My MVP

Most Valuable Person??

That's a tough one for me. When this contest (see below) first came to my attention I immediately thought of my son. He's an amazing teenager living up to his name, even if he doesn't know it.

I don't talk about my faith much, but I truly believe God whispered each of my children's names and purpose into my heart. Joshua means "God with us" or "Jehovah saves". His middle name means "Protector of men".

Despite having a chronically backsliding mother who is the very opposite of a godly woman, my son has taken the best of what I have tried to teach and become a remarkable young man. He is working on graduating early so that he can begin an internship in Youth Ministry with a university that will also award him a 4-year degree.

He's gone on two international missions trips - because he wanted to. He thinks the coolest place to hang out is church. I am not one of those mothers who drags her children to church three times a week and beats them with a Bible, he made these choices on his own and I couldn't be prouder. He lives his faith out loud and doesn't cave to peer pressure. Except for fighting with me, he's usually graceful under pressure. Because of him I have tried to make all of our lives better.

The other person who came to mind is my step-sister. We're almost 18 years apart, didn't grow up together, but because of her tenaciousness over the last year, she's helped my father lose 100lbs and regain his life.

Last summer, right about this time, I got a call that my father was in the hospital with heart palpitations. He had nearly collapsed at home, trouble breathing, everything short of an actual heart attack. He was morbidly obese and they had him on such strict bed rest he wasn't allowed to do ANYTHING without a nurse or doctor present. And I do mean anything. By the time I was able to visit they still had him in the hospital, but he was allowed to sit up and have visitors.

Two months later when I visited, my step-mother credited my father's weight loss with how strict Jessica had been with my dad. She monitored everything he ate, made sure he walked, took away his stashes of sweets, and even got rid of the Diet Mt. Dew.

On Father's Day I called my dad and he was so HAPPY to tell me that he was down just under 100lbs from this time last year. He has been trying to lose weight since I was 12. Over 20 years. Now that he has some momentum I don't see him stopping. He wants to live to see great-grandchildren. We all want him to see his great-grandkids! And I know I owe this other miracle to my step-sister.

Who is your MVP?
Just for participating, you will receive two (2) vouchers to an Angels® baseball game as a thank you. Enter your MVP at Brandman University MVP Contest

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Contest Details

To mark its first class of graduates, ready with their brand new degrees to do better, Brandman University in Irvine, CA is celebrating community leaders and all-stars with the Brandman University MVP Contest and needs your help in finding those individuals who have made a positive impact on you personally and/or within your community. This can be anyone from a nurse, soldier, teacher, firefighter or that special someone that has personally made a positive impact (both big and small) in YOUR life.

NOMINATE YOUR MVP  RECEIVE TWO (2) FREE ANGELS® BASEBALL GAME VOUCHERS
Nominate your MVP @ www.facebook.com/BrandmanUniversity before June 22nd. This is where you can really let that special person know how much they mean to you and your community. As a thank you for your nomination, Brandman will provide you with two (2) FREE vouchers* to an Angels® baseball game just in time for the summer season. Your MVP is also eligible to receive two (2) free vouchers. If you don't have a Facebook account, you can nominate your MVP @www.brandman.edu/mvp

For full rules and regulations, go here

Nomination Deadline: Wednesday, June 22nd @ 1pm PST

*Disclaimer - As compensation for writing this post I have been given 4 tickets to an Angels game.