Let's Get to Know Each Other
I'll go first
Wanna play a game? I’ll tell you a few things about me, and then you can tell me a few things about you!
Ready?
I’ll go first:
1. I love Jesus, radically and unapologetically. Actually, if that’s all you knew about me, that would be enough. Jesus has breathed life into my stressed-out, overwhelmed, prideful soul. He’s transformed me (and continues to transform me) in ways too numerous to count. Everything I write and speak about begins and ends with Jesus. Apart from Him I can do nothing–and I mean that literally.
If you are looking for life hacks, quick tips, and self-help without Jesus, you won’t find that here. In fact, I don’t believe real balance exists apart from Jesus.
2. I have been married to Jon for over 32 years. That is a long time by anyone’s standards, and I couldn’t be prouder of us for making it this far. We have been through some hard stuff (see item #3 for starters). We’ve worked hard to get here.
Our marriage has survived a multitude of tests, and so far we’ve passed them all.
Yay us!
3. My oldest son, Noah, died suddenly and unexpectedly when he was 9 months old. No event in my life has shaped me more than the death of my son. Most of what I write and speak is a direct result of my wrestling with God over issues of His goodness and faithfulness in the aftermath of this tragedy.
4. I have a biological daughter born exactly nine months after the death of my son. Rebekah is the reason I got out of bed, fed myself, and breathed outdoor air after Noah died. What a gift. I’m so thankful for her.
Also, she got married last year, and now I have a son-in-law, too!
5. I have two adopted children: Elijah (domestic) and Elliana (international). I don’t know what I’d do without these two. They are proof to me that parental love has nothing to do with biology. I love adoption and love talking about adoption and would love for ALL OF YOU TO ADOPT!
6. I battled clinical depression most of my life, except I didn’t know it was depression until I nearly had a nervous breakdown—I just thought I was really crabby. 👀
I have been mostly depression-free since 2008–though, still sometimes crabby.
I’m super intentional about managing my depression with a combo of natural supplements and lifestyle choices. I write and speak about that quite a bit around here, because I want you to be depression-free, too.
7. Speaking of managing depression and anxiety: in 2021, I left social media for good. Not long after, I launched Writing Off Social with one of my best friends Mary Kathryn Tiller. If you’re a female Christian writer who wants to grow your audience without social media, we can help!
Also, highly probable that we will make you laugh.
(We aren’t messing around about the humor thing. We literally wrote this into our manifesto: Embracing the belief that laughter holds the power to lighten burdens and break down barriers- we be funny.)
8. I love to cook. Eating healthy food has been one of my most successful strategies for fighting depression and anxiety. I hold an accredited culinary certification called “Plant-Based Professional.” It’s very fancy (not really). People are afraid to order meat around me. I promise, I do not care if you eat a hamburger.
9. I love being home. And I also love the beach. And as of the summer of 2020, those two things are actually in the same general vicinity. It’s almost too good to be true.
10. I love lists. (And parenthetical phrases.)
Okay, now it’s YOUR TURN!
There are a lot of new faces around here, and I’d love to get to know you. Would you take 4-6 minutes (yes, I timed it) to take this survey? As a thank you, I will be choosing two of you to win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Thank you!
Love,
Sandy