Janelle Hallman’s Personal Journey
When I was a kid . . . I wanted to be a ballerina, an airline stewardess, a detective.
When I grow up I want to be . . . a centered, wise and gracious white-haired sagely woman who oozes with compassion and joy.
Who I have been … In high school I loved art and science and dreamed about becoming a doctor, however, never made it to college. I did find my first job though at a hospital in the pathology department. I worked as the laboratory receptionist until I became bored and decided to learn medical terminology so that I could work as a pathology transcriber. I was a very fast typist (that is what we were called in the olden days) and so began my career typing pathology reports on all sorts of human tissue and yes, even autopsies.
My next adventure took me into a law office. Since I knew how to transcribe, I landed a job as a legal secretary. This meant that I now had to learn legal terminology. After a few years, I became bored once again, so decided to become certified as a paralegal specializing in water and environmental law. But, once again became frustrated and bored, especially as I trained new law associates who would make a lot more money than I. This is when I decided I needed a college degree so that I could pursue a law degree.
To college I went. During that time I ran a successful State House political campaign and worked as a legislative aide to the House Assistant Majority Leader. I graduated with with a degree in Economics with a strong emphasis in Political Science and Literature. I was accepted into both law schools in Colorado but felt a nudge from God – this direction was not best suited for me.
So, not sure of what direction to take, I agreed to work on a software development project. Yes, that meant I not only had to learn computer/software terminology but an actual programming language. Indeed, as a result I was able to successfully program a software package that allowed electrical engineers to generate an estimate while they designed an electrical installation using CAD. This adventure however, allowed me to discover that programming and computers were NOT my cup of tea.
It was also at this point in time that I became introduced to faith-based organizations supporting men and women in conflict with homosexuality. After attending a variety of support groups and feeling a burning passion within me to love these men and women and to help the church understand the nature of their struggles, I decided to finally pursue graduate school. I completed my Masters in Counseling (although I secretly wanted a Masters in Divinity so that I could be a preacher/pastor – perhaps that will happen in my “next life” – just kidding!) Upon graduation, I focused my counseling, studying and writing efforts on the often much ignored topic of female homosexuality. And I have been deeply rewarded by doing so. In fact, with all that I have learned about life, God, relationships, identity and growth, I hope to have future opportunities to share and speak to all kinds of people looking for hope, wholeness and a deeper understanding of themselves and the heart of God.