Hello there!
My name is Amber and I am currently attending cosmetology school in Wisconsin; I’m expected to graduate in February 2016. I have a passion for helping people and trying new things. I’m very competitive and strive to be the best person that I can be.
This is my first blog! So I’ll just tell you a little bit about me. I’ll try not to write a book but I’ll let you know about my life, my journey through the years, what I am doing in life now and why I am going on the Gap Year World Race to Thailand, Guatemala, and Malawi.
I’d like to introduce you to a few people you’ll probably hear about in my future blogs — my grandparents, John and Cate, my loving boyfriend, Matt, my father, John Jr, my sister, Alexis (aka Allie), and my dog Sylvia. They are my biggest support system and I don’t know what I would do without them.
A little backstory:
I was born in 1996, in Kalamazoo MI, to my loving parents John and Anita. Two years later my sister Alexis came into the picture. When I was 4 my parents got a divorce, my sister and I moved in with my Mom, not really understanding why Mommy and Daddy didn’t want to live together anymore. As the years passed my Mom moved 12 times, my Dad had remarried and we had gotten used to a life of change. My sister and I had gotten used to making new friends and living in new surroundings. We acquired 2 stepsisters and a new stepmom. This was another adjustment that we had to make.
One of the biggest changes of my life happened on February 7th 2005. This day would pivot the whole structure of my life. This was the day that we had found out my Mom committed suicide. My Dad sat us down and gently explained that we would no longer be living with Mom anymore. That we would live with him and his new wife. That life would never be the same.
At the funeral I did not believe that it was true. I thought it was all a sick joke and that my mom would hop up start laughing and life would go back to normal. But that was not the case. Life moved on. Change is inevitable.
My sister and I moved in with my Dad, his new wife, and our two stepsisters. Adjusting to change was starting to become the new norm. But as my new life with this new family was evolving I noticed a pattern, my stepmom and I did not get along. My Dad would take his wive’s side and I would be the “troubled child” or “problem” in the family.
The day after I turned 16 I moved in with my grandparents. This was going to be a temporary move but I enjoyed my new life and decided to stay there. My relationship with the Lord was nourished and I was in a much better environment. The years went by living life, I graduated from a class of 40 plus students, I enrolled in college and change decided to show up again. After my first semester of college I knew that a four year school was not something I wanted for my life. So I decided to pursue my passion in the beauty industry and go to cosmetology school.
This past month has been a flurry of activity with the holidays and getting ready for my trip! I choose the World Race so that I can make an impact through Christ and for his kingdom. I’m excited and nervous for this opportunity but most of all I look forward to seeing how God can work through me.
Thanks for reading!
I hope that you got something out of this and that you know me a little better. I’m sure that I’ll expand on a lot of what I talked about. Prayers for my trip are much appreciated! I need many prayer warriors and financial support. If you feel called to donate and help spread the word of Christ click the “support me” link!
I know that the Lord has great plans for me, thank you for your time and support!
