Hello, Friend! And welcome to Recognize and Remember – my little digital “home” on the internet. I hope you will come on in, find a comfy seat, put your feet up, and spend some time with me.
You see, I feel like we are already friends. I feel like I might already know you.
I might know you… if you need to talk through your thoughts, problems and joys. As you talk, your mind starts to sort through your thoughts and come up the solution, work through emotions and hear what the Lord is revealing to you.
I might know you … if you want to discern what God is doing in your life story. What He has done in the past, what He is doing now and what might He do in the future.
I might know you if… you have a deep desire to know God’s Word, His leading and how to fulfill His purposes.
I might know you… If you are anxious to learn more about yourself. How you are uniquely gifted by your Creator to do good works that He has prepared in advance for you to do. You want to know how to use your gifts to honor your Heavenly Father.
I might know you… If you desire to recognize how God has been faithful in your past experiences to help assure you that God will be just as faithful in your present circumstances. I think I know you but let’s get to truly know each other … through one – on – one coaching, inviting me to share with your group or attending one of Recognize and Remember Retreats.
If I was right, if I do already know you (at least a little bit), it’s only fair that I share a bit about me!
Here’s a rundown of the most important things about me…
★ I am thankful for God’s saving grace in my life. I exist to fulfill His purposes for me, to bring my Savior glory.
★ I love my husband, Bill! We have been married 38 years and like most married people, we have had many struggles – but we both are thankful for God’s work in our lives… and that we stayed together.
★ My role as a Mom to 3 grown daughters and 3 sons-in-law is my favorite. Although it took some time to get used to having “guys” in our family after raising only girls, I love our complete family.
★ I currently have 7 grandchildren and together they are fun, loud, messy and totally delightful. I am Grammie/Mimi to 3 grandsons and 4 granddaughters. I keep my kitchen full of fun treats and always have lots of toys and books for them to play with. I love having them over, either all together or one at a time. It is enjoyable to be with them and then quiet after they go.
★ I love, love, love helping women find and see God in their lives – what He has done and what He is calling them to do. I feel God’s pleasure as I coach, lead a small group, and share through speaking or writing. God created me to walk alongside women through good and bad!
But a lot of that is really obvious stuff. What about the things that my closest friends and family would tell you?
Here’s the inside scoop:
★ I can talk to anyone about anything. This is a total gift from God! Bring up a subject and I am sure we will have a lively discussion. This also means that I never leave a store without talking to people in the aisle or in the checkout line.
★ If I am comfortable, I can be a ton of fun and laughter. I make my husband laugh every day!!
★ I stink at math – any kind. If you want a correct number, do not ask me to figure out a math problem.
★ I was Miss Autumn Leaf Festival for my hometown in Clarion, PA. (I know, you can tell just how important that is to literally everyone. At least my dad & mom sure thought so! They told everyone they met about it…)
★ My husband and I are totally comfortable hosting people in our home and have learned how to pull it off seamlessly – whether it’s 2 people or 40 people. Our biggest problem is that people never want to leave!! It wasn’t always like this, but we’ve learned what works, and are pleased God uses us this way.
★ I love my Verismo Milk frother – a cup of coffee at my house can rival Starbucks any day. (Ahem. That’s your invitation.)
★ I miss my Dad and Mom every day of my life and can’t wait to see them and have a long talk around the table like we used to do.
★ I am clumsy and often spill, splash or make a mess. If we spend time together, do me a favor… just expect it and help me clean the mess up.
★ My husband and I love National Parks and have a goal to see as many as possible. (So far he has seen more than I have: current score 16 – 10)
★ I think in Scripture-stories and can typically relate what you are going through back to a story in the Bible. Bill and I had a wise mentor in our lives who could do this and I wanted to know the scriptures like him. So I have studied, and I continue to study, God’s word – so that I can recognize His faithfulness in the lives of his people throughout the Bible, and remember that faithfulness when you and I are struggling with similar fears, challenges, pains, and trials.
★ My husband grew up in Iowa and I grew up in Pennsylvania. While I’m quite content with living in the suburbs, my husband loves everything about farming. At our engagement party, our college friends played the Green Acres theme song. You will often find Rural Evening News on in our home after dinner (on RFD – TV). We are just that cool!
★ I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes only eight days after our wedding (I was very sick on our honeymoon). I have been on an insulin pump for 25+ years and will be till God calls me home. Recently, I started wearing a continuous glucose monitor on my arm; it reads my blood sugar every 5 minutes and sends the reading to my phone. It is a lot of information to constantly take in, but I am amazed and thankful for the technology. Chronic Illness is a lifelong journey full of pain and struggles, but also lessons that I needed to learn.
★ I have studied the Bible with the same group of women for over 15 years – through thick and thin.
★ Did I miss anything? Is there something else you want to know? Feel free to ask and hopefully, I will have an answer.
I hope I will have the opportunity to meet you soon in person, at an event or online.