Marci - Dancing In The Rain (Arizona)

Snow Works Too

The miracles just keep coming.  My genetic test results showed I have the EGFR gene mutation which allows me to take a fairly new targeted non-chemo drug.  I have been taking the medication daily now for three weeks and continue to improve.  I am now completely off oxygen during the day and only use it at night while sleeping.  More reasons to dance!!!!

-Dana

Dancing In The Rain

In September of 2015 I was diagnosed with Lung Cancer which had metastasized throughout my body.  It was a complete shock.  I felt like I had been the specimen of perfect health until a month earlier when I was diagnosed with pneumonia.  I had never smoked, didn’t drink alcohol, never used drugs and led a healthy lifestyle.  How could this be?  It was what it was and I had learned from facing many challenges in my life that resisting what was would only make it more difficult.  Somehow I needed to embrace this new challenge and discover the hidden gifts within it. 

My youngest daughter, 19 years old, departed in August 2015 to serve an 18 month mission for our church.  She was sent to Quito, Ecuador.  After a tearful goodbye at the airport, I returned home to discover a gift she had left me on my bed.  It was a picture of the two of us embracing and the inscription on the frame read: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storms to pass…but learning to dance in the rain.”   Little did she know at the time that this quote would take on a new meaning in the life of our family. 

So my heartfelt desire is to find joy in the journey and it will indeed be a journey.  We will dance in the rain and fill our hearts with gratitude for all the blessings that surround us.  We all go through hard things, none of us are exempt.  For many your challenges are private, for others they are more public.  However, we are all in this together and what better way to support one another than to dance in the rain.  So please send us your pictures of you dancing in the rain, your children dancing in the rain, dancing with your spouse or beloved friends.  I want to see the pictures flow in from all over the world.  I also want to hear how you have found joy in your journey of dealing with hard things.
 

I truly feel this is a gift I have been given.  Each day I unwrap more layers of this gift.  Yes, somedays are hard.  Somedays I struggle to breathe.  Somedays the pain is excruciating and somedays I struggle to see the light.  But as I ponder the things I am grateful for the joy always follows.  I always thought joyful people were grateful people, but I think it’s the other way around.  I believe joy is a gift.  A gift from our creator.  And that joy fills you with faith, hope, and love.  I can honestly say that there have been many moments in this journey that I have been filled with such joy, such love, such gratitude that has been so sweet. 

There is something about dancing that makes our spirits smile.  As children we all loved to dance, but then as we grew older and more conscious of what others thought we drew back.  So don’t be concerned about how you look or what others think just dance.  Dance with joy, dance from the heart, dance like no one is watching and share your joy with others. 

I believe in a loving God, who will turn our straw into GOLD if we look to him.  I believe in a God that will turn our bitter times in our lives into good….more good than we can possibly imagine.  Our family has seen great miracles transpire during the last few years and we know those miracles will continue.

So please share with us how you have found joy in the midst of challenging times.  And begin sending in those pictures of you dancing in the rain or if there is no rain just pictures of you dancing with joy!

Fight Song

Lyrics to "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten

Like a small boat

On the ocean

Sending big waves

Into motion

Like how a single word

Can make a heart open

I might only have one match

But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn't say

Wrecking balls inside my brain

I will scream them loud tonight

Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song

Take back my life song

Prove I'm alright song

My power's turned on

Starting right now I'll be strong

I'll play my fight song

'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

But there's a fire burning in my bones

Still believe

Yeah, I still believe



Here is an article about this song:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/865644341/Beyond-our-expectations-The-Piano-Guys-pianist-Jon-Schmidt-reflects-on-the-groups-2015.html