Come Ye Thankful People

Lite 98 started playing Christmas music this week. I love Christmas music but their playlist is lame and repetitive. Thankfully 100.9 is proving to be a good alternative to the clear channel station.

But I digress (happens a lot).  It's too early for radio Christmas. I won't lie, I've already started to listen to some Christmas CDs on occasion, but I like to take my holidays one at a time.

I'm grateful for a season where we can stop and look at our bountious blessings. I'm grateful for the settlers of Jamestown for stopping to be appreciative for what they had (even though they did a poor job of repaying the locals who helped them survive). Learn your history America, and stop calling the pilgrims thanksgiving the first one.

That being said I'm thankful that I was a history major and got the opportunity to see what REALLY happened instead of what the media tells me.

Sunshine on my Shoulders

I'm thankful for sunny Saturdays when I have the opportunity to do yard work and be productive.

Today I'm grateful for my parents and my sister helping clean up the yard. I have a lot of trees and a lot of leaves so it's not an easy task and I appreciate  the assistance.

And in general I'm thankful for the sunshine, for beautiful light that brightens not only the world but my mood.

Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend

In a conversation about being overworked today a case manager reminded me that all the work I had coming in was job security.

While my job can be intense I'm thankful that I have a solid job in a time when many people don't. In my line of work I'm reminded on a daily basis the struggle it can be to search for a job and been just being out of work.

Having been in that situation myself I'm grateful for my job and the career that it has become.

Free to do what I want

This week I've been reminded of the importance of moral agency.  I'm so grateful that we have the choice to act the way we decide, and that we've been given a moral compass to help us make decisions that help us as humans and children of God.

As more rights are taken away in the form of overbearing popular and/or media opinion, it becomes harder and harder to stand for what we know is right without being attacked.

I'm thankful for the freedoms that I have as an American citizen to worship how I choose and to participate in political discourse without persecution. Well without being criminally persecuted.

All Gave Some, and Some Gave All

On this Veteran's Day I'd like to express my gratitude for all of the veterans who have served and who continue to serve.

Though both my grandfathers served briefly (Army and Marines) I was raised to remember and respect all service members.

Even though it's more along the lines of Memorial Day, I think it's important to recognize the service of all those who have fought and died for a cause they believed was right and protected and advanced our country to give us all the freedoms we have today.

I'm also thankful that I went to a university that has one of the largest corps of cadets, and recognizes the service of its students and alumni.

The picture below is of half the pylons, which sit around a monument essentially in the middle of campus, over top of the War Memorial Chapel.

In the center of the pylons is a memorial for Virginia Tech Medal of Honor recipients.

How May I Help You?

I had to return something at Target and fix an issue with my cartwheel deals. The previous store I went to was not at all helpful, and didn't allow me to get the deals because of an issue with my phone.

So when I went to a different store today the customer service rep was very helpful and even gave me a few dollars extra.

I was stressed and her just doing her job would have been fine, but she was apologetic and polite and made my day all the better.

I'm thankful for good customer service, and people who care about their jobs enough to allow those that they come into contact with to have a good experience.

Bring on the rain

I love the country song Bring on the Rain", especially the line "...And I'm thirsty anyway,  so bring on the rain. "

I'm thankful for the rain. I know it makes for a dreary day and we would all love to stay home in bed, but we need it. In fact it makes our fall colors even more beautiful.

Besides, if it were sunny all the time we wouldn't appreciate those sunny days so much. Overused wisdom aside, it's true and sometimes on wet days we need to be reminded of that.

Sing, sing a song

Tired after a long Sunday and a 2 hour practice, I'm still grateful for the Richmond Mormon Chorale. I'm especially grateful for Arianne and Kristen for conducting and accompanying, respectively.

It's so fun to start singing Christmas songs in September, and listening to so many talented people come together in typically beautiful harmony (hey we all have bad days).

Even though it's hard work, it's rewarding work and I always know it's going to be a great performance when I get emotional hearing the songs in practice.

So a little plug for our concerts:

December 6th, 6:30 pm Richmond
December 13th, 7 pm Chesterfield
December 20th, 7 pm Midlothian
December 21st, TBA Miracle of Christmas Richmond Metro Zoo

There's more to life than football

I'm grateful I watched hardly any college football today.

If you know me well, I promise I'm okay, you don't have to come check on me.
And no, it's not just because the Hokies had a bye, although I would be lying if I said that didn't have anything to do with it.

