“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
– Ephesians 3:20-21
Never! In 2005 I said I would never move to Arkansas. My son moved to Arkansas to live with his dad. And I prayed that they would have to move back. After three years of praying and still being apart, I finally let go of having to have it look my way and I asked God what He wanted it to look like. When I realized God wanted me to move to Arkansas, I decided to trust that He would provide me with what I needed to establish a new life.
As I reflect back, this event was a major turning point in my relationship with God. I realized saying yes to making that move was going to require a level of trust and surrender that I had never experienced before. I had lived so much of my life determined to be self-sufficient, able to take care of and provide for myself. To do that, I had to be in control a lot. Moving to Arkansas meant letting go of control and surrendering to God’s will. After years of wrestling with whether or not I needed to be baptized, I decided that this shift in my life warranted that level of commitment to Christ. So in November 2008, I made a public confession of my faith and took the plunge.
I arrived in Fayetteville, Arkansas on June 1, 2009. Northwest Arkansas was a good as the wilderness to me back then. I knew no one except my son, his father and his father’s wife. I had no idea what jobs would be available. I had to start all over, finding a job, friends, a church, a hair stylist, a dentist, a chiropractor, and all the rest. I call it my Abraham moment (although mine pales in comparison). Thankfully I was able to continue working for the organization I had been employed by, the National Association of Mothers’ Centers, full-time for the first few months.
God provided me with a great rental house just a mile from my son. I met some great people the first week after I moved here. I met Joy at what was Arsaga’s when she noticed my accent and asked where I was from. Turns out we grew up about 10 miles from one another on Long Island. I met Lee Ann by volunteering at the first Take Your Kids to Dickson St. event. I met some other wonderful women in a Newcomers’ group – one who introduced me to Central United Methodist Church (CUMC).
It was at CUMC where Janet, Melissa, Jennifer and Traci welcomed me with open arms and became the group I sat with Sunday mornings in the contemporary service. The church offered a Disciple Bible study program, which I jumped into. That 9-month study helped me finally gain a better understanding and comfort level with both the Old and New Testament and how it all ties together. It was the start of many more Bible studies with wonderful, godly women and truly falling in love with God’s Word. CUMC also led me to the Walk to Emmaus, a spiritual retreat where I made many other wonderful friends while growing in my relationship with Christ. And it was at CUMC where I met David and Theresa Roth after David gave the Labor Day weekend sermon about living out your faith at work. It was my first exposure to Workmatters and I couldn’t wait to get involved! Who knew I would be working there four years later!
God opened a door for me to work for SVI as an Instructional Designer. The team and leadership there helped me improve my writing chops significantly and helped me to grow as a servant leader in so many ways. I got to experience serving in the community in Joplin, MO after the tornado hit. We got to serve people who were committed to breaking out of poverty in Dallas. And I got to use my skills to serve Workmatters when they were ready to publish their first workplace Bible study – which eventually led to a full-time position with Workmatters.
I have been through a lot the last 10 years. I have watched my son graduate high school, start his career, and buy a house. It has been amazing to watch him grow into a responsible young man. I’ve grown a lot spiritually and have since learned the art of Bible storytelling and even taught others how to do it. I’ve been serving in a women’s prison ministry, Ladies of Grace, which has been an amazing blessing I never expected in my life. I finally reconnected with my best friend, Thomas Gates, and can say we’ve been happily married for five years. I started going back to school in 2016 and I’m just 16 classes from completing my degree. And I’m writing a book – a longtime dream of mine that seems much more possible since meeting and learning from Suzie Eller.
The theme that runs throughout these last 10 years is that as I surrender and submit to God more and more, life only gets better. Today I have a life I could never have imagined! I praise God for all He has done in my life. It is truly abundantly more than I could have ever dreamed! I love living in Northwest Arkansas and I am incredibly grateful for the people, opportunities and blessings God has provided. So I didn’t want this time to go by without giving God praise and acknowledging the great people who have been part of this journey with me. There are too many to mention, but I am grateful for every person who has come into my life. May God bless and protect every one of you! Praise the Lord!
