Life is an Adventure: Healing and Helping

I am starting this blog in honor of my good friend Josh Graham.  I want to promote a 5K run/walk in his honor. He was my bishop, my boss and most importantly a friend (like an older brother).

I looked up to the advice he was always willing to give and inspired by is unwavering faith and positive outlook on life. I admired the way he spoke of his sweet wife and children. I admired his ambition and perseverance.

(By the way, just as some little fun facts: his oldest son, Keaton has turned into more than just his father's son. It makes me feel nostalgic to watch Keaton's personality, features, and passion for life. Christian carries his moral and sense of righteousness that he so gently teaches my own sons, and Celesta carries her father's love for the Lord. Lizzy, well, they don't get much cuter than that and that sweet two-year-old knows that her daddy is with Jesus. What an amazing knowledge for such a young baby. It says a lot about their mother, right?)

Even after a complicated cancer diagnosis, he was willing to offer his time and talents to the Lord as a bishop. His time was relatively short but had a huge impact on the members of the Vernal 9^th Ward. He gave his every energy to the Church and magnified his calling.

This man was outstanding in the community as he worked as the director for the Can Do Crew teaching and training those with special needs to develop the skills they need in order to find opportunities to contribute and work in the community. Two years after his passing, the members of the crew still love Josh and affectionately refer to him as “Boss.” They watch down the street where his sweet family lives to look for his truck and to just remember and hold on to the relationships they had developed with him.

His motto as he began his journey with cancer was “Life is an Adventure.”

That passion and spirit is being spread to others through scholarship opportunities offered in the “Life is an Adventure 5K run/walk.”

This year is the second annual event and will be held at a larger scale with sponsors and the Utah State University Extension here in the basin to enable new adventures to those just embarking on them.

The not-for-profit event is being held in Josh’s memory during the month of his birthday. The event last year was healing and inspiring to say the least.

To the many of you who have experienced the devastating diagnosis of cancer through a family member or friend, I promise that this event is an opportunity to turn a challenge into a blessing. It is an event for the whole family that gives back to the community in a way that is unique from other events.

The preceding words are not in vain. They are from personal experience, and I want to impress with all sincerity that I know Josh is watching over and pleased with what is being done in his honor. He truly believed that our lives were each their own adventure and that we should take whatever came our way and face it head on with the attitude that it was just that: an adventure. A new opportunity to learn and grow and experience something new in life: something to draw us closer to our friends, family and Heavenly Father.

This year the event is much more ambitious than last year, and we plan to start a committee to help with the particulars. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact me at jbaumgarten@ubtanet.com.

So many of you have asked what you can do for us in our particular situation. (Which I hope you don't take in the wrong way, I am certainly not trying to exploit our own trials, only trying to express my sincerity.) Right now, this is my passion. This is what I want help with. I want this event to be successful to help someone new embrace life’s adventure through education.

Life really is and adventure.

Helping.

Healing.

P.S. You can register for the event at:

http://www.active.com/page/event_details.htm?event_id=1957691