About Jeri

This is my roommate in nursing school, Jeri. Actually, we were suite mates. We had private rooms and we shared the bathroom. The first day, Jeri made a deal with me: "I will clean everything else if you will clean the toilet. I hate that job." That sounded like an bargain to me and I honestly do not remember ever having any kind of conflicts, squabbles or ever getting upset with Jeri. I really never understood how she could take 2 hours to get dressed, but it didn't bother me and she always looked great so I thought, "maybe she's doing it right, and I need to pay attention".
Jeri is the rare person who has a gift for making everyone feel special. Her eyes light up when you come into the room. She is never too busy to listen and never makes you feel dumb or that your concerns are trivial. She makes you feel important and loved. I had never felt that way before so you can imagine the place she has in my heart. Even though we rarely saw each other after nursing school...sometimes a Christmas card was all the contact we had, I have discovered the last month that she still has that a place in my heart. Jeri has ovarian cancer and has had a major surgery and is having chemotherapy. Please pray for her. The world is still full of people who need her to make them feel special.

This is me and Jeri in my dorm room. If you look real close you can see I have on some enormous earrings. We had just been in the office of the director of the school for wearing our little studs while on duty. We knew we couldn't wear them, but we had our ears pierced and were not supposed to take them out for several weeks, so we tried to cover them up with our hair. Even though Jeri is the one with the long hair, she was the one who got caught!

My life verse is Matthew 25: 34-40 and I pray every day for the grace to live it.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
Jeri was the first person I ever knew who lived that verse and I am grateful and blessed to know her.