Praise God! I had to spread the wonderful healing power of our great God. I hope the following words will encourage you to embrace life’s challenges.
My story begins on a mission's trip to New York City in June, 2002. I was blessed by God to travel with student ministries for a week in the Big Apple. My first night the Lord impressed upon me to fast for the week. What? I am in a city with some of the best restaurants in the world, but wanting to please the Lord, I obeyed. I felt the Lord telling me he was preparing me for something. But what, I wondered. In September, 2002, I began to find out. I was diagnosed with a debilitating type of arthritis. From September until August of 2003, I was placed on several types of medication. Most of the medications made me feel worse. The doctor instructed me that the arthritis had spread through most of my body. I was told to limit my physical activities. Jogging, which I enjoy, was off limits. The doctors stated I probably should forget about jogging. At times I was unable to get out of bed in the morning and had to use a cane or crutches. At times I thought to myself, "Can things get worse?" That question was answered in August 2003, when after becoming sick from my medication I was informed that a tumor had been found close to my heart. In August, it was determined that open heart surgery was needed to remove the tumor. My wife and I were informed that the tumor was a fast-growing tumor and needed to be removed. On October 14, 2003, the surgery was performed to remove the tumor. We were informed that the tumor was cancerous, but that my prognosis for full recovery was very good. Remember my trip to New York in 2002 and God encouraging me to fast? At that time God did not reveal to me the reason for my fasting. When I was diagnosed with a tumor, God revealed the reason for my fasting. It was to spiritually and physically prepare me for my battle ahead. What an awesome thing God did in both of these areas. I grew and continue to grow so much in my faith. Physically, God amazed me and everybody around me. The doctor had stated before the open heart surgery that I would probably be out of work anywhere between one and two months. I was back to work full-time in three weeks. The doctor could not believe my recovery. They also stated I did not need radiation or chemotherapy. Praise God! I was so grateful to be cancer free, but I did not feel God had finished the miracle. I still had a desire to jog. In the past it was time I spent enjoying all of God's beauty and talking with Him. Most of my family and friends warned me to wait another six months before jogging or not to try at all. Let your body heal they shared. I began to hear God saying it was time to get back to living. So on June 7, 2004, with my beautiful wife looking on, I ran 2.8 miles. What a great God we serve. I decided at that point I would begin training for a half marathon scheduled for November, 2004. On November 14, 2004, I completed the half-marathon at the Palm Beach Marathon, one year and one month after having a tumor removed. Well you would think the story would end with that victory. Not so fast my friend. Two weeks after completing the marathon I passed out at home and was placed in the hospital Thanksgiving week. Not great, but it probably saved me a few pounds. At that time I was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease. We were informed by the doctor that I should have not been able to run a half-marathon. I informed the doctor that I could do all things through Christ. I was informed that I had a mild form of the neuromuscular disease and would probably never have any major issues. With that news I took a few months off and started training for the 2005 Palm Beach Marathon. As you can tell, my life’s challenges have been of a physical nature. Things were going well until June 2005. One night when I went out for a run, I found that my legs were not working. I had lost the ability to run. My first thought was how could and would I overcome this new challenge. The doctors put me back on some medication and hoped for the best. On July 6th, I went in for a routine checkup and was informed I was in a crisis and needed to be placed in the hospital for a week. A crisis with this neuromuscular disease meant my lungs were weak and could possibly shut down. It’s amazing that my wife and I did not even realize what poor shape I was in at the time. I had been working every day. I was tired, but did not realize I was in a crisis. I was placed on intravenous treatment for five days at 6 hours a day. The doctor informed my wife he could not explain how I was even walking. My legs were too weak he stated. He really could not believe when I informed him that I would be returning to work the day after being released from the hospital. I shared with him this is how I deal with life’s challenges and how God continues to bless my wife and me. The challenge continues. I attended physical therapy three times a week and got stronger every day. The goal is to still run the Palm Beach Marathon on December 4, 2005. To show you how awesome God is, December 4th is my 40th birthday. How awesome is our Lord? God has begun to open doors for me to share my story and how he has helped me deal with life’s challenges. My prayer for those who have taken the time to read this is that you will embrace life’s challenges and live the life God has made just for you. Laura and I also want to thank all those who have been praying for us. Continue to pray that God will use us to bring glory to His name.
