2014 :)

My, oh my, was 2014 one for the books. It was certainly a trying year. But it was also the year where God's presence permeated my heart like never before. 

I learned so much about the character of God and who He has called me to be. 

I learned that I have a propensity to idealize others in my interpersonal relationships. I also have a tendency to view a person not in light of who they are, but who they are capable of becoming. While this mindset can be beneficial if the other person is truly interested in making changes that support and foster his/her own emotional and spiritual growth, it can also lead to unnecessary angst and hurt, if they do not have the desire to change. Hence, I've learned that while I am called to support my interpersonal relationships through encouragement and prayer, it is my obligation to myself to be realistic about another's capacity and willingness to develop his/her emotional and spiritual world.

Along this vein, I've learned I can no longer place expectations on other people.  People, at their root are emotionally unpredictable & often times their words & actions do not align. I’ve learned to not take the inconsistencies of people personally.  It’s a reflection of who they are as a person, not who I am.  I am called to place my hope and expectation on God, not man. (Psalm 118:8)

I learned that God offers us common sense & discernment (Proverbs 3:21) but it is up to us to use these gifts accordingly. We can choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit and His wisdom, or we can willingly choose instead to follow our faulty hearts.  One leads to a life filled with peace and joy; another, of anxiety, neglect, and fear.

I learned that you outgrow people, much like you outgrow a pair of pants. You can attempt to force your legs into the pants, but eventually they will rip at the seams.  It is the same with relationships.  It is far better to invest in a new pair of pants and relationship than to wear tattered pants and stay in a dysfunctional relationship.  (1 Corinthians 13:11).

I learned that when you’re an optimist, and plans or relationships cease to work out like you imagined them to, it’s not the plan or person that causes you grief and disappointment, it’s the expectation you placed on that plan or person.  It’s the cold hard reality that a dream you once held near and dear to your heart has died. It is through those disappointments and rejection, I have learned once again, that I can only place my expectations on God, not my own plans or other people. He alone does not disappoint.  His plans for my life far outweigh the limited expectations I have placed on my life. (Romans 8:28).

I learned that time alone does not heal all wounds. Father God, plus His timing, heals all wounds. (Psalm 147:3).

I learned that the best type of friend is a praying one.

I learned my capacity to love and forgive is so much stronger than I ever imagined, and I attribute this solely to God’s grace. (Matthew 18: 21-22).

I truly learned to be fervent in prayer  (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and while there are times I struggle with relinquishing autonomy to God concerning His will for my life, I am not nearly as stubborn as I once was was.   I am His work in progress, and I truly believe that He directs my steps and delights in every detail of my life (Psalm 37:23).

And finally, I have learned that when God makes a promise to you, He fulfills that promise (Joshua 21: 45).  Nothing can hinder this promise—not time, not circumstances, not people.  It shall be fulfilled.  However, it may not look exactly the way you envisoned it to be. 

You may be down on your luck but you're not down on your grace! :)

A lot of my close friends are going through a transitional season currently.  In fact, I’m right there with you & I wanted to offer a word of encouragement.

I decided a couple of days ago that I wanted to circle the promises of God, starting with the book of Genesis.  This morning, I was reading my Bible, and as I turned the page, I noticed the following page’s corner flap was folded down.  As I unfolded the flap, I noticed this wasn’t just any flap….normally when you unfold a page from a book, it’s proportional to the other pages.  But this page wasn’t.  It was larger & disproportional to the others.  Interesting, right?  

Boy was I in for a treat when the words that had been covered by the flap were revealed on the page:

“….Is anything to hard for the LORD?  I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14

The context of this passage is that the Lord promises Sarah that she will give birth to a son.   Having a baby is a miracle in itself, but in Sarah’s case this will be the miracle of all miracles because she is 90 years old!  So in this particular verse, God is calling out Sarah for laughing silently to herself & doubting that God can do what He says he’s going to do.

How many times do we doubt that God is going to interdecde for us?  Instead of relying on Him, and moving in His strength, we attempt to move in our own strength.  We take pride in being self sufficient.  But when things take a turn for the worst, we play the blame game and become upset with God because He didn’t “come through.”  

