I grew up in Christian home and in Church. Asked God in when I was about 3 years old. There was a program at church called Missionettes that we were involved with. As I moved up through the classes there were women that invested into my life, but the knowledge that I gained was mainly head knowledge. I learned a ton of memory verses, read the Bible, and did numerous studies although most of it didn’t penetrate to my heart.
July 1995 – I fell from a Class A motor home front captains seat while it was traveling about 25 miles per hour. The fall resulted in a skull fracture over my right ear. The skull fracture severed a small artery on my brain causing a blood clot to form. Emergency surgery by an outstanding neurosurgeon followed. Removal of the blood clot and repairing the skull fracture, with two metal plates and eight screws, were accomplished. Looking back this has showed me God’s hand in my life and serves as a reminder that God has big plans for me. This is more of a screw of remembrance, rather than a stone. ;) The whole story, which is quite lengthy, written by my mom can be read here: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVsUZhqJXlo0ZGdqN2doZDRfMGdiZDluNnE0&hl=en
God began to work on my dreams for the future about when I was in the 6th grade. My mom, older sister, and I were on our way home from a mid-week church service. They had listened to a guy who works with teenagers that are living on the streets of
On June 1, 2000 my parents gave me a purity ring to be a reminder to me of the promise I had made to them and my future husband to wait for him and to trust God with my future. One day that ring will be replaced by another to signify my lifelong commitment to my husband.
All through growing up I had a very child like faith in God. I went to church because my parents did. Don’t get me wrong, I loved God and served God, but it was on the coat tails of my parents. After I was crowned an Honor Star through Missionettes in 2000, I tried youth group and found it wasn’t a good fit for me. There wasn’t a clique that I fit into so I felt like an outsider. I started helping in the 2 & 3 year olds classroom in Wednesday nights. That was an instrumental time for me in the process of figuring out what direction I was heading. I loved working with the younger children and watching them develop.
During high school I turned a cold shoulder to the plans God had for my life. Reading my Bible had become a chore. For a period of about three years I closed my heart and my ears to what God had to say. I was doing what I wanted to do. I knew where I was going in life, but once I knew, I took control of how I would get there and who was coming with me. I entered a dating relationship against my parents and mentors better judgment and crammed life full of things to drown out the prick and the deep cry of my heart. On the outside it looked as if I was doing all the right things. I continued to go to church, do summer mission trips, and attend
September 14, 2006 was the first day of my
The last Sunday of outreach, February 25, 2007, during worship I declared that I trusted God to have control of my future and I gave Him my relationship with my boyfriend, which I ended in April because God showed me it was the best plan He had for me. I felt such a wonderful feeling of freedom after that and during our performance at the church I had so much fun dancing under the new freedom I had found. At that moment I was able to let go of everything I was holding onto. Not only did I embrace that Jesus came to save and forgive me, but he also came that I might have a hope and a future. I wanted something to remember this lesson by. Something I could physically look at everyday and be reminded of what God did in my life. I decided to get my nose pierced as a stone of remembrance (July 2, 2007). Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday/But I realized some bigger dreams of mine ~T.S.
I moved to
When I moved home in October 2007, a new phase of life opened up for me. I started my Bachelor of Arts Degree at The Evergreen State College Tacoma Campus in January 2008. I put my head down and dove right in. My focus was on school and work, that was it. That was my life. As school was winding down this past summer, I had no idea what was next. Shortly after my last class in July 2009 my supervisor at work is took my employee file to the State office to get my official job title changed to Director. There was training for child care directors and owners on August 6th that I took. I was quite shocked when my boss told me about the training and brought up the subject of the job change. Since the summer started, enrollment has been down at work, so I had been a little discouraged because I didn't think working full time would be a possibility, much less being put into a director's position. I will be honest and say that I am a little frustrated because things haven’t been moving as fast as I would like them to since the summer.
I still have no idea what the next few years will hold for me, but I know who is holding them and I am trusting in Him to guide me into His best plan for my life.
Album: My Paper HeartArtist: Francesca Battistelli
At twenty years of age I'm still looking for a dream
A war's already waged for my destiny
But You've already won the battle
And You've got great plans for me
Though I can’t always see
(Chorus)
‘Cause I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
On my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me
When I was just a girl I thought I had it figured out
My life would turn out right, and I'd make it here somehow
But things don't always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt
(Chorus)
And you’re free to be you
Sometimes I believe that I can do anything
Yet other times I think I've got nothing good to bring
But You look at my heart and You tell me
That I've got all You seek
And it’s easy to believe
Even though
(Chorus)