Live Strong, No Regrets

I will continue to use a phrase throughout my blogs, Live Strong, No Regrets and thought I should give you some insight of it's origin.  16 days before my brother Stephen's 16th birthday after 16 month's of battling cancer he went to heaven.  During Stephen's battle with cancer the Lance Armstrong "Live Strong" braclets were popular.  Stepehen wore his everyday, he would not take it off, as if Lance could beat the odds and wearing that braclet meant he could too...one day Stephen came downstairs and he did not have his braclet on anymore.  When we all asked why it was not on his wrist he said that he saw an interview with Lance in which he was being interviewed and throughout the whole interview he never once gave any thanks to God for his survival.  After that day he never wore it again; he came up with his own moto, Live Strong, No Regrets.  In his honor I took the moto which meant so much to him and wrote a poem to best expemplify what I believed it to stand for. Love you Stephen!

Live Strong, No Regrets

Live Strong, No Regrets.

Life is full of many twist and turns,

In which we think about all the memories we have made.

I hope that you have no regrets.

May you always know that every action was made towards a greater purpose in your life,

A purpose to fulfill your destiny in God’s creation.

We all can think of times we would rather forget,

But in the end it all makes us who we have become today.

Although we have free will, God blesses us with gifts he knows we will use in our future.

Gifts he has equipped us with to do his will.

To be a brother, sister, friend or companion to another,

To make their day a little brighter,

To make a fine impression in their lives.

The light we posses is filtered throughout our lives and left in the places we touch.

In every touch there is a response that relays back to the giver;

Maybe a day or two later, maybe even a couple years,

But in the end of your time you will remember a memory of when,

You touched another’s life.

And most of all that in this time given, you lived your life to the fullest.

Live strong and have no regrets.

May we all use this motto in our design to better serve God in a world he has given to us.

Live, understand, learn and never look back.

Camen Islands 2004