I wanted to update each of you on the Marathon of the Palm Beaches 2005 and my future. I did complete the marathon with a lot of family and friends in attendance. What was so awesome is I was able to witness to so many other runners during the race. One of my doctors had referred to me as a genetic freak, so my wife made “Team Genetic Freak” signs for the race. A lot of people had questions, which allowed us to share what God has done in our lives. I will be taking a year off from running any marathons. My body really needs time to heal. I am praying that God will continue to bless me with the opportunities to share His awesome story. God has laid a message on my heart about dealing with life’s struggles. I have had the chance to share that message at a few churches and hope to share it with many more in the future. Thanks again for all of your prayers.
Built for eternity,
Todd Shoemaker
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
101 Things About Me
1. I love to be married to Todd.
2. I love the Lord and am always amazed of His Grace towards me.
3. I love dogs but don't currently own any.
4. I was a Christian radio DJ in Key West, Florida, after High School in 19**.
5. My favorite place at home is the Jupiter Inlet.
6. I would like to be a nature photographer for a living when I grow up.
7. I miss my mom who is in heaven. She gave it her all to kick Lung Cancer.
8. I just graduated with my Master of Science degree in School Counseling.
9. I have lived in about 35 places in my 38 years.
10. My dad was in the Coast Guard and we always lived near or on the water when growing up.
11. I have never seen snow but would like to learn to ski.
12. Growing up, a Christmas breakfast was hot chocolate and glazed doughnuts. When it was 85 degrees on Christmas, may parents were willing to turn the AC down to accommodate me for hot chocolate.
13. Moving so much when growing up, my brother and I were forced to be friends. We would create cardboard box cities in the spare rooms or garage with all our extra moving boxes.
14. My brother is 5 years older than me and my sister is thirteen years younger. My sister was my live baby doll when she was born.
15. I am a native, born in Miami.
16. I enjoyed living in Puerto Rico for 6 months as a child.
17. My dad and brother live in Crawfordville, Florida.
18. My sister lives in Wesley Chapel, outside of Tampa.
19. In my life time, I want to travel to Israel, Egypt, Australia, Italy and throughout the US.
20. I entertain the thought of continuing my education to obtain a doctorate degree, not sure just yet in what though.
21. I am a Florida Gator fan by marriage.
22. I am a sports fan by marriage, as well (hockey and football my favorite to watch).
23. I am excited about my husband's new ministry he is involved with called Flight36 (www.flight36.org).
24. When I lived on Marathon key, family would vacation at our house to catch and eat fresh blue crab from behind our waterfront home.
25. I get frustrated with outwardly rude and insensitive towards others.
26. I love suspense movies.
27. I can be bossy by giving others advice they didn't ask for from me.
28. I daydream about being on a hammock under two shady palm trees overlooking the blue sea.
29. I have seen Loggerhead turtles hatch from their nest, under the supervision of a US Fish & Wildlife representative (my dad).
30. I love para sailing.
31. Life would be complete with foods that included lots of sauces or cheese.
32. I graduated from Key West High School in 1986, my bachelor degree in 1996 and my master degree in 2006 (so a doctorate in 2016?)
33. Growing up, family pets have been big dogs, iguana, snakes, turtles, and lizard skinks.
34. As a child, I needed leg braces to straighten my feet.
35. I loved Easter growing up. My mom would always dress me in a fancy dress with gloves and socks with lace.
36. My brother and I used to create matchbox car worlds where ever there was enough dirt to play.
37. My brother never let me play with his pet rabbit when I was a baby.
38. My niece has a beautiful 6-month-old girl named Ceanna. Her MiMi nicknamed her Ceanna Banana.
39. My friend, Carolyn, introduced me to the Blogging World and created this blog for me.
40. I love watching STEPPING and enjoy any STEP shows I can attend.
41. I work with the Prevention Center of the School District, with pride. I work with substance abuse prevention and education for students in Palm Beach County.
