HEY!! Welcome to my blog!
I have never had a blog, written on a blog, or honestly read many blogs! You will have to bear with me through this new learning curve. So, as I begin this new journey, I am supposed to start by telling the world (cyber space) about me. I struggle because it isn't about me. I am humbly reminded that the truth of the matter is that it is all for Christ and what he desires for me, through me, and lives I touch along the way. So here is to the beginning of the journey:
QUICK RUN DOWN
I am a 32 year old that doesn't feel like I ever grew up! I like to laugh and smile and feel that everyone around me should be doing the same. I am a fun-loving young whipper-snapper from the corn fields of Illinois.
Huntingdon College, in Montgomery, Alabama is my alma mater where I played collegiate soccer and was a Biology major turned Business Admin (if you can figure that jump out, let me know).
Raleigh, NC is my current dwelling city of choice where I have been a resident for the past 10 years! My favorite past times are hanging out with friends, playing soccer, swimming, running, triathlons, and reading. I have two very adorable puppies (not really pups anymore, 6 and 5 yrs. old). They are great for comfort, hysterical laughs, motivation to walk when it is cold, and massive amounts of snuggling. I currently operate a small home-based child care and have done so for nearly 8 years.
I was raised in a Christian home and, with ever increasing understanding and thankfulness, appreciate the responsibility and dedication it took of my parents. I have always believed and enjoyed church but my faith has taken a life of its own as of late and that is how I ended up on the WR.
FAMILY
My family means the world to me and come in second, right after our loving God. If it weren't for Him, I wouldn't have been able to grow up in the loving and caring environment I was blessed with. My parents met on a blind date in April, got married that November, and have been together ever since. What awesome role models I was given in a world that is so broken. I'm sure they would tell you it wasn't all roses and easy, but the lesson to be taken from them is that they are still together and are still enjoying each other!!
I have one older brother (4 years older), Rob. We pretty much aggravated the heck out of each other growing up, but believe we knew we had each other’s back if needed. We moved around a lot as kids growing up so we learned to be there for the other one. Not that the moving around was bad, just constantly making friends and then moving again was difficult at times. We are stronger and, admittedly, better for it. After he left for college, we suddenly became even better friends. I'm pretty sure up until that point; I annoyed the heck out of him. All his high school friends thought I was the "cute little sister" and he would just roll his eyes and yell for mom to make me go back upstairs. I loved going to the basement when he had a big study group for calculus- they were all so smart and had a great sense of humor. Rob always seemed to have a great circle of close friends. As time went on, I talked or emailed with my brother more often. He was older and had some good suggestions regarding situations or business decisions I would call him up about. Needless to say he was always supportive and still is!
Putter and Augusta…my puppies. They aren’t really puppies anymore but they certainly have some pup-like behaviors at random times. It normally happens at 9pm when I am ready for bed and they have slept for the past 18 hours. I was never a dog fan, and still pretty much only like mine to be very honest. However, they have been with me through thick and thin, can read my emotions and never leave my side when I am home. You would not find any more loving and loyal pups! We have traveled the USA together, ran on trails, sidewalks and beaches. They love the sand. Who can blame them? We all three thoroughly enjoy the warmth and sun. I am brought to tears every time I think about having to find a temporary home for them while I travel. I simply don’t know how this part is going to work out and need to trust 150% that God will allow a loving person to care for my babies while I am gone!
I also have a few cousins that I became extremely close to. I’m not saying I am not close with my others, but it happened naturally since I babysat these guys since I was 10 yrs. old. They were the poor guinea pigs with my YMCA certificate for babysitting. I never stopped taking care of children and it turned out to be a career for me. I love all my extended family and treasure the times we can ALL be together. We have had high school graduations, college graduations, weddings, and now even little second cousins being born. Thanks to Facebook I don’t have to miss out on too much of their lives and can watch them grow via the pictures posted.
FRIENDS
One way to discover who your true friends are….go through a good amount of crises in a short amount of time and see who is standing with you on the other side. That has been part of my experience in life and I can say I am fortunate. I have heard and been told that if you can have 3 friends that are with you through thick and thin you are doing awesome. I guess that means I am awesome because I currently have those precious 3 that I know I can call 24/7 for any reason and they will laugh or cry with me. I also have several others friends that make my life complete and show me how blessed I really am.