We would be wise to remind ourselves that God is the author of of peace, not confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), and that if we submit to His authority, He will save us from a lot of sleepless nights, heartbreak, and behaviors that are dentermental to our well-being.

As I let His word sink in, I couldn’t help but smile because I know that I serve a mighty God who is working on my behalf even when I can’t see him cheering me on from the sidelines as I’m duking it out on the battlefield of life.  I may be fighting the worry and anxiety of not knowing where I will be attending nursing school next spring, and fighting the desire of wanting to meet my future husband already, but He slays all of those worries with a simple & humble prayer of my heart “God, please remind me that Your plans for my life far exceed the expectations I’ve planted in my heart.  Nothing is too hard for you!”

So friends, if you’re feeling down on your luck, remember you’re not down on grace!!!  

You may have recently been fired from your job; have a family member who is gravely ill….maybe you are the one who is sick; or maybe are going through a bad breakup…whatever your current situation, don’t look through the lens of fear, regret, or anxiety.  Look through the lens of faith!  God has not abandoned you!  He will never leave you!  I know right now things make look pretty dismal, but He will intervene and pull you out of your storm into a season of peace.  

Trust in God’s perfect timing and keep praying bold prayers.   Bold prayers activate the power of God! That’s what I’m fully committed to doing.  In fact, right by the verse I shared tonight, I circled the promise God made to me.  I put “Nov-March,” in reference to when I will receive the acceptance letters to my top choices for nursing schools.  ;)  I then put “TBA” for when I will meet my sweetheart, and future husband.  I then signed the date, so that when all of these promises come true, I can write down the date they came true next to today’s date.  Nothing is sweeter and more encouraging than to be able to open up my Bible, and look back on God’s promises to me.  :)

No longer playing it safe

I'm excited to announce that in the next few weeks I will be launching my own website for personal training.  It's taken me long enough.  Baby bird is ready for take off; time to make a jump from the nest & spread my wings!

So, why the initial reluctance?

Sheer fear.  I've been paralyzed by fear.  This anxiety stems from the fact that in order to be successful in the fitness industry you need to market yourself.  I've never been comfortable using social media as a means to promote myself.  This resistance in marketing myself is due to two factors:

1.) Fear of failure.

I've been crippled by the fear that if I offer my services people will not be interested.  When I devote myself to rallying support for a cause, accomplishing a goal of mine, etc, I invest my entire heart & soul into that cause or dream.  Because I go into any given situation wholeheartedly, I expect to see results.  It would be one thing if I was the type of individual who when setting out to accomplish a task, did so gingerly.  This has never been my mentality.  Lack of passion produces half-hearted results, and passion is something I certainly do not lack and never will.

2.) Fear of passing judgement.

I've never been the type to lose sleep over the opinions of other people and their evaluations of me. I've always marched to the beat of my own drum.  But upon further evaluation as to why I've been so afraid to start up my own business, I've concluded that I am afraid of a certain type of judgement being formed.

The reality is in the fitness industry many people have inflated self egos, and think they "know it all."  Talk about a turn-off, especially to those who are wanting to make a commitment to bettering their health and are new to the fitness/gym scene.  I want to be known as a positive, humble, and approachable role model who practices what she preaches, has balance in her life & isn't afraid to admit she isn't perfect!  I've said it time in and time again--I'm not interested in the number of likes I receive from a picture I post on instagram, the number of followers I have on twitter and/or facebook, or for being known as a "hard body."   I'm not seeking out anyone's approval.  I train for me, plain and simple, and it's just the icing on the cake that my passion for training can serve as a vehicle for others to make healthy lifestyle changes. Fame, and pardon my language, all of that other superficial crap, don't matter to me nor does it motivate me in my quest to inspire others to lead healthy lifestyles.  I have no desire to be the next "Jillian Michaels."   I'm simply content in being Megan McGraw, a child of God who has a passion for fitness and wellness, and wants to instill that love of fitness into others.

My real fear is that people view me as just a "body." I don't want to be known for just my physique!  When someone thinks Megan McGraw, I want them to immediately think Christ follower, and gal with a huge heart for people. 

The basis for this fear stems from an encounter I had two years ago.

