in the midst of the hospital ward

as i begin to process through the last month there were so many teachable moments the Lord used to show me in caring for my dad. i'll be honest, i didn't really think i could learn lessons and gain so much from spending hours upon hours in the hospital ward. but i did. i learned so much in a short amount of time. and i feel privileged to have gone through it and now get to share my experience as i sat at the bedside of my sick father. 

the hardest part about sharing moments is trying to figure out where to start? so i'm just going to jump in...

after my dad had a stroke on new years eve, our "new normal" begin. my siblings and mom all rallied together to rotate through on who would be staying the night with dad at the hospital and then at the rehab facility. some may think it was an obligation or the last thing we would want to do. however, it was quite the opposite. we eagerly looked forward at our "nights" with dad. being together was all we really cared about. i began looking forward to every minute i had with dad, no matter what time of day it was. these were cherished moments that i will always hold with me.

as we came to know the system of the hospital and when the nurses would be coming to check vitals, give meds, or even when they would have shift change. i learned how important it was to ASK about everything. most commonly we would ask the nurses, "what are you giving him now?" or "what are you checking on?" we had some situations that they were about to give my dad the wrong meds. ;) so we learned it's important to ask. it's important to know what all is happening. so we were not afraid to ask questions, no matter how silly they might sound. we all wanted to get educated quickly on what all was taking place with my dad so that we could care for him the best we knew how. 

each day came and went. we became better at knowing what my dad needed and wanted. his speech became more difficult to understand due to him not having the strength to push out oxygen. so we became his translator. we became his mediator. to the nurses, doctors, therapists, family and friends who came to visit. and though it was challenging, it was quite the joy and honor to be my dad's advocate. to stand in the gap for him. to be his voice. to serve him in that way. to be his spokesperson and fight for him each day until the Lord took him home. 

so as i look back at the circumstances. the Lord was showing me and teaching me to be an advocate. i realize that is exactly what i desire to be for those in africa. for those who can't speak for themselves. for those who are sick. who are hurting. who are afraid. who need someone to stand in the gap on their behalf. i am grateful that the Lord took me and placed me in a unique situation to learn what i've desired to do for others. never did i think i would learn this lesson in midst of caring for my dad as we neared his passing. but i praise God for using every opportunity to prepare me for His purposes! 

heaven's new addition

one last date was added to my families memory bank. it is the date of january 21, 2012. which is when my precious daddy went to be with Jesus.

after 1 week in the hospital. 2 weeks in the rehab center. and 1 full day at home on the ranch. dad breathed his last breath. and he took his first sight of His Lord Jesus Christ. 

we all look at those last weeks with him as treasured and precious days. we feel honored and privileged to have served my dad in the way we did. it was as though we were ushering him into the throne room of heaven. with every passing day it became more difficult for him. but we wanted to remain steadfast in fighting with him. we ended up coming home from the rehab center on january 20 with full-time hospice. then just a little over 24 hours later, we stood around his bedside as he breathed his last breath. it was a very bittersweet moment. you are never prepared or ready for someone to pass away. you long for their presence everyday. but you dont want them to suffer or struggle. and so here we are. missing dad everyday. but we praise the Lord for no more sorrow and suffering on this side of heaven. we try to imagine what new body dad has. we wonder what he is doing in heaven right now. what a glorious and beautiful comfort that gives us here.

in the midst of lose, we have to trust the plans of God even though we wonder sometimes why? daddy was so young and had so many wonderful years ahead of him. but again, we have to look to Jesus and ask for Him to show us why. to show us how this will be used to further the name of Christ. to show us how he is making ALL things work together in conformity for the good of those who love Him. we know there are greater things to come and we will choose to believe that!

so on january 25, we had a precious celebration of my dad's life. we were overwhelmed with all the friends and family who came and who has loved us through this season. we are beyond thankful for everything and everyone. missing dad already, but comforted in knowing He's with the Lord.

