Get to Know Me
I’m a writer, speaker, and Sunday School teacher. The first two facets of me are fairly new, but I’ve been a Sunday School teacher forever. I love to teach my hilarious little cherubs and often think the next Bible translation should be filled with emojis.
“Before Kids,” or B.K., I loved working in the corporate world with an undergraduate degree in Marketing and an MBA from Western Michigan University. “After Kids,” or A.K., my positions morphed into a variety of experiences in non-profit, stay-at-home, and work-from-home environments, so I’m familiar with the challenges all of us moms face while trying to support our families.
In January 2012, my family was propelled into news headlines when my brother climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan—and disappeared. It’s an unbelievable story, so I’ve researched, chronicled, and preserved Matt’s story over the years while raising kids. Follow my first book publishing journey. Besides writing, my other hobbies are diametrically opposed because I enjoy both eating and exercising. From tacos to triathlons, I’m the one you’ll catch at the gym running on the treadmill while watching cooking shows.
I believe the Bible is true and God’s roadmap to living my best life. Being a “Christian” is not just something I’m called; it’s who I am. When it came time to stretch my faith beyond my family’s worst nightmare, I knew where to turn—heavenward.
Walking through this experience inspires me to help champion your family, too. I’m both humbled and honored to share my bumpy, often silly trail of life to encourage, inspire, and revitalize you and your family in this unpredictable world.
I’m often asked about…
My faith
Raising kids (especially girls, but I have nine energetic nephews too!)
Work-life balance
My grief journey
Teaching Sunday School
My book publishing adventure
My Family
Confession time: I drive a minivan.
To be fair, I cried when we bought it, and I wish I had the guts to smack on an “I used to be cool” bumper sticker. But it seems rather obvious. The “White Rocket” has grown on me over the years and fits loads of kids, groceries, and sports equipment that I chauffeur around Southwest Michigan, where my husband and I are raising three amazingly talented daughters.
Growing up, I thought it was normal to have parents who loved God, each other, and the four of us kids equally and immeasurably. As an adult raising children of my own, I now know my childhood wasn’t “normal” after all. It was a gift. We believe in the Bible verse found in Joshua 24:15,
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Though my husband and I are raising three girls, don’t be fooled! I also have nine energetic nephews and two nieces. My oldest daughter is in high school and is close to inheriting the White Rocket. My middle daughter is in middle school, and my youngest is enjoying her last months in elementary school before joining her big sisters.
Matt on Mt. Fuji & My Book Journey
In January 2012, I was pregnant with my third baby girl when my brother, Matt Johnson, disappeared while climbing Mt. Fuji in Japan. The World’s Greatest Uncle was 33, single, adventurous, and resourceful. If anyone could survive, it was my brother. We begged God for a miracle to bring Matt home alive, but He said no.
Located near Tokyo, Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan at 12,388ft. A UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its perfectly conical shape and enchanting views, Mt. Fuji is visited by hundreds of thousands each year in the summer. Winter months are more dangerous. Equal to parts of the Himalayas, temperatures average below zero, and wind gusts are known to blow climbers off their feet.
My father, our spiritual giant, led the charge for six agonizing months as my family desperately searched the other side of the world for clues on Matt’s whereabouts. This story chronicles multiple failed rescue missions with frustrating communication challenges, cultural differences, subzero temperatures, high winds, and unbelievable amounts of snow. When all hope was lost, we had no choice but to wait for the spring thaw.
When the summer rain finally revealed Matt’s whereabouts, God had stretched my family beyond our breaking point, and that’s where our faith grew. Our foundation of faith, my Sunday School kids, and thousands of supporters on social media kept us moving forward. In the end, God blessed our family with a treasure worth far more than we deserved, preserved miraculously in a fanny pack.