Friday, September 10, 2010

Introducing Us

I am going to

I am a native of the Hoosier State, Indiana, and met my husband, J, at Indiana Wesleyan University.  We started out in Creative Arts ministry 12 years ago in northern Michigan (one of my favorite places that we've lived) and have been in and out of ministry ever since.  I'll spare you the details of our ministry woes, but we have lived all over, from Omaha to southwest Kansas, to Colorado Springs, and now back to the great state of Indiana.

Jesus is my first passion in life, and my prayer is that my life reflects Him in such a way that when other people see me, they want Him to be their first passion, too.  I love leading worship with my husband, being a mentor to young teenage girls, and teaching my own child about Jesus.

In recent years (like the past 18 months, I guess) I have become more and more conscious of how media and technology have shaped our current culture.  I think you'd have to be living under a rock to not see the differences.  Now, I'm not going to tell you that we don't have TV or cell phones or internet (obviously).  Believe me, we DVR has changed our life (for the better, I think), my iPhone is tethered to my body, and we enjoy all modern conveniences of life.  However, I am more aware that our family needs to return to basics of life. I would consider myself very conservative, short of wearing dresses all the time (because I look like a hobbit in a dress).  I just want to return to a simpler and more wholesome way of life.


I was born in the mid-1970's, but I was raised by parents who understood the importance of family, and I am very close to my Mamaw who grew up in poverty in the hills of Kentucky.  Talk about simple things in life! I never get tired of hearing her stories from her upbringing.  Every year, all of my family from that area of the country gathers to eat good food, kiss new babies, share old stories, and remember our loved ones who have gone home to be with the Lord.  These are my most favorite memories of growing up, and I believe they have made me who I am today.  I absolutely love baking, making a good meal for my family, making my house a home, taking care of my husband and daughter, and teaching her how to do all of this along the way.



I grew up on Andy Griffith, Little House on the Praire, Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn.  My city-fied husband? He is not so keen on the music, but he does love some Little House! Although, we just lost the Hallmark Channel on our cable service, and no other channel shows Little House. Boo hoo! E, our daughter, has come to love all things wholesome, and I couldn't be happier about it.




I am striving for a more wholesome, Christ-centered life and to raise my daughter in the same way.  This has been a process for me, as I'm constantly making changes in what I watch on TV, the music I listen to, the places I go, and the words that come from my mouth.  I truly believe in garbage in, garbage out.  I have a verse taped to my computer at work to remind of where my mind should be at all times, no matter what is happening around me.  Phillipians 4:8 says, "Finally, Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."  It is a constant battle to do this in the world we live in, but with Jesus' help, I can strive for it!