Month: May 2015

Categories
Dating/Courting Engaged Home Marriage Parenting

Social Media Etiquette Everyone Should Follow, Regardless of Your Relationship Status

 
Modern day technology has made it easy to connect with long lost friends, family members, and has even made it convenient to meet new friends. Unfortunately, it has also made it ridiculously easy to share EVERY aspect of our lives with the entire world. There once was a time we didn’t need to know what you ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sadly, that day has sailed. Being that social media sites aren’t equipped with an  “What Not to Post Manual,” I thought I’d share a few tips:
 
1. Don’t Vent–
No one wants to see your overly emotional posts every other day! Social media is no place for your relationship or personal problems; that’s what friends are for. Constant venting portrays instability.
 
2. Don’t post compromising material–
To me, social media tells your story. You can literally tell who a person is by scrolling through their timeline. Take a look through your timeline, what are you portraying?
 
3. Keep some things to yourself–
The whole world doesn’t need an update on your every move. I get a good laugh every time someone posts “I hate people in my business,” but they’ve shared their lunch with them for the past 90 days, or statuses about their “deadbeat” baby daddy that they just posted a picture of “date night” with a week prior. News flash! Whatever you post on social media is no longer YOUR business, it now becomes ours.
 
4. Don’t “throw shade”-
So, your significant other is getting on your nerve? Well, that doesn’t mean you need to go post “When I’m gone he/she will know how good they had it”. If you have a problem, be mature and address it with the individual PRIVATELY.
 
5. KEEP YOUR RELATIONSHIP PRIVATE-
No matter what your status is, don’t invite the millions on Facebook in. Single? No need to post every date, every lonely night, or every “wasted outfit.” Courting? Every post doesn’t have to be about how he/she is your sun, moon, and stars! Married? No need to include us in every major decision you make! I’m an advocate for the element of surprise!
 
 
Short and simple, and yet for some, so complicated! Remember, social media is used to help us connect with other people, not burden our fellow followers with our everyday highs and lows. Before hitting “post”, ask yourself “What purpose will this serve?”
XOXO,
Shan
 

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Home

4 Ways To Keep Your Marriage Out Of The Boxing Ring

A couple is fighting on a couch and the girl is pointing her finger accusingly at him.

 
Seeing that we just witnessed the fight of the century, http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12810858/floyd-mayweather-defeats-manny-pacquiao-unanimous-decision, I thought it would be appropriate to address fighting in marriage.
 
When I was a young lad preparing for marriage, I remember reading many articles and chapters in marriage books about fighting. I would read the following quotes and shake my head in disbelief:
 
“Fighting is normal in marriage.”
“There is nothing like fighting and then making up.”
“A marriage that has fights is real, authentic, and puts issues on the table that need to be addressed.”
 
I thought, “Why would anyone want to fight with the wife of their youth?” The dictionary defines fighting as “tending or meant to stir up a fight or hostility.” I know many people hold the opinion that fighting is normal, appropriate, and something that happens in all marriages. But, I did not want to take on that worldview. I did not want to expect that fighting would be normal for my marriage. I decided not to consider ‘stirring up hostility’ a normal ingredient to marriage.
 
So, my wife and I determined 16 years ago that we would not expect fighting to be a part of our marriage. I know this is abnormal advice. Normal advice would tell you that you have to learn to fight fair. Normal advice would tell you that every marriage has fights,i.e. hostility stirred up.
 
My wife and I desired a different way to handle the conflicting ideas and differences of opinions that are normal to every relationship. We wanted to treat each other as we wanted to be treated.
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Here are some ways to have a hostility-free marriage:
1. Bite your tongue
A wise person once said that a great marriage involves people that have a lot of bite-marks on their tongues. During our 2nd year of marriage, my wife hung chimes on our front patio. She thought they sounded wonderful when the wind blew. I thought they were annoying and  was frustrated every time I heard them clanging into each other. Because they brought joy to my wife and because I knew I’d get used to them, I never brought my annoyance up to her. In fact, she will hear about it for the first time when she reads this post. What good would it have done for me to bring it up? In mu point of view, nothing. I knew I would get used to the chimes, and indeed I did.
I have so many examples of this. Better to bite your tongue than comment on the trivial things that could stir up hostility.
 
