A winding path of obedience, detours, joy, and deep-rooted purpose
—“Life’s curveballs? I’ve had a few. But they led me here.”
Life hasn’t followed a neat, color-coded roadmap for me. I’ve taken detours, made surprising pivots, and answered calls I never expected to hear. But through it all, there’s been an undercurrent of God’s faithfulness and a growing conviction that I’m being shaped for something greater than what I can see in any given moment.
This is my refining path—the one that led me from the classroom to community building, from systems to soul work, from a checklist-driven life to a calling rooted in faith, family, and the kind of purpose that isn’t always Instagrammable but is always meaningful.
I started my journey in the classroom, where I taught young minds in special education—specifically Kindergarten through second grade in New York City. It was more than a job. It was a crash course in resilience, patience, empathy, and finding joy in small wins. Every child I worked with had a unique story, and I was privileged to help write a chapter or two.
Over those years, I wasn’t just teaching—I was listening, learning, and being stretched. My students taught me how to pause, how to meet people where they are, and how to celebrate the kind of growth that happens beneath the surface.
But even then, something inside me was stirring. There was more to my story.
After years in the classroom, I did something unexpected: I hit pause.
It was a season of deep searching. I went back to school, pursued another master’s degree, and dove into special education as an itinerant teacher—working one-on-one with students in a more flexible, personalized setting. It felt like a new adventure, one that let me see education from a different angle. I loved it.
But the biggest plot twist of all? Becoming a mom. That changed everything.
Motherhood slowed me down. It made me look at the world differently. I started asking deeper questions about identity, purpose, and what it means to raise a child while staying rooted in God’s truth.
For a while, I leaned into systems work—business operations, automation, and strategic structure. I loved bringing order to chaos. Helping entrepreneurs create workflows and scale their ideas felt exciting. But even as I built systems, I couldn’t ignore what was happening inside me.
My soul was craving something more.
Not just systems that made life run smoother—but sacred spaces where people could feel safe, seen, and supported as they did the hard work of transformation.
That’s when The Forge started to take shape.
The Forge was born from a holy discontent. I kept seeing women—faith-filled, purpose-driven, generous-hearted women—showing up for everyone else but secretly feeling burned out, stuck, or invisible. I knew that pain. I’d lived it.
So I started creating.
Small prompts. Simple check-ins. Quiet accountability. Then came group conversations, reflections, morning resets. And soon, a movement started to form. Not loud or flashy—but strong. Intentional. Refining.
The Forge is where I now pour much of my heart. It’s more than a community. It’s a space to:
Rediscover your identity in Christ
Be lovingly challenged and deeply encouraged
Embrace discipline not as punishment, but as a path to freedom
It’s where I get to witness transformation in real time—one bold, surrendered step at a time.
While The Forge was taking shape, another part of my life was blossoming: homeschooling.
What began as a practical decision quickly turned into a lifestyle shift that aligned beautifully with my values. Teaching my son at home allowed me to slow down, be present, and rediscover the wonder of learning—the kind I used to see in my students’ eyes.
But I also saw how isolating the journey could feel for others. That’s why I started Thrive Together Homeschool, a resource for families in the Hudson Valley seeking connection, support, and simple tools that actually work.
Through Thrive Together, I create checklists, host events, and share lessons I’ve learned along the way. It’s my way of saying: You don’t have to do this alone.
Alongside building community and homeschooling, writing became my outlet.
That’s how Moments of Joy came to life. It’s a Medium publication that gives voice to the quiet victories, the painful pivots, and the ordinary moments that shape extraordinary growth.
In a world chasing big wins and viral wisdom, I wanted to create space for:
Honest stories
Gentle reflections
Small shifts that change everything
Writing has become one of the most sacred parts of my rhythm. It keeps me honest, anchored, and aligned.
2025 is the year I chose the word Discipline as my focus.
Not as a way to hustle harder, but as a way to:
Follow through on what matters
Surrender what doesn’t
Honor my time, energy, and purpose
Discipline has shown up in my morning routines, my writing, my parenting, and my boundaries. It’s not always graceful. But it’s always worth it.
Inside The Forge, I’ve even created a 91-day challenge to help others lean into daily discipline, mindset mastery, and spiritual resets.
I’m still becoming.
Still growing. Still asking hard questions. Still trusting God in the unknown.
But if I could sum up my journey so far, it would be this:
Obedience doesn’t always look like success. Sometimes it looks like stepping away, starting again, or building in secret for a season.
Joy is not the absence of hardship. It’s the presence of God in the midst of it.
The best paths are rarely straight. But they are holy.
Maybe you're also in a transition. Maybe you're wondering what God is doing in this season. Maybe you're just tired.
I see you. And I hope my story reminds you that:
It’s okay to pivot
It’s okay to pause
It’s okay to walk slowly
God wastes nothing.
So here’s to the curveballs, the detours, the side trails that become sanctuaries. Here’s to choosing discipline, delight, and depth over distraction.
And here’s to walking the refining path—fully surrendered and fully alive.
You’re not behind. You’re being forged.