sleepover partay. woohoo!

After 2 weeks of rest and recovery (from my most recent hospital stay I talked about in this post) at the parent's house in Statesboro, my stubborn "me must be independent" attitude kicked in. I packed my bags to head home to Savannah and then it came to me, "ummm I can't drive, I can't cook for myself, I'm on pain meds, blah blah blah" Ugh. What to do now? I love being with my parents, don't get me wrong. (hi mom, I love you. and yes, I know you are reading this) I am just so stinking fiercely independent and lets be real, I also wanted to be closer to my friend-amily (friends I call family) and boyfriend ben. But it looked as if little baby birdy wasn't leaving the nest just yet.

And then.....Wah-lah! My very best special friend Casey, whom I happen to adore, told me, yes told me, I was to come to Savannah and stay with her and her family (that I also adore). And peeps, who was I to argue? I was headed to Savannah. 

So that was last Friday. Yes, I have been here, sleeping on their leathery couch (I happen to love sleeping on a couch) watching army wives on netflix for a week. And no, they haven't kicked me out yet. Don't worry, don't worry I'm not planning on mooching or planting my cute butt here permanently. Just until I am able to take care of myself, which is this weekend most likely. And it kinda makes me sad, I have truly enjoyed my time here with the Sanders clan. I would like to think the feeling is mutual. :) 

So here are some reasons the Sanders rock and some things I particularly enjoyed about my stay here..

1. They took me in without a moment's hesitation. And did I mention they have a toddler (that is (P)recious) and a brand new baby? Yeah, rockstars they are. 

2. Since the time Casey and I became friends, she has loved me unconditionally and been one of the best friends I have had. Very loyal, that Casey. Actually come to think of it, their WHOLE family has been that way to me. Love.

3. Casey makes me snort laugh. 

4. They actually cook dinner around here. Doesn't happen too much around my apartment. 

5. Army Wives on netflix

6. Watching American Idol...and all of our special critiquing of each singer. FYI Sanders clan are very talented musicians. So, their critiques actually were valid...much different than my "oh she's so pitchy tonight!" or "he needs teeth whitener". 

7. Getting to know new baby L and spending time with sweet P. 

Just being around my peeps has done wonders for this sick girl. I've said it before and I will say it again, God has blessed me with some sweet-tastic friends. I simply could not be who I am or persevere through tough circumstance without them all. Nothing is by accident, its all apart of an awesome plan. And I am proud and humbled to be apart of it. Love you Sanders fam. 

tehehe... 

living abundantly, 

Dana

P.S. Don't forget about the upcoming fundraiser being held for me (yay!) (how cool!) (how very sweet!) on Saturday, March 26th. All proceeds go towards medical expenses.
To buy your ticket or raffle ticket contact Josh Whitfield at joshwhitfield@gmail.com and check out the facebook invite here!

true life: i love 'touched by an angel'

Ok, I have a confession. When I was younger (and still now) I loved the show Touched by an Angel. I know, I know its kinda lame. Seriously lame: bad acting and lame, sappy lines. But hey, its good, family friendly television with a wholesome message. What ever happened to that? I don't know. Hard to find unless you watch the Hallmark Channel. (thats where old reruns of Touched by an Angel run in case you want to know) Anywho, as a child I totally connected with this one, specific episode. I still remember the feeling I felt when I watched it the first time.

Quick recap of the story: There is this boy with a terminal illness (cystic fibrosis I believe), he is not getting any better and his doctors don't think he will live much longer. The whole story line of touched by an angel is that these three angels (Monica, Tess, and Andrew) come down and show God's compassion and love to the suffering people in the storyline. Its sweet. So in this particular episode the three angels help this boy, his best friend, and single mother deal with the fact that the little boy probably won't get better. (so sad) They help the little boy live his last days, prepare for heaven, etc.

The point of all this is that this story was an inspiration to me as a child. The fact that God's love was shown in such a dark situation really gave me hope as a child with a chronic illness. Yes, I know the story isn't necessarily true but there are little heroes all over the world much like the boy in this story. Little heroes that have more courage in the difficult trials of life than I could ever imagine having. Even though this particular story is fictional, the moral of the story is still there. God never leaves us. He provides the strength and courage we need to persevere. He also provides the love and compassion of others to help us along. He is so willing to help us through the dark moments if we just let him.

