Best of the Southwest Daycare 5 star program

Best of the Southwest Daycare 5 star program home daycare, preschool, before and after care

Fundraising for Dave Mooney running for house district 37!!!
08/22/2026

Fundraising for Dave Mooney running for house district 37!!!

Don’t miss an opportunity to get some fellowship and training hours.
08/20/2026

Don’t miss an opportunity to get some fellowship and training hours.

08/13/2026

We are hiring!!!

08/09/2026

I Answered the Call

Most people who know me probably don’t know that I am an only child.

My mother only had me. My father had many children, and I am close to one of my brothers. But even though I grew up without siblings in my home, I have never really liked being alone.

I have always loved having people around me.

As a child, I made friendships that became lifelong friendships. Some of those people are still in my life today, and I cherish them deeply. Those friendships gave me memories, laughter, love, and a sense of belonging.

So when I recently heard someone say, “Some people are only in your life to serve a single purpose, even if they become lifelong friends,” it cut deep.

Because I thought, I wanted those friendships to last forever.

I wanted the closeness to last. I wanted the conversations to last. I wanted the depth to remain.

But I am learning that just because someone is a lifelong friend doesn’t mean the relationship will always have the same depth.

Sometimes the memories remain, but the relationship changes.

And that doesn’t mean what we had wasn’t real.

It means the season changed.

I can cherish what was without trying to force it to remain what it used to be.

And sometimes, I have to move on.

Then God showed me something about relationships.

I thought about Jesus.

Jesus had many people around Him, but He had Peter, James, and John—His inner circle.

And I thought, “Lord, I need my three.”

But God began showing me something:

The three I thought I needed weren’t necessarily the three He gave me.

And that was hard for me.

Because sometimes we love the people God has placed in our lives, but we’re still looking for the people we imagined He would give us.

Maybe I’m not supposed to have the same relationships someone else has.

Maybe my circle isn’t supposed to look like yours.

Maybe I need to stop asking God for the people I think I need and start thanking Him for the people He has already given me.

Because God knows what I need better than I do.

And then I began thinking about my purpose.

It wasn’t a mistake that God brought me to New Mexico.

When I look through Scripture, I see that God gave everyone a different assignment.

Ezekiel had his ministry.

Esther had hers.

Deborah had hers.

Jesus had His.

Their ministries didn’t look alike.

Their assignments weren’t the same.

But their purpose was connected:

They were called to bring God to the people He placed in front of them.

And I realized…

That’s my ministry too.

My ministry is Early Childhood Education.

Some people may not understand that as ministry.

But I do.

Every child God puts in my care is ministry.

Every family I support is ministry.

Every educator I encourage is ministry.

Every person I coach is ministry.

Every time I advocate for children and families, that’s ministry.

Every time I help someone believe that they can do something they thought was impossible, that’s ministry.

God has allowed me to serve people I didn’t even know existed before He called me.

And the amazing thing is…

I may never know whose life I touched.

I may never know which child remembers something I taught them.

I may never know which parent kept going because someone believed in them.

I may never know which educator stayed in Early Childhood because I encouraged them.

I may never know how far something I said traveled.

And that’s okay.

Because it’s not my job to know the impact.

It’s my job to be obedient.

I answered the call.

That’s what I keep coming back to.

I answered the call.

I didn’t know everything that would come with it.

I didn’t know everyone I would meet.

I didn’t know who would stay.

I didn’t know who would leave.

I didn’t know which friendships would change.

I didn’t know how many lives God would allow me to touch.

But I said yes.

And sometimes saying yes to God means accepting that your life will not look like someone else’s.

Your ministry may look different from mine.

Your assignment may take you somewhere completely different.

You may touch lives I’ll never meet.

And I may touch lives you’ll never know.

That’s okay.

Because we don’t have to understand the entire picture.

We just have to be faithful to the part God has given us.

I’m learning that my life isn’t about holding on to everyone God allowed me to meet.

It’s about being faithful to the people He allows me to serve.

Some people will be in my life for a season.

Some for a lifetime.

Some will leave memories that I will carry forever.

And some will walk with me into the next chapter.

I don’t have to be angry about the ones who changed.

I don’t have to chase relationships that God has already released.

I don’t have to force people to stay.

I can love them.

I can thank God for them.

I can cherish the memories.

And I can keep moving.

Because my purpose is bigger than my relationships.

My purpose is bigger than who stays.

My purpose is bigger than who understands me.

My purpose is bigger than whether anyone recognizes what God is doing through my life.

God knows.

And that is enough.

I don’t know who I will touch tomorrow.

I don’t know which child, family, educator, or stranger God will put in front of me.

But I know this:

If God puts them in front of me, I will serve them.

Because I answered the call.

And as long as God gives me breath, I will continue to follow where He leads me.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

— Ephesians 2:10

I don’t need to know every person whose life I will affect.

God already knows.

I just need to keep walking.

Keep serving.

Keep loving.

Keep obeying.

Because my ministry doesn’t have to look like yours.
Your ministry doesn’t have to look like mine.

But if we are both following God, then our different assignments can still serve the same purpose:

To bring His love, His light, and His presence to the people He puts in our path.

And for me…

That is enough.

I answered the call.

08/06/2026

I’m a published author!!!
Loose Parts Play with Natural Local Materials: A Community-Based Participatory Action Research Project to Develop Environmentally Sustaining Curriculum for Zero- to Three-Year-Olds
Thomas, R. K., Arguilez, L., Cardenas, A., Rayas, A., Holloway, V., Grays, O., Wisniewski, A., & Lucero, L. Loose Parts Play with Natural Local Materials: A Community-Based Participatory Action Research Project to Develop Environmentally Sustaining Curriculum for Zero- to Three-Year-Olds—Journal of Child, Education, and Society. Publications

Trust, play, and place: How early childhood education values shape collaborative research in the U.S.
Thomas, R. K., Cardenas, A., Holloway, V., Grays, O., Gonzalez, A., Wisniewski, A., Walls, A., Lucero, L., O’Brien, D., & Cichuniec, C. (2026). Trust, play, and place: How early childhood education values shape collaborative research in the U.S. Southwest. Global Education Review, 3(2), 19-35.

07/28/2026

Yesterday, I found out that one of the Save the Children Action Network Iowa’s Leader, Cathy Meyers passed away suddenly. She was an amazing woman. When talking with her about life and advocacy kept me at her table for over an hours. Cathy, thank you for all you did for your families and state. Rest easy my friend.

Oh my Gosh!!! It’s the 1st day of school!!! Elementary is first!! 2nd and 4th grades m. Have a great school year!!
07/27/2026

Oh my Gosh!!! It’s the 1st day of school!!! Elementary is first!! 2nd and 4th grades m. Have a great school year!!

Visited Senator Lujan and Heinrich as Save the Children Action Network Advocates
07/22/2026

Visited Senator Lujan and Heinrich as Save the Children Action Network Advocates

Week 9 day 1 Splash PadWeek 9 day 2 Las Cruces Police Department
07/21/2026

Week 9 day 1 Splash Pad
Week 9 day 2 Las Cruces Police Department

Washington DC Lobby Day: Stansbury and Vasquez down two to go.
07/21/2026

Washington DC Lobby Day: Stansbury and Vasquez down two to go.

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4643 Arabela Drive
Las Cruces, NM
88012

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Tuesday 6am - 8pm
Wednesday 6am - 8pm
Thursday 6am - 8pm
Friday 6am - 8pm

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