Regardless, today I'm thankful that I convinced myself it was okay to skip the pivotal games and go out. I missed some crazy finishes but I had a good time and I don't regret anything.

Several years ago I worked Saturdays for a historic site and I couldn't watch any of the day games. I was miserable. So I'm glad that I know I can miss watching the Mountaineers win, miss watching national contenders lose, and not feel like I'm completely missing out.

For those of you who don't experience anxiety, guilt and regret often rule my thoughts. And my cell phone died while I was standing around not doing much so I couldn't even check scores this afternoon while I was waiting on other people. Yet I remained calm and went about my day. Progress, people.

I'm thankful that the Lord helps me shift my focus when I need too, and reminds me I can have more than one good thing going on at one time.

We Are Family

The older I get the more I look forward to Thanksgiving. Sure, the food is great and football is fun, but as my siblings move away it's exciting to get back together as a family.

My sisters came home this weekend and its a brief preview of the upcoming holiday season.  I'm thankful for being part of a big family and for the relationships we maintain.  I'm grateful that for the second year in a row my immediate family will be completely reunited for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In institute last night Sister Sue Miller asked us what our profile picture was on Facebook, and encouraged us to ponder if that picture represented where our heart lies.  Now, my picture is designed to either look creepy or show my 2 year old brother photo bombing my 4 year old self. But regardless my heart is often turned to family,  and I'm glad I live close enough to most of them so we can continue to create strong memories and photos where we all look at different cameras.

Home Sweet Home

When I bought my first financed car I had nightmares that people crashed into it, as I had to park in the road.  I learned what it meant to have buyer's remorse.

For years I lived in apartments where I could hear everything. I lived next to neighbors who thought they needed to create a club environment in their home. I hauled furniture up flights of stairs and down sidewalks. I moved 9 times in 10 years.

I decided to purchase a house last year for a myriad of reasons, and after months of searching I made the next major adult step in my life. A single friend of mine told me it was hard for her to sign the papers on her own, and I'm grateful that for once in my life that didn't bother me.

I can honestly say, 1 year and 3 days after moving into my own house, I have never had one episode of buyers remorse. Not even a twinge when I received a $600 power bill. Sure I was devastated and pissed, but I didn't regret becoming a homeowner.

Today I want to share my gratitude for my house and the opportunity I have to live here.  More often than not a swell of pride comes over me as I pull in the drive and unlock the front door. I feel a sense of accomplishment and safety.

I realize that I have an incredible blessing that many don't have and may never have and I'm thankful for the shelter, the warmth, the protection, and the peace my home provides.

Sweet Virginia Breeze

This is gonna be a short one since I'm tired.  But today is a good day to step back and be thankful since I found a lot to complain about and I let a lot of things get to me.

So while today was rough, the day itself was actually gorgeous. Beautiful blue sky, nice weather, and if course the leaves.  I had the chance to visit Utah Valley and Portland, Oregon in the fall a few years ago and boy did I figure out what I was missing. Never again will I take the overpowering beauty of fall in the east for granted. And of course since I'm from Virginia I'm kinda partial to the view here.

I went looking for pictures and probably spent more time doing that than writing, but oh well, enjoy my random Virginia fall pictures from over the years

.

El segundo día

I'm glad I decided to challenge myself and that I'm competitive enough to want to WIN (against myself?) because I didn't really feel like posting.

Recent events and changes at work have put my office into a weird place and its been a challenge to come home in a good head space. I enjoy my job and the majority of my clients but I have an emotionally draining caseload and any added stress (to the normal high level of stress that comes with my position) can send me over the top.

Today, and everyday, I am grateful for so many my co-workers. I'm grateful for the people I've been able to work under and the support staff that have been so....supportive (seriously I couldn't think of a better way to say that).

I feel so fortunate to work in an environment where everyone is seen as an equal, where we do our best to work as a team.  I'm thankful for a cohesive unit where we mostly lift up instead of tear down, and are silly enough to make the time go quicker and the hard days bearable.

I am grateful for the many co-workers, past and present (and given the number of current vacancies hopefully future!) who take the time to listen when I need to vent, give sound advice, and remember the little things I would never expect.

It's not all kumbaya and sunshine and rainbows, but honestly that would be annoying. Because life can be hard.  Our jobs are often hard.  But they're a whole lot better when there's good people around.

On the First Day of November....

I promise y'all blogging has been on my mind.  There are so many things I want to say and yet I feel like I don't know how to form my ideas in coherent, succinct posts.

