About Us

Our Story

In 2018, I was working 2 jobs 16 hour days, living in Columbus, Ohio with my boyfriend at the time and our one year old daughter. Previously, I was working as a Domestic Violence Group Therapist, but to be honest, I had been going through the motions for quite a while. I resigned from that job and started working as a residential therapist for youth and a manager at a fish spa. I know what you're thinking, "Fish spa?! Where is this going...?!" But hold on tight, it's going to be a fun ride. :) 

The Awakening-- Around the time I started working at the fish spa, I was in a pretty dark place. Along with my jobs, I was in the process of obtaining my masters degree in the field of social work. I was the type of person who did all of the things and tried to be there for everyone but didn't really focus on myself and my relationship with my partner. In my effort to control my environment, I started working out. ALL OF THE TIME. I got a membership to the new LA Fitness next to one of my jobs and worked out every day in between my job schedules. I was drinking protein shakes and hitting the gym HARD.  As I continued on my journey of regaining control in my life through sweat and an Herbal Life subscription, I struggled in the gym too. I was hyperaware to everyone and everything so I tried something different. I started working out in the dark. You see, this particular gym had a theater in it where they played a different movie on repeat every day. In the theater room, you were able to do cardio and abs without anyone watching you. This was a great hiding place for me. A place where I felt covered and safe by the darkness. A darkness I was already too familiar with. One I had learned to "navigate" in. I started seeing results with my body, working out with other people. I was bringing them into my dark space and helping them find comfort in hiding too. I thought I was doing what I was supposed to do. Hold that thought. 

The Conflicted Destiny-- I invited God into my life at the ripe age of 7. This was the day I first made the decision to get baptized. It was the year 2000. Y2K. My mother was getting baptized again and I remember taking a class with other youth and getting baptized along side of her. I didn't understand what that meant at the time and I honestly think that 50% of my decision for being baptized was because my mother wanted me to do it with her. My point is, God wasn't new to me and I had been going to church since before I walk; however, I didn't know that he saw me and that we had personal relationship until college but that's a different story for another day. Back to 2018...

March of 2018... I was in the beginning stages of figuring out my daughter and I's escape plan because I had decided that I didn't want to be with her father anymore. We had been co-existing for a year now and I was just unhappy. I realized my working out was due to the fact that I didn't want to be home in the darkness that I was living in. So naturally, I traded one dark place for another. Makes sense right? Wrong. I love the phrase, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans" because he had a plan for me and I didn't see it coming. Around late April, early May I was laying in bed with my partner and he asked me what I thought about California. I loved California! I had always pictured living there again since we moved from there when I was a young child. I shared that sentiment with him, but I conveniently left out the part where he wasn't a part of my master plan. He continued to tell me about an anonymous text he had gotten about a job opening at UCLA. I told him he should apply. After all, it was only right that we both find our happy place. Mine was that dark room I was telling you about in the gym where I could hide and his would be in bright and sunny California where everyone is under a microscope. By now you should know which place I was choosing. Obviously the gym!

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Anyway, He applied that week in April and found out that he got the job in late June. The only catch is that he wanted me to go with him. I was highly confused because I thought God and I had had a conversation about me having a great time working with my youth, managing my spa, and watching movies at gym. God was obviously cracking up because he had a completely different plan in mind. Long story short, after a lot of prayer, meetings with my therapist, and conversations with my boyfriend, I decided that my daughter and I would move, too. I remember being upset with God about moving because he was pushing out of my comfort zone but I remember feeling like this was the right thing to do. 

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The Inner Voice-- It's game time. Moving day and everything is packed up. We visited California for a week before we headed there for good so that we could find an apartment. During that visit we sat in an apartment building and I heard God tell me that we were going to live in a 2 bedroom apartment there; however, when we applied, we got denied. I was really upset with God at this point but kept submitting applications to other apartments. Maybe I didn't hear him correctly. We had a lot of housing prospects that looked promising so I hopped on the road with my one year old in tow with no job, no apartment, and a man I wasn't sure about. I was still in my masters program though! How's that for stability?! I didn't know why I felt convicted to continue down this path but for some reason I found comfort in the uncertainty. It felt like the right thing to do. About 4 hours outside of LA, I received a call from a place of employment asking if I had arrived in CA yet and when I could interview. I was relieved, but we still hadn't heard from a place to live. We were able to stay with a friend the first night and we stayed in university housing for exactly 3 days before it dawned on me to apply for that apartment that God told me about again. Only this time, we applied with additional help. We got approved within hours. That was the first time I vividly heard God speak to me and he didn't steer me wrong. He taught me two things: 

1. I will never fail you because my word is true.

2. You can't do everything alone. It's okay to ask for help. 

Ooof! What a difficult lesson to learn at the ripe age of 24.

The Changed Heart--The second we got to California, I could feel my heart changing. I know that sounds crazy but if you ever experience something like this, you will know that God is real for sure. Shortly after we arrived, I had experienced a chemical pregnancy. It shook me, especially because it was my second miscarriage. Like the first one I had, God was trying to tell me something. I realized that I no longer felt okay to be living with my boyfriend without us having a serious conversation about our relationship and where it was headed. I had heard God's voice and never wanted to turn back from that.

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In the course of the rest of 2018, I got a new job and got married to my now husband. God opened the flood gates to my heart. I was no longer finding comfort in the same darkness that held me before. "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness." (John 12:46, NIV) Man did that hit home. the following year we had our 3rd child, my second baby, and God tore us apart, broke us down, and built us back up. I have already shared so much so I won't go on about the ways that he did that, but let's just say he was ON IT! 

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The Guiding Light-- Shortly after the birth of our 2nd daughter, I told my husband that I wanted to find a church home. He was all for it! So naturally, I googled "non-denominational churches in the area" and landed on a place called Oasis Church. We attended service the Sunday after our one year anniversary of marriage. God welcomed us with open arms. We attended Growth Track the following weekend for the month, met some amazing people, and embarked on a new journey with God in the center of it all. God had done so many things! My husband got a new job at LMU and became an Associate director and is now working toward getting his doctorate in education. God told me to put my masters in social work program on hold with 5 classes left and apply to seminary school. After a long stubborn and procrastinated discussion, God convinced me that this was the right thing to do and man was he right! I have not felt this level of genuine comfort in my life. I'm not talking about the false comfort that I found in the gym. But about that gym, God showed me my ability to lead people way before I was called to ministry. Remember those people that I told you I was bringing with me to the gym, in my darkness? God said, "Daughter, I need you to use that same energy, to bring them to my light. I need you to tell them about your story of false comfort and tell them that I have something waiting for them, too. That I will never leave or forsake them." Everything that God does is so intentional. He is amazing and consistently there for you when you need him. Whether you believe you need him or not. My journey with God is not over and as many of you know, it is not easy. He is the potter and I am the clay that is ready for molding. I am constantly being broken down and built back up to become the wonderful piece of art that God declared I would be. 

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This was the beginning of my walk, LET US HELP YOU START YOURS!