My Story
Hey y'all!
Welcome to my blog - here's a little bit about me...
Born and raised in Northern Illinois.
I grew up going to church with my sister, mom, and dad.
We moved to a small farm when I was 12 and got our first horse shortly after.
Lived on our farm until 2015 then my mom, sister, and I made the move to Kentucky!
And it's been an incredible adventure ever since!
That was the short version, read on if you want the long version.
First and foremost I am incredibly thankful to have known what it was like to be a part of a church family when I was growing up until the age of about 13. I have such fond memories of running around our tiny little town's church like it was a home away from home, playing with other kids, and feeling like they were our extended family. In hindsight, it was such a huge gift and I didn't realize how vital and impactful it was at the time. But I'm incredibly thankful for that solid faith-base that I was raised with - knowing deep down that Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
That moral compass that was ingrained in my heart from a young age did so much to carry me through my teenage years when things got rocky and we didn't have a church home. Friendships became hard when I decided to hop on the straight and narrow path as a teen, but God so quickly surrounded me with a few other believers that made me realize being a committed Christian wasn't about saying no to everything, it was about saying yes to God and letting Him take us on an amazing adventure, walking in His will. And when I did feel alone on this journey to surrender my life to Christ, I knew that He was right there beside me - and my family was beside me as well.
My mom and my sister are two of the greatest gifts God has given to me - truly. My mom has modeled what it is like to be strong, yet to depend on others when you feel like you can't go it alone. She loves others so well. She taught me how to give and serve even when no one else is watching - because God is watching. And my sister has been my best friend since day 1 and I can't begin to describe all that we've gone through together and helped each other through.
My dad moved out on April Fool's Day, 2014 after a few long years of family tension, brought on by his addiction. It was never the way I saw our family headed, but God was letting it happen, so He had a plan for it long before we did. And He knew my parents would get a divorce soon after my dad moved out - but again, His plan is so perfect. He is a master at making beautiful things out of the ugly. That I believe with ALL of my heart.
And a beautiful thing has come out of it. After everything happened and the way things were settled, we had to eventually move off of our farm. And we looked around, asking where should we go? A friend had introduced us to Southeast Christian Church in Louisville. Since we didn't have a church home in Illinois anymore and we were so done with cold winters, and boring-ness of Illinois, we said why not? My mom had always wanted to live in the South. My sister was all in for the move. And deep down, I heard God speaking to my heart saying, "I want you at this church." Over and over and over and over again. We were all on the same page, (although I was a little reluctant at first) and my mom moved down here to Shelbyville, Kentucky in June of 2015 and my sister and I moved down in September. We have not once regretted the move. And I swear I'm never leaving this state...
God so abundantly blessed us too with Southeast - if I could compare our previous faith life to something it would have been a stagnant swamp. And after attending Southeast Christian Church, becoming members, and getting involved with their College-Age Ministry (which was just starting up again 2 months after my sister and I moved... how crazy is that? God's timing is perfect y'all!) I would compare our faith now with a spring-fed, living water, rushing river. How good is God!? I couldn't be more thankful for the faith family that we have. We are happy and thriving here. Our horses have never been happier or healthier. Our faith has never been stronger - we are living in full surrender to God, saying yes to whatever He asks of us as Jesus followers. And even though I never thought our family would be down to 3 - God is good - because our family now is larger than I could have ever imagined. I have been so blessed with countless brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, mothers and fathers in Christ.
So thank you, Father, for this incredible story that You continue to write as I try my best to say a small 'yes,' to whatever it is You want me to do.
Welcome to my blog - here's a little bit about me...
Born and raised in Northern Illinois.
I grew up going to church with my sister, mom, and dad.
We moved to a small farm when I was 12 and got our first horse shortly after.
Lived on our farm until 2015 then my mom, sister, and I made the move to Kentucky!
And it's been an incredible adventure ever since!
That was the short version, read on if you want the long version.
First and foremost I am incredibly thankful to have known what it was like to be a part of a church family when I was growing up until the age of about 13. I have such fond memories of running around our tiny little town's church like it was a home away from home, playing with other kids, and feeling like they were our extended family. In hindsight, it was such a huge gift and I didn't realize how vital and impactful it was at the time. But I'm incredibly thankful for that solid faith-base that I was raised with - knowing deep down that Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
That moral compass that was ingrained in my heart from a young age did so much to carry me through my teenage years when things got rocky and we didn't have a church home. Friendships became hard when I decided to hop on the straight and narrow path as a teen, but God so quickly surrounded me with a few other believers that made me realize being a committed Christian wasn't about saying no to everything, it was about saying yes to God and letting Him take us on an amazing adventure, walking in His will. And when I did feel alone on this journey to surrender my life to Christ, I knew that He was right there beside me - and my family was beside me as well.
My mom and my sister are two of the greatest gifts God has given to me - truly. My mom has modeled what it is like to be strong, yet to depend on others when you feel like you can't go it alone. She loves others so well. She taught me how to give and serve even when no one else is watching - because God is watching. And my sister has been my best friend since day 1 and I can't begin to describe all that we've gone through together and helped each other through.
My dad moved out on April Fool's Day, 2014 after a few long years of family tension, brought on by his addiction. It was never the way I saw our family headed, but God was letting it happen, so He had a plan for it long before we did. And He knew my parents would get a divorce soon after my dad moved out - but again, His plan is so perfect. He is a master at making beautiful things out of the ugly. That I believe with ALL of my heart.
And a beautiful thing has come out of it. After everything happened and the way things were settled, we had to eventually move off of our farm. And we looked around, asking where should we go? A friend had introduced us to Southeast Christian Church in Louisville. Since we didn't have a church home in Illinois anymore and we were so done with cold winters, and boring-ness of Illinois, we said why not? My mom had always wanted to live in the South. My sister was all in for the move. And deep down, I heard God speaking to my heart saying, "I want you at this church." Over and over and over and over again. We were all on the same page, (although I was a little reluctant at first) and my mom moved down here to Shelbyville, Kentucky in June of 2015 and my sister and I moved down in September. We have not once regretted the move. And I swear I'm never leaving this state...
God so abundantly blessed us too with Southeast - if I could compare our previous faith life to something it would have been a stagnant swamp. And after attending Southeast Christian Church, becoming members, and getting involved with their College-Age Ministry (which was just starting up again 2 months after my sister and I moved... how crazy is that? God's timing is perfect y'all!) I would compare our faith now with a spring-fed, living water, rushing river. How good is God!? I couldn't be more thankful for the faith family that we have. We are happy and thriving here. Our horses have never been happier or healthier. Our faith has never been stronger - we are living in full surrender to God, saying yes to whatever He asks of us as Jesus followers. And even though I never thought our family would be down to 3 - God is good - because our family now is larger than I could have ever imagined. I have been so blessed with countless brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, mothers and fathers in Christ.
So thank you, Father, for this incredible story that You continue to write as I try my best to say a small 'yes,' to whatever it is You want me to do.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
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