Trip of a Lifetime

First of all, if you haven't read my mom's story just click here to get caught up!

I had started my own version of the story but when I ask mom if she had anything she wanted to say, she said a lot of what I was going to....only much better. Thanks, Mom!

I will start my story and touch briefly on some of the same things she did but from my view point and then add in some other things I want to remember.

I will never forget the day that she called home from going to visit Uncle Craig and Craig Jr in San Angelo. We were all at my Uncle Ike and Aunt Beth's house when Mom called Dad. He then passed off the phone to my sister, who then passed it off to my other sister, who finally passed it off to me. At this point, I can remember being confused on why everyone kept leaving the room and coming back looking a little more quiet than they had left.  She said that after learning that Craig Jr didn't have much hope if he didn't receive a new kidney, she felt as though she needed to offer to see if she was a match. She wasn't even sure if she would be but she felt she needed to try. She asked if we were ok with that and if it ever were to come down to it and something happen to her reamining kidney--one of us girls would be her best match. We were all on board 110%. I remember having the thought of "Holy smokes, is she really going to offer a kidney to a cousin she barely knows?!" But she did and from then on, God's hand unfolded one of the most beautiful stories I have ever been a part of.

For a year, she passed all sorts of tests that she didn't have the greatest odds of passing. The transplant was finally scheduled for June of 2010. In the midst of all of this, the love of my life asked me to be his wife, so we began planning a wedding for the Fall. To say that my mom is amazing is somewhat of an understatement. If you have ever planned a wedding, you know how stressful it can be.....then to throw in donating a kidney on top of it....She is a champ! We got most of the planning done between March and June so that we wouldn't have as much to do after the surgery.

School ends for me and a few days later, Mom, Dad, Me-Me, Uncle Craig, Whitney and I all head off to Virginia for a month. To try and find the words to describe the month in Virginia is next to impossible. We got to see things that I never would have had the chance to see....Colonial Williamsburg, Ash Lawn, Monticello, Staunton, VA, an Episcopal Church with Tiffany windows, Shenandoah River, Front Royal, Charleston, Washington DC, an Inn built in the 1700 where there was a telegraph from the Rockafellar's requesting a room, Oldtown Winchester---It was incredible! There is so much history up there it is unreal. And the scenery was breathtaking.

And that doesn't even touch the whole kidney transplant event we went up there for :) Yes, we got to see and do more than I can ever imagine but the one thing I am most thankful for was the relationship that we got to develop with Craig Jr and how much closer we became with Uncle Craig. When we first met Craig Jr (I say met because even though I'm sure I had actually met him at some point in my life, this is the first time I remember), my first thought was how quiet and reserved he seemed. He was pretty soft-spoken and very intelligent. He taught English at a military academy called Randolph-Macon in Front Royal, Virginia. We got the chance to visit this BEAUTIFUL school and to learn so much about Craig Jr. He was a favorite among the students and staff. He made learning English fun--and in all honesty, I had amazing English teachers in High School, but I would have LOVED to take one of his classes. When he retired after 29 of teaching there, they printed an article about him that I want to share bits and pieces.

-"Craig Porter was one of those people who is a blessing to both students and parents alike. My three children each had Craig as an instructor and more importantly, an inspiration. Life has a few figures who make a true difference in the lives of people among them. Craig Porter is a "hero" among his peers and a man who does make a difference. My family is forever grateful for his role in our lives. We miss him, we thank him." -a R-M alumni

-"Craig Porter was the consummate teacher at Randolph-Macon Academy, and was highly appreciated by his students. Each student considered it a blessing to be in his class and he was the best in the business in getting them ready for college." -President of R-M, General Hobgood

-"I asked the students what made him so good, and they told me 'He understands us.'"-a fellow teacher.

These three quotes sum him up pretty well. Teaching was his passion. His students were his passion. Words used to describe him were "legend", "hero", "inspiration", and "blessing". I got to see a little glimpse of that man in the month I spent in Virginia and the years that followed. He was no longer just my mom's long lost cousin who lived in Virginia. He became a part of our life and a part of our family. I think my favorite line of what my mom wrote was, "I got to love him because I knew him---not just because he was my cousin.". That is how I felt.

I grew to love this man--the one who had I not been there would never have believed that this quiet, bow-tie wearing, sixty-something year old man LOVED Eminem and Lady Gaga. :) This man who EVERYWHERE we went in Front Royal, people would stop and visit with and sing his praises. I got to know Uncle Craig even better and make more memories with him then I would have ever had the chance to.

Craig Jr will be missed but I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to know him. Because of him, I got to see my mother in a new light. I have always known she was a giver---just the other day, getting ready for the funeral I used her comb to rat my hair and told her I really liked it. Her response was "Oh, you take it." That is just how she is....But this experience brought that out in her even more. She gave a part of her to someone she barely knew--without a moment's hesitation. I got to see my family and my church family come together to support Craig Jr and Mom. It was incredible....truly incredible. So like my mom said--I am so, so sad for his story to end but I'm thankful I got to be a part of it..even if it was just a small chapter.