2. Seek first to understand before being understood
Instead of thinking your spouse is always out to get you or is being selfish, ask them why they are doing what they are doing. Fights often start  because people assume the worst or have inner-dialogues about their spouse that eventually come out in conversation.
 
3. Be kind
My favorite Scripture that gives me guidance in treating my wife is found in Ephesians 4:32–“Be Kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as Jesus has done unto you.” I refuse to have my marriage or household have the atmosphere of a boxing ring. Instead, I am determined for it to be a Kindness ring. Kindness is a fight-extinguisher. It pulls the fuse out of conversations that could otherwise flare into fights. Defer to one another. Listen intently. It’s hard to fight when you want the other to win and thrive. And, make forgiveness a habit in the little disturbances. Digging up past disagreements or failures is a sure way to grow a fight.
 
5. No MSNBC & FOX News moments
If you watch those networks, you’ll believe that if you are a “thinking” person then you will be someone who raises your voice, out talks the other person, calls them names, tries to catch them in a “gotcha moment,” etc. Instead, imagine an interview where there is a true discussion taking place. This means no demeaning or yelling, no twisting words, and  only assuming the best about the other person. In any relationship, you can share your point of view and it doesn’t have to end in you hating each other or inferring the other person is an idiot because they don’t think the way you do. Talk through disagreements, share your heart and feelings, listen and try to understand one another. When you have money problems, you can talk through solutions without passing blame back and forth. When it comes to the kids, you can talk through ideas without inferring your way is better. When it comes to time spent, don’t insinuate that the other person is wasting their time.
 
 
On Friday, May 8th my wife and I will celebrate 16 years of marriage. In those 16 years we have never had what many people would consider a ‘normal’  heated fight full of hostility. We certainly don’t agree on everything and we certainly share our struggles and feelings with each other. But, our discussions are based on kindness, mutual respect, and seeking first to understand before being understood.
I would like to challenge you to reject the notion that you have to fight with your spouse.
You don’t.
Click here for more information on Sex Without Sheets Marriage Conference 2015! Early Bird Rate Ends this week.
 
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Categories
Marriage Parenting

Maybe the Problem is You

Categories
Marriage Parenting

4 Ways to Prophetically Nurture Your Baby During Pregnancy

We are EXPECTING and stoked does not even begin to describe my excitement. However, nervous does not adequately convey my uncertainty either. I’m sure that all parents have felt one or both of these sentiments at some point. So, how do you prepare? How do you get “things in order”? How do I, as a parent, protect, and provide for my child?
 
Before, these questions are answered, The Lord had me think about what kind of child we would have. I don’t mean physical or mental attributes, but spiritually. As prophetic parents, it stands to reason that our seed(s) would operate in the prophetic realm heavily and the Lord has revealed this fact to both me and my wife. Now we all, as followers of Christ, have the spirit of prophecy hovering over us and residing within us (Rev. 19:10), but there are stronger levels of impartation of which my wife and I operate. As such, the question is raised, “What do you do during the prophetic pregnancy?”
 
To be honest, I don’t fully know! I mean, I don’t fully know much about pregnancy period, but the Lord has given me some insight. Here are four insights to help navigate the prophetic pregnancy:
 
1. Fervently, fearlessly, and faithfully pray for and declare Gods word over your child while still in the womb. This may seem basic but the underlying principle is subtle and can be overlooked. Prayer and time with The Father is the first call of the prophetic person. After all, how can you hear from God if you aren’t in dialogue with Him?
Science teaches us that at 18 weeks the baby begins to hear sounds. Providing a sonic fetal environment of prayer and God’s word will help get your child accustomed to praying. It will help him/her to become familiar with the fundamental element of prayer.
*Side note: Fellas, your wife will eat up every moment that you lay hands on her tummy and pray for your child. That is an extraordinarily, intimate moment of bonding between the three of you that your wife will cherish for the rest of her life and your marriage.
 
