Take a few minutes to get to know a bit about T.J., and the journey that has been her life. The bio section may stir some questions for you, so T.J. invites you to hold onto them until you reach the end of the page, and drop her a line. You can also contact T.J. directly at tjchristoff1965@gmail.com
She would love to connect with you!
T.J. began writing poetry at the age of sixteen. Since then, she has published five poetry books (My Patchwork Heart 4 Volume Collection, as well as the Complete Collection), one inspirational book (Today I'm Reminded: 366 Days to Mindfulness and Awakening), and her autobiography (Suicide: One Person's Journey to Making the Choice). She currently has one other book she is working on (The Brat Pact: The Promises We Meant to Keep), and another book or two that she says she keeps getting bits of inspirational thoughts for, but that have not been fully presented to her by her higher self as of yet.
T.J. has created this "Featured" section to showcase her newest creations one at a time, as they come to her. These new creations may be poems, quotes, or words to live by. In either case, she will highlight them individually in this section, while at the same time including them in whatever section they would otherwise belong to. The featured new creation will remain in this section and will only be removed whenever another new creation has come along to replace it. This will allow T.J.'s readers an easier method for determining what is new from that which might have been on her site for awhile.
T.J. continues to write new poems as she is inspired to do so, and she has decided to share those unpublished poems with all of you. Additionally, on occasion she will come across a poem that she has written in the past that has not been published, or that may hold special meaning for her. In those cases, T.J. may choose to share those poems with you as well. Sometimes T.J. will receive inspired "Words to Live By" as well as new poems. When this happens, she may include the words to live by in this section as well. She hopes you enjoy the advanced look into these poems and words to live by as they appear, and she invites you to contact her with your feedback.
Here T.J. gives you a sneak peek into one of her upcoming books that she is working on. It may be a work of fiction, a new book of poetry, a book of daily inspirational reminders similar to Today I'm Reminded: 366 Days to Mindfulness and Awakening, or something that (at this point) has yet to be imagined. At any rate, T.J. has decided to share pieces of her work as it moves from a gift of inspiration to one of reality. She would love your feedback and invites you to send her a message either through the chat box at the lower right of the screen, or to correspond directly at tjchristoff1965@gmail.com
T.J. began writing The Brat Pact a few years ago, but had to put the project on hold when she decided to go back to school to earn her Master's Degree. Not one to leave a project undone, T.J. is determined to finish what she has started. Unfortunately, she does not have and end date in sight at the moment.
T.J. has a blog section where she will stop by on occasion to talk about whatever has captured her innermost musings. This usually occurs when she finds herself in a place of reflection, and she wishes to share with her readers some of the lessons she has learned along her life's journey.
T.J. was musing recently over how fast time still manages to fly despite our being encumbered by these meat suits we wear. While reflecting, she decided to share this video with you, which gives you a brief glimpse into the life of T.J. ~ Spiritualist, Author, and spirit in varying human form.
T.J. believes that music is food for the soul. She is often moved emotionally and inspired deeply by music and song lyrics. T.J. believes that music has a direct influence on a persons aura, and the vibrational energy it emits, as well as one's over all mood.
T. J. has written a number of poems in honor of loved ones passed. Regardless of whether they existed in human or animal form, T.J. believes in honoring these souls just the same. She shares those poems with you in this section as a way to continue to keep their spirits alive. She asks that you take a moment to share in the honoring of their sentient existance by reading a poem or two while you are here, while taking time to remember those loved ones that may have passed from your life as well, if you so choose.
T.J. shares select poems from her complete collection of poetry she has written and collected over the span of decades. Read about the experiences which have molded T.J.into the person she is today and discover how some of her own life experiences may possibly even resonate with some of your own!
T.J. had her first thoughts of suicide when she was sixteen years old. She would battle those thoughts for much of her life. With each failed intended attempt, it was "Back to the drawing board!" she went. And each time she left the drawing board, her ideations and intentions grew closer and closer to a successful completion of a suicide attempt.
T.J. Is currently working on updating the cover of her autobiography. While she says she has a visual of what she would like it to look like in her mind, she still has to find someone with the artistic abilities to bring it to life. Once she finds that person, Suicide: One Person's Journey to Making the Choice, will have a new look!
T.J. began writing poetry at the age of sixteen years. She will tell you that she is a terrible writer, and that she is always able to tell when a poem has been truly inspired, compared to when she has attempted to do the writing herself. She says that for the longest time she didn't understand why she was chosen to be the conduit for some greater being to pass messages through, but that she is grateful every time she receives a poem that truly gives her pause after it has been penned.
T.J. continues to write poetry as the inspiration moves her. This is the second of her four volume collection.
As the time passes and T.J. moves through her life's journey, her experiences are reflected in the poems that she writes.