with a grateful heart,
joy

...more to come on what the Lord taught me in the midst of the hospital ward

bearing the weight

the burdens we bare can be heavy. they can be difficult. they can be harsh. weary and exhausting to carry. we can question. wonder. doubt. and weep because of them. we don't like how they make us feel. or the wounds they leave. we wish at times that they would just go away. they linger longer than we want them to at times. we can't help but ask, "why do we have to go through this? or how long will it last?"

whether we are the ones enduring the burden or hardship. or whether we are watching our loved ones go through it. we are walking through it together. it's hard. it's heavy. it's unbearable at times. we are supporting each other and we also need support. through hugs, smiles, notes of encouragement, prayers, flowers, text messages or emails. no matter what they are, each one uplifts our weary hearts. we have been encouraged by the Lord in Him using others to speak to us. and so through that, we are able to carry on because He gives us strength.

that has been the summation of these last 2 weeks. we have carried a heavy burden everyday. we have braced ourselves for all scenarios. sometimes life is much more than we can endure. actually, it is way more than we can handle. in fact, it's not for us to control at all. we are to trust the One who knows. our lives are controlled by our Heavenly Father, not us. He is the beginning and the end. He is Sovereign in every season. He is good in every season. He knows the times, the places, the people, and every moment. nothing is a surprise. NOTHING.

so in this season of our lives, my family is enduring trials. we are carrying the weight of watching my dad fight to live. we are fighting right alongside him as long as he is willing to. we each are processing this journey of my dad's health differently. we are being challenged and strengthened in our faith. we each have cried our tears. we each have spent nights awake taking care of dad. we each have racked in many hours sitting in his room with him. we will continue to bear the weight until it's over..whether the Lord chooses to heal him on this side of heaven or if He takes him on home to heaven. we will praise the Lord and carry His Name in every season! Jesus has already overcome this trial and we will seek His face through every step. He is our anchor of hope and our refuge in our time of need! 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matt 11:28-29

delayed departure

well the plan was for me to head back to uganda today. i would be stepping onto the plane and getting settled in my seat for the 20 hour plane ride...BUT that is not happening. God had different plans. 

i am now on my 5th day at harris methodist hospital in ft worth, along with my mom, sister and other family members. it is incredibly how fast time has gone since i have spent my days inside with my dad. we have had some sweet moments together and i wouldn't trade any day outside for a day to spend with my dad holding his hand, wiping his mouth, feeding him, or rubbing his shoulder. 

i had to quickly make a decision about what my time looked like in "when" to go back to uganda. that was what people wanted to know immediately when i first arrived back in the states. it was hard for me to answer that because i just gotten home. i knew i would be thrown into a world wind with my dad's health declining, but i had no idea it would be this. 

my dad has been fighting cancer for almost 4yrs. he has rallied many times and won the small battles. but what we are in now, is a war. the cancer has spread throughout the liver even more and continues to attack his body. when we least expected it, dad had a stroke on new years eve. it has added to all the underlying conditions and makes beating cancer even harder. our days with him mean even more now. 

since arriving in mid-december, i knew i would need to extend my stay here with my family to help take care of some things. but knowing how long to extend was the question...the Lord began making it clear. He was once again asking me to hand over my detail-oriented mind, my control, my plans and trust Him. trust the plans He has for me. trust that i am exactly where i need to be. trust that all that has happened in uganda and will happen is His work, not anything i am doing. so i made a decision and cancelled my flight. as the Lord reveals, i will move forward in booking another flight. 

i felt peace about extending my stay here in the states for a bit. the Lord opened doors in that avenue in blessing me with grace from the family i was living with to tutor their son, as well as with ROWAN and the team in mawanga village. i am praying for God to reveal to me the time to return. i have no doubt that i am supposed to be there, but the timing is in the Lord's hands. i look forward to the day of when i can walk the dirt roads of mawanga village. it could be in a few weeks or months, but no matter when, i believe i will feel God's peace wash over me.