42. I had the privilege to intern at Woodlands Middle School learning just how busy a middle school can be. I enjoyed time with their guidance department (Julia and Melody) and reuniting in a working opportunity with Chris Smith, Harley and Ms. Delligrotti.
43. I go to Christ Fellowship church services every Saturday evening and have dinner afterward with friends, Jeff and Carolyn.
44. I like to spend lunch breaks with my friend Terra at the Kelsey Park on the intracoastal.
45. I also enjoy lunch breaks with my friend Jean at her home for some peace and tranquility.
46. My friend Terra is the only friend I have known the longest and visit with on a regular basis (12 years).
47. I miss my single-days travels with Karen going to the Keys, the Carolinas, Naples...)
48. My godchildren are really great athletes in football, basketball, and soccer (David, Christina and Dominic).
49. When I was single, I would always make poor choices when dating. Many people were excited and relieved when I met Todd.
50. Todd and I met at a singles church event rollerblading in Palm Beach. We talked for hours at Bradley's over lunch.
51. I told my roommate after meeting Todd that he was not my type and I had no intentions of ever dating him.
52. I had gotten free hockey tickets to invite Todd to go with me when we were friends (and was not a sports fan at all at the time).
53. Todd and I met in January, spent time together starting in February, dated in April, got engaged in June, and eloped in September, all in 1999 (the best year of my life)!
54. I love that Todd is such a social and thoughtful person. I would vote for him to be the volunteer of the year, always giving to others.
55. Marriage has been so enjoyable because Todd and I manage to be friends, respect each other and are pretty flexible with each other.
56. I never image how much God could bless the satisfaction of marriage for me.
57. I love weekend getaways with Todd (we are due to go to the Keys and St. Mary's Island in Georgia.
58. Before college, I worked as a grocery store baker (the worst ever because the bread would come out undercooked/gooey or overcooked/hard).
59. Before college, I worked at a clothing boutique in Wilmington, Georgia. All of my paycheck would go towards my law-away clothing bill.
60. My favorite college days were at Southeastern College in Lakeland, Florida. It supported my spiritual growth while having a blast at college life. My little click was David, Jeff, and Janelle.
61. I once volunteered to release my grandparents pet ducks in the wild at the Lakeland lakes. The other ducks chased them away and I ran through neighborhoods and yards to safely capture and relocate them. It was quite a site.
62. My favorite childhood activities were enjoying boating, snorkeling and beaching it since we lived on or near the water.
64. On Sugarloaf Key, I had to share a closet with scorpions.
65. One pet peeve is a ringing, unattended cellphone in the office.
66. I am auditory sensitive to loud sounds like TV commercials or ringing tones.
67. I am terrified of roaches (seeing them, killing them or even trying to pick them up).
68. When my brother and I were kids, we were not nice to my mom, maybe only one in our life! We locked her in the bathroom with a flying palmetto bug and she was terrified of it!
70. My favorite Keys vacations were to Key West, Key Colony, Marathon. I enjoyed living in Key West, Sugarloaf Key, Cudjoe Key and Marathon.
71. When in Puerto Rico, we would hike down a steep trail called Survival, down to the beach. We would venture into deep caves that had bats.
72. My favorite vacations with Todd have been to Cocoa Beach, Maggie Valley, Gators Homecoming game, Washington D.C., Atlanta and Lance Armstrong's last US tour in Alpheretta, Georgia.
73. My favorite color is bright multi-colored items. If I had to choose one or some...purple, yellow, orange, pink.
74. My most embarrassing moment was going to work with my shirt inside out. Luckily, I had my own office and hadn't run into any staff members.
75. As one point in my life, my goal was to serve the homeless. I worked at the Lord's Place as a shelter administrator. Funding was too temperamental and I made a career change.
76. I love Todd's impersonations of Rain Man, and the Cowardly Lion on the Wizard of Oz.
77. I love shopping sales that are 70-80% off. I can't just buy one.
78. I am the most curious person. I need the whole scoop and can't be put off to wait for juicy details of a story. I have to know NOW!
