a servant's heart

Also in July, we popped in to West Virginia to attend a banquet in which Mark's mother was receiving an award.  And when I say popped in, I mean popped in.  We left our home at 7:00 AM on a Thursday and returned at 12:30 PM on Friday, just in time for Mark to go to work.  But it was so worth it.

Mark's mother has a servant's heart.  She not just serves others, she is always thinking of ways to help and serve.  Which is truly a gift.  Most of us will fill in when we see a need by making a meal to a family in need or giving to a food drive or helping a friend when they are overwhelmed and those are all good ways to serve others.  However Mark's mother, and others with a servant's heart, are always thinking about serving other and always coming up with ways to bless others before they can be asked.  And it is truly a gift to them to be able to help others. 

Most of her adult life, she has been volunteering on various committees through her church and local community.  Two years ago, she received The Salt and Light award from Catholic Charities.  This time it was from the City of Bridgeport for her work with a local food and clothing bank that she helped start over 25 years ago. 

The boys were so excited because we were staying in a hotel.  They do not really remember staying in hotels before and this one was nice.  Mark's mom got us two adjoining rooms and the boys claimed one for just them.  They thought it was awesome to have TV and their own bathroom.  The hotel also had a pool which they got to use before getting ready for the banquet and award ceremony.  We were able to find someone to stay with Grace in the room, so we didn't have to worry about taking her to the dinner.  

 

John got to meet and have his picture taken with Oliver Luck who was the Keynote Speaker.  He is also the Athletic Director for West Virginia University, a former NFL quarterback and father of Andrew Luck quarterback for the Colts.


This was the boys first banquet and it was an experience.  First they got to mingle with the other guests and order cokes from the bar.  Then they were served the meal.  Which was a treat let.me.tell.you.  They were not familiar with the concept of everyone being served the same meal, even if you don't like it or didn't order it.  It was funny when Luke told the waitress that he didn't order salad and he wanted french fries instead.  Neither boy was thrilled with the meal (which wasn't bad for banquet food), so they ate about four rolls and two pieces of cake each.  Evidently, Luke was tired because after the meal he climbed up on Mark's lap and fell asleep.  He totally missed the speeches, award ceremony and picture taking afterward.  He woke up in the room, changed into his pajamas and slept until we had to wake them up at 6:00 AM so we could drive home.

Mark's mom and dad with her award plaque

It was a whirlwind trip but it was totally worth it to see Mark's mom receive this much deserved award.