Last night in Virginia-Uncle Craig, Me, Me-Me, Mom and Craig Jr

Brave Enough to Say YES

On Tuesday, we got to celebrate the life of a wonderful man. The crazy thing is I didn't know all that much about this man until about 3 years ago. I'll start from the beginning:

Growing up I can always remember hearing about Craig Jr (who would be my grandma, Me-Me's sister's son). I remember seeing postcards he would send Me-Me and Hossie from China but that is about all I could tell you about him. That all changed about 3 years ago....

 

**Note: I had written this whole long deal and then asked my mom if there was anything she wanted to say---Well, let me just say that her version was so much better than mine. :) So I am going to put her part here and then do a follow up post with some of my thoughts. But hers is the best place to start. I hope you enjoy--it is long but SO well worth the read!

 

 

 

The things that happened to me in the 20 months of the journey with the kidney made such an impact on my life that I will never forget Craig Jr and I will be eternally grateful to him.

 

The journey started even before I offered...In October of 2008, I was in the worst health of my life. I started going to a homeopathic person who checks yours organs, etc and then gives you herbs and supplements that you need. I failed every test that she did. She took me off all cokes and made me drink lots of water. I had to take hand fulls of supplements. ONLY GOD could have known that I was going to need to be healthy in 20 months.

 

In March, I took MeMe to see Craig Jr in San Angelo. It was the first time I had seen him in years...since Aunt Sue's funeral. We talked about his health and asked if a kidney transplant was possible for him (At this time he was on dialysis two times a week). He said that it wasn't a possibilty because he had to have a live donor. At this point, as I have told some of you, ANYONE who saw a man without hope would have offered...But here is the next amazing thing...after asking mom what she thought, she told me to call and ask my family. I called Curt first and WITHOUT a moments hesitation he said to do it. (I later found out in my testing in Virginia, most families try and talk their wife or mom out of it). Then I talked to each of the girls and like their dad, they never hesitated. Looking back I don't think I could have done it wihtout asking a question or two---but they never hesitated. When I told Craig Jr that night, it was like a load was lifted. He saw a ray of hope.

 

When it got out that I was testing to donate a kidney, the lady that had started me on supplements to be healthier called me and asked me to come by. She had heard what I was doing and started saying that I couldn't donate a kidney because I wouldn't pass all of the tests. And if I did my kidney was so unhealthy that it would not have been good for me to be left with just one. I told her I was not going to tell him I couldn't do it. So as I left she said, "Then I guess we better get them as healthy as we can!"

 

Everytime I doubted or wondered, GOD told me without a doubt that I was to do it and in really cool ways. But it would take a novel to share all of it. So I passed every test for a year. The March before I donated, I had to do my last testing in Virginia. I went from department to department and each one had to take my blood pressure. It would be a little high the first time, then I would calm down and it would be good. The morning of surgery, Curt and I were in the holding area and a lot of doctors were in and out....a time I would have normally been nervous. But they came in and took my blood pressure and it was perfect. It didn't dawn on us then, but in a few minutes I asked Curt if he felt it...the overwhelming calm. We both knew that it was the "peace that passeth understanding."

 

I prayed that the kidney would be so healthy that they would know only God could have been in charge...AND it was! The doctors bragged on it.

 

I will never ever forget the journey and the time I had to get to know my amazing cousin. Craig and I probably hadn't spoken 30 words in the previous 30 years--and I got to see the man he had become....the amazing things he had accomplished, the amazing sense of humor that would surface, and I got to love him because I knew him---not just because he was my cousin.

 

*I will also never be able to thank my husband, girls, son-in-laws, and mom enough for the initial reaction of nothing but 100% support (It did effect every one of them, and may even in the future although I don't think it will) and like I said after interviewing in Virginia, I realized what a God-thing their support was too. He sent me this awesome family and I don't think I take enough time daily on my knees to say thank you to Him. THEN after the rest of my family found out....It makes me cry EVERYTIME I think of the support I had (Yes, I am crying right now). Then it goes on and on, my church family, friends....OMG and people don't believe it was a blessing for me.

 

**On a sad note, I think Craig and I both went into it thinking he would be 100% again--Fairy tale ending so to speak. And the people in testing warned me time and again how it would feel if things went south. But on one of my 8 hour drives down to see him, it dawned on me, that it really did serve its purpose. Uncle Craig knew he had an amazing son, but even he didn't know about the amazing man he was in Virginia and all the people he had impacted because he told me he didn't. We werea all allowed to see that he was so much more than the quiet cousin I knew. I also realized that if he had lived a lot longer and then gotten sick there would have been no one there to take care of him. Uncle Craig was the one that was supposed to take care of him and he wouldn't have been able to later on. It is not easy to lose a child, but to think of him with no one to take care of him...well, it played out it was supposed to, or so I would like to think.

