Putting the Pieces of My Story Together

I truly enjoy looking at my life and noticing how God is at work.  I can't wait to get to heaven and see all the things that I have missed that He has written into my story which is ultimately His story.  I love how one thought can grow and develop over time.  How something so little that I think won't ever matter or turn into anything, He later shows me why. 

This is me beginning to put the pieces together.

*Many years ago, when I was in high school, I had the desire to be a social worker.  I truly had a heart to work with hurting children. I decided not to pursue that path because I had this uneasy feeling about our government system of care.  I did not feel like that was the right place for me.

*When I was 21, I became a single mom. I gave birth to an beautiful little girl 17 years ago today.  She changed my world in many ways. God used her to lead me towards Him.  I never knew I could love someone so much. Being a mom wasn't easy though and I was scared, but I had an amazing family that loved and supported us each step of the way.  

*God's grace through his son Jesus Christ became real to me.  I realized that I did not deserve it but yet He forgave me anyways.  He loved me!  

*I opened a children's clothing store after Mikaelyn was born which grew in me an entrepreneurial spirit and gave me some business experience.

*Through this business, I met my husband of almost 13 years and I gained a son who taught me how much I could love a child that I did not give birth to.  I also gained a friend in his mom.  She became a part of our family also.  We learned that we could all love our son together.

*Josh and I had 3 more children which fostered in me a love for a large family and all the crazy and goodness it brings with it.

*This entire time, I still have a heart for the hurting child, really wanted to foster but knew the time was not right.

*I was diagnosed with stage 3b ovarian cancer and truly learned what is was like to be part of God's larger family.  Our family was surrounded by so many people that loved and supported us while we went through the hardest thing we had gone through. We never would have made it through without all His people that walked with and served us during that time.  I learned to not just survive the storm, but to dance in the rain!  I learned to rely on God in ways I never expected.

*My brother and his wife learned about Safe Families for Children.  I fell in love with the ministry but we were moving soon.

*We moved to Argyle Texas into a great community full of people that began to feel like family.

*I searched and found Safe Families for Children in the DFW area.  We got involved as a host family.

*I became the Denton county area team leader for SFFC and I quickly met many amazing people that shared the same heart and compassion for serving families that we have.  God has placed many people in our path. 

Over the years, He has developed in me a desire to love people the way He has loved me. He has shown me that others need to be shown the same grace that I was shown. He has shown me what it is like to have an amazing support network in His people. He has grown in me a crazy heart that wants to believe big and do big things for Him. He has taught me that life is not always easy but He will always carry me through it.  

And here we are today(there are many pieces I left out since I am not writing a book today)....BIG things are coming....He is working in some AMAZING and scary ways....and soon I shall reveal His next chapter in my story........the best is always yet to come.