Whooo WE ARE...

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       Welcome, and thank you so much for visiting this page! I’m happy to have the opportunity to share a little about our journey and the heart behind Wonder Whooo. Like many of you, my story is filled with blessings, challenges, and unexpected turns. It all started in a small town, where I was raised in a Christian home with two younger sisters and parents who have been married over 50 years. I met my husband in church at age 12, where we were blessed with a youth group that helped lay the foundation for our faith. We married in 1996.  After finishing my degree in Psychology, I went to work in CPS and the foster care system, which opened my eyes to the lives of these vulnerable children who didn’t grow up in the safety, stability, and unconditional love that I did. When our daughter was born in 1999, I happily stepped into the role of a stay-at-home mom but vowed that someday I would return to help defenseless children find hope and healing for their broken hearts and lives.  Our son was born in 2003. By then, my love of photography had inspired a home studio, where I had the privilege of capturing special moments in time for many families in our community, resulting in valuable friendships I still cherish today.

Our journey with education began in public school. It was 2004, and like most parents at that time, we never even considered an alternative.  Although we were blessed with some amazing teachers, over time, we began to recognize the traditional classroom setting was not meeting their needs academically, socially, or spiritually. After exhausting all other efforts, we finally took a risk into the unknown and decided to homeschool. Though it was a challenging leap, we now consider it the best decision we ever made.  In 2016, God led us to Charleston, SC. Our daughter was thrilled to find CSU, a private Christian college, where she completed her Bachelor's, Master’s, and Doctorate in Educational Leadership by age 23. While she was in college, our son finished his last 6 years at home with me. We took the responsibility of their education very seriously and the investment was worth every minute. Not only have they grown into confident young adults who love Jesus, but looking back, the time we spent together is one of my favorite seasons of life. 

 It was also during this time that the foundation for Wonder Whooo began. First, because it opened my eyes to what a faith-based education really looked like and the indisputable value it has in a child's life. (I had no idea, but you don't know, what you don't know.)  I poured my heart and soul into studying scripture, apologetics, and worldview, and began integrating more story, movies, and nature into our day. (We were integrating "Wonder," I just didn't have the word for it yet!) A few years into the process, this led to developing our own curriculum, teaching classes, and consulting with others searching for answers of their own. By the time our son graduated in 2022, I finally had the hang of it! If only I'd known at the beginning what I had grown to understand by the end! Like his sister, he went on to receive several college scholarships and is currently thriving at the same college she began nearly 10 years ago. We felt so grateful that God had led us down this path, and we were eager to step into the new one ahead, when life took several devastating turns for our extended (but very close) family. Once so full of life, our family began witnessing upclose, the effects of Cancer, Parkinson's disease, job loss, divorce, depression, addiction, and more. While respecting everyone's privacy, it is enough to say, we had never experienced a season of such loss and heartbreak before. 

During this most difficult time of our lives, God very clearly delivered the word " Wonder," in the midst of our confusion and pain. We never could have imagined all that would follow, but it was in those moments of deep suffering that we began to see glimpses of His beauty, purpose, and hope. He demonstrated that wonder isn't just for the mountaintop experiences—but also in the valleys, helping us see His faithfulness and love. Over a two-year, wilderness season, I sat at his feet daily, seeking guidance, clarity, and discernment, leaning on His presence and His Word. Step by step, He began to reveal the deep, life-changing meaning of wonder  to our family.  Along with His powerful, loving Word, He used various authors, pastors, and ministries from more than 75 books to help shape the ideas, beliefs, and purpose of this ministry. Their wisdom and insight were like a lifeline, each one adding a new layer of understanding to my journey. 

 Reading the quote from A.W. Tozer for the first time was an eye-opening, life-changing experience. As I wondered about it over coffee one morning, I began to recognize how profound it really was.  Over time, God began to reveal even more layers of meaning to Tozer's quote about what comes to mind when we think of Him. What started as a simple statement by Tozer has become a foundational principle and building block of this ministry...WONDER WHOOO?   

What began as a personal exploration of wonder, grew into a mission to inspire others to see the world with fresh, curious eyes—to experience God’s creation and His story in a way that heals hearts and transforms lives. Our journey is far from over, but I’m excited to pass along what I’ve learned, and I hope you find it as encouraging and inspiring as I have. While this website will only offer a small sample of each topic, please check out the reference pages for a list of resources that will expand on what you see here. Thank you for joining me on this adventure, and I hope you find the wonder in your own story as well.