Hey Readers! Thanks for stopping by to get to know me!!! I hope this affords you a picture of who God is in me. When asked to describe yourself, I always think it’s funny to see what people attribute their identity too. So, allow me to throw out a disclaimer and say that these facts describe my context and how God has shined His light through me in my life situations. May God get all the glory for the great things He has done!!! There… with the disclaimer claimed, I shall begin!
My name is Lia Kathleen Frederick and I’m 23 years old. I grew up in Orange, Texas, located in the southeastern region of the state. I have two WONDERFUL parents, Billy and Beverly Frederick, who have been excellent examples of faith and love. I am the youngest of two sisters: Laney Luckie (29) who is happily married to James Luckie. They have a beautiful little boy named Josiah (1 1/2) who was born right before a massive hurricane hit their hometown. Lauren Struwe (24) is also happily married to her college sweetheart, Matt Struwe, and have two little hurricanes of their own; Jordyn (4) and Jakson (2). Jordyn is my number one fan and is learning about time zones across the world. “When it’s day time here, it’s night time in China. When it’s day time in China, it’s night time here!” I am the first in my family to travel outside the states… but I carry the hearts of my family along with me! God has blessed me with an amazing family and church family (shout out to Calvary of West Orange!!) that never ceases to encourage and support me in joining God in His work, no matter WHERE that leads! Praise God for such wonderful examples of faithful community!
I came to know Christ as a junior high kid. I remember having the same thoughts several nights just before I fell asleep, “Is this it? Is this all there is to life? If it is… then I’m not impressed.” I had a wonderful family, food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in… and still, God showed me that comfort is not a master worth serving. One morning, my pastor spoke about a greater love, one worth getting lost in… during the invitation, I RAN to the front like a squirrel with it’s tail on fire. My middle sister, Lauren, felt the same calling. We accepted Christ during the same service… she cried in her overwhelming emotion and all I could do was gleam a huge smile and move my feet! I can’t say I remember much about myself before the time that I decided to follow Jesus. Either I willfully blocked it out, or I felt like it wasn’t important enough to hold space in my head.
During my high school years, I felt like God was calling me into the ministry. At that time, I had NO IDEA what that meant. All I knew was I wanted to serve God and I knew that many youth my age had no clue as to who or what serving Him meant. So, I went to East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas to become a youth minister. Over a few years, MUCH GROWING, a painful semester of doubt and straying away from the church, and many nights of weeping and crying out to God… I settled into a degree in education and prayed that somehow, someway, God would use it to further His Kingdom. I played soccer and ran cross-country my last two years of college. I was also the mascot for four years, Toby the Tiger. After I graduated with a degree in education and a teaching certificate, I struggled to determine my next move… it was either a teaching and coaching job in late summer, or teaching overseas/ missions. In early August, I landed a job in Fairfield, Texas… not an easy thing to do. Most schools book up their staff early in the summer. It was a last minute choice for both me and Fairfield school district. We both got a blessing! I’ve totally enjoyed my two years of teaching. God had His hands ALL OVER my story! Little did I know that I would go through one of the tougher times in my life with a community that would make themselves family in my heart. I joined FB of Fairfield very soon after I moved into my home. I can’t put in words how beautiful God’s countenance and provision really is. My church has been very instrumental in my growth as a believer and member of the body of Christ. They continue to walk The Way with me daily, sharpening me through community, and loving me with the heart of Jesus. It’s an honor to worship with them!
I’ve always loved youth and youth work. I like to think of myself as being a better kid than the ones I teach. When I became a teacher, I never expected to have my heart broken over girls with no self-worth, abusive families, horrible home-lives, wicked tongues, lack of hope, girls who cut themselves, girls that just need and want a woman’s touch because their mother left when they were young, orphans, sexually active 12 year olds…. God did not tell me “Lia, I put you here not to be strong and teach these girls by your strength, but to learn to be broken and show them the restoration I have in all things ugly.” I’m innately a selfish person. I love having time to myself. A life with this type of burden for God’s people was not suiting my self-worship. Slowly, but surely, I’m learning that I’ve been living a life where God served ME instead of me serving HIM. That’s a punch in the gut, but one worth taking.
In a spontaneous mission trip to Haiti with a very good friend and mentor, God opened up a HUGE PARADIGM of what His people look like and the cry of their heart. This past Thanksgiving, again, He sent me on mission… this time to India to help build for an orphanage. Needless to say, there is more to this life than the life I’m living. Weak steps of faith have been my marker of following Christ… but when you hear the sounds of the thirsty, when you see the naked that need to be clothed, touch the empty bellies of the hungry… YOU CAN’T BE THE SAME.
I’m just a girl that wants to love like Jesus. That’s my story. I’ve failed so many times along the way, selling myself to lesser gods, denying grace when it overflowed… but praise God He never failed to wrap me in His open arms!!! This trip is so beyond me. It’s beyond who I am, beyond my courage, beyond my faith, beyond my strength, comfort and knowledge. That’s why I’m going! I have no choice but to desperately depend on God being exactly what He claims in His word. I look forward to joining Him in His work with my fellow believers.
in closing… here’s a quick glance at my personality. I think I’ve gotten a little long winded in my attempt to describe myself…
I LOVE collaborating with people. Teamwork is one of my favorite aspects of sports. Competition? Not really a fan of intense, cut-throat, trash-talk, head-to-head combat. I just want everyone to do their best, it that’s beating my team, then OKAY! I play several different instruments. I can NEVER remember lyrics to songs, even the ones I write… I’m still trying to learn “I Have Decided To Follow Jesus”. I dearly love to laugh. It’s the best ab workout we get in the gym. I’m running a few half marathons before the race. A former World Racer, Abby Barnett, got me hooked on running in college, I haven’t stopped since. I value honesty, integrity, and a heart that is light even when life gets heavy. My Psalm of choice these days is Psalm 131. I’m outgoing, a little trigger-happy, crafty (not in a bad sense, but rather the Martha Stuart form of the word), live in a barn with cows in the yard, have a habit of not showering for a day or two at a time just to keep me honest on the luxury of good smells, and had two cats until I went to India… they ran away 🙁
Please help support me in prayer, conversation, financial contribution, mission inspired origami, or even a letter exchange (I love pen pals!)!!! Journey’s are meaningless without the company of a brother or sister in hand! I can’t wait to see how the Kingdom will look different in my eyes and how Love is going to rearrange my heart! THE RACE BEGINS NOW!
