My Story

As kids, we often wonder what we are going to be when we grow up. In my mind, I was an amazing basketball player and that was the career path I set my heart on. I planned on attending UCLA with a full ride and end up in the WNBA. When I became too old to play, I would become a chef at the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy in San Francisco and an attorney from Stanford. None, I repeat none of my plans turned out. I’m too short and I literally do not have an athletic bone in my body. Fortunately, I am a fantastic cook but only for fun, and I prefer to break the law not uphold it! lol Just kidding (sort of, we call them speed suggestions 😊).

God has a way of stirring up people's worlds and changing life plans. He puts us where He wants us and directs us to where He would have us go. From life-altering situations in the Navy, to an incurable nervous system disorder, and a rare rheumatological disease, God has rocked the very foundation of my life. I've prayed countless times for God to just take me home, so I would not have to bear the pain or endure the unending nightmares. Yet, His grace has been sufficient for me. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Jesus is the only reason why I am still on this earth. He has taken my brokenness and changed me from the inside out.

My outlet to remain calm has been through writing music. God has been refining and redefining my life in affliction. Learning to rejoice in the difficulty and to praise Him in my suffering has brought a new perspective on growing in grace. "Refine My Life" released in January 2024, gives insight into the trials and tribulations while rejoicing through it all.

Stephanie Villarreal