Monday, October 17, 2011

Komen Race 2011











[Forgive my lack of ability to get Blogger to allow me to re-arrange my photos in order....ARGH.]


On Saturday, I and around 29,999 other folks participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Dallas. It's one of the larger Komen Races in the country. I was finally able to organize a team at work this year and I think that the group enjoyed themselves and were moved by the amount of people joining together for such a great cause.


You see some many creative shirts and costumes at the Race. One of my favorites was a little girl dressed up like a fairy with a ballerina skirt and wings and a shirt that said "we need to find a cure before I get boobs" (she looked to be about 6). There are always the somber "in memory of" ones and the pink-shirted survivors, some still in chemo or not far-removed that have little or no hair under their pink caps. Komen has advanced the fight against this awful disease and we have made great strides - but we must continue until we find the cure!


Last year I was unable to participate due to migraines and I missed another year due to bronchitis, so I was thankful to be able to participate this year. I'm "paying for it" in a manner of speaking, but it's something that it important to me and I'm thankful the Lord provided me the strength to do it.





















Monday, October 10, 2011

Just as I am

For awhile now, each week, we sing "Just as I am" as our invitation song at church. I love that hymn. But what's made it come even more alive to me is the new additional phrases/bridge we sing - I know now that these lyrics (and the occupying music)were written by Travis Cottrell:

I come broken to be mended
I come wounded to be healed
I come desperate to be rescued
I come empty to be filled
I come guilty to be pardoned
By the blood of the Christ the Lamb
And I'm welcomed with open arms -Praise God!
Just as I am.

I grew up in church and have sung "Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me..." more times that I can count...but these new lyrics from Travis mixed in with the timeless ones I grew up with just have brought the powerful truth of this hymn to life for me.

Through Christ's blood, God welcomes me just as I am.

I can come wounded, desperate, broken, empty, guilty and in every other way that I am deficient, and the God of the universe welcomes me.

In a world that screams to us you have to be skinny and pretty and powerful and rich and successful to be worthwhile, it's nice to know that when I'm none of those things, God not only LETS me come, He WELCOMES me with open arms.

That, my friends, is definitely praiseworthy.

He is praiseworthy.

He loves me (and you) just as I am.