At a very young age, I had to move in with my grandparents. I was little, and of course I missed living with my parents. But deep down, I knew it was for the best. However, my papaw wasn't too keen on his new living situation. From day one, I felt unwanted by him. His words really hurt me, and at a young age, I didn't like him. But when I was 11 yrs old, my papaw fell. He hit his head on the pavement, which led to severe damage and bleeding on his brain. I remember watching my mamaw… Read More
We are called to something much greater than ourselves: to love God and to love others. I never thought my calling would be found intertwined in the hearts and lives of marginalized women in the sex industry. Jesus Said Love began growing in my heart as I stood serving breakfast at Mission Waco to women who worked the streets. Soon a chasm began growing between my life lived in green rooms and on stages as a worship leader and the lives of the women I met. A need for them to be seen, fully known and loved---right where they stood… Read More
We all face storms---some we see brewing months before they hit, and others blindside us when the massive waves strike. On Sunday, March 11, 2018, our storm made landfall as my husband, Chris, developed gall stone-induced pancreatitis and was admitted to the hospital. Chris's pancreatitis worsened faster than any of us realized when imaging results showed he had "acute, infectious, hemorrhagic, necrotizing pancreatitis." This new diagnosis led to an urgent transfer to the Medical Intensive Care Unit where he was put into a medically-induced coma. As doctors began the intubation procedure, Chris aspirated on his own vomit. His lungs rapidly filled… Read More
On February 14, 2010, I woke up at 5:00 in the morning. Jon didn't make it home that night because he had died in a car accident. I was 34 and he was 38. We had a 3-year-old son and I was three months pregnant. My life took a complete turn. I felt no one could relate to me and my situation. If I went to a widow's support group, the women were typically in their 70s. I had a 3-year-old son and a baby to raise, and they'd all been married 40 years with grown children. I know it's still sad, but it's very different. I always wished… Read More
There are an overwhelming number of women who have had their children, lives, and freedom taken from them due to drug addictions. Many have professed a Christian faith but still face suicidal thoughts and a deficit of hope. After facing my own addiction with alcoholism and restoring my life in Christ, I knew He was prompting me to help these women reach a place of stability. I began my response to His call by sponsoring young women through AA, and then went on to receive training for Christian counseling. In 2018, I began volunteering to counsel young women regularly at… Read More
If you were to see me in passing, you'd notice nothing different about me compared to my fellow man. God has blessed me with a job in which I work a 40-hour week. I come home to a wonderful family and spend the remaining hours of the day with them, before it's time to do it all over again. However, there was a voice which began to awaken my spirit. The same voice that told Peter to, "Feed my sheep," was calling me to do the same. God began to open my eyes to the needs of my city. You cannot enter the… Read More
