Hello

Hardship in life has been an understatement for this girl …some of it my choice, some of it not.
Born in Seattle, WA - my parents were both preacher's kids - Both sets of Grandparents were Pentecostal ministers.
From baby to young girl in the church - thru hard physical abuse as that young girl... to teen years filled with a cocktail of Sex/Drugs/RocknRoll.... Having a baby that is in now in heaven with Jesus.....then, young married AFTER having a son...…Tumultuous marriage accomplished out of pure survival mode....being blessed with a 2nd child, a baby girl, during that 10 yr marriage.
Wow, and that is just the first 30 yrs of my life!!
Thru all those years, living with the ramifications of my abusive childhood - counseling, sinking my whole self into serving at church, slowly but surely realizing the religious legalism that had plagued my family for years.
In May of 1998 my dear mother passed from Breast cancer.
In July of 1998 I turned 31 yrs old and entered into a divorce. Sadly, finding solace through all of that in a bottle of vodka.....Living as a single mom once cleaning myself up from that grief..... then, through those 3.5 yrs, I was dating my, now, husband. Currently been married to him for almost 23 yrs. 

Thought my first marriage was tough???.....oh yeah, rude awakening there!!
Yet....promising God that He had my whole heart in this marriage no matter what.
At this time in my history, my kids are teens.....and I am blessed with a step-son: Brand new world there!! 
Somehow, through all of this... I stayed in church... and kept my kids attending...not easy!!!
Still God is at an arms length with me, by my own choice - although, I was not aware of this....at the time.
Hindsight is 20/20 of course.
All the while, accomplishing new things in the financial part of life.....however, it was all out of my own works. Survival mode full on!!
Early 2000's... after re-marrying, my kids are now starting high school.
I now take years of being a Bookkeeper for other people and make it a full-fledged business of my own - with years of QuickBooks already under my belt. (This career in bookkeeping has lasted me now for over 30 yrs.)
At this time in history, my eldest son is now in a relationship with a girl he met in youth group who will later be my beautiful daughter-in-law. Middle child (daughter) in high school also.....youngest (step-son) in full drama with his mother.
Blessed times as well as hard & sad times.
2004 I am diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.
2009 tumors in uterus....tumor in breast...all benign, but various surgeries up to and including a hysterectomy.
2010 walking through a spiritual awakening with Jesus....enlightened to a 'religious spirit' I had been plagued with for years and years and years, that was unbeknownst to me.
Then came the epitome of a repentant heart in my life at this point. I found myself on my face before God for days at this time.....crying out to Him in repentance. Through this revelation... God gave me a vision: all I had lived thru that was chaotic, …horrible abuse as a child - great anxiety and problems thru my parents divorce and then some chaos of which had been created by me and my actions... was behind me and I was FINALLY leaving it. In front of me was a WIDE open EMPTY land that shone as bright as the sun - He now wanted to fill up this territory, that He was giving me, with all He wanted for me. 
My confirmations in this vision furthered it by stating - God was giving me new wineskins and filling it up with new wine!!! Things, gifts and understanding and knowledge that could ONLY come from Him.
I asked God for EVERYTHING that He had!!
I wanted it all!!
To be used by Him with FULL Anointing!
I knew this was a somewhat dangerous prayer - because in asking for this, and having a surrendered heart towards it... He very well could allow me to walk thru some more stuff that may be hard. 
After this.....my heart changed towards all the areas that I participated in the church.
Reading His word now took on new meaning. Singing on the worship team had a new heart to it. I was no longer the same person I used to be.
Christmas 2012, I got sick.
In Jan 2013, I was not better and thus a new journey began.
In March of 2013, I was diagnosed with Ampullary Cancer (a form of) Pancreatic cancer. Tumor was at the head of the pancreas in the ampulla. MY WHOLE WORLD CHANGED.....yet again.
On March 29.....Good Friday ♥...…I had the 'Whipples Procedure' done to remove the cancer.
I spent 30 days in the hospital.....afterwards, came home to in home nursing care... spent the next 2.5 months on a machine that was feeding me, with 2 tubes, through my intestines. The following 2 years were spent re-cooperating....recovering....living against the odds...…trusting in my almighty God, the Father, for healing.

In Jan 2015.....I was given the shocking and agonizing news that my lil baby brother Randy, had been tragically killed. He was 39 yrs old.
MY WHOLE WORLD CHANGED...….AGAIN.
5 days after this news.... I was told my Grandfather was dying.
My Grandfather died on the day we laid my brother to rest.
The rest of that year was filled with someone close to me dying about every 6-8 weeks apart. The last of which was my cousin who was killed in a motorcycle crash.
About a month after that....I shut down my business due to financial failure and succumbed to the fact that we were now losing our home due to the same. 
Shortly after all of this..... we surrendered the rest of anything that we had to the Lord.
And, with arms up and 'hearts abandoned' I let God know that anywhere He led...I would go.
He began to put on our hearts …..Eastern Washington.
We had no young children any longer, all had moved out... so, we were empty nesters.

With the oldest already married 4 yrs earlier, in 2011....we now had another wedding on the roster.
In summer of 2016... my daughter was married .....and, right after that, we moved to Quincy, WA.
In 2018, our youngest son was then married as well.
It is at this time that the Lord starts another new work in me.
One of ministry.
He placed NEW callings on my life - I had already been called into Worship, and been in/on teams/bands for over 20 yrs prior to this.
But now, He called me into speaking and creating...with the hope of being able to close the door on the career of bookkeeping I had done now - and, although Thankful for it, grown tired of. 
He showed me the story of the 'dry bones' and rose up a Faith in me that would/could raise the Dry Bones of the land!! Teaching and ministering to the Army He wants to raise up!!
My heart stays fixed on Philippians 3:12-14.. .."Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".
I aspire to be used by God in Ministry.
My heart revolves around prophetic worship...and helping lead Worship - However, I know the Lord has birthed something new in me - to speak and minister in messages, intercessory prayer, prophesying - as well as - creativity in ministry: video production, writing and whatever else He lays on my heart!!
I am All IN!!
Currently, I am even writing a book ♥
May the Lord open up that territory to have me be used.
 
…..with arms high and hearts abandoned, I stand in awe of my Lord Jesus Christ...…
~ Ronda