please pray for my dad and my family. we have had some tough days and even long days in the hospital.  pray that God would speak so clearly to us with any decision or action that needs to be taken. pray for timing of when i need to head back to uganda. and pray that God would be seen in all of this. pray that HIS name would be exalted and glorified! 

may we carry His name well in all things...

prayers for dad

after spending a week away i am now back trying to catch up. my time spent in mawanga village was beautiful. God continues to press in on me what He wants me to see. i will share all i can as i get my thoughts together. but first i want to stop and ask for prayer...

as i was away this week in eastern uganda, my parents back in texas went to houston for a check up on my dad's status. i read in an email last night after get back that the spot the doctors had initially found on his liver had grown. plus there may be additional spots in the liver and even possibly in his abdomen. 

these are not the words i wanted to read. it's not what any of my family wanted to hear. but i will remain hopeful. i will always remain hopeful. because hope does not disappoint. my God remains faithful. He remains good. He remains sovereign. He remains strong. i will keep claiming the truth of who my God is! He will overcome! 

my heart hurts to not be with them. it's difficult to hear news like this when i am so far away. so again i ask for prayer on behalf of my family. for my dad. for my mom. for my siblings. for my nieces & nephews. for all who have been a part of this journey. another 10 weeks then they return to rescan and evaluate once more. thankfully, that appointment will be during the time i will be back in the states for a couple weeks during christmas. 

thank you for standing with us in this battle! 

my God, YOU are here with us

constantly here with us

YOU are our everything, 

Faithful and True

(Constant - Charlie Hall)

dad's journey continues...

every now and then, there are dates that i wish i didn't remember. dates that i wish didn't have a significance. before the actually date, its just a date. but after...well..it becomes a day that affects so many. it becomes a day full of sorrow. sadness. heaviness. tears. questions. thoughts. and so much more.

the date i am referencing to is august 8. that is the day my family got news the doctors found cancer cells in my dad's liver (it's the same cancer they had found in his esophagus and his adrenal gland). we don't know much more than that. and honestly, i am glad. that is enough to process for now. my dad will go back down in mid-october to do another scan then decide the treatment options.

interestingly enough, this came 1 week AFTER i booked my plane ticket to uganda. and my parents go back to the doctor 2 weeks AFTER i leave. i questioned it immediately...what do i do? do i go ahead and change my flight even though i don't know the outcome? do i wait? do i go?...

through the wavering, with much thought and prayer, i have to trust the Lord in this. He has taken care of my dad and my family from the very beginning of this 3 1/2 year journey. He has given us strength when we are weary. comfort when we are sorrowful. joy when we are in pain. He has lifted our heads when they lay low. He has covered us with peace when there was non before.

no one would choose the journey my family has walked through. but through it all God is continuously drawing us to Himself. He is leading us to trust Him more. He is revealing to us that there is deeper joy in the very center of it all. this journey is not about us. it's about HIM. He is using this to make much of Himself. He's wants us to see Him in it. and so i will choose that above all else!

i have to believe that EVERYTHING works together for our good and His Glory! i am still praying for ultimate healing for my dad. for his daily strength. for his joy. for his life. for his heart. for i will always have hope!

picture taken at a wedding in NM back in July.

i love you dad!

our blog for my dad's journey

year 26.

i will always remember my 26th birthday. its is not your typical celebratory day. however, we did celebrate just different then what i was thinking. 

the day before my birthday, april 8, was my dad's surgery to remove his malignant tumor in his adrenal gland. we all arrived at the hospital around 11am. we gathered in the room with dad as we awaited the doctors and nurses to take him back for surgery to begin at 1pm.

we had a sweet time of fellowship as a family. we read many cards and letters filled with prayers and words of encouragement written by students from auburn university. we were visited by precious family and friends that brought smiles, laughter, and strength as we were facing the unknown with my dad. 

the hundreds of letters written by students from auburn...