The journey progresses in volume four as T.J. continues to make her way through her life experiences, all the while learning and growing.
T.J. decided to compile her four volume poetry collection into one large book for those of her readers that prefer larger print and fewer books (Although she laughs as she says that she can't imagine anyone wanting fewer books! :) In this Complete Collection, T.J. has added a number of poems that had not been previously published in the individual volumes.
Today I'm Reminded: 366 Days to Mindfulness and Awakening is a fun book that T.J. says should be on a coffee table in every home. It reminds the reader to take a moment to be truly present at least once every day. This is done with simple little thoughts, such as, "Today I'm Reminded: When you make it a point to keep doing what makes you happy, you never need a bucket list!", and "Today I'm Reminded: It's none of my business what anyone else thinks of me." T.J. had the foresight to include an extra day to account for leap year!
If you want to make God laugh, tell Him/Her your plans! T.J. never had any intention to make 366 Days to Mindfulness and Awakening a series. However, ever since writing that book, she has been receiving inspiration for a second volume, which resulted in ~ I Am ~ Reconnecting to Your Higher Self: 366 Days to Mindfulness and Awakening. Ever since publishing Today I'm Reminded in Janruary of 2019 on Amazom.com, the book has received nothing less that 5 stars on any of it's reviews! T.J. is hopeful that ~ I Am ~ Reconnecting to Your Higher Self, will do just as well. T.J. invites you to check out this new addition and welcomes your feedback in the chat box on the lower right of your screen or you may contact her at tjchristoff1965@gmail.com.
Spirituality is a very big part of T.J.'s life. In fact, she will tell you that it is at the core of who she is. As such, T.J. has chosen to share various aspects of her spirituality with her readers as well. T.J. has recognized that for her, had she not had the spiritual connection that she does, her story would have no doubt turned out with a much more grim ending. She hopes you will find her writings regarding spirituality of interest and of benefit to you, however, she also understands that not everyone has an interest in such things, and invites you to move past that section if you so choose.
T.J. has included a contact form so you can reach out to her with any questions or comments you might have. Please understand that T.J. is all about kindness and respect, and therefore, she will only respond to those messages that refrain from negativity or hostility. T.J. believes that we get back what we put out into the Universe, and therefore, she chooses to refrain from engaging in interactions that do not strive to promote a positive interaction. You may contact T.J. via email at: tjchristoff1965@gmail.com
You may notice that there are times when it seems that nothing new is appearing on T.J.'s website. Don’t let this lull fool you. It is during this time that T.J.'s inspiration is "UNDER CONSTRUCTION." Inspiration is something that can't be rushed, and T.J. appreciates your patience and understanding during these slower times.
T.J. has added page numbers at the top left of each page of the website to help you navigate the site more efficiently.
T.J. has added a chat button in the lower right hand corner of the screen. By using this chat feature, you can quickly send a message to T.J., and she will respond as quickly as possible. You can also contact T.J. via email at
T.J. was raised in a military family, and as such, she has spent a great deal of her life relocating from state to state. This constant uprooting was especially difficult for T.J. as a child growing up, as each new move meant upheaval and uncertainty. Leaving old friends (and in one case, her beloved, lost little dog, Sinbad) behind and trying to make new friends at new schools was never easy for the somewhat shy yet gregarious introvert.
When it comes to her personality, T.J. has often considered herself to be a contradiction of terms... kind, yet no-nonsense, funny yet serious, gentle yet tough when necessary, shy and introverted, yet very outgoing and personable. These contradictions, according to T.J., can make it difficult for new acquaintances to know how to take her.
Like a phoenix, T.J. has risen from the ashes of a lifetime filled with hurt, heartache, and loss. Her resiliency, determination, and Spirituality have seen her through the darkness of depression and suicidal ideations.
Despite having documented learning disabilities, T.J. served her country in the United States Air Force and the Army Guard. She earned an Associate's Degree in Electronics Engineering Technology, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, and recently completed her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. T.J. plans to earn a PhD degree in Psychology next. She is also looking forward to returning to seeing clients in a therapeutic environment.
T.J. possesses experience as an instructor from her time in the military and as a law enforcement officer, and she has indicated that she would like to teach at the college or university level.
T.J. Christoff lives in North Carolina with her three absolutely amazing dogs, a cat that T.J. says "pretty much runs the show", and a large tank full of freshwater fish!
T.J. loves all living beings, and she always seems to be rescuing something...frogs, lizards, ladybugs, butterflies, slugs, baby birds or bunnies, baby deer, or some other creature in need of help. Once she even rescued a Turkey Vulture on her way to a job interview!! T.J. still believes that it was her talk of that rescue to the panel of interviewers, and her having mentioned that the vulture was waiting for her in her car to be taken to a rehaber following the interview, which is what really secured her position with that company!
