I grew up in rural Southwest Missouri, where I spent my childhood on a 40-acre farm. It was a life filled with morel mushroom hunting, four-wheeling, tadpole catching, grapevine swinging (to varying degrees of success), and raising chickens. Nature was my playground, and I loved every minute of it! But when my family moved into town, that love for the outdoors started to fade.

I discovered my love for writing in elementary school and even won a few school competitions. But after my first taste of rejection in sixth grade, my 12-year-old ego took a hit, and I gave up my dream of being an author. Little did I know, God had other plans for me!

Growing up in a Christian home with divorced parents meant I bounced between different churches every weekend. My understanding of the Bible was a bit like Swiss cheese—lots of holes. As a teenager and young adult, I struggled to find a church where I felt truly connected because I was embarrassed by how much I didn’t know about the Bible.

That all changed when I became a mom! After my daughter was born, I felt a deep desire to build a strong spiritual foundation for our family. We found a church that felt like home, and that was the beginning of my faith journey really taking root.

In 2021, shortly after my baptism, God placed a calling on our family’s heart to start a homestead. The idea was to provide for our family and also serve others in our community, especially those in need. It was a big leap of faith, but we’re embracing the journey!

It was also in 2021 that I saw a gap in Christian children’s books—especially ones that helped kids not just memorize the fruits of the Spirit, but understand how to live them out. That’s when I felt God leading me to write stories that would help young children experience and practice their faith in a real, tangible way.