I also have struggled with how much to share and how to get my point across without revealing information I want to keep personal.  There are so many things that I try and process every day that I know others experience as well; I can't tell you how many times a client will tell me something they are going through and I think (never say) "If you only knew how much I empathize with that".

So please bear with me as I work on creating the messages I want to share.  In the meantime, in order to force myself to post more, I'm going to do my 30 day Gratitude challenge on here, and try to incorporate some of my thoughts into what I'm grateful for.

Today, I am grateful for...gratitude.  Yup, you read that right. 

 I'm grateful for all those who have challenged me to keep a gratitude journal, who have kept me grounded in all that I have.

I'm grateful for people who regularly use "thank you" and recognize the importance of being kind even through the little things in life.

I'm grateful for President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk  Grateful In Any Circumstances and the reminder that gratitude is not an attitude that should only be utilized in the good times.

I'm grateful for Corrie ten Boom and her book "The Hiding Place", and her continuous example of a real person struggling through unimaginable horrors who came out with peace in her heart.  In my opinion one of the best examples of real gratitude comes from her, and stay tuned; it'll be one of my upcoming posts!

I'm grateful for the role expressing gratitude everyday and keeping a gratitude journal plays in positive psychology.  My favorite resource on this is Shawn Achor, particularly in his book "The Happiness Advantage".  Part of this strategy is writing a thank you email to someone you work every morning.  I've always liked this but never tried it, so I'll be starting tomorrow morning :)

As I go through this month I'll also try and update you on how improving my attitude of gratitude helps me, and my experiences practicing being a more grateful person.  Feel free to share any of you experiences as well!

My Life Flows On In Endless Song

I fell in love with the song "How Can I Keep From Singing?" the very first time I heard it.  The tune is beautiful, the words are meaningful, and the harmonies blend magnificently.  I've been pondering on it for a while now, singing it to myself often after I decided to use the first line as a wall hanging above my piano.

Often I think of the title as a moment of rejoicing; it reminds me of Psalms 8:3:

           When I consider the heavens, the works of thy fingers....

Or the words to "How Great Thou Art".  We're told in the scriptures that singing is a form of praise, and the title of the song seems to suggest that we should always be ready to sing praises of happiness.  Well, technically we should.  But it's hard.  And then I really read through the words, and I realized that isn't necessarily the message.  Our life isn’t the same song; the music will be different depending on our moods, our situations, our trials, our triumphs. 

My life flows on in endless song;

I was on vacation last week in the mountains along the New River.  Rocking slowly, sheltered by a wrap-around porch, my whole body seemed in tune with the natural symphony around me.  Crickets chirped in cadence with the sweet chaos of unique bird song, the river rushed against the rocks, and cicadas buzzed intermittently in a slow sforzando.  The song of that moment was overwhelming peaceful, the kind of peaceful that you want to capture in a bottle and be able to open at will. 

Above earth's lamentation,

But here, in the second line of the song, the lyricist acknowledges the fact that life is hard.  The world can be a terrible place.

I hear the sweet, tho' far-off hymn

That hails a new creation;

And often the music of our life has stopped being a hymn, has become a discordant mess that pushes the Spirit away, and then we can hear, if we are silent, still, and listen closely, that there is a hymn back there.  We can hear the hymn of the Gospel; and it is the sweetest, most reassuring sound we can imagine.

Thro' all the tumult and the strife

I hear the music ringing;

I am reminded of “Silent Night” wafting over Flanders during World War I in German and English, and of the personal motivational songs we cling to, trying to overpower our bad moments.

It finds an echo in my soul—

How can I keep from singing?

What a tender expression!  Our souls, longing for an unknown song we want to sing, resonate with music meant just for us.

What tho' my joys and comforts die?

The Lord my Saviour liveth;

What tho' the darkness gather round?

Songs in the night he giveth.

I felt this last night, as I tossed and turned until almost 3 am.  Exhausted, uncomfortable, stressed about the next day, it was a minor setback in my life.  But in the moment it seemed interminable.  And I was going to let it ruin my sabbath.  In this case I used an actual song and turned Bing Crosby singing Irish Lullaby on repeat.

No storm can shake my inmost calm

While to that refuge clinging;

I picture Peter on the water, panicking as the sea rose around him, the Lord reaching out to him.  Peter is my favorite apostle because he was so human.  He is the example of what so many of us would do, and I vividly imagine crushing waves and thunder piercing his faith to the point his inmost calm is gone, his only refuge the Savior.  How often do we allow our inmost calm to be shaken?  Maybe if we can better recognize the endless songs in our life that refuge will be easier to cling to.

Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,

How can I keep from singing?

I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;

I see the blue above it;

And day by day this pathway smooths,

Since first I learned to love it,

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,

A fountain ever springing;

My heart swells even recalling this phrase, and tears prick my eyes.  In my favorite version of this piece this line is four part women’s harmony, and for a moment I can fathom the everlasting serenity that our Savior can provide.

All things are mine since I am his—

How can I keep from singing?

I love this ending, as it encompasses our role in the eternities, and the covenant we have entered into that as his children we can inherit all that is his, if we live worthy.

I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father, who loves me and I love him.  With the wonders of the world around me day to day, I need but look for them, seek them out. 

Since Christ is Lord of Heaven and Earth, How Can I Keep From Singing? 

Everybody Talks, Babe

We've all heard the cliches: 

"Actions speak louder than words."

"Do as I say not as I do."

"You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?" 

I've been processing for awhile how I was going to compile my thoughts for this next post.  And if you know me well enough or have anxiety you understand what a challenging task that is.  Half the time I can't even finish my sentence before a new thought pops in, and even when I'm not talking there's usually a song, a movie quote, a memory, a worry, AND a nagging concern swirling through my head at once, whether I'm occupied or not.  I say that because it pretty well describes the ideas I've had about this post.  

Yesterday I was a bit out of it at work, didn't get enough sleep and had a long very busy week.  At one point, after mixing up names about 9 times during one supposedly brief explanation, my coworker told me to think before I talked anymore.  He said it with kindness, and it was interesting to think about it from that perspective.  Usually it's said because you're being mean or inappropriate.  But there's a lot of gray area in life.  So maybe I should think more before I talk to avoid being offensive or insensitive to others.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not PC nor will I ever be, and I don't believe in tiptoeing around the truth. 

However there's a lot to be said for considering your audience when you speak.  Or considering whether or not you have all the facts.  To make a point to the former: it may not be a good idea to complain how about exhausted your kids make you to someone struggling with fertility problems. Continuing with that it may not be a good idea to comment on someones family planning choices when you don't know if they've struggled with fertility problems or have other concerns before they start their family.  Even when you may think you have all the facts, there are still feelings, and requirements, and all kinds of grayish things that cloud what appears to be a clear picture.

For instance, marriage.  (Admit it, you were waiting for me to comment on that).  

I want to clarify before I share this that I have forgiven the woman for saying this, and I appreciate what she has done and continues to do, although I now choose not to discuss my personal life in any way shape or form with this individual (you live, you learn).  

A few years ago I was still serving in the Oak Grove Branch, and I had 4 callings.  I was in graduate school full time and still working full time.  Yes it was hard, but honestly I function better when I'm busy; it distracts me and let's be honest, when you don't have a family of your own you have a lot more free time.  I ran into this Sister after Sacrament Meeting in my parents ward when I was visiting one Sunday.  She's of a more "mature" age and taught me when I was younger, so she did the normal (well southern normal) thing and asked me how I was and what I was up to.  I responded honestly with the things listed above, to which she replied "I guess you're just too busy to get married!"

Wow!  That's it!  I'm so glad you told me that, now I will stop educating myself and supporting myself financially and serving the Lord so much so I can devote my life to singles functions!  

No I didn't say that.  I also didn't say, which I'm ashamed to admit entered my mind, "at least I'm active in church, unlike 3/4ths of your children".  Luckily, in this case, I did think before I talked.  In fact I thought so long that she smiled and walked away, probably thinking she had changed my life for the better.  In a way, she did.  Oh, I was pissed for awhile, but now I laugh when I tell that story because it's just so, well, stupid.

 What's particularly stupid about this situation is that I had included my church callings.  President Gordon B. Hinckley passed along his father's advice to forget yourself and go to work.  And I'm pretty sure we've been told the Lord doesn't give us more than we can handle.  Which in my case sometimes consists of people saying condescending things about my love life or lack thereof.  

But what about actions?  In this case I truly feel like my actions justified me more than any words I could have said, and maybe I was given a stupor of thought so I didn't add to the ignorance of the conversation.  This woman's actions in her life should speak louder than words, and I've been able to let go because I know her words were not intended to hurt, and her perspective is naive.

