Living Whole During Illness

Today at LiberalChurch, we celebrated the members among us who are cancer survivors and talked about how LiberalChurch has helped them with their cancer journeys. Vicky Goplin and Martha Dewitt talked about their personal experiences. I also talked about why I feel called to help the American Cancer Society in their efforts to end cancer even though I've never had a cancer diagnosis and gave details of the Burnsville Relay for Life benefitting the ACS and our church team efforts.

Approximately 40 luminaria bags honoring specific cancer survivors or memorializing specific cancer victims circled the worship stage. The children heard a book about children who had cancer and had drawn pictures about their cancer journey and who had written about what their pictures represented read by Kimberly Boynton who is a cancer survivor. Vicky and Howie Goplin sang an old spiritual about living full during times of illness or grief or loss. I think the title of the song is "It Is Well With My Soul".

Vicky led us in a guided meditation on gratitude and healing following our silent meditation/prayer time.

After church the youth had a picnic fundraiser and Howard Bass (husband of Kimberly Boynton who is also a cancer survivor) and Joe Mayer (who's wife Jeanine has been living with cancer for 5 years and is currently having chemo treatments again) were the grillmasters and the meal prep team along with their children, Sarah,(Lauren wasn't there), Britta, Zach, and Ana, and Jake the son of Sherrie Hemmen-Tilly, cancer survivor.

Following lunch there was a car wash. Jenna Ruble, cancer survivor, helped out with the wash along with Taylor Hall--her dad is undergoing chemo for a non-cancer illness so he is having the same type of journey. What a perfect day for a car wash it was! We washed 10-12 vehicles (forgot to keep count) of Open Circle members--no outside people showed up despite attempting to place an announcement in the local newspapers and putting bag-signs up at street corners along County Road 5 and Highland Drive. In total between donations for luminaria bags, the fundraising meal, and the car wash, we raised $490 for the Open Circle of Friends Relay for Life team to give to the American Cancer Society.

Well, between Girl Scout Camp and a church service/lunch/carwash, I'm tired now. I think it is time to read, meditate, and take a nap for the remainder of the day!