Incredible Woman #36 - Stacy Johnson. Friday's Question.

KARA: "Tell us your top 10 favorite things."

Stacy: "In no particular order:
1. The Book of Mormon
2. Music (in general)
3. Stars at night
4. Cheesecake
5. Homemade gifts
6. I love Lucy
7. Old movies
8. Walks
9. Vacations
10. Playing games with family and friends


KARA: "What are your short and long term goals for the future?"

STACY: "Short term I plan on getting my RN and working as mentioned before. My greatest goal is to become a mother. And then everything else stems from that. I want to raise my children in righteousness and lead them to the blessings of the gospel and the ordinances of the temple. I want to be the kind of person that lifts others up and leads them to happiness. I want to always be moving forward. I want to be able to help those around me no matter what my financial situation may be. I want to be a good wife- I want to always build my husband up and make him feel good about himself. I want to see people how the Lord sees them."


KARA: "Tell us your beauty secrets. What makes you feel healthy and happy?"

STACY: "Stay active! I always feel so good when I exercise, get enough sleep, and eat good foods. These are not things that I always do but I know I feel good when I do them :) Its just as important to exercise your mind. If you don't use it you lose it. I like to do different mind puzzles and I try to learn one new thing every day. It doesn't have to be a big thing, just something simple like...why are flamingos pink? Well, its because the crustaceans they eat have a reddish/pink pigment in them and it turns the birds pink when they eat them...no lie! I know I am always happy when I am positive. I recently recieved a letter informing me that I had not been accepted to the registered nursing program. While I was disappointed, I knew that I would have other opportunities come to me that would not come otherwise. Likewise, life is full of dissapointments but its even more full of opportunity. If you focus on the good then the bad becomes blurred-and vice versa. There will always be both but you have the choice of which one you will see. "Men are that they might have joy" and as Thomas S Monson, President of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has said: "Learn from the past, live in the present, and prepare for the future"."

Thanks goes to Stacy for her interview this week. I've learned so much! She is an amazing young woman, and I hope you've been able to enjoy the interview and maybe even learn something. This interview will be up until Sunday afternoon - we'll then be under construction until Monday morning, getting ready to bring you another Incredible Woman. It's almost Mother's Day - do you have an Incredible Woman in your life that you'd like to have featured during May for Mother's Day?? Please email me at kara (dot) incrediblewomen (at) gmail (dot) com. Have a great weekend!

Incredible Woman #36 - Stacy Johnson. Thursday's Question.

KARA: "Since you're not married, what are you looking for in a husband, what is important to you in a mate?"

Stacy: "Most important, someone who shares my love of the Lord and the gospel. We need to have the same standards and goals. Somebody who really values family and will put family first. I think its important for him to want to be a dad. I want him to have a good work ethic. I do not expect him to be perfect or even close to perfect, in fact, I don't expect him to be any better than me. If I expect him to do or become something, then I should expect the same of myself."


KARA: "How has faith helped you in your life?"

STACY: "Faith for me is not anything unless it is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. I recognize Him as my Savior and Redeemer and I would be nowhere with out Him and His Atonement. In the darkest times of my life I have always been able to turn to Him and He has always comforted me with His peace. His words "Be still and know that I am God" have become a motto in my life. He has walked side by side with me through every trial and victory in my life. I have come to trust Him and therefore when trials come I am able to move forward in faith rather than fear. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths" ( Proverbs 3:5-6)"


KARA: "What or who inspires you and why?"

STACY: "My dad and my step mom inspire me because of the trials that they have gone through. They have gone through so much and are still standing. They are fantastic. I am also inspired by a Sunday School teacher I had once. Her name is Phyllis Mangum. She was such a beautiful lady inside and out. She never married but she remained so close to the Lord and was a great instrument in His hands. She was a huge example of Charity. My Grandpa Johnson is one of my favorite people. He is so loving and can make you feel so good about yourself. He makes you feel important and loved. He has been through a lot and is an extremely hard worker. When I think of him I think of mercy and genuine kindness."

Tomorrow will be our last day of interview questions with Stacy. I hope you'll stop by.

Incredible Woman #36 - Stacy Johnson. Tuesday's Questions

KARA: "Tell us about your hobbies/things you like to do."

STACY: "I enjoy being outdoors and going hiking, rock climbing, camping, ect. I actually have a fear of heights but I love the feeling of conquering that fear! There is nothing better than being terrified to do something and then doing it anyway. I also enjoy playing sports, mainly tennis and football. I really like to create things, whether it be with sewing or scrapbooking. I like to learn new things and I am teaching myself to play the piano right now. Its not very easy and its not going as well as I hoped but its fun and challenging. I really enjoy spending time with family (just playing games or sitting around talking). I have begun reading more and found I really enjoy this as well. I love to dance and often do when no one is looking."

