my story

I could have chosen to be a victim, I was voted my senior year of high school, "first to get married and have a family"...it's almost as if right then in that moment God said..."really? Are you sure you don't want MY plans for you?"

I'm 33 years old and so far, that has not been God's plan for my life.

Has it been easy? No.

Have I struggled with being content? All the time, ask those who know me best.

Do I get lonely? You really have no idea.

But I CHOOSE to be a Victor...

I choose to believe that God knows me better than I know myself and He has GREAT plans for me.

I will never forget being at

a church service in 1999, where on my knees I prayed and said, "God, if it is just me and You the rest of my life, then I'm ok with that."

I surrendered. I gave Him my dreams of being a wife, my desire to be a mother

...I gave up MY PLANS.

Little did I know the great exchange that was taking place.

My plans...for HIS PERFECT PLAN for me.

I began to say yes, as I heard His voice say..."I want you to go and serve Me by serving others." I've had the privilege of serving not only at home in my community, but in 7 other countries around the world, some of them multiple times. He has taken me more places in life than I never dreamed possible, I have literally traveled to the ends of the earth to share His love.

Not only have I been able to go and serve, I have come to know and live out my identity in Christ. I know that God has made me to serve and to lead others to serve. At Gateway Church I have had the opportunity to do both. God has used others to mentor me and show me how to use my gifts to their fullest. I have had many opportunities to share my passion in missions and pass it on to others.

God has used family and friends to fill voids that are overwhelming at times. He has given me SO MANY children to love, and so many friends who let me love their children. He continually fills the times of loneliness with more of Himself.

Some people think I choose to be single, no, I choose to follow hard after what God wants for my life.

I choose to believe that He already has my story written, and, I choose to daily surrender my plans so I can get lined up with HIS PERFECT PLAN which satisfies my heart like nothing else can.

As I continue on this journey of life, I hope to always say as Jesus did in the garden, 'Not my will, but Yours God."