Dang Gina!

(Rika, Tiff & Me - 2006)



A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~Douglas Pagels

Well maybe not Gina, but Tiffany! Just when I am about to go to bed, you throw me an email JUST AS inspirational as Joel Osteen himself!

A little background on Tiff and I. We met, I believe exactly 5 years ago. She walked into a birthday bash she was invited to by a mutual friend and met me! Whoo hoo! I was turning turning 20 something and as I was on my 6th shot, I grabbed Tiff and put a dollar in the juke box and crawled across the ground in my mini skirt to “Pour Some Sugar On Me!” I to this day do not know what exactly she thought of me, but either way we are friends to this day and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Fast forward a few years, I meet my hubby and things slowed down. Though we do not see each other too often we stay in touch via the “Social Network” Facebook and emails. She has been by my side spiritually through this journey with Mike, and though she is not the first to tell me, my emails are quite lengthy (but hey, I love to gab) she will email me in between updates with some wise words as she did tonight…I wanted to share this email with you all:

“So…here is my every now and again email. You remind me of Noah!
We’ve started having a Bible study at work on Wednesdays during our lunch break. You know, a little something to get us over the hump. Our little quick fix to push us through. Anyway…we have some beginners, as well as some almost theologians in the class. Very small and quite intimate atmosphere. With so many beginners, there was no better place to start studying than at the beginning. We’ve gone through the creation, the creation of man, the fall of man, Cain and Abel, and today we studied the flood.

God chose Noah to ride out that storm, because He knew that Noah loved God and he was righteous. So, the storm came, and Noah sustained it because he did just as God had commanded him to do. He and his family were finally released from the boat, and (this is the good part)….the VERY FIRST THING that Noah did when he got off the ark was…he built an altar, and made sacrifices to God. How amazing was that? Even Noah was saying, “Hey JESUS, It’s Me – Just Wanted to Say Thank YOU!” Thank you for bringing me and my family through that.

It takes a lot of energy to ride out a storm. It takes a lot of energy to go through any catastrophic ordeal in your life. It takes a lot of energy to be on the cancer journey, whether you’re the patient or the caregiver. BUT…God chose you, because He knows in your heart that you’re righteous and you guys love HIM! And it’s so beautiful to see you displaying the same traits that Noah possessed…the same passion, and love for God…so much so that even while in your storm, you continue to praise Him.

I may not tell you as often as I should, but I’m so happy to be in your circle. You’re important to me, and I love, love, love that I am able to share this ride with you guys. I’ll admit, sometimes I don’t have enough time to read the whole email…but sometimes (even if I’m busy as hell), I believe you deserve my attention, and I stop what I’m doing to hear what you have to say.

Thank you Lyndie for being YOU! Love you much!


You know, in all honesty when we started on this journey, I started this blog for my Own Therapy, an outlet to vent about what was going on and to keep all informed. It became clear to me one day when I received such a response from people all over, that I was doing something bigger than me; Mike and I were chosen for this journey to glorify GOD above. I know, I know, I get so many mixed emotions from all around and still cannot believe I consider this Cancer a blessing – but I have talked to Mike several times, and he is in agreement…GOD chose US for this for a reason.

In closing, we should all strive to be like Noah. When we pause and question “Why Us?” in whatever you have been handed…see it out to the end, you may realize that you too were chosen for a SPECIFIC task – whatever it may be. It is a hard pill to swallow. In our particular circumstance, we have came to a halt with our “life plans” even though we lead a “normal” life now, a lot of plans have been put on hold…but you know what, I know when this is over, we will continue to be blessed just as we are now, tenfold!

Thank you all for being a part of this journey – though it is a day to day process and we feel confident and hold our faith strong in what GOD has planned for us, we still must live with our eyes focused on present for we cannot change the past nor predict our future…

Tiff I love you more than you know!

XO Lyndie