A girlfriend asked me what my plans were for the weekend.  Without any hesitation she blurted out, "Probably spending all weekend in the gym.  How many hours do you spend there daily, anyway?" I was really taken back by her snide and ignorant comments. I wanted 
so badly to stand up for myself and explain that she was in the wrong; that sure when prepping for a competition in the past I've spent a few hours at the gym, but on a daily basis I am not in the gym for hours at a time.  I train 3-4x a week for an hour at a time, if that. But I held back because I knew her bashing my lifestyle stemmed from the fact that she had her own insecurities in the lifestyle she was currently leading.  

As you can see my fear is warranted, and it's a fear that I'm ready to put on the back burner.  Ultimately people are going to form judgements about you, and in the end the only opinion that truly matters is God's.  He knows my heart.  He knows that I do not think of myself as better than anyone else.

So why the recent change of heart in pushing fear aside and starting up my own business?  To say that this has been a long-time coming is an understatement.  My parents and many of my close friends have been urging me to take a chance for sometime.  But I recently partnered up with a fabulous nutrition company and that has been the real catalyst in my desire to change.  Working for this company has really allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and view myself as a business woman. 

Furthermore, I've had a wonderful mentor who has really given me new insight into what it means to be an entrepreneur.  I had a really good heart to heart with him last week, and his insight brought new clarity.  Like I've said, I derive my purpose/meaning in life to serving others.  I've been so gun hoe on nursing school, and serving others once I become a nurse that I've failed to realize that I can impact lives right now.  And what better avenue than doing it through something I'm passionate about: health and fitness.  God has blessed me with the gift of motivating and inspiring others to become fit and I'm doing him a disservice by not act upon those gifts: If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies (1 Peter 4:11). 

Marienne Williamson once stated, playing it small does nothing in serving those around you:

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our greatest fear is that we are  powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in all of us. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Lord, you designed me with a purpose, and I'm finally ready to cast fear aside, and use those gifts to glorify you.  Thank you for being so patient with a stubborn heart like mine.  Time to let this little light of mine shine!

Tears & faith

Sometimes all it takes is a good long cry to put everything into perspective. Charles Dickens once wrote, “Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before--more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.” 

Tears don't come in a one size fits all box. They can be the result of immense joy, suffering struggle, pain, or anxiety. The key is to embrace them when they come softly knocking on your heart & not bottle them up.  Don't let society's view on tears deceive you into thinking only the weak cry. There is no shame in crying. In fact, there's a quiet strength released when an individual cries; it exposes the individual to himself. It affords him the opportunity to awaken his soul & grow exponentially. 

Last week was a week of tears & growth. 

What motivational force are you driven by in your professional life? For some it's the label.  Some are more interested in the title behind their name than the actual job itself. Others are motivated in seeking out professions they think will generate the most income. And still for some, the only reason they chose to go into a certain line of work is because they felt immense pressure from their parents..."You'll only be successful if you become a doctor;" "You don't disappoint want to your father, do you? You must follow in your father's footsteps & take over the family business." And then there are the last two categories: people who are driven out of service to the community & people who are truly passionate in a certain line of work & will risk job security in order to do something they are truly happy doing everyday. 

For me it's never been about monetary gain.  It's always been about service. When I was a little girl I wanted to be a cop. I had an autograph book that I would carry around & any time I saw a cop in public, I would run up to him & ask him to sign it. That 5 year old Megan has always defined "success" in terms of serving the community & it is that precise reason why I had a mini breakdown last week. The tears shed were out of sheer frustration & fear that I'm not currently making a difference in the lives of those around me. Why? Because I'm at a standstill in my life academically & professionally. 

I feel like everyone around me is excelling in their professional lives & here I am at 25 years, still living at home, going to school & not working full-time. I feel like I'm waiting for my "real" life to speak to begin. I wish I knew four years ago that God's ultimate call for my life was to become a pediatric oncology nurse. It would have saved me a lot of aggravation & money, but I need to remind myself that God operates on his own time table. I know this transition stage is needed & I need to learn to be more gentle & patient with myself. I know I'm working towards something, something much bigger than myself & this "big picture" is where I also place my hope & faith. 