79. Todd and I have so many books in our library, we don't know what to do with them. He reads them in two days. I collect them!
80. I wish I could sing but I am pretty sure I am tone deaf (No American Idol auditions for me).
81. I am hooked on Prison Break, LOST, and Grey's Anatomy.
82. I have the best in-laws anyone could ask for in life. My mother-in-law is filling my mom's shoes.
83. My favorite Christmas party is at our Uncle and Aunt Picklesimier's home. All the crafty women bring homemade items (crafts or food) for the gift exchange. I start making crafts in June each year.
84. I Christmas shop in January.
85. I don't like strong scents. Vanilla is my favorite.
86. My favorite dessert is ice creme cake with chocolate crunchies (which is what my co-worker got me for graduation).
87. My first car was a light blue Pinto to drive in the orange groves of Dade City, Florida. When I got my license, my dad got me a black Chevette Scooter.
88. My husband got me a new Nissan Altima for graduation this year.
89. My first roommate and I would play practical jokes on each other by hiding a fake rat in the freezer, dishwasher, shower, and under the pillow. I would put my stinky shoes under her pillow as well (only after she would pour ice water on me in the shower).
90. The only major trip I have taken is to Las Vegas, San Diego and Mexico in one trip.
91. I think about heaven often when I think about my mom. Heaven doesn't seem so far away and death is not as scary.
92. I love family photos. When growing up, we would grumble at my dad for taking too many pictures. When my mom passed away, I valued every photo he had taken and there were many beautiful pictures of my mom.
93. I wish I would learn Spanish.
94. I love aerial shots of anything familiar.
95. My mom had the most influence on me through her unconditional love, outstanding model, and endless patience with others.
96. Cities I have lived in are Jacksonville twice, Tampa twice, the Keys several times, Miami many times, Pompano Beach, Fort Myers, Hobe Sound, West Palm Beach, Jupiter twice, Royal Palm Beach, Puerto Rico, Savannah, Merritt Island, Singer Island to name a few.
97. I am becoming more computer literate, learning about MySpace and Blogs.
98. I am eager to celebrate my graduation for the whole year of 2007. Each month will be a difference theme of a celebration.
99. I can't believe I had 99 details to share on this and am relieved I finished it.
100. I would love if you continue reading my blog to learn more about me and hear what I want to share with you. Thank so much for your time and thoughtfulness in getting to know me.
101. A relaxing, breezing afternoon for Todd and I would be sitting at the Jupiter Inlet, reading and watching jet skis and boaters pass by.
2. I love the Lord and am always amazed of His Grace towards me.
3. I love dogs but don't currently own any.
4. I was a Christian radio DJ in Key West, Florida, after High School in 19**.
5. My favorite place at home is the Jupiter Inlet.
6. I would like to be a nature photographer for a living when I grow up.
7. I miss my mom who is in heaven. She gave it her all to kick Lung Cancer.
8. I just graduated with my Master of Science degree in School Counseling.
9. I have lived in about 35 places in my 38 years.
10. My dad was in the Coast Guard and we always lived near or on the water when growing up.
11. I have never seen snow but would like to learn to ski.
12. Growing up, a Christmas breakfast was hot chocolate and glazed doughnuts. When it was 85 degrees on Christmas, may parents were willing to turn the AC down to accommodate me for hot chocolate.
13. Moving so much when growing up, my brother and I were forced to be friends. We would create cardboard box cities in the spare rooms or garage with all our extra moving boxes.
14. My brother is 5 years older than me and my sister is thirteen years younger. My sister was my live baby doll when she was born.
15. I am a native, born in Miami.
16. I enjoyed living in Puerto Rico for 6 months as a child.
17. My dad and brother live in Crawfordville, Florida.
18. My sister lives in Wesley Chapel, outside of Tampa.
19. In my life time, I want to travel to Israel, Egypt, Australia, Italy and throughout the US.
20. I entertain the thought of continuing my education to obtain a doctorate degree, not sure just yet in what though.
21. I am a Florida Gator fan by marriage.
22. I am a sports fan by marriage, as well (hockey and football my favorite to watch).
23. I am excited about my husband's new ministry he is involved with called Flight36 (www.flight36.org).
24. When I lived on Marathon key, family would vacation at our house to catch and eat fresh blue crab from behind our waterfront home.
