As many of you know, I lost my brother, Paul, to cancer last October. I am raising funds and running a half marathon on May 10th to benefit childhood cancer research in his memory. Paul battled brain cancer (medulloblastoma) at the very young age of four, but after treatment went on to live a healthy, fulfilling life despite the medical statistics against him. He had disabilities as a result of the cancer and surgery, but he worked through daily difficulties and accomplished goals that astounded his doctors. He was diagnosed with a recurrence of his childhood cancer in 2011 at the age of 36. Through three and a half more years of surgeries, chemo, and trial-and-error pain treatments, Paul was hands-down the best patient I have ever witnessed. He never complained about his lot in life and expressed gratefulness for the things everyone did for him each day. He didn't see himself as a remarkable person, although almost everyone who met him knew he was. On October 19, 2014, at the age of 39, Paul's struggle against cancer ended and he finally experienced rest in the arms of God. Needless to say, we miss Paul terribly and will continue to miss him for the rest of our lives. There is amazing comfort knowing that he trusted Jesus to forgive his sins and offer him a relationship with God. He is experiencing unimaginable joy in heaven because he is finally with God - not because he deserved it or worked towards it during his life, but because Jesus lived perfectly and died to pay for the sins of everyone who trusts in him. So I have joy and comfort despite the grief of missing Paul, and I will be forever grateful for the way God has used him to impact my life.