When I was a little girl, there were two things that I loved: baby dolls and writing. As an instinctive nurturer, I loved the idea of caring for children as I played dolls with my friends. I would even make my guy friend, Aaron, play “house” and assign him the role of Dad. And I was always writing. There were times when I would wake up in the middle of the night with a poem or a story on my mind, and I would crawl out of bed to write it down. I loved rhymes and the thrill of creating something meaningful through the written word.

I was very blessed to grow up in a Christian home where we were always at church. Unfortunately, like so many, I chose a lifestyle displeasing to God as I entered my teenage years. Popularity, image, and relationships took the place of creative writing, nurturing, and faith. I quickly became conceited and prideful, thinking that the things of this world could satisfy and define me. I finished high school with a 4.3 GPA and had made the homecoming court, won Snow Queen, and worked a few small modeling jobs. I remember very vividly thinking to myself, “My life is perfect. I don’t need anything else.” But I didn’t have Jesus, and I’m convinced He saw my arrogance and heard my foolish thought.

I headed off to college with big dreams. I planned on everything being “perfect,” just like high school, and making a name for myself. Thankfully, God had other plans, and he wasted no time in getting started. My first assignment in college was a writing assignment, and I’ll never forget the shock of receiving that paper back with a giant “D” in the upper righthand corner. So much for being top of the class and having confidence in writing! I was also quickly becoming unpopular and struggled to find friends. My self-image suffered greatly as I gained twenty pounds within the first few months of school (I blame the convenience store outside my dorm that sold every flavor of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream). There went the modeling opportunities! The things that I thought defined me were proving hollow. I was miserable, lonely, confused, and hurting.

At my lowest point, God met me in a profound way in the middle of my sorority house at the age of 19. I was at the end of myself, and I realized that everything about me was far from perfect. I remembered hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ in church as a child – how he died on the cross to take away my sins and rose again – and I fell to my knees, asking Him to save me. I prayed for Him to forgive me and cleanse me. He changed me; He changed my life. Writing quickly became a part of my life again, and God was moving to restore me to His original design.

After college, I took a job teaching Spanish to children. I fell in love with kids (real ones this time rather than baby dolls). My heart yearned to share Jesus with each of them, and I discovered that God had granted me a special grace to see children turn to Him in faith. I have been passionate about reaching children ever since.

In the summer of 2020, the Lord impressed upon my heart the desire to see writing and reaching children come together. I wrote “Moshe’s Big Day: A Lesson in Trust,” shortly after, and am in awe of the way God has worked to bring it to print. It’s His story, and I can’t wait to follow Jesus for the rest of this journey, writing and loving children through books that exalt Him.

And that guy friend of mine that I made to play baby dolls with me as a child? He’s now my husband! Aaron and I were married shortly after college, and his love and support have allowed all of this to become a reality. We love serving Jesus together, and we share our (now real life) house with our sweet Australian Labradoodle, Charlie Brown.