Jonese's Blog

So I've been quiet for almost a month now. We all know that's not like me, but it happens. Hope you haven't been checking this site very single day only to have your hopes dashed. Yes mom I know you have :)

So what's been going on? Why have I been so quiet? Well for starters there was this and I've also been doing a lot of work on BeALight.com, as well as some personal journeys (more on that later).

Christmas is just around the corner and Thanksgiving just left us. It's really weird for me to look back at where I was last year during this time and it's also very humbling to see how far I've come. This time last year I had spent Thanksgiving alone here in the ATL and I was not looking forward to Christmas at all. Originally I had planned to skip it completely and just stay home in order to avoid all the questions about my divorce, the awkward conversations which would happen or be side stepped and so much more.

I just wanted to stay home, surf the internet, play my XBOX 360, Wii or just vegge out on the couch. I was probably pretty close to allowing myself to fall into some form of depression but lucky for me God wouldn't have it. I ended up going to Maryland and spending Christmas with my family and loving every moment of it.

Sure we had some of those awkward moments, a few conversations here and there but most of all it was family time. I even had a very grown up conversation with my niece about my divorce. Nothing like a then 6 year old to really put things in perspective.

I cannot imagine what a holiday without my family would be like.

It's probably this very reason why I've been so charged recently with giving and helping others. I've always had a generous heart and have never had a problem giving money, time, advice and more to those who need it. It's harder though to help someone when you don't really know what you can do.

I've got a friend who's mother was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in Oct of this year. She had an operation in November but the cancer had spread to the bladder walls. Luckily though it had gone no further and was classified as Stage III Bladder Cancer. My friends mom though, Vicki, didn't have insurance to cover any of the medical expenses. Like so many families across this great nation of ours, Vicki's family was bit pretty hard by the economic downturn.

The first operation was a blessing because the Doctor waived his fee's which didn't make the operation free but it did bring the costs down to a level the family could afford. After the operation and a Cat Scan, the determination was made to remove the Bladder in order to remove the cancer and keep it from spreading.

The only problem was how to pay for it.

After lots of leg work by the family, phone calls and attempts to get government assistance along with lots and lots of prayer, things were not looking good. Then it happened. Vicki got a call letting her know that her previously denied application for Medicaid had been overturned and she was now approved! This was a true blessing and miracle because without this Vicki was going to have a very tough battle ahead of her.

So things are looking up for Vicki and God is definitely still working in her and her families lives. I've been fortunate to be able to play a very small part in this. I've setup a little web space at http://www.bealight.com/vicki/ where people can learn about Vicki, her status and even find out how they can give donations to help with expenses and offer words of encouragement while she walks towards victory over her cancer.

The entire family has been amazing during this whole time and is an inspiration to me every day. Seeing these events unfold first hand gave me a much stronger respect for my own family and has allowed me to embrace them as well as grow closer to them.

It's also been a very eye opening experience, showing me how precious life and those around us are. I wanted to do more then just build a web site, offer kind words of encouragement, search for "stuff" to help the family. I didn't have a clue what this "thing" I wanted to do was until I got an email from my sister with my nieces Christmas list. Immediately the words of my mother rang in my ears "it's not what you WANT but what you NEED".

So what do I need? I have a house I can afford. A car which is reliable. Friends who would kill for me (some literally). Family who love me and will go the distance for me (15 hours alone in the car with a 7 year old, I love my sister). A job which fulfills me and allows me to work with some of the greatest people in this industry. A church which will go the distance and then ask what more can we do.

I looked around and I found I didn't NEED anything.

So I made up my Christmas list. Just two items.

1. Assistance to help pay for Articles of Incorporation for a Non-Profit for BeALight.com
2. That my family would take the money they would have spent on me for Christmas gifts and instead make a donation to Vicki so that her family would have one less worry in their future.

I don't tell you this to boast, or for you to comment and tell me how awesome it is, or to even debate me on the reasons why I'm doing this. My God knows where my heart is and I hope you too will look at what you NEED and discover just how much you HAVE. Then you too may decide to give more then you receive this year.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:16