In these last months, I have drifted away from poker and joined the “let’s live life fully” crowd.  I do not regret my decision to stop traveling for poker for now.  How long will I linger at home with those I call my family?  This only God knows…

Lord, You are taking me on quite a ride and I love it.  I don’t know what I am doing or where you are leading but I know I am going. I am moving and obeying each step as you reveal it to me.  This is such a beautiful place to be with You.  Blessed be Your name.  Thank  You for saving me.  Without You I can do nothing, but with You I can do more than is possible.  O glory!

March is a month of celebration for my family.  These days are filled with the joys of being a Mom,  Grandma and Wife.  It is a blessing to see our children grow into adulthood.  I love seeing my four year old granddaughter evolve into a lovely child. But most of all, I am grateful to be continuing to walk these middle years with My Love.

I turned 48 years old on March 8.  My husband took me on a Carnival cruise to commemorate my birthday.  After winning my seat into the 2012 Carnival Texas Hold’em PokerPro Challenge, we visited some wonderful ports and spent many hours resting in each others presence. He treated me to a tour of the only cameo factory in the America’s and I now sport a beautiful example of those craftsman’s work.  The cameo is stunning.  Thank you, Mike!

My beloved son, Adam, turned 28  (gulp) on St. Patrick’s Day. Happy Birthday, Adam!  I love you, Son. He has become a wonderful daddy for his little girl.  Addyson knows she is loved and adored.  And this pleases this Grandma very much.

And these are some of the many reasons this season of my life has become the best of my days.

The theme of the 2012 Colorectal Cancer Screening Saves Lives National Challenge is families. Projects may range from public awareness and education to screening and patient navigation with a focus on families. For more information on project requirements, including eligibility and selection, view the application guidelines.

Colorectal cancer is preventable, yet over 143,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with the disease in 2012. The Prevent Cancer Foundation realizes the importance of screening and awareness programs on the local level and created the National Challenge as a way to champion “grass-roots” community projects.

All applicants will receive educational resources and an electronic media toolkit to help promote their project. The first place winner will receive:

• A $5,000 grant to support their screening project
• A Prevent Cancer Super Colon community stop ($10,000 value)
• A feature on the Prevent Cancer blog, an article in PreventWorks newsletter, and continual exposure on the Screening Saves Lives website.

To read about second and third place prizes click here.

The National Challenge is a project of the Prevent Cancer Foundation that aims to engage participating organizations in an online community supportive of colorectal cancer screening efforts across the country. For over 25 years, the Foundation has provided more than $125 million in support of cancer prevention research, education, advocacy and community outreach programs nationwide.

♥ Tis night is dedicated to all those who were dealt a deadly blow and popped back up swinging! ♥

OnTilt Radio along with Feel Your Boobies and many other fine sponsors are hosting a mini-telethon to bring awareness to Breast Cancer and it’s survivors! We have a goal to raise much needed money through our friends at Feel your Boobies. This night will start with shows from all your OTR Favorites and they will speak LIVE with cancer survivors and let them share their personal success story! We will also have celebrity guests to mingle with. Not too bad and yet we’re not finished. There will be a Special Freeroll for everyone and FIVE AMAZING PRIZE RAFFLES for all those who are generous enough to empty their pockets a little! The freeroll is open to anyone whether they donate or not and is our way of thanking all of you for coming out to support this special night!

We are still hammering out the show schedule and who will be when and where but rest assured and will update you as it develops. Keep watch on The OnTilt Radio Post tot be the first to know! Below you will find complete details on the special freeroll and how you can get your tickets for the prize raffles! Plus you will see our complete list of current partners. Please know that this night is intended to be light-hearted and fun while shedding serious light on a disease that has hounded this planet for decades.

About 12% of U.S. women will have some form of breast cancer each year… that’s 1 in 8! Don’t think you are alone fellas, your chance is about 1 in 1,000 but that’s 450 dudes a year! Don’t let one of them be you. I’m talking to you Robin Jones! The more we listen, the more we learn and every dollar donated will be used by Feel Your Boobies to help further this effort and shatter the bell curve! The battle against cancer in all its forms has come a long way in a relatively short period of time, please help us continue that growth in knowledge and technology to wipe this affliction off the globe for good. We thank all our members, new friends and partners in advance for their generous support already and we can’t wait to see all of you on Saturday, October 29, 2011!

2) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in the same place. But, it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

3) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in… It’s a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

4) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

5) I walk down another street.

~Autobiography in Five Short Chapters; Portia Nelson, 1980

Notice the growth process of recognition and taking responsibility. These are victory steps. ~

6pm – Cocktails
7pm – Shuffle Up & Deal

Please join us for a No-Limit  Hold’em Charity Poker Tournament for the families of FallenHeroesUSA.org. It’s your chance to play alongside with the pros.  The $240 buy-in tournament will offer $100 re-buys for the first four levels with an optional $100 add-on opportunity for double chips at the end of the fourth level. 100% of all prize money will be donated to Fallen Heroes USA.

