“Yes, perhaps I can write a book?” This is a different statement than the one I used to believe about myself. The one that said I had no value or worth. Well, today I know who I am or
Whose I am. I am a child of God and as such my value and self-worth is found in Him, not in what I do or in what others think. I know that through Him all things are possible and that He
supplies all my needs.
So, what does being a child of God mean? To me it means believing that God created me for a purpose, His purpose. He provides for me, guides me, loves me, teaches me, disciplines me, (ugh);
like a Father or parent. He equips me for His plan for my life. I Love Him and choose to honour my relationship with Him. He died and rose again, so I can have eternal life. Does it mean I am
perfect? NOT ANYWHERE NEAR. I never will be, however what I am is forgiven through His mercy and grace.
I am mother of one adult son and two adult daughters. I have five biological grandchildren and one grandchild by choice. I am a counsellor/therapist. I have been in this service for thirty
plus years in a variety of capacities from child protection, to working in First Nations communities. Working for First Nations people is very dear to my heart. In some way it is like I have
come home in my heart.
I have been a Christian since 1983. I took a walk about for a few years off and on, and then returned whole heartedly without stray in 1996. During my time in “Egypt” I could look over beside
me and know that God was there waiting for me to return. He never left me. I spent many tearful conflicted hours as I struggled with what I wanted and with what I knew God desired for me. The
relief when I finally fully surrendered was amazing. I had never realized what surrendered meant until I realized I was at the end of me; could not do anything, as “hard” as I tried. I had to
physically throw up my hands to God in surrender. I have been on the receiving end of God giving back what the locusts ate all those years. His grace and mercy are amazing and so freeing. I
watch and am grateful that God uses my time in the desert to help others and have a compassionate heart.
I am a follower of Christ and a wife, mother, and grandmother! My testimony, my personal journey as a Christ follower begins on Easter Sunday at age seven. That day, my friend invited me to
her church. Though my family attended a different church, I was familiar with Easter being more about the Easter bunny and chocolate than Jesus. But at this little church, the story of the
death and resurrection of Jesus was played out in a beautiful film. The Holy Spirit spoke to me, and I knew, from that moment, that I was a child of God! Somehow God found a way for me to
attend church regularly and I began to learn about Jesus and about practicing my faith daily. From that time on, through good, bad, and evil times, God remains my strength and my joy!
I feel called by God to teach children about Jesus, so that they have the information and tools they need to live healthy wholesome lives and make informed choices about their personal
beliefs. As Sunday School Director, I took a leadership role in the development of Children’s Ministry, by developing programs, connecting with families, and building adult teaching teams.
I learned that relationships are key to leadership and learning. Connecting with people, adults or children, wherever they are on a particular day is the key to healthy communication. In 2009,
I had the opportunity to go back to school and study Children’s Ministry. I loved every moment of my training and graduated in 2012! Today, I am teaching Sunday School and helping with various
programs in our church. God is not done with me yet!
Writing this book took me on a very different path. The relationship between the stories in the Bible, the Abandonment Theory and the Archetypes creates a bridge for me, a bridge between
psychology and the Bible. The characters in Scripture are more real, have more dimension and more humanity after my study and work through the process of writing. My prayer is that the Bible
and its stories of real people in real life situations with God will speak to the reader, too, and bridge the gap between psychology and the Bible!
Through the calm and the storms, my life verse is found in Isaiah 41:10 (NIV), “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”