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Family: My husband, Rick, and I have been married for 33 years as of 2023. We have 4 children, 3 children-in-law, and 5 grandchildren.
Hobbies: Hobbies (and past business ventures!) have included photography, painting/restoring furniture, interior design, creating art through mixed media, wordsmithing through blogs, and poetry. I also love the outdoors and adventuring with my family through swimming, traveling, hiking, kayaking, and stand up boarding.
Favorite Bible Verse: One of my favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 40:31. A great promise of the continuation of supernaturally renewed strength for those who have become weary in the face of adversity, hardship, personal sin, failure, and seeming defeat. But not just for anybody! This promise is for those found in Christ, who will hope in and wait on the Lord alone.
Favorite Movie: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
Favorite Book: One of the most impactful books I've read is Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas which posed a direct challenge to the worldly view of marriage and raised the question, "What if God designed marriage to make us holy moreso than happy?" (Hint: He did! And the sustaining happiness found in the Christ-centered marriage then comes from the ongoing sanctification and continual redeeming of personal failures that we enjoy through grace, as He uses our marriages to help transform us into the likeness of Christ. A game changer for young married couples fixated on the fairytale version of marriage!)
Favorite Food: Anything Mexican (especially enchiladas!).
Other notable/fun facts about you: I've had several different careers over the decades - I worked for Baker University writing and designing marketing materials; owned my own interiors and antique shop, was a professional wedding photographer, taught at an after school program, and currently work full time as the Community Engagement Manager for a disability services organization. But one of the most fun and unique work experiences I've had was when I was the youth activity planner at the Yogi Bear Campground in Lawrence where I ran kids’ day programs, led crafts AND was the Yogi Bear mascot - wearing the head-to-toe, full-body, furry, hot, mascot suit and large headpiece. Yogi would come out to raise the flag every morning, feed the fish, walk through the campground making sure all the kids were having fun, showing up during dance parties, and making people smile. My kids thought this was the best! And so did I. |