For God is seen in the impossible ~ Luke 1:37

Who am I, and why did I create this website…?

My name is Stephanie. I started this website to share my journey with you in the hopes that my experience will help others—will help you—to deal with life challenges that may seem impossible and find joy in the middle of it all. 

What’s my story…?

There have been so many God moments for me over the course of the past few years—doors that He very obviously opened and others that He shut tight.

In July 2023 I began having health challenges. I had a miscarriage that led to a cancer diagnosis.  Two shutting doors.  In the midst of figuring out the loss of my baby and my cancer diagnosis, I found myself confronting a divorce.  Another closing door.  But then, in the midst of it all, I was very clearly led to a holistic clinic in Carson City, NV, for treatment. Open door! 

Not going to lie. This period of my life has been the most challenging time I have ever faced.

God never said that we would be without challenges, but He has promised that we’ll be able to handle them with His help.  He will give us hope, strength, and refuge as needed if we’ll lean on Him. Jesus sees our situations and graciously reminds us that “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  

From October 2023 to January 2024 I battled intensely in the physical realm, while God battled on my behalf in the spiritual realm. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were sent into a blazing furnace, God went into the fire with me. Though I did not come out unscathed, I was not consumed. Instead, I was refined. 

After my treatment was complete in February 2024, I returned home to pick up the pieces that remained and start over. At that point, I didn’t yet know how successful my cancer treatment had been. I did know that it was time to deal with the fallout from the collapse of my marriage. 

Then, in May of 2024, I had a follow-up scan and an “All Clear!”; my “c” was undetectable. My doctor looked at me in amazement and said, “By all standards, this result is a miracle.”  

How did I go about trusting God…?

When God led the Israelites out of captivity, He did not remove the Red Sea. He parted it. Similarly, He didn’t instantaneously remove my cancer or prevent my miscarriage or save my marriage. But He did help me to trust him in all of these challenges, to come through them, and to grow and heal as a result of each of these experiences. 

My longtime motto has been: “My plan B has always been God’s plan A.” It’s a way of acknowledging that, as a human being, I have an ingrained instinct to think I know best how things should go and to try to “correct” my circumstances to align with my limited perspective. Yet, there is no door God closes that any man can open—and no door God opens that any man can close. During this very trying time in my life, I could have sunk into a state of depression. But that motto helped me remember that God was not abandoning me or sending me into exile. Rather, He was bringing about an exodus. 

My outlook on life completely shifted. I chose to recognize that God was using my circumstances to do some important things in my life and that He was giving me a new lease on life. We cannot change the circumstances that life so often thrusts upon us. Yet, we can find JOY in navigating the struggle and shining light on the glory of God. We can find JOY regardless of what may come. 

I began seeing the things I love differently. I no longer thought I had all the time in the world. I became grateful for everything, began to give thanks for all of my circumstances: my homestead, my family and friends, the opportunity to homeschool, the privilege of serving as a listening ear for others. It may sound odd, but I even began to thank God for the most difficult things in my life, knowing that He was using them in ways I couldn’t yet see or understand.

Grief is part of the faith journey, but it’s not the destination…

All change initially feels like loss. We don’t even know the name of Lot’s wife, but the Bible explicitly tells us to remember her—precisely because of how she handled a major change in her life. God called Lot and his family to a new place. God was providing for them, removing them from a place of deep corruption and ushering them into His goodness and safety. They only needed to trust and obey. God protectively commanded one thing as Lot’s family began their journey out of a place marked for destruction: “Don’t look back.” The force of the punishment awaiting Sodom and Gomorrah posed a risk to anyone who even dared to look over their shoulder. God didn’t explain himself. He just insisted that Lot and his family trust his command. It’s so easy to understand that Lot’s wife may have been mourning the comfort of the known and experiencing the fear and uncertainty of the new life before her. Against God’s instruction, she looked back. She ended up stuck in the old forever. 

Obedience always comes before understanding. We cannot comprehend all that God has in store for us or even all of the dangers from which he wishes to protect us. Though we would love for the entire path of our life to be lit—to see where we’re going and have all the answers in advance—that’s not how we build trust in God. Instead, He asks us to walk beside him, as he provides a lamp unto our path with each step we take. When we dwell in him, He is faithful to guide us along right paths. Fortunately, when we get lost in the darkness or choose to step away from Him, he always graciously and lovingly awaits our return with open arms.  

We can sit in loss, feeling the sadness, frustration, and anger. We can and must grieve even those things that were not good for us or never ours to keep. We actually need to acknowledge and process our emotions, rather than pretending they don’t exist. Cry your heart tender again. But remember Lot’s wife and don’t stay stuck there.

Growth comes through the adventures of change, discomfort, uncertainty…

If you know anything about pruning plants, you realize it must be done both vertically and horizontally. Jesus explains, “He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.” The pruning process is not comfortable for us, but it is necessary. A tree left unpruned will fail to reach its full potential. It won’t produce abundantly. Nor will it produce the best quality fruit.

Thinking back to that old motto of mine…? The importance and priority we place on our own plans frequently causes us to frown on a new assignment or opportunity that the Lord has sent our way. Life is full of divine interventions—signals that God has greater understanding, a more perfect idea, a better place or outcome for us. We need not be trapped or controlled by our circumstances. Whether we perceive an interruption as positive or negative, the choice to trust God or not can make all the difference. Again, change might never be easy or convenient, but it so often offers a chance to write a story of eternal significance!  

I invite you to embrace a faith journey in the face of your own circumstances…

When God called you, He factored in all of your fears and shortcomings. Will you choose to remain open to where God wants to lead you? Will you accept boldly his invitation to partner with him on great adventures?  

I’ve been where you may just happen to be right now. So, I offer this website as just one step on the path to you boldly partnering with God on the grand adventure of your life. This site offers a way for me to share important information and experiences—that I hope will prove valuable for you.   

Most of all, this website aims to help you know that there is HOPE, and that unmeasurable JOY awaits you.