know they are NOT alone. 

Last year at 36, I had no idea what the future held nor how it would test our faith, but THIS year I say WATCH me spread the same love, hope and life into others that has been given to me. 

Here's to another year of changing the world!