soon after (around 1:30pm), dad was taken down the hall for surgery. as my mom, sisters, and i went to the waiting room, there were about 15 other people there to wait with us. and little did i know, both of my sisters brought a cake and cupcakes to celebrate my birthday. i'll be honest, i didn't expect that at all, but i am so grateful for it. it was the very thing to change the mood of being at the hospital. for the next 3hrs we sat with about 20-25 people (coming & going). we laughed, shared stories, talked about life, and prayed together. it was good for each of our spirits and hearts!  

the yummy cake & cupcakes my beautiful sisters made me

fast forward to the next day...april 9...we arrived at the hospital first thing in the morning to see dad. he managed to make it through the night without any major complications. he had been dealing with nausea and pain. however, he was doing much better and could carry on a conversation with each of us. we were thrilled to see him! so there in his room we made ourselves comfortable knowing it may be a long day. 

dad talking to my sister JJ on the phone...

we had a couple of family friends stop by. 

it lifted dad's spirits to be able to visit with some of his buddies.

(picture below is with his college roommate) 

and then to our surprise and expectations, dad was discharge at 2pm!! that was probably the best gift to receive on my birthday. celebrating life with my daddy. celebrating a successful surgery. and celebrating the Lord in how He continues to show us that He is in this and for us! that He is exalting Himself through every situation! 

dad and me on my birthday!

once we all walked out of the hospital doors we got in our separate cars and headed back home. usually when someone in my family has a birthday we all arrange to go out to dinner together. obviously we had to put a rain-check on dinner plans because of dad; however, my friend jenn came down to hang out with me and my sister's family. we cooked out and enjoyed the beautiful weather. 

i have come to realize every year is different when my birthday rolls around. i never know what i will be doing or where i will be or who i will be with. but when it all comes down to it, all i would want for my birthday is to be with those i love! 

thank you to those who sent me cards, text messages, facebook messages, or left me a voice mail. i cherish each one so much! i am excited about what this 26th year of my life looks like. God continues to blow me away at His goodness and faithfulness. 

i lift His Name up and honor Him for all that He has done! 

He is my praise!

joy

*by the way...dad is doing good. healing and regaining strength. we see the doctor tomorrow morning for post-op consultation! we give thanks to the Giver of Life and continue to look to Him for wisdom! 

2.22.11

this date will now be added to our memory bank. we have several of them and we may have more. this date represents when we received the news about my dad. the news that no one wants to hear. that it's positive. positive for cancer.

three years ago. on march 24, 2008 my dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. he endured many rounds of chemo & radiation. then on july 22, he underwent one of the most evasive surgeries to remove the majority of his esophagus. he went through many months of recovery to get off of a feeding tube. he was trying to find his "new normal". he did well. he overcame a lot!

fast forward to thanksgiving day, 2009...we rushed my dad to the emergency room for severe abdomen pain. he spent 10 days in the hospital and still no one could figure out what happened. not even to this day. our guess is as good as theirs.

one year later, during our annual christmas party (mom's side) in december, 2010, dad got a piece of meat stuck in his esophagus. had to take him to the hospital first thing the next morning to have it removed. he wasn't able to eat or drink for over 24 hrs. pretty scary when he is as frail as he is.

and now this week. feb 22, 2011. we add another date. we get hit with another blow of news. dad has cancer. again. it's in his left adrenal gland. next week, the meetings and the discussion picks back up. the treatment plan. the road ahead. the pros. the cons. the major decisions. it all begins. again.

it's been a rough week for us all. the unknown road ahead. BUT in the midst of the heaviness. in the midst of no hope. in the midst of sadness. in the midst of tears. in the midst of frustration. in the midst of not knowing how to respond...we have JESUS.

HE is our STRONGHOLD.
HE is our HOPE.
HE is our ROCK.
HE is our STRENGTH.
HE is our COMFORT.
HE is our LIFE.

and He is without a doubt HERE WITH US. He is where my eyes are fixed. and His name will be exalted through it all! i choose to lift up the name of Jesus through the life of my dad. may HE heal him. blessed be His Name!

