Let me begin with the fact that we are praying for every person who was harshly affected by the fires in Maui and our recent Hurricane Idalia.

These events brought back a memory from Hurricane Ian. I was leaving my office to drive home amid all of the ominous warnings about the approaching hurricane. As I got closer to my car, I became aware of some activity under the car. When I was close enough, I realized that it was a mother duck and her 8 babies. She sensed that something was coming, and she was doing all that she could to provide for their safety. It is just natural to want to protect those that we love.

Fast forward to a few days ago. I was on the phone with one of my clients and we began to talk about the “elephant in the room.” She said that she had been getting the feeling that I am planning to retire. “Is this true?” she asked. Well, the answer is “yes.” I am, eventually, planning to retire. There is no set date. Of course, God has a big hand in all of this. If my body would cooperate with my will, I would do this work FOREVER! That not being the case, retirement is something that I must properly plan. My client’s next question reveals to me just why this planning must be done. She asked me how she would continue to plan her family using the Creighton Model once I do retire.

Just like that momma duck, I am preparing and planning so that the St. Gianna Center will be able to guarantee uninterrupted guidance with your use of the Creighton Model and family planning. I truly do love each and every client and supporter of this work. I want this work to go on well after I am unable to do it.

Our board of directors have been praying and working very hard to recruit a new Center director and another Creighton Model practitioner. God has heard our prayers and we DO have a new Center director! We are thrilled to welcome Becky Moultrie to that position! Many of you know Becky and you know her to be a faith-filled woman. She was a client of mine and has, at least, 4 reasons for her love of our work. She has amazing leadership abilities that we so desperately need. She has “hit the ground running” and is hard at work making some significant changes for the benefit of our Center. I have every confidence that she will take on the momma duck role. She will take the best care of our Center AND, like me, she will love each and all of you! God is GOOD all the time!

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I can’t be more humbled by an introduction than the one made here by Diane. It is an honor and privilege to work with St. Gianna Center.

My name is Becky Moultrie and my journey with Diane and the Creighton Model (CrMS) goes back more than 20 years. And Diane is correct, I do count 4 little ducklings in my fold thanks to the CrMS: Sarah, Sam, Annie and Nick. But an even greater blessing is my husband, David, with whom I am celebrating 30 years of marriage. As so many of the center supporters know, practicing the Creighton Model not only leads to a great appreciation of a woman’s health and her fertility, but it also leads to greater communication, respect and understanding in a marriage. 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:30 that in Him we will find his yolk easy and our burden light. To understand what Jesus is referring to, it’s helpful to know a little about yokes and oxen. A yoke is a heavy piece of wood carried by two oxen as they work the field and carry a load, such as a plow or a heavy cart. A yoke that is well balanced and carved particularly for the pair of oxen helps distribute that weight and make the load easier to carry. When an ox pulls the load by itself, it can be difficult. But put two together with a well-balanced yoke, the burden becomes lighter, and the oxen can do more, pull more and be more.

I liken the Creighton Model to a well-carved yoke. It allows a couple to walk together, carry the load of life and do it together. Practicing Creighton makes a marriage stronger. Has practicing the CrMS helped you in your marriage? Would you like to help other couples in carrying that yoke? We’re looking to add new Fertility Care Practitioners (FCPs) to the St. Gianna team. If you are a nurse, a healthcare professional or perhaps a social worker who would like to expand your knowledge, please pray and consider this opportunity. Being a FCP can be full-time work, but often it’s part-time work that lets you do something good and make some extra money for you and your family. Become a carpenter and help couples craft that yoke.

But don’t think that being a FCP is the only way you can help Diane and I to care for the little ducks in this pond called Tampa Bay. Later this Fall, when we host our next education program to teach new FCPs, we need to feed and house the women who travel to Largo to take the course. Perhaps you could make lunch or dinner and bring it to the Center, or host one of these ladies in a spare bedroom at your home? Or help cover the cost of their education?

Interested in helping us on the journey? Feel free to contact me at becky.moultrie@stgiannacenter.com.
I am excited to be part of the growth of St Gianna Center.