My Story

 Lately I have been in a heavy writing mood and I've been writing a lot about what God has been teaching me but today I would like to stop and pause to tell my story that God has given me!  My journey for me starts in Ann Arbor Michigan. I was born there on April 18th 1989 that's when  I started my little adventure of life being outside the womb. I can't remember much of course but I think this day is significant because it's when God decided to put me here. Ever since then life has been a journey from the time I started learning about life from the basic steps of walking to  learning how to talk. Little could I comprehend that life would be more then learning  how to live but knowing life was more than the air I breathed!
In fact the older I became the more I became aware of life and who created me. I was told stories growing up and told everyday rather it was  at home or  at church that God loved me! And that is when life really begun for me! It was at age 6 that I choose to say yes to Jesus!  I didn't know what the yes meant at the time but I knew I wanted Jesus in my life! Therefore our friendship began learning  who He was and what it meant to follow!
And ever since then there has been no regrets from the good to the hard times! In fact I would say to you that the hard times were some of my greatest moments to draw into God's character. I am not saying that  I enjoyed them or wished for them but it is proof in my life that God can turn ashes into beauty. I also don't want to be misunderstood because for the most part I grew up happy but like any one who has ventured in this life I have had my moments such as my parents divorce. That was probably one of the hardest moments in my life because I didn't understand the choice of my parents.
I also felt like I was missing out from having a dad. In fact this made me jealous of other girls around me because I so wished to be the daddy's girl. At the same time I have to give my mom full credit for being a single mom! I can't imagine what it's been like or is sometimes but I am learning to appreciate her for what she has done or did. I wont' act  like its easy  though because  it's still a wound that I have to carry because I still wonder things what it would have been like to have a dad to guide me in relationships or  life in general. I miss the fact that if I ever get married I won't get to do the Father daughter dance like I would like but again My Heavenly Father has taught me that I can't let my wounds hold me down. So, without rambling I share this part of my life to say there are no perfect families or  Christians. We all go through stuff and  for me I look at this moment as a time to rely on God.!
At the same time I want to celebrated what God has done in my life because even though I come from a broken family, my God still watched over me in my teen years. It was during my high school years especially that God started molding me into my passions but also learning to live in freedom of being me. In fact it was in high school that I felt called to ministry. During my Sophomore year  I felt God call me into full time missions but at that time I didn't know what that meant and I am still learning.  To be honest with you  I'm just now grasping what this means in the sense of following.
I say this because  even though I recognized  my heart in high school, for me my true growth in my opinion took place in college. Of course this doesn't mean we stop growing! I just feel like that's when God started molding me more in that part of understanding my calling has to start with being. So, during college God started showing me parts of me. And as I 've started to understand parts of me He has started showing me His desires of directions.
Of course we never fully know ourselves completely but I needed this moment in my life because I had been so lost in the doing that I lost the heart of  who I am. So, from there I learned  that when I learn to be then out of being will flow ministry. And  so now in a nut shell if I can get there I would say I am learning to surrender more because like many of you I have my dreams and ambitions.
I have an idea of how I would love for my life to go but I think today I stand here at age 24 realizing that is impossible to know all. I can't let life defeat me. I have to continue to accept who I am and know that God is perfectly aware of all my needs. And while I probably could write a book I feel like it's best for me to conclude that  life is an on going process but when you  get the chance to share. Share your story because you never know what part will impact!