MEET JUDY. . .
If you're reading this website, then you have this woman to thank for its inception, creation and maintenance. If you have also read, THE KNOCK-KNOCK BOOK - If I Hear God Knocking, Do You Think I Should Answer? , you would know that it was she who came up with the idea of doing the book, in the first place, and from there, the rest is history.
Judy was born a pastor's daughter in Gillespie, IL, and moved throughout the "spine" of Illinois with her family as her dad accepted calls to various congregations throughout the central part of the state. After marrying her student/soldier-drafted husband and moving to Alabama, she got her degree in French and Russian in Jacksonville, Alabama, anticipating being a translator at the UN, where two langauges, in addtion to English (Or Chinese and English, only) are needed in order to be a translator. Unfortunately, there was no army base in New York City where they could be assigned, so off to school she went, again, getting a degree in nursing and working for two years as a Labor and Delivery RN. From there, God threw a curve ball and her life switched paths, again.
For the past many years, all degrees aside, Judy has been a foster/adoptive mother to special needs children, and children who were supposed to "go home" found out they were already home as soon as they walked into the Burhans' door. With three of her own natural children, the family readjusted their thinking, their bedrooms, their hearts and invested in a 15-passenger van, which they have continued to use, even now. Max capacity has been 12 of the seats filled with children and parents, and at one time, with three car seats included. It has been a trip!
In order to "stay at home" and take care of children who were in need of constant supervision, she has worked at Grace Lutheran Church as the Minister of Music, started her own transcription business for medical doctors, co-authored two books, developed the material that is part of the Totally Awesome Grace
(TAG) website, and "coerced" her friends, daughter and friend's daughter to write daily devotions for the past 3-1/2 years. This group of women, the "TAG Team," has been honored to speak at gatherings in Florida, local churches, and a local university (Oakwood College), to name a few. Included in their offerings are large-print devotional booklets that are printed on a monthly basis for distribution to shut-ins (that was the original plan, anyway!), and books by all the authors plus a few individual books.
Judy found a poem on the internet a few years ago, whose author is unknown, but the words of the poem seem to describe Judy - and this group of writers - to a tee!
Life is not a journey to the grave
With the intention of arriving safely In a pretty and well-preserved body,
But rather, to skid into heaven broadside,
Thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming:
“WOW! What a ride!”