*please pray with us as we walk down this journey...you can see updates on my dad's blog

A Day at the Lake & there after...

I have been meaning to post for so long and the days have just slipped by so quick. Anyways, last Sunday, March 15 was a much needed day of rest for me...SOOO I took the day and went to a lake and spent time with the Lord!! It was by far the best day I have had in a long time. I had my backpack packed with my Bible, journal, and food. I was set! ha..but seriously, I got to walk around, sit by the lake, listen to worship music and just enjoy being outside! The Lord revealed so much to me in the hours that I spent there...and just as the scripture says..."He will wash you with the water of His word...(Eph. 5:26 paraphrased)" and that is exactly what I felt the Lord was doing that day...

1. As I was sitting by the lake I ended up reading Psalm 23:1..."The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want" or another version says, "I have all that I need"...and I came to a much deeper understanding of such a simple verse that I have known for a so long. We all know that we should not be in want because of who the Lord is to us and what He provides for us, but do we trust Him enough to give us what we need and not necessarily what we want? The is the first thing that God challenged me with...'Do you trust me enough with what I am giving you is what you need right now in your life?'

Its definitely a daily choice that we all face...

2. The second thing that I came to realize was when I was walking around this lake. I had not been out there so I was just exploring all these trails while listening to music and the song "Acres of Hope" by Shane and Shane came on. It's basically illustrating how the Lord pursues us and is leading us to a place that draws us closer to Him. He must draw us out of where we are in order to go to a place that He longs for us to be...fully in His Presence.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

He will allure her

He will pursue her

And call her out

To wilderness with flowers in His hand

She is responding

Beat up and hurting

Deserving death

But offerings of life are found instead

*Chorus*

She will sing

She will sing

Oh, to You

She will sing as in the days of youth

As You lead her away

To valleys low

To acres of hope

Acres of hope

Here in the valley

Walk close beside me

Don’t look back

For love is growing vineyards up ahead

You have called me master

And though you’re in the dark here

Call me friend

And call me lover and marry me for good

(Chorus)

How the story ends is

Love and tenderness in Him

Not safe, but worth it

So the valley's up ahead

Or the ones we live

We'll sing together

We'll sing together

This is the scripture that inspired the song:

“Lord, sustain me in the valley. Give me ears to hear

Your sweet tender voice and lead me in to

acres of hope in this dry and weary land.”

"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD,’you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. (Hosea 2:14-16)

That day at the lake was the beginning of such a great week of realizing the beautiful pursuit Jesus has for us! For so long I have known that, but it's another thing to receive it and begin to give more of yourself to the Lord. My time in the Word has been so much richer and I long for that time to just sit and quiet my spirit in the presence of the Lord! I pray that each of you take time to let your mind, heart, and spirit rest in this crazy and busy lifestyle we all live in!

Some other highlights of last week...

• I went to lunch with some of my dear Kamp friends from the past several years...Jrob, Kelly Adams, and Liz Norris...it was so fun to get to fellowship with those who you have served along in ministry together! There is just nothing quite like it!
• I headed down to Waco on Sunday to see a few of my closest friends..Johanna Scanio (and all of her roommates!) and Kaitlyn Amos. We went to church that morning at Antioch and then hit up a few of my favorite stops: Food for Thought and Common Grounds. It was so great to see all of them! It's refreshing to be around friends who just get you and who mean so much to you!

This week...

• I have hit the 40 day mark until I embark on an incredible 3 month stint in Zambia! I believe God is going to do so much and reveal more things this year than ever! Please cover the months of May, June, July, and part of August in prayer!
• 1 Year ago from today, March 24 2008, my Dad was diagnosed with Stage 3 Esophogeal Cancer and for 8 months he has been cancer free!! Praise God! He is doing okay, but really needing to gain some weight. He is at his lowest weight since surgery back in July, which puts him below 150 lbs. Please keep praying for his strength to return and energy levels to come back!