25. I get frustrated with outwardly rude and insensitive towards others.
26. I love suspense movies.
27. I can be bossy by giving others advice they didn't ask for from me.
28. I daydream about being on a hammock under two shady palm trees overlooking the blue sea.
29. I have seen Loggerhead turtles hatch from their nest, under the supervision of a US Fish & Wildlife representative (my dad).
30. I love para sailing.
31. Life would be complete with foods that included lots of sauces or cheese.
32. I graduated from Key West High School in 1986, my bachelor degree in 1996 and my master degree in 2006 (so a doctorate in 2016?)
33. Growing up, family pets have been big dogs, iguana, snakes, turtles, and lizard skinks.
34. As a child, I needed leg braces to straighten my feet.
35. I loved Easter growing up. My mom would always dress me in a fancy dress with gloves and socks with lace.
36. My brother and I used to create matchbox car worlds where ever there was enough dirt to play.
37. My brother never let me play with his pet rabbit when I was a baby.
38. My niece has a beautiful 6-month-old girl named Ceanna. Her MiMi nicknamed her Ceanna Banana.
39. My friend, Carolyn, introduced me to the Blogging World and created this blog for me.
40. I love watching STEPPING and enjoy any STEP shows I can attend.
41. I work with the Prevention Center of the School District, with pride. I work with substance abuse prevention and education for students in Palm Beach County.
42. I had the privilege to intern at Woodlands Middle School learning just how busy a middle school can be. I enjoyed time with their guidance department (Julia and Melody) and reuniting in a working opportunity with Chris Smith, Harley and Ms. Delligrotti.
43. I go to Christ Fellowship church services every Saturday evening and have dinner afterward with friends, Jeff and Carolyn.
44. I like to spend lunch breaks with my friend Terra at the Kelsey Park on the intracoastal.
45. I also enjoy lunch breaks with my friend Jean at her home for some peace and tranquility.
46. My friend Terra is the only friend I have known the longest and visit with on a regular basis (12 years).
47. I miss my single-days travels with Karen going to the Keys, the Carolinas, Naples...)
48. My godchildren are really great athletes in football, basketball, and soccer (David, Christina and Dominic).
49. When I was single, I would always make poor choices when dating. Many people were excited and relieved when I met Todd.
50. Todd and I met at a singles church event rollerblading in Palm Beach. We talked for hours at Bradley's over lunch.
51. I told my roommate after meeting Todd that he was not my type and I had no intentions of ever dating him.
52. I had gotten free hockey tickets to invite Todd to go with me when we were friends (and was not a sports fan at all at the time).
53. Todd and I met in January, spent time together starting in February, dated in April, got engaged in June, and eloped in September, all in 1999 (the best year of my life)!
54. I love that Todd is such a social and thoughtful person. I would vote for him to be the volunteer of the year, always giving to others.
55. Marriage has been so enjoyable because Todd and I manage to be friends, respect each other and are pretty flexible with each other.
56. I never image how much God could bless the satisfaction of marriage for me.
57. I love weekend getaways with Todd (we are due to go to the Keys and St. Mary's Island in Georgia.
58. Before college, I worked as a grocery store baker (the worst ever because the bread would come out undercooked/gooey or overcooked/hard).
59. Before college, I worked at a clothing boutique in Wilmington, Georgia. All of my paycheck would go towards my law-away clothing bill.
60. My favorite college days were at Southeastern College in Lakeland, Florida. It supported my spiritual growth while having a blast at college life. My little click was David, Jeff, and Janelle.
61. I once volunteered to release my grandparents pet ducks in the wild at the Lakeland lakes. The other ducks chased them away and I ran through neighborhoods and yards to safely capture and relocate them. It was quite a site.
62. My favorite childhood activities were enjoying boating, snorkeling and beaching it since we lived on or near the water.
