A Little More About the Author of "The Something Shiney Journey"

Who I was Before 

It is difficult to describe the woman, girl, or child I was before meeting Him. She is a distant form of myself. She is like someone I once knew but will never know again and will never forget; which is why I poetically write about her in the third person. Her sadness came from the deepest wells of despair. The blankness of her stare could not touch the bottomless pit of nothingness which was all she could feel. Moments that felt like lifetimes would come crashing in on her mind as she desperately tried to stop herself from drowning out the pain of her past with the pain of her present.  She had carried her abusers from her childhood into her bedroom and died daily, to the black whole that had become her soul. 

1. Me at 4 and my little brother Mikey at 1 2. Jessica and Mikey 3. Mikey 4. Me at five 5. Shelton and Karen 6. Mom in her Twenties 7. Me at ten years old 8. Mom at 48 9. Karen, Me, and Shelton around the time my dad met us 10. Mikey, Shelton, Karen, Grandpa, Jessica, and Me 11. Aunt Carol and Uncle Mark NOTE: Baby Sister is not posted in these photos

Who I am Today

Today, I am a mother of four beautiful children. The oldest child I gave up for adoption when he was born. However, recently God reunited us and we are continuing to learn how to build a relationship. My second oldest son lives in NC working hard at building his dreams. I am very proud of his hard work and dedication.  Throughout his life I centered most of my decision making around protecting him from me. I wanted desperately for him to have what I thought was normal.We have a fun loving relationship and I love being his mom.  I try to love them both the best I know how today and continue to look forward to an amazing future with both of them.

The two youngest live with my husband and I in Florida. I love being a mom to my children. I am learning how to be a present parent, a loving mother, and a dedicated and honoring wife; to love all the ups and downs, laundry, making dinner, getting ready for school and the list goes on. My children teach me so much about life . They teach me how to care for others and love from a pure place, and how to be present every moment of every day. I marvel at the works of their hands and love each of them to the best of my ability today. I am enjoying the journey of learning what it means to be perfected in Christ. A perfection that I have found in the truth of God's word, a very personal relationship with the Savior, and the guidance of knowing a loving teacher, the Holy Spirit.

I have a large extended family and with a large extended family it takes an immeasurable amount of grace to love one another. I am in the process of learning to love each of them grace “fully.” This kind of love allows them to be who they are and allows me to be who I am in a whirl wind of different personalities and a whole lot of dysfunction; we still say our family motto is we put the “fun” in “dys”fun”ctional.

Today, I have a pretty ordinary life. I am a wife, a mother, a sister, an Aunt, a co-worker, and a friend. Much like every woman I know. The best part is my God knows how to make the everyday ordinary be transformed into the extraordinary! I am learning how to to let God lead and become a master at obeying him. I use to think God had saved me from some wretched relationship I was in but I was wrong, He saved me from myself and continues to do so everyday. 

Photos from the SOMETHING SHINEY JOURNEY

My story is His Story in my life. Jesus broke me open and poured His Love inside of me. Filling every empty space with self worth and value, something I didn’t know was missing. When you’ve never had something how do you recognize its missing? You can’t until its given to you. There are things the Lord wants to give you that you never even knew was missing. He gave me a miracle that happened inside my soul and He wants to do the same for you!

1. Mermaid Stomping Grounds 2. Switching Places 3. Tasting a Cloud 4. Yellow Coffee House 5. Middle of Nowhere 6. My first Drink 7. Tundra 11. Me and Dad 30-33. Map cover Mountains 34. Dad and Brothers 35. Dad’s Baby Brother and Family 36. Returning Home

A very special thanks to my daddy'o, Michael R. Myers,  for taking some amazing pictures with a three dollar disposable camera and for traveling across country on this forty day Journey; but not only for this trip. Thank you for sharing this lifelong journey with a bright eyed little girl who needed to know what it means to have a father's love! 

God knew, even way back then, when we first met and my little arms could barely reach the bottom of that coke bottle, exactly what I needed long before I ever knew the entirety of His Plans.... and He Still Does....