T.J. began writing poetry at the age of 16 years. She will be the first to tell you that the words she writes are not her own, but rather, that she is just a conduit for a much higher source to pass messages though for purposes that are as yet unknown to her.
Hindsight is 20/20. I doubt there are many people who if given a chance, wouldn’t like the opportunity to go back in time and change some, if not all of their past. Be it the choices they made as an individual or the things that affected them in some negative or hurtful way. It is the events of our past combined with our individual innate sensitivities that each of us possess, however, that contributes to the making of the person each of us will ultimately become. Each generation holds within it certain truths. The way children were raised 50 or 60 years ago, could not be scarcely imagined by the children of today. The discipline imposed by parents onto their children of only 30 or 40 years ago, while acceptable then would have been judged as abuse by today’s standards. It is only through years of living that one is able to mentally go back in time to evaluate the affects life as a child has had on them. It is also through years of living, that we are able to truly appreciate and put to use those lessons that were taught to us so many years ago. Through time, the recollection of certain incidents may become clouded. Some facts or details recalled differently from one person to the next. That doesn’t make an event any less real or accurate within the individual mind of the person that recalls it, or any less important. While there may be emotional pains associated with an individual’s upbringing, it is imperative that we try to look past the pain to the lesson. In every situation we encounter throughout the course of our lives, from childhood through adulthood, we have an opportunity to learn something. The only things preventing us from learning these lessons are our own fear, anger, pride and sheer unwillingness. There will always be pain, hurt and loss as long as there is life. There are no cookie-cutter designs for the perfect parent or for the perfect child. We use what we learn and experience as children, to hopefully someday become stronger adults and eventually better parents for our own children. As we grow into adults, we are faced with other issues that bring about the feeling of pain, hurt and loss. Each incident will affect us in a way that may or may not be understood by others in society, but once again, that perception from one person to the next is no less real or important. Life is a journey. A race filled with obstacles and lessons, starting from conception and continuing throughout life until finally reaching its end in death. Enjoy your journey…for you know not when it shall end!
https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Persons-Journey-Making-Choice/dp/1793133492
My Patchwork Heart is just that! It is a heart that has known love, anger, pain, loss, hope, faith and survival. It is a heart that has known many sleepless nights. The result of attempts at picking up its broken pieces, while working desperately to mend itself back together again…all the while, learning and growing.
The poems that make up this collection of original poetry have been written and collected for more than thirty years by the author. As much as possible, they are displayed throughout the pages in the same order in which they were written; A word-map, of sorts, of the author’s journey throughout life, and no doubt a reflection of some of life’s obstacles that many readers of My Patchwork Heart can deeply relate to.
Poems can tell stories through short, succinct verses, while at the same time conveying volumes through relatable, heartfelt imagery. Many of T.J.'s poems are born from her lived experiences. While others are whispered to her soul at twilight, only to be penned at the light of dawn.
The journey continues in Volume 4. As the author evolves, the poems reflect her journey through life. The series of all 4 volumes are also available in one complete collection (see "My Patchwork Heart: Complete Collection 1983 - 2020", at the beginning of this page) which includes a number of additional poems that were previously unpublished.
The complete four volume collection of poems compiled over almost 40 years of the autohor's life have been gathered together in one book. There are even some extra poems that have never been published before included in this collection of poems waiting to be shared with you!
Every day we have the opportunity to experience all of the gifts that make up, life! Too often, however, so much of life often slips right past us without our noticing it. Today I'm Reminded: 366 Days to Mindfulness and Awakening, is a book that is designed to encourage mindfulness every single day, while at the same time, assisting the reader in developing a more awakened sense of self and being.
https://www.amazon.com/Today-Im-Reminded-Mindfulness-Awakening-ebook/dp/B07N388R8H
"~ I Am ~" was designed to help the reader become more mindful over the course of 366 days. Each day starts with the powerful words "I AM", and is followed by one positive word to be meditated on throughout the day. At the bottom of each page is a definition that expresses the meaning that inspired the word.
https://www.amazon.com/Reconnecting-Your-Higher-Self-Mindfulness-ebook/dp/B0CW1JJ5SH
This is the first volume in a second collection of original poems penned by author, T.J. Christoff. T.J. often acknowledges that she is simply the conduit which these words of poetry flow through. Being the very spiritual person that she is, T.J. wanted to honor that aspect of herself as much as possible throughout the construction of this new collection of poems. Whether through the words themselves or the tone they took T.J. believes that you will be able to feel the essence of her soul throughout the pages of this volume as you read the poems that came to her and through her over time.
https://www.amazon.com/Author-My-Soul-Collection-Original-ebook/dp/B0DJLBPGHV/
Most of the information concerning spirituality (including updated author aura and chakra information) has been relocated to page 16.