Gessica of Sizzor Shak

Gessica is our resident diva. She has an amazing voice – she sings for First Baptist of Maryville and when she belts out her voice with the choir backing her up, you’re sure to have chills run up and down your spine. Her picture graces the flyers and billboards that her church puts up every year for their Christmas production because, besides having a great voice, she is a certifiable knockout!

If Gessica’s church, First Baptist of Maryville, sounds familiar to you, it is probably because it is the location of the tragic church shooting that occurred March 9, 2009. Pastor Fred Winters was killed by a gunman while he was preaching on that Sunday morning. He was a gifted pastor, a community leader, and a dedicated husband and father. He was also Gessica’s friend.

Working alongside Gessica during this time, I believe I can speak for the entire staff when I say that we saw a new and deeper side to her. Her grief led her to sing special songs in order to honor her pastor and remember God’s grace. Her bold personality gentled during this season. And as time went on, a transformation began to take place in her that was beautiful to behold.

Gessica will always be our diva extraordinaire – no one would ever want that to change! And her personality will always be big and bold. But through the trials of life, she has been forged into something stronger and more beautiful than before. When you experience the vibrancy and glow that comes from deep within her, you can see God creating something special in her life.

My husband, Erik, was relocated with his job in the summer of 2007. We moved into our new home in August and sent our three boys off to their new school 10 days later. I spent the next couple months unpacking, trying to find my way around this new town, and hoping I would somehow be able to get settled.

You see, this was my first big move. I had always lived in near my family. At our old address, my parents were four miles away and Erik’s parents were seven miles away. My mom and I used the same grocery store, we went to the same Bible study group every week, and she helped me out with the kids a lot. Both Erik’s family and mine went to the same church – the church where we met, married, and dedicated each of our children. Even my extended family all lived within a 20 mile radius of us.

So moving to a different state was a bit overwhelming for this little mama’s girl.

On another note…

Have you ever noticed that most people are not automatically friendly to a new person? They may look at you — but then again they may not. They may smile and say “hello” to you if you are introduced to them — but then the next time you see them they will probably not remember you. And if you were to go so far as to introduce yourself, then they look at you like there is something wrong with you.

Maybe not always – but often enough to make a person feel very alone. And I felt very alone.

At this time, my full-time job was as a stay-at-home mom. But I had always held a part-time job in order to help out with the household expenses and to give me a reason to get out of the house. So as I began to look for work, I found myself extremely prayerful. I was putting a lot of hope into this job – at this point in my life I was banking on a lot more than a paycheck.

Also, thanks to sweetTea Media for capturing such an amazing video! Please everyone make sure you check out there website; you won’t be disappointed!

Andrea & Alex {Collinsville IL} from sweetTea media on Vimeo.

As corny as it sounds, this is how I feel about the place where I work. I came in late today, feeling really tired from all of the hullabaloo that this season demands. And the first person I see is Nicole, who gives me a big hug. We spend a minute admiring her brand new engagement ring (so happy – she’ll be the best wife ever)! Then I give and receive hugs from Linda (I’ve never had a boss who I like to hug so much!). I check in with Kaci at the desk – her first baby is due soon. I know from experience how precious it is to experience Christmas while expecting a child; there is a kinship to Mary and the baby Jesus that makes this season so special.

Speaking of babies, Lisa is a new aunt to a chubby little 2 day old named Mabel, and we ooh and ahh over the photos. Charlotte brings a new flatbread snack for everyone to try, and Scott passes out samples of gourmet coffee.

All of a sudden, I realize that an hour has passed and I am feeling great! How many people can say that going into work has made their day better? As I write this, I feel completely and utterly blessed.

I may not be in a historical tavern in Boston drinking a beer; however, a historical salon in Collinsville that serves up coffee and love is a perfect place for me.

I’m glad I don’t need to change my name to “Norm!” to keep my Cheers this season!

Getting up in the morning, starting the coffeemaker, making kids lunches, feeding the two noisy cats and the one whining dog – finally, the coffee was ready to drink and it tasted terrible. But of course I drank it. Caffeine is as necessary to me as my contact lenses – I simply can’t see without it.

Fortunately for me, I was heading into work at Sizzor Shak, so I knew I would soon encounter our new Java Shak line. It is simply incredible… so smooth and rich with a great aroma. I won’t share the brand I have in my cabinets at home, but it is soon to be replaced with the shiny gold bags of 100% Arabica coffee beans. I guess this is one time it’s good to take my work home with me!

During a break in the day, I approached Karen to introduce myself. “Your hairstyle is terrific,” I told her. “I work in a salon and I have to tell you that your cut really complements your face. You have a great look.” She thanked me and we continued to talk about the camp and her role as a hospice volunteer for a local hospital.

Later on, Karen and I found ourselves together again in working on a craft activity for the camp. I made another comment about her great hairstyle. She smiled and said, “I’ll let you in on a secret – it’s a wig.” And she went on to tell me her story…

I lost my father to pancreatic cancer in 1954 when he was only 37 years old, and I was only 9 years old. A few years later, alopecia areata came along and claimed most of my beautiful naturally curly auburn hair. The only psychologist in the small town where we lived advised my mother that it was a delayed reaction to my father’s death. My high school years are extremely painful memories due to my appearance and lack of confidence caused by my drastic, but thankfully not total, hair loss. Fortunately for me, one of my high school teachers suggested to my mother and me that I should wear a wig to improve my appearance which would greatly enhance my ability to have a successful career in life. My teacher’s wife, who was a cosmetologist, did all the research, made all the arrangements, and they drove my mother and me to St. Louis to purchase my first hair prosthesis. From that day forward, my appearance, self-esteem and life changed drastically for the better.

Karen went on after high school to be a court reporter, a career that required her to be up in front of a lot of people. She says she could have never done a job like that had it not been for her teacher’s help with her appearance. Today, she volunteers with adults and children who have lost a loved one, she writes about grief and healing for different publications, and she also works with stray rescue.

Karen has several wigs – she told me that she has an extra one just for her kick boxing class. She has purchased the brands Jon Reneau, Rene of Paris, Noriko, and Raquel Welch – all brands that we carry at the Wig Shak in Collinsville (Metro East St. Louis area)! And she has had a great result with them. As she stated earlier, having a hair prosthesis not only enhanced her looks ( and she looks GREAT! ) , it changed her entire life. And her confidence has spilled over to benefit every person to which she has given her time and care.