2. Cover every detail that you can about your child…every detail. Begin to pray over health, wealth, spouse and marriage, grades, athletic prowess, intellectual capacity, serving in the community and Kingdom of God, education, decision making, professional/platonic/romantic relationships, income, career, safety, mobility, biological functions, anatomy, diseases and disorders, and a million more things. Prophetically speak into your child’s life even in the womb! Be detailed. Be specific. Carve out a Godly existence with your words that are backed by scripture and the vision that God has given the family. Speak with authority, conviction, and the Holy Spirit. Even in the womb, call those things that are not (and have not manifested) as though there were!
 
3. Get in the presence of God as much and as often as possible – not just at church and not just quiet time. Take the time out in your home and demonstratively press into the presence of God while you and your spouse are pregnant. Tap into a pure worship where you and your child’s existence is literally in the heart of God!  As a prophetic parent, it’s easy for the prophetic winds to blow and prophecy to take place when God’s presence is high! In His presence, you and your spouse will begin to hear what God has to say and often times you declare the word of the Lord. Guess what, your child hears and experiences this too! This tangible experience and connection will help to cultivate the prophetic gift, God’s love, obedience, Godly fearlessness, and discernment in them.
 
4. Be cautious about allowing anyone to touch your belly! It can mean so much more than just being physically annoying. Everyone is not happy about your pregnancy and the enemy and his camp are surely not pleased with the announcement of another powerful child of God being born into this world. Just like laying on of hands can release blessing, it can also release negativity. Shield your child, yourself, and/or your spouse from any possible negativity releasing where your unborn baby resides.
 
These principles should be applied to all children. However, when you know that the Lord has called your seed to operate heavily in the apostolic and prophetic gifts, these simple steps are key to unlocking their destiny! As parents, we are charged with their protection, provision, and pointing them to the righteousness of God! These four steps are a great start and practice to maintain through the rest of their lives!
 

Categories
Dating/Courting Engaged Marriage

5 Reminders From God To Help You After Arguing With Your Spouse

young couple in conflict, male with a tablet in hands

The other day my wife and I had a disagreement about an issue caused by miscommunication.  In the heat of the moment, we both were very upset with one another and we both made statements that were unnecessary. After I apologized, she forgave me, and she also apologized for her role in the argument, we both looked at each other saying, “What were we even arguing about?”
 
It is so easy to forget things when emotions start raging. My wife and I have made it a rule that after having an argument, we go back to God’s word to refresh ourselves as to why He created marriage. It is these reminders that help us to press pass hard points in our marriage and remember the original purpose of it.
 
Gary Thomas, the author of Sacred Marriage, explains in his book, “God did not create marriage just to give us a pleasant means of repopulating the world and providing a steady societal institution to raise children. He planted marriage among humans as yet another signpost pointing to His own eternal, spiritual existence.”
 
Everything we do is first for the glory of God. He then goes on to say, “How can we use the challenges, joys, struggles and celebrations of marriage to draw close to God? What if God designed marriage to make us both happy and holy?”
 
 
Here is what the bible says about God’s purpose of marriage.

  1. Companionship: “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” (Genesis 2:18, NLT)

 

  1. Godly Children: “Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to your wife of your youth.” (Malachi 2:15, NLT)

 
 

  1. Reflect and Glorify God: “As the scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his Father and Mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.” (Ephesians 5:31-32, NLT)

 
John piper states, “The most ultimate thing we can say about marriage is that it exists for God’s glory. That is, it exists to display God. Now [after looking at the passage in Ephesians] we can see how: Marriage is patterned after Christ’s covenant relationship to the church. And therefore the highest meaning and most ultimate purpose of marriage is to put the covenant relationship of Christ and his church on display. That is why marriage exists.”
 

  1. Sexual Fulfillment: “The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.” (1 Corinthians 7:3-4, NLT)

 

  1. Sanctification: “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot for wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” (Ephesians 5:25-27, NLT)

 
 
“For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24, NLT)
 
Reb Bradley breaks it down so well by saying, “God’s primary intention for marriage, is not what most of us imagine it to be. He has not designed marriage as a place where we can finally try to get our needs met [through a functional purpose or fashioned marriage merely as an illustration]. He has created it as something much better –something far grander than that. God intends to use marriage to accomplish a very important goal – one that is His primary goal for all Christians.”  God’s primary purpose for marriage is to use it to help shape us into the image of His Son. 
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Categories
Engaged Parenting

Six Marriage Lessons Putt-Putt Taught Me

I soared down the highway to my house after work on a Tuesday evening. My wife loaded the minivan with the diaper bag. We loaded our two kids into their car-seats and soared down the highway again. This time, we drove to my parents’ house. Free babysitting!
 
