Born and raised in Virginia Beach, I developed a love of nature—God’s creation—at a very young age. But the theology I was being taught was the heavy-handed theology of a punishing God, not the theology of a loving Father and Creator. That theology proved to be particularly problematic for a girl whose childhood had been filled with seemingly insurmountable challenges. So, as a teenager, I left the only church I had ever known in search of the truth. 

While I wandered well into adulthood, the tiny seeds of faith I still carried with me continued to be nourished in subtle ways. It was on a trip to Arizona, hiking through forests and canyons, that those seeds sprouted, grew, and began to blossom. Not only was it the incredible—and terrifying—beauty surrounding me that had me awestruck, but it was something much more: the amazing, soul-soothing feeling that I was not alone. God was always with me, and He wanted me to know it.

That feeling was amplified when I returned to the church shortly after my trip. My time in Arizona turned out to be the beginning of a beautiful journey back to the faith—one that involved profound healing. And the transformation hasn’t simply been spiritual. God has had a few surprises for me along the way, among them: going to seminary, and taking the leap from working full-time in government contracting to working full-time for His church. Who’d have thought? Not I. But I can’t wait to see what He’s got planned for me next.