A Very Sad Day....

My heart is breaking this morning after getting a text from Crystal late last night that her brother has passed on. I can't imagine how difficult this is for her family. But their faith throughout this whole ordeal is something we all can aspire to. Read what Crystal wrote on Facebook this morning:

This is the most difficult day of our lives. Meetings with the neurosurgeons, doctors, and nursing staff over the last two days concerning the extent of Branson's brain injury has been devastating to our family. It was fatal when they medevaced him to the hospital and his life was spared by only a few minutes. On the GCS scale of brain activity he was a minimum of 3 out of 15. Critical care, prayer and Branson's fight brought his number up to a mere 5. After prolonged efforts to bring him to a conscious state of 8 on the scale so he could wake up, he took a turn for the worse and dropped back to a 3. The best scenerio for Branson was dependent care for the rest of his life. He may never have come out of the coma, talked, or even understood. Branson loves life to the fullest. He has told us more than once: "If I'm ever in that condition, do not keep me on life support." We had to make the most difficult decision to withdraw it. We had the nurses and doctors' blessing with our decision. Tonight, Branson went home to be with our Lord. We cannot express the pain we are all feeling. We love Branson beyond comprehension. He is the joy and pride of our lives. We did not want to give him up as a son, brother, or friend. We understand better what the Father must have felt in giving up his one and only. Branson passed without pain. The Father watched His Son pass under the excruciating pain of being crushed as a sin sacrifice for us all. Though we understand better, it doesn't compare. God has proven a greater love for Branson than ours could ever be. We entrust Branson to His care which supersedes all earthly care. Your hearts and support have been heard from all over and have bombarded the gates of heaven with unending vigil on Branson's and our family's behalf. Words cannot express the deep felt gratitude and love we feel for you all. You have all showered us with your support and unending prayer. We feel such pride in Branson who is responsible for a lot of this. He has in you friends for life, and he made some of the best ones we could ever imagine. He never forgot one of you, and if he could speak today to all of us, he'd say: "Okay, enough of that crying, let's go snow boarding, wake boarding, long boarding, skate boarding, stretch some Saran Wrap across the road and do some community service. Let's play football, baseball, wiffel ball, wrestle, climb Mt. Marathon, Mt. McLoughlin, rock climb, go surfing, snow machining, wake boarding, play tennis, do some mountain biking, dirt biking, go dancing, see a concert, go to a Sun's or Coyote's game." And he always did it with friends- friends for life! He loves you all.

Shannon (sister) sent this text to us. She is bringing a new son into this world and can't be here with us.

I know that there is no greater gift than to spend an eternity with our Lord in paradise...B just had to get there first... He'd have just told us that he won... And that he beat us all...because of how fun and how beautiful his heart is.

We can't tell you enough how much you have all meant to us in this trial. We hope to never be the same, having known and loved this wonderful son, brother, and best friend.

-The Holm Family & Shelby Dietsch Family

Wow. The hope we have as Christians is truly an amazing and beautiful thing. Please continue to keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Another Prayer Request!

Goodness, it just seems like so many friends are dealing with so much! I just got an email from another good friend from LCU days, Natalie Clayton. Natalie and Daniel had quite an ordeal a couple of years ago when their first son had to be delivered at 29 weeks. Kason spent a long time in the NICU, but he has since progressed wonderfully, thanks to a lot of people's prayers. Now Natalie is expecting again and apparently she is experiencing the same issue and the Claytons are facing the same ordeal all over again with their second baby. Here is the email I got from her this afternoon:

Hey friends! I just wanted to update a few of you who don't live in Lubbock who may not have heard, but to also ask for prayers for our family. I was hospitalized yesterday in ante partum because I was diagnosed with preeclampsia yet again. Although with Kason this didn't pop up and I didn't deliver until 29 weeks...it has unfortunately showed up at 26 weeks with this little guy. The doctors were hoping that bed rest in the hospital instead of at home like I have been might help me keep cookin' the little guy longer, but again my preeclampsia seems to be increasing at a fast rate like it did with Kason. Therefore, I will most likely be delivering next week...even as early as Monday or Tuesday. Daniel and I are doing alright, but are both worried about Max (our newest little guy) having to struggle like Kason did in the NICU for a couple of months if not longer. Please pray for our comfort through this delivery and for the fight Max has ahead of him.

