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Carissa Gibbons
Carissa Gibbons grew up in the heart of the south in the state of Alabama. From its northern foothills of the Smoky Mountains of Decatur to its southern bay area of Mobile, her childhood was that of a preacher’s kid moving often to various towns and cities throughout Alabama. The city of Birmingham served as her childhood birthplace, and the city she would return to in high school and college. She graduated from the University of Alabama in Birmingham with a B.S. in Elementary Education.
Carissa embarked on her teaching career in the public school sector as a 6th grade Language Arts teacher. Her parents were then pastoring in a town near Montgomery, Alabama, and it was here she established her own adult-sized roots. Teaching preteens and singing in her father’s church became her passions. It was at church that she met David. He would later say, “I fell in love with your singing voice before I fell in love with you.” They were married exactly one year after their first date and resided in the same suburban area as their families.
Carissa continued to teach as David built houses and a commercial property as well as developed subdivisions and opened a fitness center all in their hometown. David continued to support Carissa’s singing and songwriting, and she soon recorded an album of her songs titled Come Closer. Within three years of marriage, Carissa took a sabbatical from teaching to enjoy her pregnancy and the first year with their son, Jacob. Adam, David’s son, also came to live with them fulltime the same year and month Jacob was born. They now had a teenager and an infant bringing joy and answered prayers to their busy home.
Carissa had returned to teaching for almost two years when the accident happened that took David’s life. She was home with both boys as David was out of town. There she was, awakened by the call that turned her life upside down. Then she was left to pull herself together enough to wake Adam, now 17 years old, and tell him before his phone did. Within just a few days Jacob began asking for Daddy. Carissa did her best to function through the shock and tears.
Somehow she survived these first days, weeks and months. She soon knew she could no longer teach school but had to commit herself to managing two of the three businesses, the commercial property and fitness center. For much of ten years she did just that and even threw in owning a coffee shop for a few years for measure! With each decision, good or not so good, she didn’t quit. She knew the stakes were stacked against her, but she also knew she trusted God. Somedays, that was all she had, but it was enough. She saw each failure as a learning opportunity and each success as a deep breath of relief and fuel for determination.
After almost 9 years of being solely self-employed, Carissa decided it was time for a change. She decided to sell the fitness center. A year later, more change was knocking at the door of her heart and mind. She decided to sell their home, the one David had built. A VERY BIG DECISION!! Equally as big, was the decision to move into the city of Montgomery. She knew in order to step into her next, she had to step out of some things too.
She continued to manage the commercial property and took a position developing educational and community programs for another local business. Her mind, heart, and hands were back in the world of education, and she loved it! But it was short-lived as the Covid pandemic soon shut the doors to this beloved new adventure and so much of the life we all knew.
After sitting home for six months going stir crazy, Carissa decided, “I need to be essential!”
Which led to the realization, “Teachers ARE essential! And I am a teacher!” So, she returned to teaching at the private school Jacob attended in Montgomery. She enjoyed teaching science to preschool and elementary students for several years. This experience with younger students birthed a desire in her to teach children at the foundational level, especially to read. She next decided to return to public education and tackle yet another adventure of teaching kindergarten.
Out of the once demanding fist of change, Carissa had learned to embrace change, to even choose it when faced with true fulfillment and possibilities. She had also embraced the scripture, “If God is for me, I can not fail.” Romans 8:31
Carissa’s spiritual journey of faith and healing took a course all its own, with twists and turns just like her professional life. The stages of grief were often delayed or suffocated by the heaviness and overwhelming reality of responsibilities. About a year after David’s passing, Carissa left their home church and that of her dad’s pastorate. Her memories there with David became too much. She finally allowed herself to do more than attend a church when she joined Church of the Highlands in Montgomery some 7 years later. It was here that she really began to peel back the layers and allow God to heal and restore one layer at a time. First, Carissa attended small groups; then, she began to lead them for women.
In 2023, God began drawing Carissa to the ministry of widows. God was calling her to face her worst word of identity and let Him bring life through it to herself and others. Now she leads, coaches, and coordinates small groups for women and widows. She still teaches kindergarten minutes down the street from her home in Montgomery. Although she hasn’t returned to singing publicly, she does use this gift with her students regularly, sharing her heart and love for them through song. Jacob is now a senior in high school with ambitions for a trade in HVAC that will eventually enable him to own his own business. He also desires to live in the country on family land once his dad’s and grandfather’s, continuing the legacy of his Gibbons’ heritage.
One of the best decisions Carissa made was in 2016 when she decided to get a little miniature schnauzer puppy for Jacob and herself. Jax has been her sidekick ever since bringing so much warmth and comfort with his happy presence in their home. Whether it be her time with Jesus and His Word every morning, working on lesson plans in the evenings, or weekend movie nights, Jax is always right there with her. Carissa’s love for Jax and dogs is evident in her home, classroom decor, and casual conversations with friends or strangers. She recognizes his companionship as a help to loneliness and a source of smiles when life gets hard. She often says she has two sons, one with two legs and one with four!