I'm the mother of two beautiful children, the wife of an honorable man, a good friend to all who will have me, and the follower of a perfect Savior. The rest is just details.

The ways that I'm trying my best to change the world are by sharing my love, faith, passion, and convictions with those who are around me. My husband and I have been involved in youth ministry for 12 years now. We are currently leading middle schoolers into a deeper knowledge of how to love Christ and love others, even at the cost of self. I spend a lot of time trying to build relationships with people of all types of faith, even those who claim to have none. I mostly do this through people I encounter in routine life as well as people I meet through forums for musicians I'm fond of. A side ministry of mine is helping to promote my favorite musician, Mat Kearney. In all my nerdiness I run www.fansofmatkearney.com. Don't knock it! He's a great guy, incredibly talented, and has a real knack for writing songs that touch the deepest parts of our soul. I think not isolating myself as a believer has been deeply beneficial, because you suddenly learn that life is not made up of teams, believers vs. nonbelievers, haves vs. have nots, or moral vs.immoral. I've learned to start seeing people, all people, the way that God would want us to see them...and that's ignited a lot of passion in me for many things. I'm a supporter of many wonderful organizations, Save Darfur, Compassion International, Sisters of Rwanda, Hands and Feet Project,...but hands down...the one I have given my all to is Blood:Water Mission. I love the ministry flowing to Africa through this organization. I love the change that can occur and the impact that their resources have on people who have more hope in their pinky finger than I have in my whole being. I love how they've broken down my ignorances and taught me how much we all are the same. And I love that I can see how my own efforts to build awareness and raise financial resources impact people in such a tangible way. I spend a great deal of my time running local campaigns in my area and I also thoroughly enjoy networking with new volunteers in the United States and abroad and guiding them through their own creative campaign process. I know that a lot of organizations believe in preaching the gospel, but I think that Blood:Water Mission is a beautiful example of those who live it out.

Bono, Josh Groban, and pretty much anybody who means what they say about changing lives and investing in others.

"Having heard all of this, you may choose to look the other way...but you can never again say that you did not know." ~ William Wilberforce

"God is in the slums,
in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house.
God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives.
God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war.
God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives,
and God is with us if we are with them." ~Bono

Not very many. The only other country I have visited is Canada. LOL. And the farthest I've traveled is Maui, Hawaii. I know, I know...I'm just not cultured yet:)

Participating in relevant ministries, reading good books, attending concerts (in particular Lifehouse and Mat Kearney), promoting Mat Kearney and working his shows through my little gig as an Aware Records Representative, hanging out in Chicago with my man, chatting with friends, mountain biking, and horseback riding. I dream of having my own horse someday:) I also dream of building 100 or more clean water wells in Africa.

At one point..southern. LOL. Actually, I took 3 years of French but with never, ever using it....it's just about down to zilch! But thanks to "Dora the Explorer", I do have some basic Spanish speaking skills:)