Closing the car doors as we said goodbye to our kids, we maintained our composure. But, as the driver’s side door slammed, we burst into laughter as though we had just escaped from prison! We were going on a date and it had been a long week.
 
As we pulled into the parking lot, we felt like kids again. I aim to be romantic. I love taking my wife to fancy dinners. But, sometimes we just need to play hard! Our date that night was putt-putt golf, and we couldn’t have been more excited!
 
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Putt-putt can be a deeply profound and revealing experience.  As we avoided the puddles, blocks, obstacles, and strove to balance our swing to make it through the loops of the circus-themed putt-putt course, we were amazed by what we learned.
 
Here are six marriage skills I learned from putt-putt:
 
1. Don’t cheer when your spouse fails. 
We wanted one another to make it! Sure, there were friendly jabs and jests as each of us would grunt in frustration over missing the hole, but in all 18 holes, we wanted one another to succeed! When your spouse misses the mark, be their biggest, most vocal cheerleader!
 
2. Give each other do-overs.
The twists and turns of a putt-putt course are purposefully designed to be frustrating. With just the two of us playing, we set one another up for success by allowing “mulligans,” or “do-overs.” In Luke 6:36, Jesus tells us to be merciful. Apply this to marriage.When, not if, one of you misses the mark, offer a merciful, glorious “do-over.”
 
3. Turn off your brain for an evening.
It feels so good to give stress an eviction notice. My wife and I proposed that, for an evening, we would simply be together and not try to figure everything out. Too often husbands and wives engage in “beast mode” and are always taking care of the business of the household instead of focusing on one another.
 
4. Be patient while your spouse triumphs.
Putt-putt and golf in general are patience sports. Watching my wife methodically plot out each stroke of the club was inspiring and insightful into how her mind works.In marriage, be intentional about watching how your spouse navigates life’s demands. Don’t look at your phone and tune out. Celebrate each hole-in-one with your spouse through every season!
 
5. Play together more.
Similar to #3, but still unique. Plan playtime. We didn’t accidentally end up at a putt-putt golf course, I planned an outing that stepped outside of the “thirty-somethings” box and we felt like teenagers dating again!The couple that plays together stays together! Marriages that don’t make time for fun are in danger of taking themselves too seriously. My wife and I agreed that “play dates” are going to become a new norm for our date nights.
 
6. Throw away the score card.
I still have the score card from the first time I ever played putt-putt with my wife. But as a married couple, I threw this one away. Keeping track of our progress was fun, but what we want to remember about our marriage is that we can’t lose when we’re together.
 
 
How do you and your spouse have fun? What do life’s moments reveal about your marriage?
 
Click here to learn more about SWS Conference 2015! 
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Categories
Home Marriage

Interior Decor Inspired by God's Creations

I was inspired by a piece of art that immediately ignited intense feelings of euphoria. While visiting the Houston Museum of Natural Science with my husband, I could not take my eyes off of this piece of petrified wood.
According to Geology.com, Petrified wood is a fossil. It forms when plant material is buried by sediment and protected from decay by oxygen and organisms.

Petrified Wood
I enjoy the beautiful objects that God created and often try to implement natural elements in my home whenever I can. Natural elements remind me of God and how marvelous and amazing He is. Only He could have created something so beautiful like a tree, and then transform it. The tree stump looks like it has no life until a plant is imbedded inside and then He creates this unique art piece.
Nehemiah 9:6 – Thou, [even] thou, [art] LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all [things] that [are] therein, the seas, and all that [is] therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
The bright colored material is hard like stone with rich hues intermixed in a beautiful collage. AHHH! Lord you are so amazing! To see this in person, well it is simply breathtaking. Well, I was so inspired by this art that I decided to design a bedroom for those who appreciate natural elements as much as I do. I used wood, metal, and natural fabrics to create this room. Here is a collage of my ideas, and I even attached some links of the resources for you. ENJOY!!

