This last weekend has been full of emotion and more than our fair share of drama and worry.  We got word of my sister’s illness (you can read more about that here), and at the same time Samuel and I went on a mini-vacation to Nebraska.  He and I really had a wonderful time, even amidst all the angst and bad news and such.

I worried that I wouldn’t be able to sleep well, because stress and anxiety tends to keep me awake, but I prayed and God blessed me with GOOD sleep the entire weekend.  Last night, I could barely keep awake, and got a full night’s rest.  Today, after talking with my sister, I’m energized and feeling optimistic and hopeful.  It’s great to be feeling this way.  When I talked to my sister, we laughed and made plans for later this week, and next.  What was just a sliver of hope now feels like a big boulder of certainty, and I want to keep it that way!

So today, in honor of my sister and the battle she and the rest of our family is about to engage with the ugly monster cancer, I am challenging you (and myself) to do a layout that reflects hope, optimism, resilience, bravery in the storm.  Find a picture that speaks of overcoming or victory.  Do some journaling about a time when you or someone you know climbed a mountain that seemed insurmountable, and made it to the top! (And you know I’m speaking metaphorically, right?  Although if you have actually CLIMBED a real mountain, please DO share!)

And if you do a layout for this challenge, will you please send me an email or leave a comment?  I want to start collecting all the positive energy and stories I can gather, for myself and for our family.