When I tell you it is by the grace of God that I am standing here today I do not say it lightly! Since the moment I was born I have been given challenges and obstacles that only God could help me overcome. I was born a twin and we were given away at birth to family who would take responsibility for raising us. Despite this being a difficult experience I believe it was a blessing because I ended up
being raised in a Christian home, which allowed me the opportunity to develop a strong connection and relationship with God at a very young age. I LOVED being in church! However, as I got older my relationship with God became strained as I experienced some life-changing lessons that caused me to doubt my very being. For most of my life I have felt like I just never fit in. Most of the time I really felt like an outcast in every aspect of life – family, work, school, everywhere! However, I believe this was an effect of being given away at birth. Rejection was a big struggle for me. Thus, because I never felt like I truly belonged anywhere I ended up turning into an introvert and distancing myself from others. I did not allow myself to develop meaningful relationships and friendships. However, after graduating high school and dropping out of college, I ended up becoming a single mother at the age of 21. I consider my daughter to be my greatest gift! I absolutely love being a mother! However, life as a single mother was not always easy and challenges continued to present themselves. At one point life became overwhelming and I repeatedly hit rock bottom. I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders and I had nowhere to turn to for help, both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, like many other women, I suffered silently through a deep depression, while also experiencing homelessness. Despite these adversities I never gave up. I had the willpower, strength, and determination to make a better life for my daughter and myself. I used this internal strength and my experience of being an extremely hard and diligent worker to force myself to rethink, reevaluate, and regroup until my entire existence had meaning again. Thankfully, through God’s grace I was able to rise above all the obstacles that came my way. I have always remained God focused and really big on faith. However, as part of my growth process I was able to realize I did not need a church building (going to church) to have a relationship with God. I took a break from that, honestly. This new way of thinking allowed me to draw even closer to God. It was if I found a new intimate relationship with Him. I was blessed to get involved with a church that helped me with my faith walk tremendously! Thus, I firmly believe that all things are possible with Christ! This is why I remain a big believer in having faith in God! After going through so many painful and humbling experiences I now feel that my life is headed in the right direction and I am pregnant with purpose! I have huge goals I have set for myself and I plan to achieve all of them. I was able to achieve my goal of graduating from the New York Theological Seminary with a certificate in Christian Ministry in 2010 but I’m not done yet. At this point in my journey I am eager to continue using the many skills I have of being a graphic designer, writer, and photographer to start a non-profit organization, As a lover of books, I would also love to write a book about my experiences and travel the globe promoting it. Moreover, I consider myself to be a passionate visionary who was able to survive and overcome treacherous conditions through our loving God.
