I am INSPIRED!!

I cry a lot!! Easily!! Much to my chagrin most times!!

Today was no exception. I was alone and instead of going to church I listened to a Christmas Eve service from my church in Canada and heard my beautiful daughter's amazing God-given voice singing Christmas Carols. I am always blessed when I hear her sing but that wasn't what inspired me or brought me to tears today.

Today.........I watched Oprah on television. Oprah is well known for covering topics and having guests on who overcome tragedies and do astonishing things. This was very true today.

Her first guest was Melissa Etheridge who is a breast cancer survivor. She related her story and how she has triumphed over the big "C" word. Melissa is a celebrity and although she has an amazing story, I am way more inspired by the non- celebrities of the world.

Her first (non-celebrity)guest was Kyle Maynard (and his parents). Kyle was born with a congenital birth defect that caused him to be born with only stumps for arms and legs. His parents made a brave (some might call it crazy) decision. They committed to allowing Kyle to figure out how to best live his life with his physical challenges "with no special treatment". As a result, Kyle accompished things in his life that are unbelievable - he played football, wrestled, takes care of all his personal grooming, types faster than most people, etc. etc. Kyles motto and the title of his autobiography is "No Excuses". I LOVE THAT!! He NEVER allowed his challenges to stop him from accomplishing his goals. When he was wrestling, and at first lost every match, his goal was to never be pinned and.......he never was!! He learned how to read his opponents and to eventually WIN. His 3 younger sisters were there and gave him wonderful, heartfelt tributes like "he is my big brother who is the most inpiring person I know!"

Kyle sees himself as normal (what is that anyway??) and dates (as long as the women see and treat him as normal)and has even modelled for Abercrombie and Fitch (they called him). He believes God made him this way so he could go and speak and let others know that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

Oprah's second guest was Jim McLaren. In university Jim was a strapping 6'5" all American football player - a strong, amazing athlete. Then tragedy struck. One day on his way home from school, he was hit by a city bus and after 8 days in a coma he was told that he had lost the lower part of his left leg. Jim rose to the challenge and with fortitude and determination became a champion winning marathons using a prosthetic leg.

Just when he thought he had made it and was back in life, tragedy struck again. He was in a marathon and in the cycling stage of the race when he was hit by a truck. This time he was told he was a quadriplegic and would never feel or walk again. He had lost the use of everything below his neck.

He admitted to feeling defeated and that he had a period of 8 months of a serious cocaine addiction. But again, the human spirit within him rose and determined that his physical challenges would not daunt his spirit. He fought back and has amazed the doctors who had given him the earlier grim diagnosis. They have called him a 'living miracle'.

His story also gave hope and encouragement to Oprah's final guest - Emmanuel from Ghana. Emmanuel was born with only a stump for a right leg and in his country babies with physical deformities are to be left to die in the forest. Emmanuel's mother saw beyond her son's physical status and, against all odds, chose to raise him with the utmost love and encouragement.

Through an organization in Ghana for disabled people who united Jim and Emmanuel, Emmanuel rode 400 miles in 10 days on a bicycle to increase awareness for the plight of those so easily shunned and forgotten. He was able to raise enough money to buy 800 wheelchairs for many of the underprivileged.

Emmanuel and Jim have had a movie made about their lives "Emmanuel's Gift" and it opened in Chicago in October 2005 (everything is late getting to Korea!!)

I am INSPIRED!! I cried and cried. It shames me to think about how much I complain - "I'm lonely, my muscles hurt from working out, I fell on the ice, there's nothing to do in Yeonggwang, etc. etc. etc." Wah, wah, wah!! Boo-hoo, poor baby!! Get off your lazy duff and do something to help someone else Heather.

I am so BLESSED!! I am healthy, I have fabulous family and friends, I have a warm house, clothing, bed, food, education, money, opportunity to travel, I come from the best country in the world (some would beg to differ, I know), the list goes on. Lord, forgive me when I whine.

Are you inspired?? Go back and read the bolded words which should inspire you to live life with and on purpose. Are you letting it happen or making it happen? I choose to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

My first step is to find someone else who is lonely and make a difference in his or her life. I was out for dinner with a Korean lady last night who I know is lonely. She will be my new 'chin-gu' (friend). We can make a difference in each other's life.

Melissa Etheridge closed Oprah's program by singing a song off her latest album "The Road Less Travelled". The song is entitled 'I Run For Life'.

Are you running for life or lying in bed with the covers pulled over your head? Are you jumping for joy or sitting having a pity party? Come on........be inspired. Make your own kind of music. Sing your own special song. Love WELL. Laugh OFTEN. Dance LIKE NOBODY'S WATCHING!!

I am INSPIRED. How about YOU?