This month's devotional is the final of a 3-part series by Legacy Retreat attendee Cheryl Broyles.

Nine – Energize: During our break climbing Mount Shasta we 

My oldest, 9-year-old Elizabeth, has always loved horses.  She even chose to have a horse-themed birthday party when she turned 6 years old.

Despite her love for horses, she has never actually ridden a full-size horse.  Well, this summer Adam and I decided she was old enough to handle the responsibility and danger associated with this sport so we signed her up for a week long horse camp at our local equestrian center.  Her Granny and Aunt Erica hooked her up with some sweet cowgirl boots and trendy new bedazzled t-shirt.

As we drove to camp on the first morning I asked if she was nervous.

As the sun rose on the morning of July 3, Cheryl and Matt Broyles were climbing Half Dome in Yosemite National Park with their two sons: Grant, 14, and 12-year-old Clint.  Gripping the cables that assist climbers on their ascent, the family enjoyed a majestic view over the natural treasure as they hiked toward the heavens.

“The scenery there, the grandeur of the canyons and valleys, the snow-covered peaks, the sunrise on a perfect day was just another confirmation of God’s power, and he created that for us to enjoy,” Matt said.

The Broyles family embarked on a challenging journey to the mountaintop 11 years ago.  At age 33, Cheryl was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) – brain cancer – in June 2000.  People with GBM live an average of 14 months after diagnosis,

This month's devotional is the second of a 3-part series by Legacy Retreat attendee Cheryl Broyles.

Five - Faith: The statistics show 70 % of the people attempting to climb Mount Shasta fail

When a runner hears that the marathon race he registered for is 16 weeks out, bells and whistles sound in his most inner-being.  If he hasn't already, this will be the week that he begins his marathon training plan.  I ran my first marathon in 2007 - the ING NYC Marathon...

We've all heard the African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child."  As a mother I recognize the truth in this statement as my children have benefitted greatly from the direction, discipline, encouragement and wisdom of many different people in our "village".

I think this proverb has special meaning for families served by Inheritance of Hope.  One of the goals of our Legacy Retreats is to create a solid "village" for these families...a network of support and understanding to help these parents raise their children with a focus on leaving a lasting legacy.

What does a Legacy Retreat "look" like?

What is the importance of a legacy? You might be wondering what Inheritance of Hope is all about...

After the morning sessions, the families headed back into the parks...

(written by Children's Counselor, Meg Hill)

This morning the kids' counseling sessions included many awesome activities, one of which I can't share with you because it is TOP SECRET!  But I will tell you that our topic today was how to deal with anger and sad feelings.  One way that we (the counselors) help kids understand healthy ways to deal with frustration is to talk about volcanoes.  Two ways things that we want to avoid are volcano explosion (like when angry people take their anger out on others) or volcano implosion (like when people are depressed).  The way to best way to get anger out is by letting steam off and venting to prevent volcano problems.

This month's devotional is the first of a 3-part series by Legacy Retreat attendee Cheryl Broyles.

I’m a long term survivor of what is considered “terminal” brain cancer.  After living through 3 recurrences, 4 brain surgeries,