When I asked Casey if she wanted to be the first one to write her story, she jumped at the chance! Everything you see here is her words. Her words have not been edited in any way.
PLEASE BE GENEROUS AND GRACIOUS IN YOUR FEEDBACK!!
Here is Casey’s story …
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::: follower of Christ ::: wife ::: mother ::: daughter ::: sister ::: friend ::: crafter ::: coffee lover ::: pug owner ::: pharmacist ::: swag wagon owner ::: lover of life :::
All of these things are labels one could put on my life. But how I got to where I am helps DEFINE who I am. I was a typical kid growing up. I was involved in church, sports, and trying to outsmart my parental units. I was a part of a large group of girls that became a huge influence on who I was. I never dated in high school. I never felt I “had to” to fit it. I was never really interested in the crop of guys around. No offense. It wasn’t you, it was me.
My parents, siblings, friends, youth leaders, and coaches all influenced me in different ways. They showed me examples of people I wanted to be someday, and people I didn’t want to be. I grew up blessed. I had a family that loved me, a God who blessed me, and no real problems besides having to visit various ER’s more than 15 times by the time I graduated high school. Sorry mom and dad… just puttin’ that health insurance to good use. Someone had to.
When I moved out of state for school I became a new person. I was influenced by women who put my needs before their own and who truly loved God with all their heart. I experienced a RELATIONSHIP with Christ, and my faith was taken to a whole new level. Prayers were no longer a one way conversation, but I could hear God speaking to me. Not in this loud audible voice. He was changing my motives, my thoughts, and my purpose in life.
My relationship with my sister was restored. Our days of pulling each other’s hair and calling each other “bubbafat” were over. It was like I actually missed having her around and I realized how much she meant to me. I also realized that nothing I had in life was because of anything I had done. I didn’t deserve any of it. God had {{{BLESSED}}} me more than any one person should be blessed, and because of that realization, giving of myself to others actually became fun!! It was like serving God by serving others became my new passion.
During college I got myself involved in areas on campus and off, that had people who would positively influence my life. It was like I was this sponge just soaking up everything I could. I was learning day by day, by trial and by error, the person I wanted to become. For God, for myself, and for the people around me.
I met my husband in college. He swept me off my feet and treated me like a princess every single time we hung out. He was my first boyfriend. He challenged me to be a better person and to love those around me intentionally. Michael, my now husband, honored me in the area of purity. When we first started dating he expressed that he wanted to honor the man I would someday marry. Whether that was him or not. He wanted that man to have me, and have all of me. Pure. We set boundaries in our relationship to protect our purity and to assure we didn’t do anything we didn’t intend to. My first kiss in my whole entire life was on the night we got engaged. He was the first, and will be the only guy I ever kiss.
Soon after we got married I graduated from college and we started our family. We have two BEAUTIFUL children. Joelle is 18 months and Rondo is 3 months. They keep us plenty busy and always laughing! Being a mom reminds me of my college days when I felt like a sponge just soaking up wisdom. Now, I realize that everything I have soaked up I am now ringing out onto my “mini-sponges.” Although my kids are pretty young, they are constantly being influenced by how Michael and I speak to them, treat them and each other, and how we love them. The way my parents loved me and influenced me I am trying to mimic towards my children. I hope someday our kids will want to mimic how we loved them to their children.
Whatever stage of life you’re in, I want to challenge you to constantly be soaking up wisdom, and ringing it out as well. There are always people we can look up to, and people we are influencing. Whether you notice them or not. Who have you influenced today?
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