DIGGING DEEPER
If I was asked to write about myself a few years ago, my story would have been completely different than what it has turned out to be. I would have been able to tell you I was happily married to my best friend and college sweetheart, have 3.5 kids, 2 dogs, and several fish, living the suburbia life and totally fulfilled. I would be a "stay at home" mom traveling the world with my husband as he pursued his successful career as a professional golfer. Life was to come easy with no struggles. That was my plan. But as it turns out, that was not Gods plan. He has something much better in store…
Jeremiah 29:11-14 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.
However, I have to write about myself currently, not where I thought I would be. The above fairy tale is just that, a fairy tale. It turns out I am a place in life I NEVER thought I would be. I am a 32-divorced-single-with no children- child of God. And because of His grace and mercy, I have been able to become more reliant on Christ than I ever would have been with my make-believe life. Would I have been that dependent on Him otherwise? I can 99.97% assure you the answer would be a "no". Jeremiah was shared with me four years ago and has been embedded in my brain as a testament to God's working in me.
Divorce isn’t my story; it is simply a part of my life that added to the melting pot of life experiences and relationships that make me who I am. We are all ever changing and evolving. Hopefully for the better! It is difficult to take away positives in a divorce but you have to seek them out. One has to learn that nothing has been a waste of time to God and he is using it to bring light and honor to His kingdom. The major blessing out of my circumstance was that it aided me to find my current church home that has helped bolster my faith, convictions, and relationship with Christ. I am eternally grateful.
WHAT GOT ME TO THE WORLD RACE?
Life. As mentioned, I have been thrown a few curve balls of life the past few years. Not only was I trying to deal with divorce, being kindly asked to not return to a church due to divorce, but I started losing close family members as well. My dear Grandma Jacque passed away on New Year’s Day 2011. I truly believe she was an angle and was a beautiful image of Christ up to the very day she passed. My Grandpa Bob passed on Christmas 2011 and had a heart of gold. And most recently my always jokester Uncle Mic passed away on Thanksgiving 2012. It has been rough to say the least!
I am apparently stubborn, slow learner on some things, highly loyal and caring. What took me a long time to realize was that life wasn’t fulfilling the way it was going and in the blink of an eye, it could be over. I needed a change. But to what? How could I leave my business that I grew from one part-time child to a booming child care business? What will I do without the children I have had in my care since infancy? What will the parents think of me when I tell them I am closing their child care? What have I done to leave the world a better place than when I arrived? Have I touched anyone’s life in a meaningful, Christ centered, way? Have I helped plant seeds for a non-believer to desire the love of Christ? Have I done what God has called me to do? Have I shared my growing story? Have I lived what I learned through my entire church goings? Am I connected on a daily basis in a community? Am I serving to the best of my ability with my gifts from God? Am I truly giving of my resources?
The sad answer is that I felt a nagging "no" to all of those questions in my heart. So I started searching. The more I searched the more I longed to be in far off places helping others, be a living proof and witness of God’s love, and try to find a way to listen to Gods whispers. I often feel like I don’t belong in the materialistic bubble we live in the USA. We have constructed so many ways to act like we are connected to others without actually having to be connected. God didn’t make us to live like this. He desired us to be deeply connected to one another just as He desires to be with us.
Then I read a book and it discusses finding our Godly purpose and identity. And it talked greatly about the ancient paths as written about in the Bible.
Jeremiah 6: 22 states " Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
That verse started the burning desire to search harder…
I talked to people at church, researched different programs, and then stumbled across the World Race. I instantly became convicted, cried, and whole heartedly believed this is where I am to be at this time. I had a new surge of energy and felt a burning passion and life shine in me again that had grown very dim. The WR offers innumerable experiences and opportunities to help others less fortunate while allowing me to draw nearer to God and find my purpose He desires in me and my life. I cannot wait! I am so excited.
I have great faith that God will use this opportunity to guide me, mold me, and shape me into a better person and to better demonstrate His abounding love for all. Not only can He better transform me, but God gets to shine on the lives I will touch through the WR as well as all of you who will follow me on this journey. I want to be His hands and Feet and shine His light to a very broken world. One of the greatest gifts is to hear that you planted a seed in someone's life.
Thus begins the next chapter in my story…
