daughter
I became a follower of Jesus at the age of three when dear Mr. Meissner shared the gospel with me after Sunday School. I didn’t have a deep understanding then, but I believed that Jesus loved me, that he died for my sins, and that he wanted me to be reunited with him forever. I became a daughter of God then and there—chosen, adopted, fully forgiven, redeemed, beloved, and safe in my Father’s strong arms.
I’m also a daughter of earthly parents. My mom and dad divorced when I was in my early 20s, and I struggled to know how to honor them in light of all that had occurred. God graciously led me to a church where I learned that the gospel—the good news that Jesus died for our sins—wasn’t just for my initial salvation. It applied to every area of my life—including my relationship with my parents! God began to show me how I could forgive them because Christ had first forgiven me, how I could love them because Christ had first loved me, and how I could honor them because Christ had first honored me.
God used the practice of praying scripture for my parents to soften my heart towards them and to help me see them through his eyes. I felt great freedom in knowing that I was praying his will for them and not my own. God has since given me a strong desire to help other adult children honor their parents by giving them weight in their own prayer lives.
wife and mom
I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Dan, for eleven years. He is God’s greatest gift to me this side of heaven, and I affectionately refer to him as my compass—always pointing me “due Christ.” I’m also mom to three wild and wonderful boys and a precious little girl. We’re grateful to be a part of CrossWay Community Church in Bristol, Wisconsin.
Writer and teacher
Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, forever, I am.—Fanny J. Crosby
I love to proclaim God’s most marvelous work of redemption to others through writing and teaching. I’m the author of 5 Things to Pray for Your Parents: Prayers That Change Things for An Older Generation (The Good Book Company). I’ve also written for online publications like Desiring God, Risen Motherhood, and The Gospel Coalition. In all my writing, I try to help readers “see what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1).
Teaching God’s word to women in local churches is dear to my heart. I especially enjoy teaching women’s Bible study and serving on the women’s ministry team at my own church.
my favorite verse
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are…
1 John 3:1