I am an author, inspirational speaker and Biblical Life Coach who loves to Empower Leaders and Inspire Others so they can move from rules to relationship and dive in to Christ’s abundant life.
My Story
I grew up in the perfect household. In fact some might call my childhood a fairy tale life. Unfortunately, while fairy tales are lovely, they aren’t real, so when my fairy tale began falling apart, I fell apart with it.
I grew up in church, but I only learned the rules. I became a professional rule-follower. And I developed a belief that my goody-two-shoes nature and the faith of my family guaranteed me a seat in heaven. But it didn’t take long for the hard work of church attendance and doing the right thing to become tiresome. So I gave up on it for a while.
Though she died long before I discovered the truth about Jesus, I believe my grandmother’s prayer lived long after she passed. After several years of trying to live life without faith, I returned to church. But this time I began to read scripture, and there I discovered the world of relationship. It took me many years to really understand that Jesus simply wanted to be my friend, but even as I began the journey, I felt the freedom. And that’s a path I love to help new Christians find so they don’t stumble around in the darkness like I did for so many years.
Co-Dependent and in Denial
When I tell people I’m a co-dependent, they immediately want to know my family’s addiction background. And most are disappointed because our addiction was perfection.
It’s a misnomer that co-dependents develop because they’re trying to cover up for their alcoholic father or drug addicted sister. Because co-dependents just try to cover up. My fairy tale life led to my malady. I couldn’t let anyone see my life was less than perfect. When Francesca Battistelli wrote “Perfection is my enemy,” she penned the words of a recovering co-dependent.
Truly embracing that only our loving Father is perfect and understanding He loves me and wants relationship with me in spite of my imperfections gave me hope and brought me out of depression and anxiety. I enjoy helping others find this truth and walk out of the addiction to perfection and peer-approval.
So I Write
My story isn’t over, and I have much more to tell, more than will fit on this single page. However, the songs and devotions I write share bits and pieces. Each three minute message has my story woven into it. I hope it never feels like I’m preaching, because every word I put on paper is simply a lesson the Almighty has taught me.
I’m an avid reader, with scripture being my number one read! It’s this reading that gives me the inspiration. My first creative outlet came in the form of poetry and lyrics. I wrote more than fifty songs during the time I sang with “Crossroads to Glory.” Between singing with Crossroads and then in a solo ministry, I had the privilege of sharing in hundreds of churches throughout eastern Ohio and even a few in the rest of the Eastern U.S.
After Steve stepped into pastoral ministry, my writing started to take the form of Advent Readings and Bible Studies. In 2010 I created my first Children’s Curriculum and listed it on the internet for churches to purchase. Imagine my surprise when I got the first few orders! Now you’ll find many resources for churches in my online store and on Amazon.
For years I’ve been creating Bible-centered resources for my home church. My husband pastors a small congregation in Northern West Virginia. Many items you see will be “From the Sycamore Tree” because that’s where they got their start.
Currently, I serve as Worship Leader and Discipleship Coordinator at Sycamore Tree Church in Follansbee, WV. I leads several Bible discussions every week and fill the pulpit a few times a year. These folks are the guinea pigs for every Bible Discussion Guide and Children’s Curriculum you’ll find in my repertoire (and they keep coming back!)
Steve and I celebrate 40 years of marriage in 2020.
We have three beautiful daughters and have been blessed with three wonderful sons-in-law. Plus, four tremendous grandchildren and a few of the church kids call me “Hada”. When I’m not writing or playing music, I love spending time with my family, sometimes even hitting a ball around a golf course.
You’ll find links to all of my Ministry Resources here or at the link above. Plus, stop back often. I usually release one or two new books each year. When you register here, you’ll get updates about once a quarter, and you’ll be the first to find out about new Master Classes and Webinars I’ll be hosting.
Below you’ll find links to devotions. Some were written to encourage mothers, and the others will hopefully inspire anyone trying to build a relationship with Christ. If you’d like to get these in your inbox a couple times a month, you can sign up at the bottom of my homepage.
Additionally, I’ve added some posts to help you as you lead your Children’s Ministry, Bible Study, Sunday School and a Worship Team.
To the right you’ll see links to Bible Studies, Children’s Lessons, Advent Readings and as well as her podcast.
Feel free to contact me anytime! I love to hear from you!
