It's a pleasure to meet you!
I’m a grateful apprentice of Jesus, wife to the love of my life, mom to two wondrous adult kids, joy-filled mother-in-law, and soon — ”Grammy!” I’m also a biblical mentor, author, and speaker.
I was born and raised in Southern California (birth-21), wandered from SoCal to Salt Lake City to Northern California (22-29), grew up dwelling in the desert of Las Vegas (30-51), and now live in Middle Tennessee, where I’m living out all that God has poured into me, eager to pour it all out to you!
As much as I cherish being a wife, mom, friend, mentor, writer, and all the other things that make me “me”, there is one identity I claim above all others: I am a beloved daughter of the Most High King.
And that truth is at the heart of everything I write.
Finding My True Identity
For much of my life, I didn't fully understand how deeply abandonment, rejection, and the lies we believe about ourselves shape who we become. I spent years wrestling with worth, belonging, and identity—and looking in all the wrong places for the love and approval I so desperately wanted.
Then God began unraveling the narrative I had been conditioned to believe.
What started with an unexpected DNA discovery eventually exposed a family secret that changed everything I thought I knew about my identity and my father. It was gut-wrenchingly painful and utterly heartbreaking. But it also became the beginning of something beautiful: discovering that the Father I had been searching for all my life was never absent.
He was there all along.
My memoir, Finding My True Father, tells that story—the story of the lies that shaped me, the Truth that set me free, and the God who met me in the middle of it all and showed me who—and whose— I truly am.
Why I Write
In 2019, God pulled me out of my career as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher and began calling me into a writing ministry. To be honest, I felt ill-equipped and completely unqualified for what He was asking me to do.
So I did what any perfectly reasonable person would do when God calls her into something far beyond her comfort zone: I put my faith in my fear and ran from my calling.
But God, in His persistent kindness, didn't let me stray too far.
Over the years, He has continued providing me with stories to tell, lessons to learn, and words to write. In 2023, He plopped a publishing contract for Finding My True Father in my lap, and what began as a calling I was afraid to answer has become a journey of obedience that has been worth every tear, every belly laugh, and every ounce of healing along the way.
Today, I am on a mission to come alongside women in all seasons of their journey with Jesus, helping them understand and embrace their identity so they can walk confidently in the truth of who He says they are.
I write to every woman who seeks to know her true identity.
And I write especially for the daughters like me who have experienced parental abandonment, rejection, and/or deceit — and who struggle to know their worth, long to belong, and fear that their past has the final say over who they are and who they get to become.
What I Believe
I believe the Gospel.
I believe we were created to live fully known, deeply loved, and rooted in the unshakable truth of who God says we are.
I believe that the things that break us can become the very places where God begins to rebuild us.
I believe healing occurs as a result of confronting the hard areas of our stories, not ignoring them or pretending they didn't happen. It means allowing God to redeem them.
And I believe that when we finally stop striving to become who the world — or our circumstances, our past, or even the people we’re closest to — tell us we should be, we can begin becoming who God created us to be.
That's the message I want to keep putting into the world.
Not perfection.
Not ignoring.
Not pretending.
Not a polished version of faith that leaves no room for questions, struggles, or messy middle seasons.
Truth. Grace. Redemption. Freedom. And Jesus.
When I’m Not Writing
When I’m not writing you can find me sitting at the table on our deck with my Bible in hand, wandering down Bible rabbit trails and enjoying my early morning quiet time with God; tending to my garden, caring for my mixed flock of ten silly hens, reading, and soaking up as much time as possible with my husband, our children, and our sweet Parson Russell Terrier, Rylie.
I’m an introvert who loves quality time and the simple joys of being at home. Aside from my family and our home, I love music — pretty much every genre. Except screamo/metalcore/post-hardcore. I am not a fan of that at all. I also love to sing and dance — sometimes simultaneously! I find the sunrise fascinating and exhilarating. Spending time in nature — especially with animals — is where I feel most surrounded by, filled with, and connected to the Father. I also love houseplants — but not having so many that watering them is a full day event. And I thrive on an active, clean, natural, non-toxic lifestyle — inside and out.
Whether I’m tending my garden, caring for my chickens, talking with my daughter on the phone, or enjoying a quiet moment with my family, I’m continually in awe of the beauty God brings from ordinary, everyday moments.
Let’s Travel this Journey Together
Whether you're just beginning to explore who Jesus is, you've walked with Him for years, or you're somewhere in the messy middle, there's a place for you here.
Through my memoir, blog (Tea With Thalia), and speaking, my goal is to create a space where you feel seen, encouraged, challenged, and reminded of what is true.
My prayer is that somewhere along the way, you'll recognize a little bit of your own story in mine—and, more importantly, that you'll begin to see your story through the lens of God's greater story of redemption and grace.
Because your past may be part of your story, but it doesn't get to define your identity.
Jesus does.
So, friend, wherever you are in your journey, I'm glad you're here.
Let's walk it together—learning to live loved, rooted in truth, and confident in who we are in Him.
With love and grace,
Thalia