The Beginning – In a Nutshell

My story begins on October 31, 1967 @0638 in Glasgow, Montana, AFB, (Air Force Base). I made my debut backwards, by way of breech delivery, at a time when C-sections were unheard of, (yes, I’m dating myself). Not an easy labor for my mom, but what a trooper, she pulled it off with calm and ease. The entire process was a success, (of course it was, I’m here to tell about it) and life for me has been backwards every since. Lol!! No not really, but that has been a running joke in my family for 52 years. I think I’d feel lacking if I didn’t hear that from time to time.

The Military was my parents first career. Dad being the enlisted officer, was a Chaplains Assistant and worked in logistics while mom served as the military spouse. Whose position was just as sacrificial as dads. The Military was a career choice for my parents but the Ministry became their calling. 52 years now dad has dedicated his life to that of being a Minister and Pastor. With mom along side every step of the way to support and minister with him in many different facets…
encouraging, inspiring, uplifting, praying and seeking God for direction and wisdom for their lives as ministers.

So ya, I guess you could say I got a double whammy! Military Brat and PK (preachers kid) all in one. Spoiled? Of course! Sassy? Possibly! For the most part I was a good kid. But not without some, from time to time, good ole mischief.

However, let me debunk the misunderstood “Military Brat” term. “Military brat” describes the child of a parent or parents serving full-time in the United States Armed Forces. The term refers to both current and former children of such families. The military brat lifestyle typically involves moving to new states or countries many times while growing up, as the child’s military family is customarily transferred to new non-combat assignments. “Military brat” is known in U.S. Military Culture as a term of endearment and respect. The term may also connote a military brat’s experience of mobile upbringing, and may reference a sense of worldliness. Research has shown that most current and former military brats like the term; however, outside of the military world, the term “military brat” can sometimes be misunderstood by the non-military population, where the word “brat” is often a derogatory term.

Preachers kids and Military kids often get a bad rap because of the social stigma that has been placed on them. I will agree that it does come with challenges and misconceptions. And maybe, understandably why we/they tend to possibly, not always and not all children, act out and act on those misconceptions.

The first 14 years of my life was indeed a mobile upbringing. With dad being a Pioneer Minister (meaning he planted Churches, started new works) we moved approximately every 3 years. 6 months after I was born, I made my first move on my first train ride (of course I have no recollection of that, just the stories mom has told me) to Knob Noster, Missouri, Whiteman Air Force Base, where the Air Force had relocated my parents. Even though I’ve lived in a few different towns growing up, I can safely say I’m a NWA, Northwest Arkansas native. Having lived here for the better part of my life, NWA is home.

Mom was one tough cookie. She did plenty behind the scenes as military wife, ministers wife and stay at home mom. She laid aside the idea of having an occupation of her own for most of my childhood. I mean why would you not… she already had 3 full time jobs. Even after dad left the Military, mom later had 2 more kids to corral and continued in the role as a full time Ministers wife. That alone was demanding enough. It wasn’t until my youngest brother started kindergarten, I was nearly 17, that mom decided to take on a career of her own. It was then that she began teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten for Benton County Christian School. It was a private faith based school, so she didn’t need a lot of credentials to get started. As the years progressed she got her early childhood ed certification and eventually wrote her own curriculum. Mom is now retired after 32 years of dedicated service teaching and mentoring young minds to learn, grow, put God first and be themselves.

My parents are still serving in the ministry arena, as I suppose they will until God calls them home. This is their calling, their passion and they love every minute of it. 52 years of ministry! WOW!! What an accomplishment! So many people today can’t even or wont even, keep a job for a month or a year, let alone 52. I am so proud of my parents and the role models they have been for so many people down through the years. Their lives are a Christ centered testimony.

After dad left the Air Force, not only did he continue ministering, but he took on a second career in the Appliance business as an Appliance Specialist. Dad had always valued his work and instilled in us kids his valued work ethics. We work hard and earn what we have and what we need. We are committed to our professions, loyal, honest, dedicated, all because dad taught us the value of hard work. Dad has only missed 1 maybe 2 days at the most in all his career for sick days. (you know, those call ins because we just don’t want to go to work that day), yep… not dad.

