A Bit About Me
How did you first get introduced to LITE?
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I first got involved by volunteering with LITE inside the Kosciusko County Jail. Just by doing the simple task of pushing the Library cart from block to block, I was to show love and concern for folks in the jail. From the jump LITE has provided me with opportunity to be a light and to bring hope.
What do you do as the LITE Recovery Cafe Director?
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Probably not as much as I should. My main goal as the Cafe' director is to oversee the overall operation of the Cafe'. As the Director I am able to get to know our members and walk alongside them, but I also am able to have input into the programs and classes that we bring in for them. As I grow in the position I hope to become a face for LITE and the Recovery Cafe' in the community.
What does Recovery look like to you?
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Recovery is a life confronted, challenged and changing by the grace, love and strength of God. There are many ways and methods to walk a recovery journey, but they all are about achieving life transformation. We are all in recovery, recovering the us that we were created to be.
What do you like to do for fun?
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Hanging out and engaging in conversation. I run a bit and read some. I'm not much on hobbies; I just really love doing what I do with the folks I get to do it with. But the most fun thing I get to is hang out with my grandkids!
What does it mean to you to work at LITE?
Working with LITE means being a light. I get to be the instrument to confront, challenge and facilitate change in lives through by the grace, love and strength of God.
How do you use your story to help those with who you work with?
I use my story to bring hope simply by being honest about where I've been and where I'm going and all the victories and setbacks in between. I try not to use my story as an "if I can do it so can you" tool because everyone's story is different, and I don't want anyone to set my story as a standard to be achieved. Our stories bring hope, and our hope is not anchored in ourselves, our strength, or our resilience. Our hope is in God's faithfulness and God's grace, and my story bears that out. God is the hero of my story.
I want you to imagine that you are the great-great-grandmother/grandfather that you dream of being, and you’ve created everything you wanted to create in your life. You’ve accomplished all the dreams, all the big goals that you’ve set. You’ve made them happen. You’ve got the family of your dreams. You’ve done it all. But you have to take everything with you. You have to take everything with you so that no one has access to your information anymore…all your social media content, journals, etc, it’s all gone. But you get to write down the three things you know to be true about your life, the lessons you would leave behind. All people would have to remember you by are these lessons.
What would you say are your three truths? From the top of your head… What lessons would you want people to take away from your life?
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1. God lovingly and faithfully provides all we need. Don't burn energy and relationships chasing after more stuff, learn to be content with what we have.
2. Everyone needs the connection, love and support of family. Family is not always measured by blood but rather the depth of relationship.
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3. Be known by your love for your neighbor.