Join me on the JOURNEY!

Welcome to my little corner of the world as I reach out in an effort to connect to the other three corners!

Growing up in a small central Ohio town taught me so much about family, friends, and the importance of being true to who you are. Who I am is someone who isn't meant to stay trapped in a small-town box. I've known for far too long that I had something to give this world. My passion and drive has lead me to distant parts of the world to serve, to minister, and to teach. I can only hope that this journey has just begun.

Join me on this ride. Read future posts as I describe the laughable memories my family and I make along the way. I am just a small-town girl striving not to be stifled and fighting every minute to follow my dream--all while struggling to balance a happy life at home as a wife and a mother.

It is my hope to share my passion for encouraging and educating people around the globe that everyone--rich or poor, fortunate or financially-strapped, successful or criminal, exceptionally skilled or differently-abled--has something to offer the rest of the world and it is our responsibility to do so. It is not selfish. It is not something to fear. I believe that God has allowed each of us to live the lives we've been given, struggle through the situations we've been dealt, and rejoice in even the smallest of successes, all because it helps us to become that much more relate-able to those who truly need to connect with someone who has experienced the exact place they are in.

While I have recently been blessed enough to see a dream of mine realized in being published as a best-selling author in Ready, Aim, Captivate! (Shameless plug: Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle), I am still rocking steady on a low rung on the ladder. Working tirelessly to keep work steady enough to allow me to stay home with my amazing and hysterical one-year-old son, I certainly know what it feels like to live paycheck-to-paycheck. Turns out, being published sounds really cool but doesn't yet get me recognized widely enough to have paparazzi lurking in the bushes or baristas showering me with free Starbucks!

I'm not ashamed or angry because of any situation I've struggled through thus far. I grew up learning that you have to work hard to earn what you have. I might not have always had the coolest things that everyone else in school had, but I also didn't have an ungrateful attitude. I can now instill in my son the importance of hard-work and responsibility. I have been able to manage a group home for teen boys in trouble with the court system, and I was able to come in there--a young Christian woman--and fearlessly tell them to suck it up! They respected me because they knew I truly cared about them, but I didn't allow them to wallow in self-pity. I let them know that no matter what they were coming from, I had expectations for them that I knew they could reach.

I could give Oprah a serious run for her money on who has gained and lost the most weight, but that has forced me to educate myself on how to live a healthy lifestyle and has instilled in me a passion that started a camp for teen girls who struggle with their weight.

I grew up listening to people judge and watching them stare at someone I loved dearly because she was differently-abled. After a kidney transplant from my dad, my Aunt Bev became wheelchair-bound and, through that, taught me to laugh at the ignorance of other people instead of allowing them to affect you. Her philosophy was to educate the uninformed in an effort to help them appreciate the different abilities that each one of us brings. Those memories took me to start working at a camp for people with disabilities when I was only 16, and to make a career out of reaching out to that population. That is one that took me to work at different camps and non-profit organizations in various states and locations.

Each of these life lessons has taught me to be proud, to hold my head high, and to by honest about my failures. We should not be ashamed to chase after our dream. We should live life out loud and invite others to join us in the journey. So, over the next weeks, months, and years, I ask that you come along on what is sure to be a crazy ride! The ups, the downs, the successes and failures, the hilarity of some of the insane messes my family finds themselves in--you are sure to laugh and be entertained!

We've all had a moment where we sat around in our sweats just waiting for things to happen and feeling sorry for ourselves. This is the moment where I hang up the yoga pants and break out! I can't wait to post an update of the next big thing I'm doing. But, if that big thing is watching my son open Christmas gifts that we felt incredibly fortunate to even afford, then for that I will still be truly proud.

Until next time, join me on the journey--sharing life and shedding l.i.t.e.!