This sunday night, the 23rd, is a night my family looks forward to all year!
My Uncle Barry is a Lymphoma survivor and we lost my grandpa after a short but brave fight against Leukemia in 2007.For the past 7 years, we have participated in The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night walk in Market Street every October.It’s incredible to see how God brings the community together to support blood cancer research.Families and friends walk as teams in memory of or in support of loved ones.Each participant carries a lit balloon.Gold balloons are carried in memory of loved ones lost to cancer, cancer survivors carry white balloons, and supporters carry red balloons. There’s live music, and we take a short stroll through Market Street and Waterway Square.
Our team, Blanton’s Bunch has raised over $89,000 in support of blood cancerresearch since we started in 2005.Our goal this year is to raise $17,000 more.If anyone is interested in walking, we would love to have you join us on this Sunday at 7pm!You can register to walk (for free!) and/or make donations on our website, Blanton’s Bunch 2011.
“And the prayer of faith will the save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up” James 5:15
This is actually my job, and I couldn’t love it more. I’m a speech teacher, but lately I’m finding that more importantly, I’m a student. Children can teach us a valuable lesson in humility if we watch and listen closely.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3and said, ”Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 18:1-4
Help Fight Blood Cancers!
In Loving Memory of…Don Blanton & Barbara Ward Taylor
In Honor of Survivors…Barry Blanton & Barbara Blanton
It is that time of year, Labor Day, football season, back to school, baseball playoffs, and… Light The Night! The key to curing blood cancers is research. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a leader in providing funding for research. Light The Night is a unique fundraising event in support of the LLS. We hope that you will support the Blanton Bunch in the walk this year. We must continue the fight. We must continue to raise money to fund research. We must search for a cure! The Blanton Bunch was formed in 2005 to support the LLS after Barry Blantons’ successful treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Since then the purpose of our team has taken on a new meaning as Fran and Barry have both lost parents to cancer. We walk in memory of both Don Blanton and Barbara Ward Taylor as well as in honor Barry Blanton, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor and Barbara Blanton, breast cancer survivor. The Blanton Bunch has raised over $89,000 in support of curing blood cancers since we started in 2005. We hope to add over $17,000 to that total this year. Please consider supporting our efforts.We would love to have you and your family join us for the walk. It is a great community and family oriented event held at Market Street in The Woodlands. The evening is an inspiring one involving a short stroll thru Town Center with participants carrying lighted balloons (gold balloons are carried in memory of lost loved ones, white balloons are carried by survivors, and red balloons are carried by supporters). Help us Light The Night!
How You Can Help!
Register to walk! Join us the night of the walk and be a part of the Blanton Bunch team. Solicit family and friends to support you and become a Champion for a Cure! Make a Donation! Support research by making a direct donation! Follow this link to our web site were you can register and/or donate. Thanks in advance for your support of the fight against blood cancers! The Blanton Bunch 2011 -Barry Blanton
Can’t get enough of this song right now. Especially this part…
You are peace, You are peace When my fear is crippling You are true, You are true Even in my wandering You are joy, You are joy You’re the reason that I sing You are life, You are life, In You death has lost its sting
Oh, I’m running to Your arms, I’m running to Your arms The riches of Your love Will always be enough Nothing compares to Your embrace Light of the world forever reign
You are more, You are more Than my words will ever say You are Lord, You are Lord All creation will proclaim You are here, You are here In Your presence I’m made whole You are God, You are God Of all else I’m letting go
I just bought this 16-piece set! My first set of dishes! #pumped
Being Certain in Uncertainty
“Our natural inclination is to be so precise—trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next—that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some predetermined goal, but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty. Consequently, we do not put down roots. Our common sense says, ‘Well, what if I were in that circumstance?’ We cannot presume to see ourselves in any circumstance in which we have never been.
Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life—gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. When we become simply a promotor or a defender of a particular belief, something within us dies. That is not believing God—it is only believing our belief about Him. Jesus said, ‘Unless you…become as little children…’ (Matthew 18:3). The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with god, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ‘believe also in Me’ (John 14:1), not, ‘Believe certain things about Me.’ Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in—but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.” -Oswald Chambers
Maybe my life hasn’t been so chaotic. It’s just the world that is and the only real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.
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Eat Pray Love
Professional Bums
Stephanie: “Mallory, how would you live if there were no such thing as candy and chips?”
Mallory: “I’d be a shell of a woman.”
Stephanie: “Yeah, you’d be really skinny.”
Mallory: “No, I mean emotionally.”
Over the past few days, Steph and I have managed to stay in our pajamas until at least 5 p.m. We read, watch trash t.v., eat everything in the pantry (oh wait, that’s just me), and have awesome conversations such as the one above. This has been THE laziest week ever, and it’s only Tuesday! I love it!
When was the last time you went out on a limb? Really put yourself out there, exposed yourself to the elements, stared fear in the face and said I can do this… watch me. Biggest lesson I’ve learned in the past year is that limbs are shaky and scary. They wobble and they move with the wind. But if you methodically and strategically make it happen: put your shoes on, stare down that tree, climb to the top and take the walk step by step - the reward is sweet.
The Blanton Bunch was formed in 2005 to support the LLS after Barry Blantons’ successful treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Since then the purpose of our team has taken on a new meaning as Fran and Barry have both lost parents to cancer. We walk in memory of both Don Blanton and Barbara Ward Taylor as well as in honor Barry Blanton, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor and Barbara Blanton, breast cancer survivor. The Blanton Bunch has raised over $89,000 in support of curing blood cancers since we started in 2005. We hope to add over $17,000 to that total this year. Please consider supporting our efforts.We would love to have you and your family join us for the walk. It is a great community and family oriented event held at Market Street in The Woodlands. The evening is an inspiring one involving a short stroll thru Town Center with participants carrying lighted balloons (gold balloons are carried in memory of lost loved ones, white balloons are carried by survivors, and red balloons are carried by supporters). Help us Light The Night!
