Because I Wasn't Busy Enough Already...

Between working full time, serving as much as physically possible at our church, being an Independent Ambassador for Plexus, and managing our home, I felt as though I needed to add one more thing to my plate...a blog.

Honestly, I have loved to write as far back as I can remember. Journals, stories, poems, letters...you name it, I loved to write it. And even now, the majority of my profession requires me to write. I've always found it much easier to express myself with the written word than to say anything out loud. Out loud I stutter, stumble, and stammer my way through my feelings. But let me write, and my heart flows out through my fingertips.

My dad was very strict growing up and is not one of the easiest people in the world to talk to. And when he has something he really wants to communicate from his heart, he writes us letters. I think that's where I got it from. I keep those letters, and I love looking back on them from time to time. It's in these letters that I feel my father's heartbeat. That I know exactly why he was so strict and hard on us. That I know exactly how loved we are.

Writing in a journal has become harder over time. Taking the time to write out the thoughts in my head is hard because they come faster than I can put pen to paper. But typing...I'm a whiz at typing. And so I thought it would be easiest to share my heart with the world if I started this blog.

Not in a million years could I tell you what you will find here over time. Random musings, prayers, crafts, dreams...the possibilities are endless.


Let me paint the picture of who you're listening to ramble here...


My name is Cryssi. I'm 32 years old. I was born and raised in South Jersey where I grew up in your typical middle class home and had everything I needed and most of what I wanted. My parents are still married and have been together since 1977 when they met at 12 years old on the kickball field- I know, the cutest. I am the oldest of 4 and I have two awesome little sisters and the smartest little brother who is 10 years younger than me. Both of my sisters had baby boys 1 month apart this year and my parents are loving being grandparents finally.

I was the perfect kid. No, seriously, ask my mom! From birth until 17 I was a parent's dream. I got good grades, I rarely gave them a hard time, I loved to spend my time reading or playing softball. And then high school happened, and I lost myself. After 5 years of being rebellious and giving my parents more grief than they deserved, at 22 I moved to Maryland to live with my aunt and cousins to get a "fresh start" at life. I met my husband just short of a year later. We had what one would consider a "whirlwind romance" and we've now been married for 6 1/2 years. We began trying for children on our wedding night, and after a couple miscarriages and lots of doctor visits, we still don't have any children- but that's a whole separate post in itself. My husband was the first person to ever share the gospel with me, and in April of 2011 on the couch of our apartment, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. The way in which He's transformed my life since then is nothing short of amazing to me, but that, again, is a separate post.

My husband works as an electrician and I am working in administration. I could bore you with the details of exactly what I do, but let's just say that it is government acquisitions and policy and while I'm grateful that I'm good at it, it is the very last thing I would pick for a job. But it is what God has provided and for that I'm grateful!

I serve as much as physically possible at our church. I'm involved in the choir ministry, nursery, I teach Sunday school and in a children's Bible ministry program on Wednesday nights, and I volunteer for anything that comes up that I am able to do. In fact, this past August, I went on a missions trip with a team from our church to Ghana, West Africa. It was such an amazing experience and I am forever grateful that God opened that door for me.

In my free time, I love to craft. All kinds of crafts! Number one is definitely crocheting. After I got saved, the Lord began removing sinful habits from my life- mainly smoking and drinking. As I had this idle time and nothing to do with my hands, God brought crocheting into my life and boy oh boy has it stuck!

You can't really embody what you are as a person in one little blog post, but I think this paints a pretty good picture of who I am. It excites me to know that this is the real me. For so many years I bent to the will of what everyone around me wanted me to be. So much so that I didn't even know who I was anymore. My thoughts, feelings, and opinions changed depending on who I was around. I praise God that He has been molding me into the woman He wants me to be. And because of that I live with the freedom to just be ME.

I hope you'll stick around and see how this blog pans out. It will be interesting if nothing else!

                                                                 

                                                                                                         Stay Knot Sew Fancy,
                                                                                                                      Cryssi