My Story

I’m Twilli. Or Toni. Or simply, friend.

I strive to live a life that I don’t need a vacation from. 

I first heard that quote by Rob Hill, Sr. a while ago and it has resonated with me ever since. As I look back on my life, it is true. No one should live a life they need a vacation from.

Once upon a time I was married. We thought we were happy. On a cool spring evening, we stood before God, our parents, and 175 of our closest friends to pledge our love to one another forever.

We had three children in four years. Our jobs become more and more stressful. Life happened. Eventually, we wanted to escape from our real lives.

After eight years of marriage,  our union ended. In the beginning of our separation, I thought the time apart would be brief and allow me to figure out where we were failing and re-commit to our relationship. He thought that the separation would allow him to find a woman who could love him better than I did. And he did. So we divorced.

I was devastated.

In the first year after our divorce, I quit my job, put all of our furniture in storage, and embarked on a 6-week road trip across the U.S. with the kids in order to think things through.

That road trip taught me to abandon the life that I thought I should have and embrace the life that God has planned for me.

When we returned to Texas, I decided not to work full-time, instead opting to pursue part-time opportunities that would allow me to be more available to kids — who were 5, 6, and 7 at the time. Depending on the season we were in, I’ve worked part-time and I’ve worked full-time. The kids have attended private school, public school, charter school, and homeschool. We’ve dealt with epilepsy, cancer, sprained ankles, allergic reactions, numerous colds, and the flu.

Years later, our family is now undergoing another transition. The three kids who were once small children are now on the cusp of adulthood. My ex-husband and I survived our divorce, more romantic ups and downs of our own with other people, and are content with our current lives as friends. If you were to ask either of us what got us through the years of financial crises, broken hearts, devastating illnesses, and job stress, the only answer we could give is Jesus. For all five of us, our lives didn’t change for the better until our relationships with Him changed for the better. Ironically — and this goes for all of us — when we each invited the Holy Spirit into our lives and committed to following His guidance, God gave us access to better people and better opportunities.

He has made and continues to make our lives better overall. 

Hey Twilli encourages and inspires people of all ages wherever they are on life’s journey. Through this blog, I strive to honor the word of God, commit to writing authentically, and teach my kids the importance of servant leadership. Hopefully, I can encourage you to do some of the same along the way. But the truth is, I write this blog to encourage myself just as I do to encourage you.

If you like reading parenting information like managing technology in your family, or lifestyle information for busy moms, or simple tips for the week, then you’re in the right place.

If you’re looking for encouragement with an extra dose of Jesus, you’re definitely in the right place! I’d love it if we make this connection blog official and you subscribe to receive updates in your email inbox. You can also find me on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & Pinterest.

Of course, if you want to chat, you can always drop me a line at twillisbestshot@gmail.com.

Oh! The Twilli name? My given name is Toni Williams and when I was in college during the early 90s, my computer login at the newspaper I worked at was “Twilli.” It stuck with my journalism friends who started calling me Twilli and today it is equated with who I am as a writer.