Last night at 7:30 p.m. I received a phone call that every parent dreads. It was from our youngest son, Jon, who just left for college in August. Well into my first trimester of the “empty-nest” phase, I was feeling confident I had passed the first hurdle with flying colors. Then the words, “Mom, I got hurt.” Visions of disaster poured into my mind of our child lying in a foreign hospital bed with no one to comfort him. Jon is passionate about sports: rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and tennis. What was it this time—a stray tennis ball? “Jon, what did you do?” Thankfully, he was lucid and able to explain in detail what happened. He said, “I was playing Ultimate Frisbee and got tackled—hitting my head on the ground. They think I have a concussion.” My overworked and tired brain turned to Jello! I couldn’t comprehend what I was hearing—this was his third concussion in a year’s time. Would his brain also turn to Jello? “I gotta go—I’ll call you later.” I prayed, “Lord this is our beloved son—please take care of him.” I fell asleep around 1:00 a.m. with my Bible and phone clutched to my chest.” I was awakened shortly afterwards and grabbed the phone on the second ring. Sweet words to a mother’s heart: “Mom, I’m okay—they sent me ‘home,’ I’ll talk to you tomorrow—I gotta go.” A dial tone filled the silence. “Home” was now the dorm room—not the place of comfort we created for him over the past 19 years. We gave him roots and now we were giving him wings—to pursue his passion! I passed my first test “How to Let your Children Go—101” Did I get a passing grade? I hope so! Although we can’t always be there physically, we can be there with our prayers. “Lord, you are the great protector—keep an eye on this child of ours.” Jon, will always be passionate about sports—we can’t keep him from it—but we can pray God’s protection on him. Passion—an intense emotion, a compelling desire—it can change our lives and those around us! (At the time of this writing, Jon is being sent a helmet!)

Recently I read that 84% of all Americans dislike their jobs or professions! I had to wonder about the dentist who drilled into my tooth last week (my 50th birthday present--a crown)! Does my dentist truly enjoy getting up each morning to drill teeth? Statistically speaking, 63% of us dread Monday mornings because we dislike our jobs so much. That's a lot of dissatisfied people! What would need to change for everyone to be passionate about what they were doing? I'm in the process of collecting "passionate" stories of lives changed by difficult circumstances. As strange as it may seem, those of us who have suffered the most have received an unexpected gift--living life passionately! It took a life-threatening illness for me to discover what I was truly passionate about, and it changed the way I would live the rest of my life. If you would like to share how you discovered your passion through difficult and painful circumstances, go to www.womensmentoringministries.com and write "passionately living" in the website feedback.

Passionately yours!

Connie

Amazing Grace
My dear friend who was diagnosed with cancer in September is learning to live life passionately--she has overcome all obstacles and scaled to new heights in her walk with the Lord and and her journey beyond cancer. She said, "Why did it take something like this for me to realize what is important in life?" Few who have heard the words, "cancer," can understand a statement like that, but for those lives that have been touched with tragedy, pain, and loss, we begin to sing the song "Amazing Grace" with new meaning!

Passionate Living
I have just completed my book, Trading Ashes for Roses: From Pain to Passion, it was a labor of love--I feel like I just gave birth without the OUCH! The book has been in my mind for 8 years and now it will be a reality in the spring of 2006. I never imagined my life would become what it has, but it is only through great pain and suffering that I realized my passion--speaking, writing, and photography. Since my diagnosis of cancer in 1996, I have had the great privilege of sharing with others how they too can transform their pain into passion. It has been an amazing journey and I look forward with joy to each new day. My son asked me the other day, "Mom, do you think you would be doing what you're doing today if you weren't diagnosed with cancer?" The answer is absolutely not! It's amazing to look back on the transformation. I look forward to the future with hope!