I have many memories as a child, some of what my parents and grandparents have and would share. But the earliest for me is when the little rebel in me began to emerge. I was two years old and so desperately wanted to help with the Thanksgiving meal preparations. Just not in the way I was asked. I thought it would be fun to carve my head instead of the turkey. Yes, I did that. I had gotten a hold of the electric knife and grazed the top of my forehead. Needless to say, 4 stitches quickly became part of our Thanksgiving day that year. Oh, and I still have a scar as a reminder of my antics. FOOD for Thought: Electric knives are dangerous, probably shouldn’t play with them. LOL ! As I share stories such as this with my kids and grand kids I just shake my head and say, “who would’ve ever thought.”

Living the life of a PK’s kid wasn’t that bad. It had its advantages and disadvantages. Having to move around periodically meant making new friends, that was the easy part, having to say good-bye was heartbreaking. But I learned to move forward and make the most out of each experience. Many friends I am still acquainted with and thanks to Facebook, have reconnected. The opportunities afforded me during these early years taught me to cherish life and respect the craziness of it all. Truth be told, deep down, secretly, I enjoyed that Pk life. Shhhh don’t let that secret out. (until I had to live up to others expectations)

I am a daddy’s girl through and through. Mom and I are close but daddy and I have a special bond. A beautiful bond that will never be broken. My father has served as the guide for a little girl to blossom into a strong, courageous, confident young woman. Dad has lived a life of integrity and honesty that set a positive example for me on how to handle the world. Fathers play a big role in their daughters self-esteem and self-worth. A strong father-daughter bond also plays a heavy role in her ability to express her feelings, her emotions and her thoughts. All in all, a father-daughter relationship can have a far-reaching influence on the daughter’s life. My father has been this and so much more. Not to say that I’ve never disappointed my dad, because more times than I care to count, I know I’ve messed up.

It was always exciting and fun for me to go with dad on his ministry trips to other Churches as a guest speaker/minister. I would always go prepared with a song to sing, because I knew dad would want me to sing a special. We made a good team. I would generally ask him what his sermon was going to be about and then I’d find a song to go along with that sermon theme. That seemed to work out well. Eventually, as I got older, I quite asking, simply because I had a knack for picking out songs that just flowed even before knowing what he would preach on. Now that’s a bond!

I am the oldest of 3 children, with two younger brothers of 4 and 11 years difference. I am the bossy, sassy and classy one. Lol! My youngest brother Ryan was a total surprise/miracle package. After my brother Richard was born, mom made the decision not to have any more children. Obviously God had a different plan, 6 years later, my brother Ryan was born. Miracles do exist! My brother is a living example.

The relationship between my brothers and I is a very loving and loyal one. We have always had each others back, regardless. Sibling rivalry? Most definitely! Especially growing up and mostly between my younger brother Richard and I. Unfortunately I left home when I was 17, Ryan was only 5 ½, so not much time to aggravate his big sister. However, there are stories floating around as to how I would always throw Richard out of my room, head first. Mom says she’d look up and see Rich flying down the hallway. That sibling rivalry though has generated a stronger more connected sibling relationship over the years. Having been the 1^st child and grandchild of the family, posed for oodles of spoil time, at least four years worth. All of us kids were treated fair and equally as much as one could with me being the only girl in the family at the time. My parents and G-parents didn’t believe in favorites, but being the oldest did have an edge.

Being raised in a solid Christian home, under the discipline of my parents, was not a bouquet of flowers. Maybe roses, because roses have thorns. They believed in fair but firm discipline. I got my share of spankings, groundings, loss of privileges, extra chores, loss of allowances etc… Their discipline was always handed out in love, rarely out of anger. I might not have agreed with that philosophy. Nothing to me about discipline was fair, and for a moment I disliked them for it. Disappointing them was not my intentions but I know I did on several occasions. They still loved me and loved me through my mistakes. Like I use to tell my own kids through those disappointing times, “I may not like you or what you’ve done right now, but I still love you.”

I have the utmost admiration and respect for my parents. They taught me Godly characteristics, morals and virtues. They solidified a foundation of faith in me, guiding me to become a Women of Faith. Heeding their guidance wasn’t always on my “To Do List”. Growing up I felt I needed to prove that being a PKs kid wasn’t about being a stick in the mud. In my early child years when the word NO became a part of the household vocabulary, I wasn’t to fond of it. Not sure I even knew what it meant. I would be so sneaky with my disconcerted feelings – when told, “NO”. The house became my battleground. Contents of the house just magically turned themselves upside down and dumped themselves out, the phone would jump off the hook, things became misplaced. Oh you know the story, “I didn’t do that.” I was a lil mischievous, anything to irritate my parents. I was a pretty good kid, but like most, I had my moments.

So that’s just the beginning, in a nutshell.

Stay tuned for more to come.