Modern Masculine Bedroom.001

Agate Sconce
Aged Brass Sconce
Flush Mount
Table Lamp
2 Light Table Lamp

Bed

Pillows

Fabric 1
Fabric 2
Fabric 3
Fabric 4
Fabric 5
Fabric 6

Shanghai Stool
Petrified Wood Table

Petrified Wood Trays

Indigo Geode Print

Cast Iron Hand Sculpture

Brush Sculpture

Metal Shape Sculptures

Dresser

Rugs

Categories
Marriage Parenting

Overcoming the Fear of Motherhood

From the desk of The Modern Day Cindi: I believe the most flattering compliment any woman can receive is about her character and inner beauty. And just the other day a friend of mine told me that I make pregnancy look so beautiful and easy and I chuckled. I think I chuckled because she had no clue about the inward challenges I faced to get to the “beautiful” place she saw me in.
 
It would seem like an easy thing; a natural progression of life for women. We even sing songs about it: “first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage.”  But, that was not my story. Well, in actuality it was, but it definitely was not as effortless as the song. I do know that many people pray for the ability to start a family; but, there are just as many who fear taking that step, and I was one of them. So here is my true Hollywood confession: I never pictured myself pregnant…a mother, yes; but pregnant, no. The 10 months associated with pregnancy seemed, in my eyes, the beginning of a prison sentence and not a time of beauty, blessing, and consecration.
 
The beauty and honor of pregnancy was stolen by what I perceived as an unbalanced ratio of more unwed mothers and too few wives. Now, this is not a shot at single parents; I have nothing but the utmost respect and applaud all single parents, whether it was by choice or not. I also understand that many would love to have a mate or a successful co-parenting/support system that would help balance the responsibility of raising a child. However, as we approach Mother’s Day and I reflect on how being the fruit of such a circumstance affected my views on me becoming a mother and pregnancy, I can say that the fear overcame the favor.
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Now for me, as the fruit of a single parent home, it would seem that being married would help some of those concerns about pregnancy, motherhood, and parenting subside, but it did not. I spent the first few years of my marriage outrunning motherhood. My husband, who was also raised by a single parent, always loved and wanted children. In fact, he probably never considered the depth of some of those fears until he married me. I believe that for the longest time, having a child and raising a child was filed away for him in two separate cabinets. And although we did not subscribe to any particular birth control method, my trepidation spoke heavily enough for the both us and thus influenced our wait and planning of our family.
 
My perceptions of pregnancy and parenting (raising a child alone, the woes of income and the fears of instability) are an unfortunate reality that some families face. My experience had allowed the fear of these not only to fuel my apprehension, but dull my desire to start a family. Not being able to put the reality of my situation in its proper place at one point affected my husband and I moving forward into the next phase of our marriage.
 
So, for those who are faced with similar challenges, here are 5 practical things you can do to overcome the fear of starting a family or becoming a mother:
 
1. Pray and let go: Introspectively search within yourself about what fears are holding you back.
2. Talk and agree: Have the discussion with your spouse about real concerns, fears, how many children, when to start a family, etc.
3. Do it on your time: Don’t allow the pressures of people’s expectations push you into the next stage prematurely.
4. Don’t let your plans trump God’s purpose in your life: plan with God’s purpose in mind and not your own predilections.
5. Rest in God, take care of yourself, and don’t stress: it is amazing what things take place when you allow peace to come in and let all the pressure out.
 
Motherhood and family planning should be an enjoyable time filled with God’s glory. These five steps, before and during the planning of your family, will help to overcome some of the unnecessary fear and anxiety. As you and your spouse begin to discuss and agree, God will honor the rest!
We’re so excited for this years SWS Conference 2015!
Click here for more information on how to reignite the physical intimacy in your marriage! 
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Categories
Dating/Courting Home

