“Life is a question, and how we live it is our answer.” Gary Keller
My story began in a small, rural town in south Mississippi. I was raised in a Christian home with an older sister, younger sister, and a younger brother. I made a decision to follow Jesus when I was nine. Our family was not perfect, but we loved each other and loved God. We also loved Southern food my mom cooked, laughing and telling family stories over and over. My life centered around going to church and participating in youth group, choir, and mission organizations.
After high school I attended college and graduated with a Journalism degree. I went looking for that first out-of-college job. Writing was my goal, but God had other plans for my story. He led me to apply for the Journeyman Program with the International Mission Board. I accepted a two-year position as the Assistant to the Treasurer for the Ecuador Baptist Mission. It was a long way from Mississippi and from writing. The experience taught me more than most jobs. I learned Spanish, experienced a different culture, learned about bookkeeping, and made lifelong friends. I also met a young man during our training. He served in Mali, West Africa, during the same time. It was a time before email, so we wrote letters. He even visited me on his way home to NC. We were married a year later.
After some temporary clerical jobs, being an au pair in Paris, hospital public relations jobs and multi-state moves, I decided to stay home and raise our family. This eventually led to homeschooling our kids. Again, not my idea, but God’s. We survived the experience and now have two adult children, one daughter-in-law, and a sweet Border Collie/German Shepherd.
Through each move, life change, challenge, joy, and adventure, I have chronicled my story and heard the stories of others. Now, it’s time to tell those stories.
Some interesting facts about me:
- My first summer job was working in a plant nursery at the age of 12. I also picked cucumbers one summer.
- I love tomato sandwiches, especially with bacon and avocado.
- I’ve had two emergency surgeries — one in Paris, France.
- The strangest thing I ever sold for a band fundraiser was light bulbs.
- I was a finalist for a MOPS story-writing contest and had my story about my daughter read on the radio.
- I was a freelance writer for Farm News in Iowa.
- Though I don’t consider myself a runner, I’ve completed 4 half marathons.
Favorite verse – Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31
