I wanted to be a mom and rear children that would learn to love my God as much or more than I do and that would serve Him with all their hearts. I wanted to be a writer by the time I was in 5th grade. Right about that time is when teacher came into view also. Then by 8th grade I wanted to be a missionary. I also wanted to be a band director. I wanted to marry someone with whom I could serve the the Lord. Then in college I realized how much I wanted to work with reading disabilities.
I have 6 children. I was the band director for 3 years at a large ABeka Christian school and was chosen to be the Band Director of the All State Sypmphonic Band (121 piece band that year) of NC (the alternative to All State Band in public schools). I just started my 39th year of teaching this week--4 years with ABeka and 35 years with ACE. I yearned to go to the foreign field but that door never even close to opened. I did marry a preacher who had absolutely NO desire to be on the mission field. Though I don't always understand YHWH ways, I have students who are preachers and missionaries and one son with his family serving in Australia as a missionary. So I've rejoiced that even though I didn't get to go, I've prepared and taught many students that have gone. Writing has taken the longest to get off the ground of all my dreams. However, I've started a project called Easy Stories (24 written to date) which take a complete non-reader to becoming a reader in just weeks with a phonics based approach and written in a mastery-based format for older minds than early elementary students (though I often get to see students in that age category also achieve the same amazing results that non-reading middle school, teens, and young adults are able to accomplish with this format). I'm half way through the project and need to get it finished. In 1992 I became a certified dyslexia instructor and in 2010 started a 501C3--Dyslexic Education Association of R's (DEAR)
The over-arching umbrella to everything I've ever wanted to do or become since early childhood has been "To leave footprints in the sands of time" which lead straight to my Savior. My life has been so full, and I'd say the Lord is and has been granting me the desires of my heart--Psalm 37:4, 5--one of my favorite life verses.