“I started wearing my hair this colorful when I graduated from college. I have been doing it for 25 years. There is no hoop to jump through to get to me. Everywhere we go, people walk up to talk to me. I want that. The colors have meaning. Purple we are sons and daughters of the King. Blue, look to the sky because He is coming back again, so tell your friends. The colors change every month. Yellow is for heaven, red is for the love of God and the blood of Christ, green we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Orange is orange you glad Jesus loves you. I wear a rainbow for gay pride week to let them know God loves them.

I was a children’s pastor most of my life and went to Praying Pelicans ministry four years ago. My hope is that by serving in missions each person becomes one step closer to Christ. I accepted the Lord when I was five. My mom was saved at a Billy Graham crusade and started leading Good News Clubs. She taught two each day and we had to go with her every day after school. By Thursday and Friday, my mother wanted to leave my brother and me in the trunk because we couldn’t pay attention to the same stories, verses and games the last two days. Her director told her to get us involved. She told us we had to pay attention each day because we were going to help teach on Thursday and Friday. I was eight and taught the memory verse and Bible lesson. That is how I got into God’s word.

I was always in children’s ministry. Maybe because I began with children and I know I can make a lifelong difference in their lives. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I went to the children of our church to pray for me. They believe in the God who will and the God who can. They pray boldly.

Today we minister in some of the toughest neighborhoods in California. We work in the gang and drug infested areas until one or two in the afternoon in Oakland because the trouble doesn’t start until later in the afternoon. We are making a difference. We are constantly there and they trust us and welcome us and introduce us to their friends. They have our phone numbers. We help them get off the street and into a facility when they are ready. We help them get an ID and other things they need for a new direction. My street name is Tinkerbell and I carry a little vile of glitter with me. There are times I have prayed over them and my heart cries. I want each person to know God sees them and hears them. I throw up a little glitter and they see it stuck to their skin and it reminds them God is with them. It is simple but it means so much to them.

I have had cancer five times. When I was 23 it was cervical cancer. A year later it was uterine cancer and all of my plumbing was removed so I couldn’t have children. Having children is all I ever wanted and every Mother’s Day is hard. But by being a children’s director and now leading mission teams, I get to help everyone else’s kids. I had breast cancer twice and recently non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. That is a lot, but I am still here and there is still a call for my life.

After my previous husband died. I had to make new normals. I was in a pit but I was still children’s director and spiritual director of three schools. The Lord showed me a scripture from Isaiah that said, ‘You will have treasures in the dark.’ I thought I will skin my knee on it because it was so dark. My winter lasted a long time. On Good Friday, I stood on my table and waived my Bible at the Lord and said ‘You promised in your word you turn my mourning into dancing. It has been almost two years and I can’t even hear the music. How can I dance? Just bring me the light.’ He would give me just enough for that day. I would not choose widowhood, but I know God was present with me, even in the dark. The Lord got me through and led me to the man who brought music into my life again. We are working on my first book, it is called Turn Your Life Around about getting through tragedy and darkness.

I went to Bible college and was supposed to write my testimony for one of my first classes. I handed in three blank pieces of paper. I didn’t think I had a story because God had been with me all of my life, there wasn’t a crisis that led me to him. My teacher slammed his hand down and said your testimony is the faithfulness of God. I asked for my paper back and wrote ‘He is Faithful.’ That is still my testimony today. He is faithful. I live in a word of profound grace.”