It's all about me.

Recently, I started reading The Outdoor Wife and she asked her readers to give a short bio for our readers and link up.  So, sure, I'll jump in.

Disclaimer: asking me to be short is close to impossible.  I am one of those who needs to process outside of myself, which turns most often to talking, and less often to writing.  I also overshare.  I can be the epitomy of TMI.  I'm aware of it.  It makes some uncomfortable, but I'm thankful for friends and family who put up with it well.  Some even think my babble is interesting.

With that disclaimer of sorts out of the way, here are the basics:

Growing up.
I grew up on Long Island (that's part of NY) with the blessing of a wonderful, loving family who pointed me to God with their words and example.  I chose to follow Jesus as a child, and I still choose Him everyday.  I am the oldest of three girls, and am a fairly typical firstborn.  I was motivated by achievement in school, and was a good student, a student leader, a cheerleader.  I was very involved at church and my best friends were from my little tiny youth group.

I am still growing up.

Marriage.
Dave and I met at Gordon College--a wonderful christian liberal arts college north of Boston.  We became friends and had a first date as sophomores, but didn't start dating seriously until we were just a few months from graduation.  We got engaged a year later and married a year after that.  God gave us each other because we are perfect for each other.  Not perfect, mind you, but exactly who each other needs to walk this journey called life.  Laughter, acceptance, forgiveness and working hard on communicating are themes of our marriage, and God has sustained us during some seasons where one or both of us came close to sabotaging the whole beautiful thing.  Our relationship continues to be one of the best tools God uses to shape each of us.  I love this man who cracks me up, who knows me, and who loves me in a way that accepts the good and bad of me.  We've been married for 20 years.  I'm so thankful.

Motherhood.
God has blessed us with three children.  Our first child, aka Pickle, is our beautiful 14 year old daughter who has just started high school.  God gave us a son the second time around--Aidan.  He was born with multiple birth defects and lived only 4 months.  You can read a bit more about him here.  Our journey as Aidan's parents has changed and shaped us in more ways than I could say.  I have more to write about all of that...but for some reason it's slow in coming.  After a time of grieving, God blessed us a third time, with another son.  "Bubba" is 9 now and in 4th grade.  Being a mom is SO amazing and fun and hard.  I love the relationships I have with these incredible people.  I write about them plenty...so I'll save the babble about them for other posts.

Work/Ministry.
I have an BA in Youth Ministry and a MA in Educational Ministry. I have led youth groups, college students, and women's bible studies as a volunteer.  I have worked as a conference planner for a software company--didn't love that.  I LOVED working in college residence life as a residence director for 7 years (my sweet hubby lived in a dorm with me and 600 college students for that time--he's a saint).  I owned my own home party business for close to 5 years.  I've substitute taught.  And for the last three years I have had the amazing opportunity to be the Children's Ministries Director at my church.  I love it and know it's where God has me for this season.

Things that are true about me, that I wish weren't.
The talking too much thing has made it harder to be a listener.  I'm working on it, but wish listening was my natural bent.

By nature, I'm a perfectionist.  I've painfully given up (mostly) on being the perfect mother, wife, homemaker.  But I still struggle with the "shoulds".    God is helping me recognize those "shoulds" more quickly and let go of them more easily.  I'm a work in progress.

I struggle with depression.  It is managed well with medication.  I wish I didn't deal with it.

I am not a very disciplined person.  Understatement.  I understand completely how to be organized, fit and have a peaceful home.  I just don't follow through regularly.  I have a hard time balancing my laziness with my drivenness.

I am addicted to caffiene.  Diet coke is my drug of choice.  I don't think it's good for me.  I don't care to give it up.  I did for 6 months and I hated it.  I don't think I can stay on this path of DC consumption for too much longer--I actually would like bones and brain cells in my older years--but have no plans to change at this point.  I'm weak.

I have a sarcastic sense of humor.  While I'm thankful for a hubby who shares the sarcasm-gene, and for friends who think I'm funny sometimes, I know that not everyone appreciates sarcasm.  Sometimes I don't figure that out until too late. Yikes.

The way God made me--the parts I'm OK with.  :0)
I am open and real.  People tell me that.  I take no credit, I can't be otherwise.  I like to think overall it makes people comfortable to be around me.

I am a leader. It took me a while to accept this. Being a leader and a woman and a Christian can be interesting to navigate at times, but I'm learning that it is a gift God wants to use.

I love being with people.  People can feel like family to me very easily, and I love sharing life with others.

I am developmental.  I am fascinated with the way people learn and grow and change.  If I get to be a part of that journey for some--incredible.

I'm getting kinda old.  I'm 43.  My body is changing.  My face is changing.  Hair color is my friend.  I need glasses.  Things creak.  I weigh more.  I definitely feel younger on the inside than I look on the outside, but I am starting to accept that  I'm not young.  Or at least I'm working on that.

theGoodlife
I write here as a way to process, but also as (hopefully) a way to encourage others to trust God for the Big-G-Good.

That's me.  More than you wanted to know as usual.  :0)