A journey...

Today is a special day for our family!

Almost 3 years ago, Cori came home for the week-end.  During the course of her visit, she told us that she knew she had a great degree (Business Marketing from ACU) & she had a great job, but she felt called to do something different.  She wanted to pursue a nursing degree.  Tommy encouraged her, saying that life is too short to do something that isn't a "fit" for her.

So began the journey of the last couple of years.  She checked into several different programs, began to take prerequisites & filled out applications to schools.  Upon completing the necessary courses to be qualified, she was accepted into TCU's Accelerated Nursing program.  The program started the beginning of May last year.  It's been an intense 15 months, but today is GRADUATION DAY!

She was privileged to do her summer internship in the NICU at Cook Children's Hospital in FW.  It seems like the perfect fit for her & she has accepted a job there.

I am very thankful for her husband, Will, who has been supportive throughout the whole process.  He's cooked lots of meals & done lots of chores for her while she was studying or at the hospital.  Hats off to him for his part in helping her make this dream come true!

I am so proud of her for setting her sights on her goal & working diligently to meet that goal.  Congratulations, Cori Moore, RN, BSN!

Thank you AGAIN...11.5 years later!!

Wow...thought of something I consider blog post-worthy today, looked & realized it's been 2 1/2 years since I last posted on my blog.  I am recommitting to posting more often.  So here goes...

Yesterday, in searching for something in my file cabinet, I started digging & found a folder of words spoken by dear friends at my Daddy's funeral.  I sat down & took time to read through them.  They brought a few tears...mostly tears of thankfulness at the depths of friendship with which my family has been blessed.  I spent some quiet time reflecting upon the final days of Daddy's life as I went about the rest of my day.  Something inside urged me to text the two friends that had penned the words on the aforementioned pages that afternoon & express my gratitude for their friendship.

Oddly enough, I got a text from one of my dear friends later in the evening.  Her dad had fallen & she was going to take him to the ER.  Since most of her family was out of town, I decided to meet them & sit with her.  The doctors decided to do a CT scan & determined they should move him to Harris Hospital in Fort Worth.  My friend & I followed the ambulance that carried her dad.  We waited as they did another CT scan there to compare it to the one they'd done in Granbury.  The doctors decided to admit him to the hospital for observation.  We followed the nurses as they wheeled her dad's hospital bed to the Neuro ICU unit.  Thankfully, it looks like he will be released today or tomorrow.

The thing that makes this all a little eery is that when we got to the Granbury hospital, we went to the exact same exam room where we went with my Daddy in May of 2003.  We also followed him to Harris Hospital in FW & indeed, were sent to the very same Neuro ICU unit....even the same room in the unit.

At the time this was all happening last night, my friend & I had both been awake for 24 hours.  Everything seemed a little foggy.  The thing that continued to come to mind were the DEAR family & friends that carried us through those 10 dark days in Fort Worth.

Coincidence?  I think not!  I believe that God was reminding me that we are to return the good deeds of which we have been the recipient.  So....to all those who were at the hospital in Fort Worth almost before we were (Doug & Brandy), visited, brought breakfast to the hospital almost every morning  (Homer) & sat in the waiting room with us while we ate, held our hands, hugged our necks, called us, neglected what they needed to be doing at home & stayed in Forth Worth with us (Jodie), travelled from far distances to be with us, did errands for us, helped us get Cori off to camp (Nancie), spent nights in the waiting room with us & those that were at the end of Daddy's life, I want to say THANK YOU AGAIN...11.5 years later.

Seeing the good...

This is from my Bible reading this AM. After a week in Mexico & a week at Kids Armor of Hope camp, seeing the effects bad choices parents make have on their children, it's easy to get bogged down in the evil that is present in our world. This reading was exactly what I needed to hear today!