I know this is long-winded but I had a lot to write about. I am going to have to get better at this as time gets closer to when I leave, but especially when I am over in Zambia. Thanks again for keeping up with what is going on. I hope you all are doing well!

Serving HIM Alone,

Joy

Better Late than Never

Just 10 days late...

If you remember...I told you in an earlier post that my family has traditions on Valentine's Day...well we still do!! Haha...on Tuesday night my sister had all of us (My parents, brother, myself, and all of her kids...there were 11 of us total!!) over for a Late Valentine's dinner. JJ makes the exact same thing my mom does on Valentine's: homemade lasagna, bread, salad, and our infamous heart shaped Red Velvet Cake. It was delicious!!

Here are a few pictures of the table and the cake!

The best part was just getting to see all my family! I hadn't seen them since our ski trip to Colorado in mid-January. It definitely was refreshing to get to be with them. My nephew and nieces literally stayed by my side. As soon as I got to my sister's house, I had Anna, Joshua and Esther all grabbing my hands and pulling me to come with them. I realized that if you need someone to just love you...let a child love on you! It makes you feel good! :) haha

Oh and my Dad gained 4 pounds! Praise the Lord! I know to some of y'all that's not a big deal, but it is to my family! We have just got to pray that he keeps gaining and not losing. He is so precious and I am still thankful that He continues to be with us each day!

Last Sunday we (Family Legacy) had our first set of team meetings for this summer. We had about 100 people come to our meeting in Dallas. It was a great turn out! These meetings always get me excited about what is to come! *If any of you want to come with us this summer please apply NOW!! We have lowered the prices until March 1st. So if you want to come be a part of this life changing journey and see what God is doing in Zambia then go to Camp LIFE 2009 . If you have questions please call me! I would love to have you come and be a part of it! (I know there are some of you out there just itching to go. Please don't miss this opportunity! You will never be the same again!)

Have a great weekend! Love yall!

Living for Him,

Joy

Seeking Strength...

Hey Y'all! 

Since Thanksgiving, things at work, my family, and just my personal life has been everything but calm! This is me being transparent about things...Anyways, WORK at Family Legacy is just busy as always. There are lots of projects each week and high goals set to reach. I have never been challenged this much in how to tackle major things all at once. There definitely have been days of me being overwhelmed and feeling very inadequate. God has been good though through it all because of the little glimpses of what is to come for HIS kids in Zambia. I am still humbled to this day of being able to be a voice for these precious children and be a part of a ministry that is striving together to bring the name of Jesus and full restoration to so many children! Praise God for what HE is doing! At the beginning of December we had a FLMI Staff Christmas Party at my ranch and here are a few pictures...

*This is everyone who was there! Kids and spouses included!

*The FLMI STAFF!

(Greer, Susan, Sommer, Holly, Me, and Josh)

~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~

On top of work being a bit crazy at times, I have been learning so much from God's Word! The Lord has been constantly refining me and bringing me to where HE WANTS ME! I have wrestled through numerous issues and wanted to do things on my own...but I have soon realized that that is a pride issue. I hate to admit that, but it is. Not dealing with things, not letting people help me, not stepping out of my comfort zone...all connect back to pride. The Lord pointed that out to me the other day and I have been slowly processing through what needs to happen. I'm not quite sure what all this will entail but I do know that I am learning more of the character of God and His restoration process. As I work through my issues and allow His word to fill every part of me, I am being made more like Him! Praise God for His unending love and grace!! 