In fact a lot of perspectives are naive.  The growing trend of single men and women in the church is alarming.  And the differences in gender are staggering:  I attended a Singles Conference last fall where there were 400 women and 100 men.  That's 4:1 people!  A friend of mine stated afterward that she was disheartened, and concerned about how she could ever get married.  And those thoughts are very real.  

So we KNOW it's hard.  And we struggle with with constantly hearing the family mentioned.  But I don't think we need to talk about the family less, and I'm not so vain to think that only my needs should be mentioned at church.  I do, however, think we shouldn't just be a side bar, which often happens. 

Think about what you say.  One of the most annoying posts I regularly find on Facebook starts with "to all you moms out there".  Now sometimes it makes sense; breast feeding is not something I have experience with.  But sometimes it's not necessary; many of us childless people have some pretty significant experience with children and may have tips.  And sometimes it doesn't even make sense, like the one I saw the other day about cleaning.  CLEANING.  I think they should have said to all you "women" out there and gotten a bunch of feminists in a tizzy.

When I see a post that starts that way, even if I have a comment, I don't leave one.  Because I know myself well enough to know that I might say something snide, and I'm also childish enough to think that if you don't think my opinion is good enough you aren't going to get it.  

And then there are actions.  I can't tell you how many things I don't know about because I don't go to playgroup.  It sucks how many baby showers I've been left out of, how many gatherings I don't get invited to, all because I don't have the same situation someone else does.  The other day I heard someone talking about the people that lived in my area in the ward and I wasn't even mentioned. To be vague, let's just say this person is very very aware of where I live. 

I do have friends and acquaintances who frequently invite me to things, and put up with my being too busy to attend sometimes, and I sincerely appreciate their outreach and thoughtfulness.  What's interesting though, is that the majority of those people are not currently married, or were single later in life, or struggled to have children if they have them now.

There's also the complaining, my other least favorite thing on Facebook.  I'm fortunate enough to have been on Facebook since it started with colleges over 10 years ago, and so I have been there done that with whining and passive aggressive posts.  Now, when I have those thoughts, I just post them in my head.  

If you are complaining about your husband, STOP IT.   You have one.  Be thankful, and work out your issues in private.  I can recommend some good counselors if you need one.  

If you are complaining about you children, STOP IT.  You have them!  Be thankful, and deal with your anger in private.  Again, I know counselors.  

Here's another area that pops up constantly, and I'm trying to write this with love, because I truly don't want to offend anyone.  I'm not sure how else to say though because I'm too chicken to say anything in person.  There are a lot of women I know, friends I have, church members, etc., where I have offered to watch their kids, give rides to their kids, watch their houses, give them rides to the airport, et cetera et cetera, where I never get taken up on it.  And then it comes on Facebook, or the mother vents about needing a break.  Hey, I offered.

I want you mothers to know the other side of this.  I want you to know how hard it is not to have your own children.  I want you to know how much it means to be a part of a child's life.  I want you to know how much it means to be able to serve someone else, to forget yourself for awhile.  You have a joy in your life you may not always see that some of us don't have.  And maybe it is too much to ask that you share your children with us, and that's up to you.

But think about your words.  

Are you complaining about something that someone has offered to help you on?  

Do you have all the facts of the situation?  Do you know why someone is in the position they're in?

Do you talk to women who aren't mothers?  Do you invite them to be part of your life?

I was talking to someone a few months ago who said they didn't like being in her ward as much now because there were not enough women with children her kids age in the same area she lives, where their husbands did what her husband did.

Luckily this is another time I knew better than to speak and kept my mouth shut, although I  was too surprised not to hide my incredulity.

I'm trying to work on what I say, and make sure I back up my words.  I wanted to share this with you today so you can hear a different perspective, one that doesn't get shared much in our culture.

Everybody talks, but lets be the people that act, too.

The Not-So-Lost Sheep

The Not-So-Lost Sheep

Sometimes things just speak to us, and I feel like "elevenoclockish" pretty much sums up the way I feel.  I'm happy in my life, but I often get caught in what I don't have, and certainly look forward to having my "lunch", or the next steps in life.  And so one day last winter I had an epiphany about what it means to be lost, and how sometimes we're not lost when we think we are.

I was on my way to my uncle's farm from my grandparents after Christmas to do some target practice.  I was driving and had the usual doubts about where the turn is off the highway.  The turn off is near Stuart Land and Cattle, but that's a pretty wide area, and I picked the wrong road.  Well, not necessarily the wrong road, as they're all connected, but not the shortest route.  I had told my uncle I would be there at a certain time, and since he loves to tease I could hear him laughing at me already for being lost.  But as always I want to be right, and I was thinking up my argument, that I wasn't lost, I just wasn't where I wanted to be.  I swear there was a light bulb over my head; this is the perfect metaphor for my life!  

