Good morning dear friends and family,

Thank you all for your beautiful outpouring of love, support, generosity, prayers and encouragement throughout this incredibly difficult time. My family and I have truly felt surrounded by all of it these last 7 weeks, along with the Lord’s peace that only He can give through the faith that we have….

On May 26th, when time stood still for a brief moment on that beautiful sunny day in Terrell, Tx a perfect storm for a horrific accident occurred, that for reasons beyond our understanding God allowed to happen, and as I cling to my Christian faith, I remember that God is my Hope & my anchor in every storm….

Never in a million years did I think my mom would go out of this world the way that she did, nor did I think I would be the one to hand my mom off to our Lord.  In that horrific moment, I believe God was still in control and as my mind reconciles that moment I believe He took my mom in one hand and said to her, “JoAnn come with me, it is now your time,” and I believe He allowed her to see His other hand shielding me as He said  to her, “it is not Dana’s time yet, I’ve got her and she will be ok.”

I truly felt the Hand of The Lord as He took my mom home with Him  and shielded me as it was not yet my time. That is the Hope & the Peace that I cling to as I rest in His presence.  It is truly a miracle that I survived that crash. I don’t know what the Lord has planned for me, but I certainly don’t want to miss it in the days, months & years ahead. I want to honor Him and give Him the glory especially in this very difficult time.  Please see at the end of this journal entry the Bible verses that have sustained me during this time….

Of course, while I have peace from that moment through my faith, I still am so very sad at my mom’s passing and I miss her every day….

I’m not going to share here the specific details of that horrific crash, but I am going to share the blessings that surrounded that day….

I am thankful that Mom and I had that last day together and that she was surrounded by friends who loved her. Mom and I had a sweet   time together on our “field trip” to Ham Orchards with her Independent Living Community, lunching on BBQ & peach ice cream and shopping in the cute country store….

I am thankful that my mom did not suffer in that horrific crash according to the authorities; her passing was instantaneous.…

I am thankful that I had only broken bones and no brain injury, no internal bleeding and no organ failure. I didn’t even have any scratches on my arms….

I am thankful that the EMT/Care Flight unit were close by when the accident occurred. They had been having lunch at Ham Orchard as well.   I actually had interacted with one of the EMT’s while waiting in line for our food; he was the same EMT that tended to me and my injuries in the ambulance; I even remembered his name….

I am thankful that the truck driver was not injured; thankful that he stopped and that he and another passer-by were the first ones on the scene and cut my seat belt loose and waited with me until the EMT’s shortly arrived on the scene….

I am thankful that no other cars were involved….

I am thankful for all the medical staff that tended to me;  I have always said that persons in the medical field do not just have a job, they have a ministry and I have definitely been ministered to over these last 2 months….

Please forgive me for not having reached out sooner to you all to let you know that I am doing better each day as I am getting stronger with OT & PT coming out 2x/week. I am thankful for the hotel handicap suite that we are still in as I am still in a wheelchair and will be in a wheelchair for another month due to non-weight bearing on my right leg. 

Lastly our family has landed on a date for my mom’s Celebration of Life service. Please feel free to attend as you are led, but mostly pray for all of my family as we celebrate my mom’s life and mourn her passing as she will be definitely missed….

Restland Funeral Home
13005 Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75243

Saturday, July 29th
10:00 - service
11:00-1:00 - light buffet in reception room

I love you all,

Dana

My favorite Bible verses:

Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬-2
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Proverbs  3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Philippians 4:6-13
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Isaiah 41:10

”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭13
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”