I really encourage you to watch the next two videos. They are two clips of my favorite parts from this episode I described. One has Wynonna Judd singing a song in the final scene of the show. The words to this song are so powerful. I posted them below. The next is another clip to kind of explain the episode and another song with encouraging lyrics. I know the acting is not so hot but just the message is so sweet. I pretty much cry everytime I see it (in a good way).
Well there is my embarrassing confession. Admit it, you like it too. You can't help but like Monica...with that accent and all. I think its Scottish? or British? who knows.





Lyrics
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silence
when words are not enough
With every breath I take
I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify love.



I want to testify love. To be a witness in the silences when words are not enough. That should be my life mission. To show love and compassion to every person. Always keep the little ones (and their families) of the world that fight a terminal illness in your prayers. They are my heroes. Happy Sunday!

If I had 3 wishes.

I watched too many fairy tales when I was a kid (although technically, I don't think that is possible). Over the years I have constantly questioned what I would do if I were in a Disney character's place.

For example, if I were a princess mermaid like Ariel, would I really want to leave the sea? Probably not.
Another scenario, would I really be able to fall in love with a beast, not knowing that one day he will turn into a hot prince? A BEAST? I mean come on. I don't think I could ever get past the fangs and fur.

Most of the Disney characters I think wow, they sure are better people than me. (yes, I know its all fictional, work with me here) However, Aladdin on the other hand, eh not so much. I mean he gets 3 wishes. He can wish for basically anything. I mean anything. He chooses to be a prince. Dumb wish. In the end he finds his conscience and it all ends peachy. But at first, Aladdin is kind of dense.

If I found a magical lamp in a live, tiger sand cave, I would make some pretty good wishes. I have obviously thought this through over the years.

Wish #1:
I want 6 different educational degrees. A medical degree, a law degree, business degree (M.B.A.), early childhood education degree, seminary degree, and web design degree. I would of course automatically gain all the knowledge needed in order to hold these degrees. I think if I had all of those, I would be pretty well prepared for all things in life.

Wish #2:
I would ask for a sufficient amount of money. Enough money to support a family and to adopt several kids. I still want incentive to work, so you know, not too much money. Also, we would have a huge budget each year for giving and serving. (mission trips, non-profit work, helping others etc.) I think Genie could figure out a reasonable amount.

Wish #3:
I would ask for free, never expiring plane tickets. I could go anywhere, any time, as much as I want, for the rest of my life. Oh and that includes hotel stays or something equivalent. :) I don't want Genie cutting any corners.

Well there you go. I know you were dying to know. What would you wish for? My wishes change constantly. It can't hurt to dream.

Just some birthday wisdom for ya

Hey everyone!
Sorry it has been so long since I have last written! I have been really busy with getting all of my makeup work done from last semester.

I turned 23 last Friday! I am practically an old woman now. It really is weird to be getting this old. I know, I know I am still young and all that. It doesn't change the fact that I don't feel 23. I feel about 19 or 20. This birthday was a really good one. I have such wonderful family and friends that are so loving and thoughtful.

Some things I learned in my 22nd year:

1. God is still good. Even on days when circumstances aren't good.
   
2. I learned some really hard lessons about praising God through storms this year. I have had many "storms" this year. I have been sick more this year than I think I have in my entire life. However, I believe I am closer to God because of that.
   
3. I am stubborn.
4. I learned that screening phone calls is not good phone etiquette. People generally prefer you answer the phone or atleast return their calls.
   
5. It is easy to "fall from grace".
6. It is hard to accept that God loves me anyway, despite my falls.
7. Dogs are the best pets. Sorry cats.
   
8. Painting my fingernails makes me feel feminine.
   
9. I like feeling feminine. That fact doesn't make me weak.
10. People don't automatically know how you feel about them. It's important to show/tell them.
    
11. I learned to kayak.
    
12. The fine line between being a forgiving person and being a doormat.
    
13. Obeying God brings freedom and happiness. Really.
14. I don't like tofu.
15. I do like pears.
    
16. Patience really is a virtue.
17. Diets are pointless.
    
18. French fries are the most important member of my daily food intake.
    
19. With Christ I really can do anything. I can make it through the roughest times by relying on Him.
20. Yay is my favorite non-word!
    

Yay for being 23! What did you learn in your 22nd year?