Catching Up

     First, I just want to apologize for the long wait before this post. I have all intentions of posting once a week, but my days are long, nights are short, and days off fly by! This past weekend was family retreat at Heartlight. What is family retreat? It is a weekend beginning Friday night and ending Sunday about 6 pm. I only thought my normal days were long, this retreat made normal days look like a piece of pie! The families come in going to several different events throughout the day with Level 3 residents and above being able to go off of campus for a set period of time with parents and family. At the end of the weekend we had a graduation for four residenta who had completed the heartlight process and made dramatic changes in their life. One of them I know even accepted Chridt in her life while here. That same resident was my volleyball partner when we played volleyball during the days and events scheduled for that. Yes, I am sad she is gone, because the camus is deffinitely not the same and not nearly as loud with her gone.Her personality is defitiely addicting and whil only knowing her for two months, I would have never guessed that she had had the problems she has had. She has overcome so much and is such a strong girl, I know she will do great things with her life and with Christ by her side I can't wait to see what she does in life!
      The main event for the weekend was the soap box car derby race. Every house had to make a soap box car. There was a contest for overall car design, slalem test, downhill race, and drift test! Our guys spent about three weeks working on and building the car! Everytime we went to work on it we spent a minimum of 2 hours at the barn building it! It definitely showed as we took home first place! I have never been more proud and inspired by a group of guys as I was when I saw them come together with an idea and seeing the car come along was awesome!

The Winning Soap Box Car!
 

      Also, I am in the middle of training for the St. Jude Half Marathon that I am running on December 1. Currently the longest run I have run is 8 miles, and tomorrow is my 9 mile run. I am highly contemplating signing up to be a St. Jude Hero. What is a St. Jude Hero? A St. Jude Hero is a person that wants to do more than just run the race. They want to make a true differnce in the children's lives. They have to raise money to help with the day to day operations of St. Jude. For those that do not know St. Jude is a free treatment facility for all patients. Costing over $1.8 Million dallars a day to operate St. Jude, I can not help but want to help in anyway I can. Yes, I have had a long hard road for over two years loosing 130 pounds, but this is nothing that these children have to overcome in a lifetime. This will be by far the single most hardest endurance test I have ever had to do in my life-but at the same time it is probably the single most excited I have been for any event. Who would have thouht I would be excited about running! Definitely not me!!! If I do sign up to be a Hero I will post the site on the blog if anyone is interested in donating to St. Jude. Just know you will not be donating to me but to a great hospital all inspired and started from a prayer by Danny Thomas to St. Jude, the saint of lost causes.
     Please keep Heartlight, staff, residents, and myself in your prayers. God's hand is over this place and special things are beginning to happen!!!