Carmen Patricia Chavez Medina

Carmen Patricia Medina, loving wife, mother, and daughter, went to be with the Lord on November 08, 2010 at the age of 51. She is survived by her loving husband, Armando Medina. A visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, and a Prayer Service will begin at 7:00 p.m. that same evening. Family will receive friends at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at Cornerstone Church, 18755 Stone Oak Pkwy; and the funeral Service will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery.

To my Beautiful Wife,

My love it is time to say goodbye for now. I miss you so much but we as believers in Jesus Christ are not in despair. As someone once wrote ‘A person living in Jesus Christ, though that person may die, is still living in Jesus Christ’. Death does not end this relationship. As we always knew, those are born twice die only once. So even with a sorrowful heart I give thanks to God for bringing you into my life to be my wife and the mother of our two beautiful boys. You struggled so much for so long with your health problems - problems which tore at your faith day in and day out. Yet through it all your love and commitment to me and Mando and Mario never wavered. Despite my many flaws you were always there to support and encourage me. Even through the constant trials in our marriage our love for each other continued to grow. This December 28th would have been our 25th wedding anniversary. I give God praise and glory to for the time he allowed us to have together. Be with Jesus now my love. You are healed.

When I was young, you asked me whether you where a good mother. I do not know why you asked, but I remember I said you where. Several years and a wiser son later, the answer has changed, you were not a good mother, you were a great mother. I know you felt sometimes that you could not keep up because of your illness, that you could not give us and be for us all that a mother was, but you did. In spite of your infirmities, of our foolishness, our thoughtlessness, and the general difficulty of raising children, you never stopped short of giving us the best of yourself, and I do not think I said thank you enough for that, for putting yourself second and us first.

You can never know how much your support and love meant to me growing up, and how much it means to me as I look back to see how that love shaped me, on how much your example has inspired me. You taught me more than just how to tie my shoe or “stop, look, and listen,” you taught me what it means to persevere. In spite of what you went through, you carried on to become a nurse and a teacher, you carried on to make life better for your family, and you never lost faith, not when things didn’t go right, not when frustrations mounted, not when you ended up in the hospital—you never lost faith. I thank God that I had such an example of faith in my life, and now that He has called you home, I will carry that faith with me until I join you again someday.

I hope during the time you were with us I made you happy. Thank you for your support, your love, your life, and for being a great mother. I love you, and I always will.

Your Son,

Armando A. Medina

I just want you to know, this is not a farewell.

I miss you…there is no getting around that. You have been there all my life and there is such a void left in me now…but I take comfort in the fact that my prayers were answered. I prayed for your healing…we all prayed for your healing…and that’s what we got. For most of what I can remember you were fighting against illness. Each fight left you with scars, but your strength was never outmatched. You taught me how to never give up faith…never give up hope. There were times of despair but you fought it to the end. No matter how bad things got, you always praised God and wore a smile. That is the greatest lesson a parent can give her child.

You are healed now Mom. I know you are in heaven doing things this physical world forbid you to do. You are running up the mountains, you are eating everything in sight, you are worry free. You are healed.

Thank you Lord for blessing me with her as a parent, but this is not a farewell. I know someday I will be right beside her again. Running up the mountains…eating everything in sight…totally worry free. Most of all I will be right next to you praising God.

Until that time comes I will follow the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind. Just like you and Dad taught me. I will persevere through life’s hardships, trusting in God that he will answer my prayers in his own way.

Thank you for your life. Thank you for your lessons. Thank you for walking me down the aisle and being there at my wedding…

This is not a farewell.

Until we meet again in heaven.

I love you, I miss you…

You’re Baby Boy,

Mario “Mayito” Medina