64. On Sugarloaf Key, I had to share a closet with scorpions.
65. One pet peeve is a ringing, unattended cellphone in the office.
66. I am auditory sensitive to loud sounds like TV commercials or ringing tones.
67. I am terrified of roaches (seeing them, killing them or even trying to pick them up).
68. When my brother and I were kids, we were not nice to my mom, maybe only one in our life! We locked her in the bathroom with a flying palmetto bug and she was terrified of it!
70. My favorite Keys vacations were to Key West, Key Colony, Marathon. I enjoyed living in Key West, Sugarloaf Key, Cudjoe Key and Marathon.
71. When in Puerto Rico, we would hike down a steep trail called Survival, down to the beach. We would venture into deep caves that had bats.
72. My favorite vacations with Todd have been to Cocoa Beach, Maggie Valley, Gators Homecoming game, Washington D.C., Atlanta and Lance Armstrong's last US tour in Alpheretta, Georgia.
73. My favorite color is bright multi-colored items. If I had to choose one or some...purple, yellow, orange, pink.
74. My most embarrassing moment was going to work with my shirt inside out. Luckily, I had my own office and hadn't run into any staff members.
75. As one point in my life, my goal was to serve the homeless. I worked at the Lord's Place as a shelter administrator. Funding was too temperamental and I made a career change.
76. I love Todd's impersonations of Rain Man, and the Cowardly Lion on the Wizard of Oz.
77. I love shopping sales that are 70-80% off. I can't just buy one.
78. I am the most curious person. I need the whole scoop and can't be put off to wait for juicy details of a story. I have to know NOW!
79. Todd and I have so many books in our library, we don't know what to do with them. He reads them in two days. I collect them!
80. I wish I could sing but I am pretty sure I am tone deaf (No American Idol auditions for me).
81. I am hooked on Prison Break, LOST, and Grey's Anatomy.
82. I have the best in-laws anyone could ask for in life. My mother-in-law is filling my mom's shoes.
83. My favorite Christmas party is at our Uncle and Aunt Picklesimier's home. All the crafty women bring homemade items (crafts or food) for the gift exchange. I start making crafts in June each year.
84. I Christmas shop in January.
85. I don't like strong scents. Vanilla is my favorite.
86. My favorite dessert is ice creme cake with chocolate crunchies (which is what my co-worker got me for graduation).
87. My first car was a light blue Pinto to drive in the orange groves of Dade City, Florida. When I got my license, my dad got me a black Chevette Scooter.
88. My husband got me a new Nissan Altima for graduation this year.
89. My first roommate and I would play practical jokes on each other by hiding a fake rat in the freezer, dishwasher, shower, and under the pillow. I would put my stinky shoes under her pillow as well (only after she would pour ice water on me in the shower).
90. The only major trip I have taken is to Las Vegas, San Diego and Mexico in one trip.
91. I think about heaven often when I think about my mom. Heaven doesn't seem so far away and death is not as scary.
92. I love family photos. When growing up, we would grumble at my dad for taking too many pictures. When my mom passed away, I valued every photo he had taken and there were many beautiful pictures of my mom.
93. I wish I would learn Spanish.
94. I love aerial shots of anything familiar.
95. My mom had the most influence on me through her unconditional love, outstanding model, and endless patience with others.
96. Cities I have lived in are Jacksonville twice, Tampa twice, the Keys several times, Miami many times, Pompano Beach, Fort Myers, Hobe Sound, West Palm Beach, Jupiter twice, Royal Palm Beach, Puerto Rico, Savannah, Merritt Island, Singer Island to name a few.
97. I am becoming more computer literate, learning about MySpace and Blogs.
98. I am eager to celebrate my graduation for the whole year of 2007. Each month will be a difference theme of a celebration.
99. I can't believe I had 99 details to share on this and am relieved I finished it.
100. I would love if you continue reading my blog to learn more about me and hear what I want to share with you. Thank so much for your time and thoughtfulness in getting to know me.
101. A relaxing, breezing afternoon for Todd and I would be sitting at the Jupiter Inlet, reading and watching jet skis and boaters pass by.
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