KARA: "Tell us why you chose to study nursing, and what you want to do with your career."

STACY: "Since I was young I always enjoyed learning about the body and I would look at all the pictures in my dad's nursing textbooks. I decided to take the certified nursing assistant class my senior year in high school (thanks to the encouragement of my stepmom)and realized I loved working with people and I loved the feeling of helping them. I knew I couldn't always take their pain away but I could make them smile and perhaps momentarily forget. Therefore I decided to become a nurse. When I get my Registered nursing degree I hope to work in the ER for a little bit because I like the excitement. I don't plan to do that for too long because I would also like to work at the Huntsman Cancer institute. I would also like to work with children and the elderly. I have worked with both and enjoy both ends of the spectrum."

Come back tomorrow for more of Stacy's interview.

Incredible Woman #36 - Stacy Johnson. Monday's Questions

Every once in a while, I enjoy featuring a younger Incredible Woman - one who isn't married, who doesn't have kids - because I like to hear what they've learned so far in life. This week, I'm going to be featuring a wonderful young woman - Stacy Johnson. She was nominated by one of our readers. ENJOY!!

KARA: "Describe yourself. What makes you an incredible woman?"

STACY: "I have a hard time taking all the credit for where and who I am today. I have been through trials and have worked hard but it's those very trials that God sends me through which shape me. I would not be who I am without the experiences I have been through and without putting my trust in God. I grew up in trying circumstances. I lived in constant fear of my mom who made me feel terrible about myself. She was physically, emotionally, and verbally abusive and I was depressed. I sure grew up fast, but I grew up hating who I was. I struggled with a malabsorption problem which made me extremely skinny. I stuck a tube down my nose every night for a few months in hopes of gaining a few pounds. When I was no longer able to do that, I had one placed in my stomach for 5 years. And if I didn’t already feel like a walking sideshow act, I lived with an actual hole in my stomach for about 9 months. I thought that my purpose in this life was to make people feel better about themselves. I gave up easily in school because I thought I was dumb and lacked talent. Besides, if I didn’t try I couldn’t fail, right? How wrong I was! As my senior year in high school came to an end I realized that I wanted more than I had or would have on my current path. I decided to go to college. This was a big step for somebody who almost didn’t graduate high school! I worked harder than I ever have before. I wanted to prove to everyone as well as myself that I could do something amazing. Through most of my years in college I worked to pay for my car and living. I participated in councils and church service. I learned to put the Lord first and to really rely on him and trust in him. I was accepted into the nursing program in June 2007 and after the first day, I wanted to quit. I felt overwhelmed and inadequate. Something told me to keep going and I did. For the first time since first grade, I received all ‘A’s! After graduation I started my prerequisites for the registered nursing program along with the exciting task of paying off my student loans. I was blessed with a fantastic job that has provided me with a way to pay off my student loans and gain very valuable experience. I made the decision that I did not want to treat people the way that I was treated by my mother. I am always striving to be better and when I fall short I try again. I have worked very hard. I have had so much help along the way. When I was about 14 I chose a path of religion for myself. That small decision I made at 14 has been the single greatest factor in my success. I had a bumpy start but I am who I am because of my trials, not in spite of them."

KARA: "Tell us about your family and something you love about each of them."

Stacy: "Well for starters there is my mom and I am grateful to her for the life she gave me and the lessons she taught me. I have a very loving Dad who would do anything for his kids. He has always been there to support me in all of my endeavors. He can always make you feel good about yourself. He is the hardest worker I know. I love him very much. He is married to Kris, my stepmom. I am very grateful to her because she too has supported me. She has shown me how mothers act and has helped me in everything from school to finding jobs. She is an incredible woman herself. I have 7 brothers. Some by marriage and some full but I see them all as my full brothers. I love them all. Matt is my older brother and he has always been very respectful to me. He has always stood up for me. Nate is smart and responsible. He is a great example of patience and love. Daniel is in the Army reserves and is such a smart guy. He is an extremely hard worker and I respect him with all my heart. Blake is a loving boy who has worked hard for a cause that he is passionate about. He and 3 other brothers have started a foundation and I am very proud of the work he has done. Jacob is so talented in everything he does. He is funny and is a joy to be around. TJ is so in tune with other people’s feelings. He is so caring. He is funny too. Adam is a great kid who can make you feel better when you are having a rough day. He is very smart and has so much going for him. He also is very talented. Last but certainly not least, there is Ellie. The 3 year old little sister we adopted from Guatemala. She is so precious and sweet. All I can say is she has an important work to fulfill."

Please join us each day this week as we continue this interview with Stacy.