Meet acclaimed comedian, actor, producer and host of the smash internet hit, Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show, Kevin Pollak has appeared in over fifty films and countless TV productions over the last two decades as well as securing a spot on Comedy Central’s ‘Top 100 Comedians of all Time.”

Tournament participants will be vying for valuable final table prizes and every player will take home an exclusive gift bag.

Final Table Prizes:

1st: $1,500 Epic Poker Pro/Am Seat* & Custom jewelry by GOOD ART HLYWD
2nd: $1,500 Epic Poker Pro/Am Seat*
3rd: $1,500 Epic Poker Pro/Am Seat*

Other Great Prizes Include: Palms Casino Resort Weekend Getaway, 2 tickets to any Cirque du Soleil (except “O”), Lord Griffon Jewelry Piece, Skull Candy headphones, 4 VIP tickets to Brad Garrett Comedy Club, an Airbedz mattress, and car detailing at Executive Auto Grooming.

Atomic #7 Ice Cream will also be on hand during the tournament with cupcakes for the players.

Bounty Prizes:

Knock out Our host Kevin Pollak, Co-Host Kelly Kim, Charity Event One Champion, Andy Frankenberger, or Annie Duke and win an iPod shuffle as your reward.

*Epic Poker Pro/Am seats are transferrable and can be used in any Epic Poker Season One Pro/Am –December 9-12, 2011, or January 27-30, 2012.

About Fallen Heroes

Founded in 2010 by Deputy Scott Diamond and other active duty law enforcement officers serving the Southern California area, FallenHeroesUSA.org was established to assist the families of law enforcement officers who have given their lives serving their communities in the United States and to honor the ultimate sacrifice these fallen heroes have made.

FallenHeroesUSA.org delivers financial assistance to the surviving family members of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty and memorializes fallen heroes by recording their service and sacrifice on our Heroes page, so no one ever forgets them. A 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation, FallenHeroesUSA.org delivers financial assistance through monetary donations and from fund raising events, such as golf tournaments and charity poker tournaments, in support of its mission.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is;
Not as I would have it;
Trusting that You will make all things right
if I surrender to Your will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You

Forever in the next.

~AMEN

By Reinhold Niebuhr

His way is perfect! (Psalm 18:30)

Let God choose for you,

it will be the right decision.

Let God guide you,

it will be the right direction.

Let God plan for you,

it will be in the right timing.

Let God measure for you,

it will be the right portion.

Let God help you,

it will be the right care.

Let God instruct you,

it will be the right teaching.

Let God prepare you,

it will be the right training.

Let God counsel you,

it will be the right perspective.

Let God work in you,

it will be the right result.

~Roy Lessin

DaySpring co-founder and writer

At first, my doctor misdiagnosed it as an infection. But after a couple weeks of minimal improvement I sought a second opinion. Following a physical exam, blood tests and an ultrasound, my new doctor confirmed that I had testicular cancer. Surgery—just two days later—revealed that the cancer had spread outside the testicle. Testicular cancer has a fairly predictable path of travel when it metastasizes: lymph nodes, then the pelvis, then the abdomen, next behind the kidneys, then the lungs and finally the brain. Mine had already spread to my lymph nodes, pelvis and lower abdomen.

Five months of intense chemotherapy followed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of my journey.

One year after chemotherapy a routine CT scan revealed four tumors along my spine. A four hour surgery was required, during which my internal organs were literally pulled out of my abdomen—leaving me temporarily like a turkey carcass—in order for the surgeon to remove the four tumors.

It was a long couple of years. And I’m grateful to have survived.

Testicular cancer is the number one cancer in guys ages 15 – 35 in our country—impacting about 8,500 young men every year. It’s nearly 100% curable if you detect it early.

Here are two things every guy should do:

1. Have a physical regularly. That means every one or two years. Talking about doing it doesn’t count. Schedule an appointment.

2. Know your “boys.” Testicular cancer usually doesn’t cause a noticeable pain. However, it often is initially detected by a change in your testicle. So, every month, in the shower, check yourself. Put one ball in the palm of each hand. Is one bigger? Do you feel a lump? Hardness? Heaviness? If you notice anything, go to a doc. And, by the way, Lance Armstrong waited until his testicle was the size of an orange before he saw a doctor. By that point, his cancer had spread to his lungs and brain. Waiting has a price.

Share this information with every guy in your life, won’t you? You never know whose life you might be saving.

For more information on testicular cancer, visit the Prevent Cancer Foundation,  Testicular Cancer Resource Center or Single Jingles.

Editor’s Note: Guest blogger Jonny Imerman is founder of Imerman Angels 1-on-1 Cancer Support which provides free, individual support to anyone touched by cancer (both cancer fighters and caregivers). www.imermanangels.org

Continuing Ed Experience Like No Other

School will be out soon―and it’s not just students who are counting the days. Need a Teacher Appreciation Gift??  What better way to show appreciation for hardworking teachers than with the gift of two days of refreshment and renewal? This could be a great way to show your appreciation!

Go to http://gps.womenoffaith.com/glms/index.php/groups/finder/ and enter my group name “Women of Brevard” to find all the details.