This week I've been studying the gospel of Luke & Mary has given me new insight into living a life of radical faith.  Although initially afraid & confused as to why the angel Gabriel would appear at her home and declare her the future mother of Jesus, Mary took the angel at his word because he was sent by God....Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." (Luke 1:38)

Can you imagine being in Mary's shoes? Having an angel appear and tell you that you would be conceiving a child even though you were a virgin? Mary doesn't question God's call for her her life. She offers no resistance. There is no talk of being afraid about what others might label her. She doesn't ask the angel when the she will become pregnant or give birth. She simply trusts in God's word & let's Him operate according to His purposes & time frame.

I need to frame my life with the faith Mary did. I need to let God lead me the way He lead Mary.
Instead of struggling to control the timing of events so they are more convenient for me, I need to let Him take the reign & let events unfold as He sees fit. Nothing frustrates The Lord more when we attempt to manipulate situations. It robs God of who He is, and takes away the wisdom God wants to lavish you with during those seasons of impatience.

Purity

With each passing year, it seems as if the mean age for losing one's virginity decreases. Nowadays it's all too common to hear of a 14 year old child engaging in sex.

So when someone chooses to abstain from premarital sex in a culture dominated & infatuated by sex, questions will arise and judgements will be formed. And unfortunately most of the time these questions & judgements are negative. For example, "Why on earth would someone choose to lead 'that' kind of life?" Another one of my favorites is, "What a prude!"

We are all well aware that the most common type of person who believes in "saving himself" for marriage, is a Christ-follower.  The interesting thing to note though, is that non-Christians are not the only ones to pass judgements on virgins. I know just as many Christians who engage in premarital sex, and just like nonbelievers,  are quick to pass judgement on virgins & label them as "weird."

So where do I fall within this spectrum? Do I believe in premarital sex or do I believe in waiting until my wedding night?

I, Megan McGraw, am a 25 year old virgin & couldn't be more content with my choice.

I'm sure you're curious as to why I'm consciously choosing to remain pure until my wedding night. So buckle up, ya'll. I'm going to give you insight into the mind of a 25 year old virgin (insert gasps).

There are many reasons as to why I've chosen to remain a virgin. One such influence that has guided my stance on premarital sex is my parents' relationship with one another.

I am very blessed to have two parents that are still married. They met their freshman year of high school and have been committed to one another ever sense. Seeing how they treat one other with the utmost care & tenderness has beautifully illustrated what love truly means & shaped me into the woman I am today. It is because of their mutual love and respect for one other that I do not have a tainted view of love. I am what I call a "hopeful romantic." I believe in the power of love. I believe in soul-mates & I believe in the happily ever after God is in the process of scripting for me as I type this very blog entry.

Don't get me wrong, my mother has been a tremendous influence in my life with regards to saving myself for marriage, but more so than anything, I know the mindset to remain pure for my God & husband is due to my dad's influence.  The way he honors my heart has set the standard for what I'm looking for in a man, and until that standard is met, I will patiently wait for my sweet husband.

My dad is the kindest, most selfless, thoughtful, loving, patient, & devoted man you will ever meet. He is the true embodiment of a gentleman. His treatment of me has set very high standards in all of my interpersonal relations--not just romantic ones. I know I deserve respect, love, & tenderness, and will not settle for anything less. It is because of my dad I am an independent woman who will not let another person, especially man define my worth as a person. I am the gal who is not willing to "settle" because she's feeling lonely or needs words of affirmation to feel good about herself. I'm waiting for my Godly gentleman who will step up & meet my standards. I know he's out there & my trust in this lies in the fact that I have a wonderful, loving God who adores me & wants to give me the desires of my heart. (Psalm 37:4).

The third reason is out of reverence for God. If I can be perfectly honest with you, I've never been in love before. It's something I want more than anything. But I know the reason I have not been in love yet is all thanks to the big man upstairs. When I was younger I always thought there was something wrong with me because I wasn't quick to jump into relationships like my other friends. I never felt the need to be in a relationship with a man.  Sure, I desired a boyfriend, but I knew my self worth as a woman wasn't based on my relationship status.  Years later I now know my self worth is based solely on God's love for me.  My identity lies within Christ, and Christ alone.

Now this may surprise you but I've not always been a woman of strong faith. I always believed in God but did not have an intimate relationship with him until I was 20. (I'm 25) now.

