My days are spent in three unique and different roles, which keep me quite busy, entertained and full. I love full and meaningful days, which come often if I just keep my eyes opened to the wonder and amazement of people and experiences. It’s incredible to see how God’s fingerprints are everywhere around me.
As a wife, I love having a best friend to share life with…someone who gets me, loves me for who I am, and invites me to offer myself to the world. I married Matt, who I met in 7th grade, but didn’t fall in love with until my mid-twenties. He is a man of integrity, grace, compassion and inspires me to be a better woman. He helps remind me what life is really about. We’ve been married for ten years and get to be parents of two adorable and fascinating children, Skyla (7) and Zane (5).
As a mommy, I’m learning to find the beauty and strength and glory in my little girl and little boy. I’m learning to see the sacredness in the mundane and routine of daily life. I’m learning to embrace the wonderment and weariness that can happen all in the same breath. I’m learning what it means to mentor a child’s mind, body and soul. I’m learning to see how God surprises me in unexpected ways. I’m learning to love like I’ve never loved before.
As a counselor, as an advocate of the human heart, it’s an honor to be invited into people’s lives – their joy, pain, fear, fragility, tenderness, strength. I get to remind people of who they are – who God created them to be. It’s an amazing thing to affirm people’s hearts. It’s even more amazing to witness healing. That space is sacred. It has changed me in profound ways.
I also love laughing with friends and meaningful conversations and eating delicious food and people watching and talking and learning and teaching and finding a good bargain and massages and watching films in theaters and christmas lights and cooking new recipes and strategically passing cars on the road and traveling and green traffic lights and drinking coke and fireworks and sunsets and frozen drinks and sleeping on freshly washed sheets and riding roller coasters and being spontaneous and parties and playing taboo.
Our Family
a little timeline…
south korea welcomes me (1974). adopted (1975). pastor’s kid. the good girl. the cheerleader and flute player and pianist and “smart” one. the college years. the physician wanna be. the experimental years. the fun and let-your-hair-down-and-blow-in-the-wind days. the nursing home aide and nanny and waitress and telemarketer and hostess and ER tech and racial justice advocate. the single days. the short wooing and long dating period. the “tell me how you feel” training and introspective journey. the he-asked-“would you”-and-i-said-“i do” moments. the quiet and romantic and care free and boating and staying up late and preparing-the-foundation-for-family and defining who i am and trying-all-sorts-of-different-things-and-experiences and freeing years. the counseling and pastoral care and emotional maturing spaces. and these last 5 years…making and nurturing family and “home”…the no sleep and needy and draining and sacred and entertaining and life-never-prepared-you-for-this and redefining yourself and play dates and routine and massages and how-do-i-find-good-rhythms and when-will-school-start and hilarious and adorable and mysterious and breathtaking days…here and now. fully present.
why i blog…
from scratch…a very good place to start.
a place to write my words (i love words).
a place to speak softly (ok…maybe loudly).
a place to find myself, hear myself, laugh at myself, offer myself.
a place to entertain.
a place to talk about what matters.
a place to share how my heart can sink and soar all in the same breath.
a place to vent about things that aren’t fair and the things that bring me all sorts of new hope.
a place to ponder what needs to be changed and then all the ways that life is changing me.
perhaps, even a place to revisit all the ways i’ve come undone and how God is putting me back together…slowly, gently, lovingly…over and over and over again.
i love places that i can be me. i think we all do.
i welcome readers who can hear between the lines and find themselves in the midst of them.
honored to be found by you.
Carissa Woodwyk 
Love your words Carissa. Standing on the sidelines cheering you on. For your honesty, the way you see and hear, I thank you. Yours, is a beautiful soul. Wish I could duplicate you into about 4 women who could come to my house for sleepovers and movies and laughs and tears. Glad our paths crossed years ago. I’m richer for it.
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