About Me
Joyfully, Nancy: Passionately living a joy-filled life as a child of the Most High God!
Two of the very best parts of my life are being a wife and a mother. James and I have been married since 1991 and we have two daughters whom we homeschooled all the way through high school. Our oldest married in 2011 and we now have an incredible son-in-law to love plus our first grandchild was born August 2015.
Our home education journey was a rich, rewarding, and sometimes challenging experience, and I am passionate about encouraging others in the homeschool adventure.
James and I have served on the board of directors of Arizona Families for Home Education, Arizona's statewide homeschool organization, since 2004.
From 2001 to 2011, I ran an Internet-based homeschool network named H.E.R.O. (Happily Educating ouR Own), which started as a printed monthly newsletter that I handed out to about two dozen friends at our homeschool P.E. group and grew to become a weekly e-newsletter that went out to over 1800 homeschooling families valleywide. After much prayer and consideration, James and I brought the HERO newsletter to a close in May 2011. Many great friendships were formed over that ten-year period through this ministry with the HERO newsletter.
James and I were both born and raised in Minnesota. After 30 years in the frozen tundra <grin>, we moved to the desert southwest where we enjoy more than 320 days of sunshine a year here in Chandler, Arizona. We don't really love the summer heat, but it is, as they say, "a dry heat." The delightful weather November through April makes up for the blistering heat and high electric bills, and we don't have to shovel sunshine!
When I am not at the computer answering email, doing graphic design projects, or event planning, I enjoy spending time with my family, going to lunch with friends, quilting, paper crafting, art journaling, and reading.
I am a born-again, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing Christian. I am thankful for the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross and through faith in Jesus I have confidence that I am saved, redeemed, restored, healed, blessed, and adopted as a daughter of the King. Because of His great love for us, I desire to be a vessel God can use and I seek to glorify Him in all that I do and to be a light in this dark world.
Why Joyfully?
Years ago, I noticed that an acquaintance closed her emails with "Joyfully" and her name. The word joyfully resonated with me so much that I asked her if she would mind if I borrowed that closing for my emails, too. With her gracious permission, I have been signing my emails and correspondence Joyfully, Nancy ever since.
Throughout my site, you will encounter things that bring me joy in my life and I pray that you seek and receive God's abundant joy in your life as well.