Meet Stefaney

My name is Stefaney,  S. T. E. F as in Frank. A. N. E. Y., but family and close friends call me "Stef."  I was born and raised all over Alabama, calling it home until moving to Slidell, Louisiana, in 2007.  After living in town for six years, my husband and I moved our family twenty minutes north to our own little piece of heaven in Picayune, MIssissippi.  
I received Christ as my Savior at the age of four.  I was baptized at age seven.  I grew up In the church.  I heard all of the stories.  I knew who Jesus was.  BUT because of the father figure I had in my life, my view of God was skewed.  I thought God was someone that I could easily anger, that He loved me -- but conditionally, that He would leave.  It wasn't until I was eighteen, almost nineteen years old, that I really understood who God is.  HE is LOVE  and HE loves unconditionally.  He is relational.  He wants the very best for me (and for you), but we have to be willing to be used by Him.  I have to be willing to let Him be in control.  He knows more than I do, and He sees the big picture.

Mr. Incredible (aka Kevin) and I have been married for twenty years.  I am a stay-at-home/home-school mom to our three beautiful teenage daughters.  The girls keep us busy with basketball games and art classes.  Kevin and I serve our local home-school community as Presidents of Slidell Christian Home Educators Fellowship (http://www.slidellchristianhomeschool.org/), and I teach High School science for our local Co-op.  I also dabble in machine embroidery, monogramming and vinyl personalization.  It's a hobby, but family and friends keep me busy.

When I'm not teaching, chauffeuring, or cheering on my girls, you can find me in the kitchen.  I taught myself to cook at the age of thirteen in order to help my mother.  My kitchen is my favorite room in my house.  I read cookbooks like most people read novels.  Mr. Incredible is teaching me the fine art of gardening.  I love growing our own veggies, and I really want to plant some fruit trees this spring.  I "collect" shoes, purses, big necklaces, earrings, rings and jeans.  I "heart" iced coffee, homemade ice cream, monogrammed anything, lace tablecloths, doilies, history books, vintage Pyrex dishes and antique stores!  I have an eclectic taste in music (60's-90's, jazz, country, worship, etc).  I enjoy watching period shows such as Downton Abbey and Mr. Selfridge (a recent find on PBS), but I also love reality t.v. like The Voice, this season of American Idol, and the Sing-Off.  I tend to sing really loud and really off-key in the car, so you won't be seeing me try out for any of those shows. :)

 I moved a lot growing up.  I mean A LOT.  Like fifteen different schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade A LOT.  I was very shy as a child and had a hard time letting myself open up and make friends.  Even now I tend to be a bit reserved until I get to know someone really well.  That being said, or typed,  I took our move from Alabama to Louisiana really hard.  We left behind my family, all of our friends, and a really great church to move to a place that I equated to Africa.  We might as well have moved across the Atlantic to a whole other country.  God was working behind the scenes, like He seems to do, and was preparing me for something I never imagined.  By 2009, we had found our way to Northshore Church, and I was going to attend a women's event called "Who is SHE?".  I didn't know many ladies at the church, and I really didn't want to go by myself.  I came up with lots of excuses as to why I shouldn't go, but none of them were good enough.  I went to that first SHE event and was so blessed.  So extremely blessed, that I found Jenny immediately afterwards and told her that if she did another event, I would love to help behind the scenes.  I don't think she heard me because I was asked to speak at the next event.  Remember me saying that I was shy?  Yeah, I don't think God or Jenny got that memo.  Anyway, ten events (nine women's and one teen) later and I 'm still being pulled out of my comfort zone, but it is all good.  : )  I love the prep work that goes into the events. I  am honored  to serve as Co-Executive Director and Secretary of Total Woman U.  I firmly believed that God has used Total Woman U to not only equip me but to empower me to do things I never imagined possible.  Through TWU, I have made friends that literally walk alongside me and encourage me on this beautiful journey of becoming all God created me to be.  Won't you join me too?  

Embrace life to the fullest,
Stefaney

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