I'm not lost.  I know who I am, I know God's plan, I try and follow Him in faith.  I have a good job, a good education, good friends.  I bought my own house before I turned 30, I've paid off my car, my health is decent enough.  I enjoy my callings, my coworkers, and I get to spend a lot of time with my family.  Honestly I could go on for awhile about all the good things in my life.

But being happy with life is not the same as knowing where you are, and it's taken me a long time to figure that out.  I'm not where I want to be, and I can't change that right now.  I can't make a husband magically appear, I can't snap my fingers and give myself a child, and I may not live in the area I've always wanted to.  And yet I'm on the right path.  I'm on a road that might take longer and have a lot of different turns then I was expecting, but I'm still on the right road!

So no, I'm not where most of the people are in my ward.  Yes, I still live in Chesterfield County.  Sure, my biological clock is making that ticking sound you hear right before a bomb goes off.  I'll still continue to get pangs of sadness when I see a couple holding hands; I'll still feel the ache of longing to be a mother, but as long as I stay on the right path, I'm not lost.  Michael Buble tells us that, but most important our Heavenly Father tells us that.  He's promised that we can always have His Spirit to be with us as we keep our covenants.  

I tell you this because for those of you who are in the same boat I am in, all is not lost!  Your'e not lost!  I told a client one time that a lot of people were in the same boat he was in, and he promptly told me that he wanted to get off that boat.  I can relate to that.

And if you're not in my boat, maybe you can get a little more insight into what we single LDS people go through.  Maybe you can understand why many of us women work and have careers, get more education; that we're not putting things off, we're just not there yet.

I promise, we're not all lost!

So this is it.  I've finally started this blog, after creating the page months ago.  And the first thing I did was dangle a participle.
That's okay, I'm sure I'm not the only one who does it. Maybe that will make you more comfortable reading it.  The blog being it.  Enough of that.

I don't have any cool kid stories.  I'm not a cool kid nor do I have any.  I'm not fashionable enough to show style and my craft creations are slight variations of what I find on Pinterest.  Being single my dinners usually consist of the quickest meals, which if I have something to do that night could possibly be cereal.  I don't take pictures of people very often, mostly just landscapes or old stuff.  I'm not in primary anymore so I don't have neat examples of lessons, and in young women's sometimes I feel like I'm just trying to keep my head above water.

You may be wondering then why I decided to write a blog.  Well, for a different form of journaling I suppose, but I've invited the general public to read this part of my life because there are some things I can offer a bit of a different perspective on.

So if this were AA, and since we all need some kind of recovery at some point in our lives, I'm going to pretend like it is, I would introduce myself in this fashion:

My name is Rebecca, and I'm a single Mormon.

But that's not what this blog is about.  It's just part of who I am, and it will creep up now and then.  I do have a myriad of thoughts on the topic but I'm not sure I'd have any married mom friends at church anymore if I wrote an entire post on the subject, but you will see it mentioned.  

In fact there are several things that may be helpful for you to know about me: 

I'm a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (type that five times fast, I'm pretty sure I misspell it all the time on my letters to my clients) which means that I help people with disabilities find work.

My specialty is in Serious Mental Illness and Intellectual Disabilities.  I'm very passionate about mental health and respect for those who have mental health issues.

I love Music and have had a calling in some music role pretty much since I was 12 years old, with a few months of break in between where I was still doing something music related.

I play the piano and try to sing.

I have severe anxiety, and I have depression.  I take medications that help but have some annoying side affects.  

My bachelor's is in History with a minor in Appalachian studies.  I love the mountains and would rather be in Southwest Virginia than anywhere else on earth.

I got my master's from West Virginia University and my bachelor's from Virginia Tech and I love both schools, but I will always be a Hokie.  In addition to coming from a Hokie family, I was at Virginia Tech during the April 16 massacre, which has strengthened my connection to VT even more.  

I love sports, especially college football and NASCAR, along with baseball, college basketball, and soccer.

I'm very involved politically and follow current events closely.

I have a cat that thinks he is a dog.  He fetches, loves water, and likes to snuggle.

I come from a big family with 6 kids, 5 living.  

And last but but most importantly, I have a testimony of Jesus Christ, I know that he lives, and my religion and my spirituality are the most important thing in my life.