Looking back, I now know that God was the one behind the scenes, protecting me from getting involved in short term relationships that would lead nowhere.  He knows my heart.  When I love, I love deeply.  Knowing that, He shielded me away from potential suitors because He knew there was a time before I gave myself completely to Him that I may have fell victim to lust. And there I was in my younger years, thinking I was the resilient one, the one protecting myself from future heartbreak.

I know in my heart of hearts this was God's plan for my life. I know God has orchestrated my love life and in time I will meet, and fall in love the man God has designated to be my husband. So until then, I am content to remain single. It allows me to get to know the heart of my Beloved even more and grow deeper in my faith.  It turns out to be a win-win situation anyway because my husband will ultimately be the beneficiary of those single years that increased my faith tenfold.

The final reason for remaining a virgin is out of love for my future husband. I cannot think of a more beautiful gift than giving all of myself to him, both in the physical & emotional sense. I mean how epic is it knowing that a woman has been saving herself for you & only you? If that isn't love that I don't know what is.

Now that you know my reasoning, I'm sure you have some questions.

One such question I get all the time is "aren't you scared that if you don't experiment now you will never know what 'good' sex is?"

To this I ask you, how do you operationally define good sex? To me, "good" sex has a deeply relational/spiritual connection to it as well as psychical. Call me crazy, but nowadays I think it's usually one or the other. You have the 2-2 deal when you let God script your love story.

Furthermore, of course the sex will be good! This is the man that God has ordained for me. With this comes the assurance that God will give me a man that will fulfill the deepest desires of my heart & know how to satisfy me sexually! Pretty awesome, huh? 

There will also be no awkward tension & inhibitions between us because we were best friends before hopping into bed together.  I mean think about how awkward first dates are. Each person is feeling the other out while being mindful to be on his best behavior, so that he may impress his date. When you save yourself for marriage there's no need to impress & you're free to be yourself. Inhibitions? Ain't nobody got time for that!

Another question I get is: "aren't you tempted?"

Um, ya....out of sheer curiosity. But not at the expense of yielding to my belief system. I value my God and husband way too much to give into my flesh.

Now I know I'm a rarity these days, so while it would be my prayer that everyone could refrain from sex until they are married, I know that's not the reality.  What I do ask is that if you are engaging in premarital sex, at least do it with someone that RESPECTS and LOVES you! Be with someone who values your heart and soul as much as they value your body.

Love, Megs

I've got my rose-tinted stunna shades on! :)

We live in a world where the headlines read: "Murder; Death; Natural disaster; Fiscal ruin...." the list goes on.  Rarely, do we read/hear about breaking news that has to do with a simple act of kindness & when we do, that story becomes the talk of town for weeks on end. 

Do you remember when the New York police man offered a pair of shoes to a homeless man, and the news coverage that followed?  

Now I am by no means criticizing that sweet police officer's gesture; in fact, it's the exact opposite. I celebrate & encourage all acts of kindness.  But it troubles me that the current human condition is such that people were almost in disbelief that another man would go out of his way to do something kind for another human being.  

Shouldn't it be second nature to give of ourselves to a brother or sister in need?  You see a person slip on the street, you offer him your hand; you see a mom in the grocery store who lost sight of her child as she was picking out a box of cereal, you offer to help find her child; etc.

It is my hope that someday the ability to choose good over evil will be manifested in the headlines, that the current negative headlines that society feeds us will become a thing of a past, and replaced by headlines that read something along the lines of, "hope, faith, love."

The good Lord has blessed us all with innate goodness--some more than others, but the bottom line is: we must act on on our kindness impulse & choose to do good to others.

I've got my rose-tinted stunna shades & I'm ready to make kindness an epidemic! Care to join me? Make kindness your legacy!  :D

Blessing in disguise

We all have that one moment where we can look back & confidently say, "That moment changed the course of my life forever."  Mine occurred a little over two years ago on an early November afternoon as I was driving to work.  I became extremely photophobic and I started to experience blurred & double vision.  You know when you look at a light for too long and you experience that weird after-image effect....it almost looks like a halo?That's what I experienced.  After a month of my vision staying this way and feeling extremely fatigued, I met with primary care physician who believed I had a virus.  In the mean time, I scheduled an appointment with an optometrist, who examined my eyes, and everything checked out fine.  I went back to my primary care physician, and he ordered a bunch of blood tests. My white blood cell count came back very low, which suggested infection, so he ordered an ultrasound of my liver.  Luckily there was no structural damage to my liver.  After a month of still no relief from my blurred vision, my dr. ordered an mri of my brain......

