Hi! I am known around here as Mary Joy

I am passionate about... being the fiancee of the incredible Will Pershing; being a, "late in life", 42 year old mother of two very, very active young boys, twenty-one months old and six years old -one of whom has many special needs; and the future step mom of a wonderful, beautiful fourteen year old girl, Annie! I am also passionate about sharing the gospel through writing about how God speaks to me through the life interruptions that happen in our lives.

I am completely, totally, enthusiastically, in love with the Lord Jesus. I thrive on finding ways that He is blessing me beyond what mere words can express on a daily basis.

Life has been a roller coaster journey for me since I was a little girl. What does that mean? It means that I have had many extreme highs and extreme lows and occasional even smooth areas in between. It has taken me until 2008 to find out that one of the main culprits in this exhausting ride is that I have Bipolar Disorder and ADHD with some Post Traumatic Stress Disorder thrown in. Does that make me crazy, nuts, impossible? Sometimes...LOL No, seriously, it means that I have a chemical imbalance that needs medical attention. I am receiving the medical attention I need and now realize that my disorders have given me more opportunities to rely on the Lord a whole lot more than I used to and now that I am in treatment I experience so much more peace than I used to have.

It means... that I am not perfect and am working on not expecting myself to be perfect. It means that some days are much harder to get through than other days. It means that some days I am REALLY hard on myself. It means that my emotions can get a bit out of wack sometimes. It means that some days I feel a lot of anxiety over little things. It means that some days I am can come across as pretty intense?and that it contributed to an incredibly painful marriage that ended in divorce...I am a domestic abuse survivor--thanks to our Lord Jesus-now thriver.

But it also means...that I am a child of God...like you. It means that I am accepted by God...like you. I need to be heard...like you. It means that I need to be loved by others...like you. It means that I need to feel accepted by others...like you. It means that I am valued by God...like you. It means that I have something special to offer this world...like you. It means that I am blessed by God...like you. It means that I am not perfect...like you. It means that I experience the Joy of the Lord in my life...like you. Hey what do you know! We already have a lot in common! LOL

Some of my adventures have included...graduating from Benedictine College, Atchison, KS in 1990 with a BA in Religious Studies with an emphasis in Youth Ministry with a music ministry minor and additional coursework in Psychology, Sociology, and Education. Over the years I have continued to independently study other subjects as well. I love to learn!!! I have been an author in a textbook series, been in full-time ministry with adults, children, and youth. After leaving full-time ministry, I held many roles in the business world anywhere from receptionist to Company Location Manager.

Everyday I am learning more and more?about whom it is that God is calling me to be. One thing that I know for sure is that as a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the journey will be an amazing adventure that I will never forget. I'd be honored if you will join me!


Regarding new friends...

It is important to me to have Godly boundaries in the relationships in my life. Out of respect for my engagement with Will Pershing I am only adding women as friends, I wouldn't have private personal conversations with men in person so I am using that same consideration and respect online.

The exception to the rule is friendships that are created for professional reasons. Just as I would work with women and men the same applies for my on-line relationships.

If you have questions about this please feel free to send me a guestbook message. I will be happy to discuss it with you.