I grew up in a loving, Christian home. I was saved as a young girl and rededicated my life in my teens. I went to college and returned home to begin teaching as a special education teacher, my dream job. I also volunteered and worked with my church youth and grew in my relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I greatly desired to follow Jesus and spent the next several years following His leading and developing a closer walk with Him.
In my mid 20’s I sought a change and adventure and moved away from my childhood home. I continued teaching and attending church but allowed my relationship with the Lord to weaken. I married and moved to several different states with my husband over the next several years. I began to put my trust and happiness in my husband and not first in the Lord. When I was expecting my first child I realized that my first focus should be on my Lord and Savior and began to allow God to truly work in my heart. I learned to place my joy and happiness in Him, not expecting another human to be responsible and carry the weight for my happiness and joy. We moved back to SC and had a second child. Over the next few years my marriage became increasingly rocky and tumultuous, resulting in a divorce.
My children and I received therapy over the next several years to deal with our painful and traumatic experiences. At the time we started therapy I was not able to find counseling through a Christian or Christian-based counselor. Several years later I met Melanie Watt. She had just begun a Christian-based equine therapy program for children and youth and thus began our journey with Hope Remains.
After my divorce, someone shared with me that she had experienced a painful situation too and she hoped and prayed she would heal but not forget so she could help others because of her experiences. At first I thought that was crazy, but the Lord placed that desire in my heart too. So, I began to pray that the Lord would one day allow me and my children to heal from the trauma experienced in my marriage but to remember the pain and experiences so that I might be able to help others in similar situations. There were many times I was so filled with pain, bitterness, and anger that I didn’t think I would ever be okay again or that I would ever heal from the trauma. However, as I continued to learn to trust and lean on God, He brought tremendous healing, hope and blessings to me and my children. He works in such mighty and wondrous ways that are so beyond our human understanding!
Fast forward 7 years; I have remarried a wonderful Christian man and my children are doing well and have been adopted by my husband. After 18 years in special education I felt the Lord was calling me to something different. With great excitement, after significant searching and praying by my family and me, God opened the doors for me to become a staff member at Hope Remains in the parenting program. The Lord has blessed me with my desire to serve Him, using my painful experiences to serve families who are hurting by bringing them the hope and healing that comes through the love of Jesus Christ.