It was during finals week when I received my mri results.  I still remember the words that came out of the radiologist's mouth, "We believe you have a benign tumor called a meningioma."  I was in absolute shock.  A benign tumor?  I was obviously extremely thankful it wasn't malignant, don't get me wrong.  But a benign tumor still warrants concern.  I became unglued.  I was already fighting a major depression during this time, but I now hit an all time low.

I met with a neurosurgeon who discussed the findings with my parents & me.  He explained that we would need to watch the tumor very carefully.  I would be getting mris every 2 months to make sure it didn't grow.  If it did grow, there would be the possibility of needing brain surgery.  Hold up: brain surgery?!? That's not a question a 22 year old wants to be asking herself.

My parents & I were pretty shaken up, so we scheduled a second opinion down at Stanford.  The Lord was so good during this time and was able to get us in to see a world renowned neurosurgeon who usually has a wait list of at least 3 months.  I was able to get in & see him 2 weeks after the telephone called was placed!  After getting another batch of mris & a cat scan done, we met with him.  He looked over all of my results and told my parents & me,  he ran a tumor review board every week, and he & his colleagues would discuss my case.  A couple weeks later we met with him & this is where things get interesting.  After reviewing my case at the meeting, the doctors came to the consensus that what was truly causing my fatigue & blurred vision was a terrible viral infection.  He explained that some viral infections can last months & months.  He further explained that the tumor they found in my mris were probably congenital and most likely wouldn't cause me problems in the future, but that we should still get mris every year or so just to make sure.  

What a blessing, let me tell you!!!!!  My parents & I were elated!!!!!  I'll be honest: my faith was crap during this time.  I was still a baby in my faith and while I did call out to God during this time, my trust in him was shaky.  But with this news, I knew something in my life had to change.

It would take me another two months to fully recover and regain normal vision but during that time, I had a change of heart.  I had two months left in my senior year of college.  I had been planning on attending grad school after obtaining my BS so I could become a clinical psychologist.  But it dawned on me, going that route would not fulfill me emotionally.    I had spent a lot of time in and out of various hospitals' oncology departments, and God suddenly placed a great desire for me to become a nurse.  But not just any nurse, a pediatric oncology nurse.

"What, Lord....you want me to do what?"  I don't know very many people who would want to go into that line of nursing for the obvious reason: seeing children in pain. I'll be honest, at times I second guess myself.  I form attachments very quickly, especially to children & in this line of work it's a given that not all children will recover....that's the part that troubles me.  But I'm greatly encouraged by the fact that if this is truly the Lord's will for my life, then he will equip me with the emotional support, and resources I need to serve these children to the best of my ability.  

I really cannot think of a more satisfying profession for me.  I love to serve others.  I feel so fortunate that I will have the opportunity to love on these children as they are facing the biggest battle of their lives.  Yes, there will be days where I'll feel like quitting due to the enormous sadness I'll be facing because I will form attachments.  I already know I'll have a huge tendency, to form attachments, but that is what will make be a good nurse.  That's who I am to my very core.  I love, and when you love as deeply as I do, you undoubtedly will experience more heartbreak than the average person.  But heartbreak is something I'm willing to experience, so long as I know I've made an impact in the lives of these children.  I want each one of them to fall asleep each night knowing, I love them as if they were my own children, and they will not have to face this disease by themselves.

I'm also very excited to report that after I've established myself as a nurse for a while, I'm going to create a weightlifting program for the mothers of the children who are undergoing cancer treatment.    It is my belief that by implementing weightlifting into the women's weekly routines, they will start experiencing a sense of control in at least one avenue of their lives, and will be left feeling empowered.  There's no denying that weightlifting makes an individual physically strong, but more importantly, emotionally resilient, which will only enhance a mother's ability to cope with her child's cancer diagnosis, and treatment. 

It's funny how a simple trip to the hospital can change the course of your life forever.  Well played, God.  Well played.  :)