Reflections 8/27/2020: This is a picture of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental US (which excludes Alaska). It is the first and last “14er” that I’ve ever done, way back in my 20’s. Having just run a half marathon, and being 8%  body fat, I figured this ascent would be no problem at all! What I didn’t factor into the equation was altitude sickness! Holy smokes! That is a real thing! Head ache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, weakness and disorienting confusion! (WOW, just realized it is basically a stagger into the wonders of chemotherapy!) I remember waking up in my sleeping bag at the base of the peak, having to decide whether to soldier on with the rest of the group, or stay encased in my world of down. I chose shedding the feathers for a climb to the peak. Every step felt like I had cement blocks locked onto my ankles, and an alien was trying to bust out of my belly. Everything I ever consumed for food in my life shot out of both ends… (which is a tricky dance in above tree line terrain!) Had I had a bit more oxygen getting to my brain, I would have chosen “down” rather than “up.” But I did it! Too sick to even take the obligatory peak picture of success! I DID learn the life lesson that fitness does not equal high altitude prowess. A humbling discovery for me. But I ALSO learned tenacity… muscle building in my character! “No pain, no gain.” Perhaps a precursor for peak climbing my way out of cancer 40 years later! So God, thank You for using that muscle memory to help me ascend this mountain peak of cancer in my quest for the high places with You!