You can see that Natalie is one of the most optimistic and positive people I know, but this has to be so tough to be facing this again. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers along with the Holm family and so many others who are going through difficult times!

Help for Branson Holm

Sunday evening I got a call from one of my very best friends from college, Crystal Holm. Crystal's youngest brother, Branson, had been in a serious snowboarding accident in Arizona and experienced a traumatic head injury. He had to have emergency surgery to relieve bleeding and swelling in the brain and has remained in critical condition. I haven't received too many updates this week other than his condition remains extremely critical.

Branson is a college student in Arizona and does not have medical insurance. His parents live in Oregon and his three sisters are scattered throughout the U.S. so I'm sure the family has already incurred a great expense just to travel to be with him. Yesterday Crystal sent out the message that a fund has been set up at the Holm's home church in Oregon to help with the medical expenses that will be ahead, as Branson is expected to be in the hospital for an extended period of time. I just wanted to pass that information on in case there is anyone reading this out there that would like to help this family during this tragic and difficult time. This is a really beautiful and faithful family who have been a light for many others...now it is our turn to be a light to them.

Assistance can be sent to:

West Main Church of Christ
1701 West Main
Medford, Oregon 97501

Checks payable to the church and with a memo "For Branson Holm's Benevolence Fund"

Cards to Branson can be sent to:

Flagstaff Medical Center
1200 N. Beaver
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Attn: ICU North/Branson Holm 1015

Thank you for thinking about this family during this time and keeping them in prayer!

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.- Galatians 6:10

Here We Go!!!

It seems this year I have given hardly any notice to the fact that a new year has begun. Usually I spend quite a bit of time reflecting and setting goals, but this year I just slipped right into 2011 and hardly noticed. Perhaps this is because I feel like I am at the top of a steep slope, staring down, taking a deep breath, about to push off the ledge into a crazy downhill spiral of busy-ness!

Last semester wasn't too bad. I had a nice balance of activity, especially with no graduate school classes to worry about. However, we all knew that couldn't last long. I have decided to go back to school this semester and finish my other master's degree, the one I had originally started out to complete before switching to a library science major. Initially, I had started out to pursue a master of education in Reading. I only need 18 hours to complete it, so I decided to plunge back in and knock that out in 2011 before I get too far removed from "school mode." So this semester I will be taking 6 hours, face-to-face classes, starting in a couple of weeks. (I will then take six hours this summer and six hours this fall and be done!)

After I had already made the decision to go back to school and had that all lined up, I was presented with the opportunity to work as a part-time tutor after school for the Boys and Girls Club here in Dallas. I had been volunteering at Central Dallas (now known as CitySquare) in the library at Roseland, but wasn't feeling particularly needed or utilized there. I decided to go ahead and interview for the position and I found out yesterday that I got the job! I will be working four days a week from 4:00-7:00pm. I'm pretty excited about this opportunity, but not so excited about having to leave there and go straight to class from 7:30-10:20 two nights per week.

Now these two new activities are on top of my regular job and my two Saturdays per month job at Upward Bound and my weekly private tutoring sessions on Sundays. Not to mention that one of the few goals I did set for 2011 was to get more involved and connected at church . And I did want to get back into a more regular work-out routine, but I don't know when that's going to happen if I'm leaving the house at 7:45am every morning and not getting back until 10:30 or later at least two days per week. However, I think all of this will be worth it, both financially and in the aspect of building better relationships and in doing what I can for kids. I feel extremely blessed to have these opportunities and pray for the strength to make the most of them!

Yesterday I went home from work and took a 4 hr nap...I'm pretty sure that won't be happening again for a very long time! I only have a few days left before pushing off down the crazy slope, so I'm going to try to make the most of the slower pace while I can! :-)