"Some people see good all around them, while others see nothing but evil. What is the difference? Our souls become filters through which we perceive goodness or evil. The pure (those who have Christ in control of their lives) learn to see goodness and purity even in this evil world. But corrupt and unbelieving people find evil in everything because their evil minds and hearts color even the good they see and hear. Whatever you choose to fill your mind with will affect the way you think and act. Turn your thoughts to God and his Word, and you will discover more and more goodness, even in this evil world. A mind filled with good has little room for what is evil."

South to Mexico...

Casa de Esperanza is an children's home in Mexico that I have visited with youth groups on several occasions.

When we go, the trip usually involves morning work projects around the casa. Afternoons are usually spent with Vacation Bible School type lessons, followed by fun & games with the kids.

On July 7, 5 of us headed to Casa. It was a different kind of trip for several reasons. We weren't elbow to elbow in the van AND there were no teenagers with us. The van was MUCH less crowded & MUCH quieter than trips in the past.

We left home at 10 in the AM & drove to Presidio. We made only 3 stops along the way....lunch in Abilene & a couple of gas stops. We checked into our hotel, went to eat dinner, then went ahead to the border & got our travel visas & the paperwork for the van. With that being done, we were able to just drive through the border without a lot of time lost.

Day #1 at Casa consisted of breakfast with the kids, then working on different projects for the AM. Some of the guys worked on a project of filling in some trenches that had been dug to repair septic lines. Chris, Alexxa & I worked in the center that houses visitors. Alexxa & I painted while Chris did some caulking & tile work. 

After lunch, we helped with a VBS for the kids. Then we played baseball & soccer with the kids. This evening, we'd planned a bonfire & marshmallow roasting, but a thunderstorm blew in, so we postponed that until tomorrow evening. The Casa currently has 53 children. Each of them has a "story" that would break your heart if you heard it. The good news is that they have a place to live that is safe & they are loved.

Day #2
Worked this AM while the kids did chores, too. This afternoon, the highlight was Alexa & I doing manicures and/or pedicures for all the little girls.

While we were doing this, the men on the trip played games with the boys.

This evening when the kids went to bed, we got to spend some time at Gil & Becky's house visiting with them. It was great getting to know them a little better & hearing more of "their story". What an inspiration they are!!

Day #3
More work this morning followed by lunch, VBS time with the kids & then
we bagged 67 bags of food this afternoon to distribute to families in Anahuac (the town closest to Casa). The bags consisted of a bag of dried beans, 2 bags of rice, some potatoes & onions.

This evening, we meet Otheonel & Paloma (missionaries in Chuatemoc) & their sons for pizza. After we ate, we got to go see the place where they worship. They also took us to see the building where they hope to move their worship services. They will have much more room & a good location. They welcomed us into their home for coffee & sweet bread. We had a nice visit despite the language barrier.

Day #4
Wow....food distribution today was eye-opening. The part of town where we walked & knocked on doors is where some of the Casa children lived before coming to the home. After just a few minutes of walking around & handing the residents bags of food, two things became very apparent. Number 1.....I have NOTHING to complain about! Number 2....Casa has made a positive impact on their neighbors. When we handed them the food, we told them it was from Casa de Esperanza. Each & every time I said that, a smile came on the face of the recipient & they said, "Awww..si!" The kids AND directors of Casa are truly amazing! The kids have come from some sad circumstances, yet Gil & Becky teach them to BLESS OTHERS!

Day #5
The drive home was uneventful. Thank goodness....safe travels there & back plus a blessed week with the children & the Sanchezes. Prayers answered!!!

This was a great group to work with & I was honored to be a part of this trip!!

Home again...

It's always good to go.....AND.....always good to be home.  I am thankful for the 2414 miles we drove safely, for a mom that I WANT to travel that many miles with (AND that she chose me for her travel partner), for friends that we have there to visit.  All in all, it was a week well spent!

South Carolina

Tuesday, we went to Folley Beach.  They were feeling some of the effects of tropical storm Debbie....lots of wind, cooler temperatures than usual & BIG WAVES!

Day #3

Charleston is a beautiful city.  We walked along the battery (sea wall) & drove around seeing the sights of the city.

We also toured the Citadel.  Very interesting university setting...