How God Prepares You for Your Destiny


"You can’t come in. No entrance for you. You aren’t good enough."

It was 1949 and my mom was in labor. My dad, a student at the University of Oregon, had been making weekly payments on the bill. Back then, with no insurance, you paid off your bill for maternity care before the birth. But I was six weeks early. When we got to the hospital, we were denied entrance. My mom sat in a wheelchair in the lobby while my dad phoned a friend and borrowed money. I don’t know if my parents tossed up a prayer, but I’ll bet those nuns at Sacred Heart General Hospital did! My mom was admitted. I was born in a safe delivery room, wrapped up snug, and placed in the hospital nursery. How times have changed!

What barriers have you experienced? What doors have slammed in your face? Who has told you that you don’t have what it takes? Do you feel like an enemy is holding you back from your dream? 

The devil may rattle his sword, but he can’t sabotage your destiny. Although he put Jesus on the cross, he couldn’t keep Him in the grave. Neither can Satan keep you from your God-given purpose. Even now, God is preparing you for your destiny.

My Dream Died

Fast forward to 1973. My husband of five years and I had recently moved to Iowa and bought our first home. We had two toddler daughters and everything I dreamed of had now come true. 

My husband had returned from Viet Nam. I had endured the loneliness and the fear that he would die. Every day for ten months I had felt like I was dying too. While he shouldered a rifle ankle deep in a rice paddy somewhere near Danang I had given birth to our first daughter without him. I shoved this disappointment aside as best I could. 

Now three years later loneliness and depression again struck a deadly blow. Hundreds of miles from family and friends, we struggled to raise our daughters without help. Short-tempered and moody, this former A student thought she was scoring a D+ in motherhood. I couldn’t nurture my daughters the way I wanted to. I felt like my dream was dying.

One day Billy Graham associate John Wesley White arrived in town for a crusade. I wanted to go but no one invited me. However, the crusade team made sure to deliver educational materials to every house in town. I subscribed to Decision Magazine and devoured it every month. 

In May of 1973 I knelt beside my bed and made my decision for Christ. When I did, the inner loneliness and depression lifted from me. God took my dead dreams and began resurrecting them beyond what I could imagine. Thus started a life-long journey to know God more deeply. I didn't understand it then, but He was preparing His destiny for me.

When all hope is lost God can make a way for you, too.

God created you to make a difference. 

You’d like to change your marriage, family, community or nation, but it seems impossible. Has your life felt more like a rollercoaster? Mine too. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth ride. 

Many more doors closed for me. Sickness, injuries, being misunderstood, and being denied opportunities are just a few. 

Do you feel like God is shutting doors because of your sin, guilt, or lack of ability? 

Maybe you think you don’t deserve a better future.

Do you know what I discovered?

Broken dreams are stepping-stones on the path to your destiny.

God loved me through every misstep, and He will do the same for you.

It took me twenty years to grasp these simple principles, but it doesn’t have to take you that long. I can show you what I’ve learned. 

The road won’t be easy. That’s why encouragement is so important. I can cheer you on and share how I’ve learned to navigate the roadblocks. 

Here is a key: a deeper walk with God leads to a deeper discovery of your purpose. This is step #1 in God preparing you for your destiny.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE JOURNEY?

You don’t have to go alone. I’m right beside you.

Why Am I So Passionate About YOUR Destiny?

Even after my decision for Christ, a fog of uncertainty crept into my life. I enjoyed my life as a wife and mother but felt that God was calling me to more.

Sometimes I got criticized about my service to the church community which confused me. I didn’t fit the mold of traditional “women’s submission.” I confidently led others, but some people considered me to be too outspoken.

 I see the same pattern playing out in the lives of many other Christian women. They have been sold a pharisaical bill of goods about God’s purpose for women that only makes them feel mixed up and distant from God. This affects all of their relationships. The truth is, women were made in the image of God, not the image of man.

Do you expend all your energy trying to please others? 
Do you feel like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole? 
Do you sometimes wonder who you really are?
Perhaps you think your destiny isn’t important. God thinks it is. 

God prepares you for your destiny so He can brings His kingdom to the earth. No wonder the devil wants to sabotage that.

Jesus taught us to pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 

You weren’t sent to earth to endure until the end. You were placed here to be a light in a dark world.

It’s time to fulfill the kingdom purpose God deposited in you.

Let's Get Ready to Light Some FIRES!

More About My Journey

My Learning Journey

1. Church, Bible school, and courses in Biblical counseling have been my training ground. I also  studied elementary education at West Chester University for two and a half years, where I met my husband. 

I have learned that: 

God provides guidance when you ask Him.
He helps you navigate the struggles in life.
He gives you the tools to assist others.

2. I studied slavery and African American history of that era to research my novel about a boy who runs away on the Underground Railroad. After reading autobiographies written by former slaves, I felt the pain and destruction that slavery inflicts on the human heart. The horrors of that time grieved me. 

This inspired me to:
Help people who feel enslaved in any way find freedom in their God-given destiny. 

3. Writers conferences, critique groups and online classes taught me the craft of writing. It took me fifteen years to write my first novel, have it rejected, and start a new one. 

This showed me:
It takes hard work and patience to accomplish your goals. Never give up.

4. The instruction that most impacted my journey into ministry did not happen in the classroom, but under the guidance of Dr. Wm. J. Hurst.

 I realized:

The classroom cannot replace the power of relationship with someone who has walked with God for years.

My Teaching Journey

1. I taught elementary school, Sunday school, Bible classes on counseling, and art classes.

2. I discipled a small group for over ten years under Dr. Hurst’s guidance. 

I discovered:
There is more to learn.

My Writing Journey

Whether you need encouragement to reach your destiny, or you help children reach their dreams, I have resources to help you. 

1. My Underground Railroad novel for middle grade students, Dark Enough to See the Stars, boasts accurate, historical people and places. 
It earned a silver medal from Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards and received a Kirkus starred review. 

2. I crafted the Dark Enough to See the Stars Study Guide for teachers and homeschoolers who want to use  my novel in their curriculum. The booklet contains social studies, language arts, and science lessons. All work pages are reproducible.

3.  I ventured into non-fiction with my devotional for women, 30 Days of Devotions to Defeat Discouragement.  GET YOUR FREE COPY!

My writing offers:
Inspiration, teaching, and guidance that reaches women, teachers, and students.

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards

…bringing increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators…

“A story that will bring Civil War history alive for adolescent readers and will make a useful addition to middle school curricula.”

The Magazine: Kirkus Reviews

featuring books and authors that make a difference

My Personal Journey

My husband Frank, and I live in Northeast Pennsylvania. Our five children all reside in great places to visit, Virginia Beach, Washington DC, New York City, and Italy. We have been blessed with eleven grandchildren. Our oldest daughter’s family lives nearby, so we enjoy soccer, softball, and recitals with our three grandchildren who live locally. We love traveling to see the other eight.