 

Once again, I am crying...so sad for his story to end. So thankful I had a small chapter in it with the help of everyone in my family. I might have been brave enough to say yes, but it took each member behind me to walk the path.

 

 

---Pretty incredible story, isn't it?! One woman being brave enough to say YES to God and a whole bunch of people's lives were changed forever. Craig Jr was given a HUGE gift, I am not denying that---but I must agree with my mom and say that we were all blessed by it in so many ways. I am SO thankful for my mom, Craig Jr, and the gift of life that was given.

 

Thank you Lord for using it to bless us all in ways we can not even describe. My prayer is that I will be brave enough to always say YES to God even when I don't know what the future holds.

Words

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on how little things make a big impact and how something simple you say to someone can completely change their day. Someday I want to write a post on how powerful our tongue is but in the meantime, I was driving home one day and even though I had heard this song before I actually heard the song for the first time. WOW! I love it and it is pretty much summing up everything I wanted to say.

 

 

Here are the lyrics:

 

They've made me feel like a prisoner
They've made me feel set free
They've made me feel like a criminal
Made me feel like a king

They've lifted my heart
To places i'd never been
And they've dragged me down
Back to where i began

Words can build you up
Words can break you down
Start a fire in your heart or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to you

You can heal the heartache
Speak over the fear
(speak over the fear)
God, your voice is the only thing
We need to hear
(we need to hear)

Words can build us up
Words can break us down
Start a fire in our hearts or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to you
(back to you)

Let the words i say
(let the words i say)
Be the sound of your grace
(sound like your grace)
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to you

I wanna speak your love
Not just another noise
Oh, i wanna be your light
I wanna be your voice

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to you
(back to you)

Let the words i say
(let the words i say)
Be the sound of your grace
(sound like your grace)
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to you
(back to you)

Words can build us up
Words can break us down
Start a fire in our hearts
Or put it out

I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to you

 

 

I think the line that completely grabbed my attention was:

Let my words be lifeLet my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to you

 

Are the words I'm speaking life? Are they truth? And MOST importanly, are the words I'm saying pointing the world back to Jesus?  WHOA!

 

 

Little Things, BIG Impact

Two weekends ago, I was in my hometown attending a birthday party for one of my high school friend's little girl who was turning one. While I was there, a dear older man who I have known for many years came up to me. He took my hand and said he had a few questions for me. I smiled knowing what was coming. He then proceeded to ask, "Has anyone told you you're pretty today?" (waits for your response) "I think your pretty" "Has anyone told you you are precious today?" (waits for your response) "I think you're precious." "Do you know what agape means?" (waits for your response) "Has anyone told you they loved you today?" (waits for your response) "I love you."

I stood there with tears almost in my eyes soaking in each question and response. I know that he does this to almost everyone he meets but he still makes you feel like you are the most beautiful, precious person he knows. And I truly believe that he means everything he says. It was so powerful to me--I don't know how many times I have heard him say it---but the impact was still huge.

Then, the next morning in church the sermon series was "Toxic". This sermon in particular was on toxic words and how powerful our words are. Here is a quick summary of the sermon--

There are two types of words: 1) The Words We Hear
                                                       2) The Words We Say

The key-thought under the Words We Say was "Speak life-giving words to others". He followed up with this verse from Ephesians 4:29-"Do not let any wholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (I could go on about how powerful I think our words are but I will save it for another blog and stay on my original thought :) )

The preacher went on to say that his rule of thumb is always "If you think of something good, say it." It doesn't matter what it is or who it is too---say it. Whether it be the clerk at the checkout stand, some stranger on the street, your spouse, sibling, etc--everyone needs to hear kind things.

My thoughts couldn't help but immediately go to the man the day before. He will probably never know the impact his words had on me, or many other ladies. But it doesn't matter. He spoke those life-giving words to me. He thought something good, and he said it. He for those few minutes made me feel like the most special person in the room. Then I couldn't help but wonder---"How often do I make someone feel like that?" or "How many opportunities have I missed making someone feel like that?"

I just wanted to share these thoughts and challenge you and myself to speak those life-giving words to those we come in contact with. We never know what little things we do that make a BIG impact.

Wow--who knew I had more to talk about then my precious daughter :)

How Great Is Our God

I have been reading through Colossians with a couple of other girls and we came across this verse this week and I wanted to share it with you:

Colossians 1: 16-17
"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

The last part immediately reminded me of a video we watched last year in the youth group we help with on Wednesday nights. It is completely mind-blowing....and yes it is looonnngg. But, if you ever have time to spare or even if you don't, I promise you this video will leave you completely in awe of our God. I have seen in multiple times and it STILL blows me away.

 

The title of this video is "How Great Is Our God" and it couldn't be more perfectly named.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. There is lots of scientific information but I found it all very interesting and amazed that a God that created this universe loves me...and knows me by name! I would love to hear your thoughts if you get a chance to watch it. :)