About Me

There are so many things that I could say to describe myself. But the most important thing I could tell you about myself is that I am a sinner saved by the grace of God. He showed me mercy and grace and kindness and love by sending His only Son to come live a sinless life on earth and then die a gruesome, humiliating, excruciating death in my place. Because my sins are paid for on the cross, I am now seen as righteous in God's eyes. This does not mean that I'm perfect - I'm far from it. It does mean that when I do sin, I confess it and am given power by God's Spirit to overcome my sin. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" - Galatians 2:20. Because Christ died for me, I live for and through Him. If that is in any way confusing, please contact me and I can explain it more thoroughly.

There are other things you should know about me. I have a big family whom I love very much. Growing up was a unique situation for me and my two (full blood) sisters (Sarah and Holly) - we lived bi-coastal lives, switching between our mom (Brenda), step-dad (James), and step-sister (Abby) in Maine, and our dad (Rick), step-mom (Kathy), and half-brother (Riley). If you ask me about my siblings, I will rarely ever say I have two sisters, a step-sister, and a half-brother. They're all just my siblings, three sisters and a brother.

I now am a senior at The Master's College in Santa Clarita (outside of Los Angeles)  working toward my Liberal Studies - Teacher Education degree. I have two semesters left, and then a year of credentialing. I never felt lukewarm about being a teacher "when I grow up". When I was younger, I scoffed at the thought (mainly because I know how much work teachers do after the work day is supposed to be over - both of my step parents teach). Toward the very end of high school, that changed. Now I know that there is no other profession for me. I love kids so much and am passionate about working with them.

Also, I love to write. I always have. It's a way for me to express what is going on in my head. Sometimes I write in order to sort out my thoughts (which is one reason I journal) and sometimes I write things down so that I remember what I have heard and learned. Other times I write about things that I am passionate about and just need to get out for others to read. I am not the best or most creative writer, but that hasn't stopped me yet.

Other facts about me -
*My family means the world to me.
*I am a member at Placerita Baptist Church in Santa Clarita. That church has been such a blessing.
*I am an Awana leader at PBC - every Wednesday night I get to work with the 4 most awesome kindergartners around - and so many other kids too.
*I'm 21 years old and my birthday is Sept 19th.
*Cupcakes are my favorite. And cheesecake.
*I can't stand peas but I love spinach.
*Psalm 19:14 is one of my favorite verses - "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
*I'm left-handed.
*I'm a total nerd.
*Colors make me happy (which is why I love things like cupcakes and balloons so much).
*I sing in the shower.
*When describing her daughters to a patient years ago, my mom said this: "One of my daughters plays volleyball, one plays soccer, and one paints her nails." Guess which one I am...
*I am one of the most uncoordinated people you will ever meet. The good thing is that I never get embarrassed anymore when I trip or walk into things, because it happens all the time.
*Ministry is very important to me - I was raised with parents who are very involved at church, and I can't imagine a life any other way.
*Though much of my life has been spent in Maine, I don't like lobster, blueberries, or snow. But I loooove Maine anyway.
*I love to laugh! Funny people make me happy and they make me comfortable. If you ever need a laugh, I suggest going to YouTube and searching Marcel the Shell. There are two videos about little Marcel. They're adorably hilarious.

Here are some lovely pics of my family (they really are my favorite people ever):

 CA fam (Nov 2009)

ME fam (summer 2011)

 Little brother (Nov 2011)

 Treadwell/Bannister women (summer 2010)

Treadwell (step-dad's) family (summer 2010)