One Decision that Could Make Dating A Lot Easier

Guest Writer: Callie Nelsen
 
 
By no means would I consider myself a dating expert.
Over the years, I will say that I’ve learned some important lessons. Like, maybe you shouldn’t allow a guy to use your computer after you’ve been Googling him. Or, don’t leave a guy alone with your friends until you’re in a committed relationship. And, ordering food that can get into your mouth without spilling everywhere or messing up your face is a GREAT decision.
Along with those “extremely important” lessons, the majority of my dating experiences have left me wishing I could somehow convince men to make the decision to communicate intentions.
There is a memory that is forever burned in my mind. I had been driving home after a date and was processing the conversations we had throughout the night.  He told me he was looking for a wife and the next person he was in a committed relationship with was going to be the woman he would marry.  He told me what he was looking for in a wife (I met each criteria…yikes!!). He asked me if I wanted to go on another date. I assumed he was interested, but I’d been in the same situation before and completely misread “the signs.” Not wanting to be fooled again, I kept my guard up.
 
However, before I could pull into my driveway, he called me. After beating around the bush for an hour he told me he really liked me, apologizing for not bringing this up during our date. He explained his intentions even further than what he already mentioned. At that point, I knew exactly what he was thinking, and I felt comfortable explaining my thoughts on the situation.
 
Have you ever been on a boat in the wind? Then, all of a sudden, the wind stops and the boat stops rocking? That’s how I felt. Or when you go through turbulence as you’re flying and it seems like it will never end? Then, when it does, your life feels right again? That’s how I felt. I felt a freedom I had rarely experienced in dating after we had that conversation.
 
When you don’t have to guess, wonder, try to read non-verbal clues, or read into comments that are made, it’s much easier to be yourself, open up, and focus on what God is saying about the relationship. I’ve found that confusions in the early stages of a relationship can create distractions. Distractions can lead to emotional instability. Emotional instability can lead to acting out of character. Acting out of character can lead to not being true to yourself in a relationship. Not being yourself in a relationship can lead to allllll sorts of issues.
Mystery and ambiguity can be exciting, but I’ve found there comes a point when they just lead to problems.
I’m aware this may not apply to everyone and I hope this doesn’t come off as an attack on men. But, in my opinion, a lot of frustrations in relationships stem from a lack of understanding intentions. If I was basing this solely on my own experiences, I don’t think I would feel as strongly.
However, I have seen countless friends trying to navigate new relationships and instead of feeling excited and having fun in the beginning stages, the process is steeped in jealousy, over-analyzing, confusion, and frustration because they don’t know what the other person is thinking.
I also understand that having this conversation is extremely intimidating and even potentially awkward. It’s hard to bring up, and there’s a possibility of getting shot down. I know it puts a lot of pressure on the guy, and may even seem old-fashioned.
But friends, it will do wonders for your relationships and your emotional health.
The relationship I had talked about at the beginning didn’t work out. The details aren’t important, but we both saved so much time and energy throughout the process simply because I knew from the beginning what the relationship was. I never questioned what he was thinking or feeling, and therefore could enjoy getting to know him without the pressures of trying to figure out how to act or what to say.
In conclusion:
Men: I want you to know how valuable describing your intentions will be when you are pursuing a new relationship. Even if you say, “I really don’t know exactly where this is going to go yet, but I do know I enjoy being around you and would like to get to know you better,” I can almost guarantee the girl you’re dating will feel at peace and gain so much respect for you. Girls will be the one to initiate if they have to, but I have to admit – if I were to initiate the conversation I would feel less feminine. I’ve also heard from guys that it can be uncomfortable when girls do this and that it often doesn’t end well. (Again, this is a general statement –  I know this isn’t always the case!)
Ladies: You’re not off the hook! Throughout the beginning stages of a relationship, be respectful and honoring, doing everything you can to create an environment where the guy feels confident in having that conversation. And when he does open up to you, do yourself a favor and open up right back!
 
 
Biography:
Callie Nelsen is a 4th grade teacher, softball and volleyball coach, IEC (international exchange) coordinator, traveler, singer/songwriter, from Lake Crystal – a small town in Southern Minnesota. She has been the worship leader at Abundant Life Church for the past two years and has done some public speaking as well.  She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2010 with a degree in Elementary Education and an emphasis in Spanish and Math.  She also graduated from Bethel School of Worship in 2013.  She released her first CD, ‘In the Sight of You’ in 2013 and is currently working on her second album.
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