Serious Sunday: Charity

I think it's incredible when you meet people that make you want to be a better person.

I went to a get together yesterday with 40+ other women all with one purpose, to start a group that could be of service, to find things to do to help other people. (Sad thing is, I'm a photographer and only had my camera phone. Which would have taken time away from my mouth-meaning I talked way to much and didn't take any pictures of it!)

Sue from Navel Gazing at its Finest started it. She's just as amazing in person as I thought she would be. I've read her forever and I was so *star struck* to meet her in person. :) If you don't read her, you should. Every post is a writer's masterpiece. She is witty AND gets her point across, instead of like my blog where I'm trying for both but get one or the other :)

I'm the first to admit that I love doing things for others but that I'm ultimately a selfish person. I always find myself wrapped up in my own life worrying about either myself or my immediate family (husband and kids).

I give when I'm reminded if that makes sense. I help out when someone else gives me the idea. I don't think of these kinds of things naturally which is such a horrible character flaw.

It's no different with this group. I am extremely excited about it and want to be a part of it, but it wasn't my idea...I'm sure I'll be forgiven for my inability to be a go-getter and secede in being a follower when it comes to these things.

However, just going to that yesterday and being a part of it made me WANT to do better, be better. These ladies, only one who I had met in person before, and maybe THREE I knew from their blogs... the rest where all strangers to me, each new person I met was funny and inviting.

When I get that feeling of being uplifted I always go and read quotes. True Story. I think I need to do that more. Bring back Serious Sunday's. Share that part of me... it's a small part, but it's still me right?

SO--the quote that came that struck me while reading after this awesome get together was this--because if I have pounded one weak character flaw in me it is patience-I have very little of it and usually the only patience I have is if it involves children--funny thing that is right?:

"The Book of Mormon provides insight into the relationship between patience and charity. Mormon, after pointing out that if a man 'have not charity he is nothing: wherefore he must needs have charity.' goes on to name the 13 elements of charity, or the pure love of Christ. I find it most interesting that 4 of the 13 elements of this must-have virtue relate to patience (see Moroni 7:44-45). "First, 'charity suffereth long.' That is what patience is all about. Charity 'is not easily provoked' is another aspect of this quality, as is charity 'beareth all things.' And finally, charity 'endureth all things' is certainly an experssion of patience (Moroni 7:45). From these defining elements it is evident that without patience gracing our soul, we would be seriously lacking with respect to a Christlike character." "The Power of Patience," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 15

From the Bible-(Thanks to the one who gave me the reference to it) 1 Cor. 13:4- "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up"

So patience I have very little. If one involves the other than I'm bound to get gain more patience if I have more charity right? I'm going to go with that.

I do love this next quote also, so had to include it:

"Charity never humiliated him who profited from it, nor ever

bound him by the chains of gratitude, since it was not to  him but to God that the gift was made." --Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

Ah--that I can relate to.  It won't humiliate me and it won't bind me to gratitude :)

What I'm trying to say is...I'm going to give it a go.  Holding onto the coattails of the rest of them. 

Have a good Sunday everyone!  When I find a picture that was taken... I'll steal and post it-- wait, that doesn't go against everything I 

just talked about right?

Either way... love you all!

The Cure for JM-A Husbands/Father's Quest-Birthday Gift!

Kevin of Always Home and Uncool has asked me to post this as part of his effort to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago. The day also happens to be his wife's birthday.

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Our pediatrician admitted it early on.

The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before.

The next doctor wouldn't admit to not knowing.

He rattled off the names of several skins conditions -- none of them seemingly worth his time or bedside manner -- then quickly prescribed antibiotics and showed us the door.

The third doctor admitted she didn't know much.

The biopsy of the chunk of skin she had removed from our daughter's knee showed signs of an "allergic reaction" even though we had ruled out every allergy source -- obvious and otherwise -- that we could.

The fourth doctor had barely closed the door behind her when, looking at the limp blonde cherub in my lap, she admitted she had seen this before. At least one too many times before.

She brought in a gaggle of med students. She pointed out each of the physical symptoms in our daughter:

The rash across her face and temples resembling the silhouette of a butterfly.

The purple-brown spots and smears, called heliotrope, on her eyelids.

The reddish alligator-like skin, known as Gottron papules, covering the knuckles of her hands.

The onset of crippling muscle weakness in her legs and upper body.

She then had an assistant bring in a handful of pages photocopied from an old medical textbook. She handed them to my wife, whose birthday it happened to be that day.

This was her gift -- a diagnosis for her little girl.

That was seven years ago -- Oct. 2, 2002 -- the day our daughter was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, one of a family of rare autoimmune diseases that can have debilitating and even fatal consequences when not treated quickly and effectively.

Our daughter's first year with the disease consisted of surgical procedures, intravenous infusions, staph infections, pulmonary treatments and worry. Her muscles were too weak for her to walk or swallow solid food for several months. When not in the hospital, she sat on our living room couch, propped up by pillows so she wouldn't tip over, as medicine or nourishment dripped from a bag into her body.

Our daughter, Thing 1, Megan, now age 9, remembers little of that today when she dances or sings or plays soccer. All that remain with her are scars, six to be exact, and the array of pills she takes twice a day to help keep the disease at bay.

What would have happened if it took us more than two months and four doctors before we lucked into someone who could piece all the symptoms together? I don't know.

I do know that the fourth doctor, the one who brought in others to see our daughter's condition so they could easily recognize it if they ever had the misfortune to be presented with it again, was a step toward making sure other parents also never have to find out.

That, too, is my purpose today.

It is also my birthday gift to my wife, My Love, Rhonda, for all you have done these past seven years to make others aware of juvenile myositis diseases and help find a cure for them once and for all.

To read more about children and families affected by juvenile myositis diseases, visit Cure JM Foundation at www.curejm.org.

To make a tax-deductible donation toward JM research, go to www.firstgiving.com/rhondaandkevinmckeever or www.curejm.com/team/donations.htm.

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Hey guys,

I was so excited to be asked to be a part of this for Kevin. I happen to know, through experience, that you my friends are some of the most generous and kind people out there! Thanks for taking the time to read this!

I hope this will help!

Love,