Lastly, things with my family have been great!! However, things with my sweet Dad have NOT been so great. Sadly, he is not doing very well. We all thought that he would be progressing much more further than he is right now. He has now lost over 50 lbs. He is have a difficult time eating again, which this hasn't happened since his very first symptoms about a year again. My Dad has also been choking again whenever he eats. This past weekend my Mom told me that on Friday night that my Dad was choking for about 3 hours after they ate dinner and she almost had to take him to the ER. We are hoping that it is scar tissue building up in his esophagus and not a new cancerous growth. They left today to head down to Houston to return to MD Anderson for tests. He has tests Wednesday and Thursday. 

PLEASE BE PRAYING! 

Pray for strength, comfort, peace, wisdom, and encouragement! 

Both my parents are exhausted from the past 8 1/2 months of dealing with cancer and the recovering process of surgery. We all are hoping that the results will be words of encouragement and not the other. I will know more at the end of the week. 

Oh Lord...we need You!! 

Thanks again for keeping up to date! You all are a blessing! Have a great week!! 

Desperate for more of Him,

Joy

8 months ago...

Today is actually a very significant day...8 months ago, my Dad was diagnosed with stage 3 Esophageal Cancer! My families' world was turned upside down that day!! I can't believe that it's only been 8 months...it seems like it's been over a year of going through all that we have gone through. Plus, 4 months ago from Saturday, July 22, was my Dad's surgery.

As Thanksgiving is only just a couple of days away, I can't help but be thankful for my Dad's life and for him still being here with us today! The Lord has surely carried me and all of my family through such a difficult season. My dad still has a long way to go before FULL recovery but he is making it. Every day is a NEW day and we are so thankful for the progress we have seen in my dad thus far! We give the Lord constant praise for holding us up throughout these 8 months and making each of us even stronger! Thank you all for praying for my family and I. We can't express to you how much of a blessing it is to have you walking next to us!

God is still our Hope, our Joy , our Comfort, Strength, Provider, Shepherd, Healer, Conquerer, Saviour, Lord, and the one we give all the GLORY to!! I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving!! I pray that God will pour out an abundant blessing to you!! Know that I am truly grateful for you! Love you all!!

Praising the Lord,

Joy

The Days are flying by...

HEY!!! I can't believe that it's already been 2 weeks since my last update. I have been trying to make time to give you some good updates and NOW the time has come..haha..

Here's my Dad and I when I went home a few weeks back!
He's doing good, but just needs to put some pounds on!! :)

Okay so over the past couple of weeks I have finally adjusted my schedule and I'm finally on a good routine with work, hanging with friends, etc. One of those things has been going back to my high school (Keller) and watching Volleyball matches. I have loved it! It's hard to watch though and not want to jump on the court, but I had my time I guess.... plus, I am so out of shape anyways. Last Friday, Oct. 17, I went to a match and afterwards I was able to sit and talk with my Coaches about life. It was so great! I loved hearing how they were really doing and the ups and downs of the year. It really makes me want to coach!! :)

Another fun event that happened was the Kanakuk Reunion for Alumni the weekend of the Texas/OU game. Which by the way, those Texas Longhorns are looking good huh? :) #1...yay! Anyways, it is always refreshing to see kamp friends! This is a picture of some of the girls I got to hang out with. We went to lunch at McCalisters...Also, if you haven't been watching college football you are missing out!! If you didn't know already, I am a HUGE TEXAS FAN!! And if you get a chance to watch UT play, you need to! They always put on an exciting game!! I try to find a way to watch the games on the weekend!

Lastly, I wanted to show you where I live. This is my aunt and uncles house in Hurst, Texas. I have about a 20 minute commute to work. It's not bad if I can get on the road right before or after the traffic.

Isn't it cute?? :)

So that's it for now....I have multiple upcoming events here in the next few weeks that I will certainly give updates on!! I won't really have an open weekend until Thanksgiving though so that's a bummer but it's fun! I will take lots of pictures and try to be better about posting them.

Hope you have a great week!! By the way, some of the Family Legacy staff is over in Zambia right now and I am going to try to get them to send me a video of some kids to give you a fresh look at what's happening right now!

Be Blessed my friends!

Loving Jesus with all that I am,
Joy