I’m Passionate, Not Perfect

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Photo by flaivoloka

Sitting in the hairdressers chair this morning it became even more apparent, though it didn’t have anything to do with getting my hair done. No, it had more to do with the conversation taking place. My hairdresser, a friend of mine, is also in ministry, she sings in a gospel quartet, next to her in the other hairdressers chair sat a pastor’s wife who has spent much time in ministry, and is a freelance writer herself. The three of us were in deep conversation about the what we do. How ministry “jobs” come along, speaking opportunities, invites to sing, and opportunities to write, how there are peaks and valleys, ebbs and flows, but how much we enjoy what we do.

As I sat there and poured out my story to the pastor’s wife, who wasn’t aware of what I have been doing for the past 2.5 years I felt it, that sense of “knowing” once again that THIS is my calling. This is my passion. Yesterday, I read this quote on a fellow blogger’s blog and it struck me deeply, Thanks Holley –

“It seems God values passion more than our idea of perfection. That doesn’t mean following our feelings but rather pursuing Him relentlessly and refusing to become passive.”

How wonderful it is that God is more concerned about my passion, and passion I have!  I’m also proud to continue pursing Him and doing whatever it takes.

He Keeps Getting Me Here

It’s true, He keeps getting me here, to the point I am now. God continually moves in our lives to get us to the point where we stand today. It is hard to believe that there are people out there who do not believe in his divine power. I see divine inspiration and divine appointments in my daily life. They are too numerous to count, to amazing too miss. But, yet, some people go throughout life, day after day missing them all. Sad, but true.

I thought I’d continue “my story”. As I realized after copying and pasting the testimony I had written last July to the blog yesterday as part of telling my “testimony” that there was more to the story. My testimony is ever going, ever growing, never ending. Each day God adds more to it. Isn’t that awesome?

So, where I left off yesterday in the testimony was in July 2007 at the point I was giving the testimony to a group of ladies at my mother-in-law’s church. I was sharing with them that God was blessing my ministry efforts and that I was blessed to be able to do ministry and stay home with my children. I was content.

Of course, like most folks, I didn’t remain content. I had been home since March 2007, when my baby girl was born and thing had gone pretty smoothly for the time being, that is until the money began to dwindle. I was accustomed to a paycheck every month without fail from my youth-children’s ministry position, and that pay check was gone.

Being the one who takes care of the money in our family I began to stress. I crunched numbers, pinched pennies, made lists, tried to save and scrimp but the money was just not there and I was stressing. This was sometime towards the beginning of fall just as my son was starting preschool. Well, not being one to just “give up” i prayed and I searched online and everywhere for ideas.

I thought about getting a part time job, even checked into waitressing, something I had never done, but thought hey I can do it. Obviously, this wasn’t meant to be because it never came to fruition. In fact, that too was in God’s divine plan as it wasn’t long until I found out I was expecting baby #3. I know there are probably people who do it every single day, but waitressing pregnant isn’t something I’d choose to want to experience.

So, as I said God had other plans anyway. In October, I receive a phone call from a fellow Work at Home Mom. She had heard my desperate plea online for finding something to do to make extra money and she was familiar with me. She said she had read some of my articles and knew I could write. She wanted to hire me to write some articles for her, and agreed to pay me. So, of course, I agreed to write. I began the very next few days, then, decided hey, this is something I could definitely do to make money. Writing that is. So I set up a website, A Writer for HIre, and began pursing clients. God placed them one by one in my lap.

Then, I set some income goals and watched as month after month those goals were blown out of the water. In addition the bookings for Beauty by Design speaking opportunities kept a coming. I was doing both things that I had always wanted to do, speaking AND writing. It felt too good to be true, but apparently for once it is not, because today I am still doing both.

This year, in 2008, to date I have spoken 7 times already. My goal each year since I began this ministry has been to do 12 events per year. At this rate I should accomplish that, this year. Last year, in 2007, I got really close doing 11 events. Each a huge blessing and stepping stone to the next thing God had in store.

In February, I stumbled upon Proverbs 31 Ministries and began communicating with those ladies, signing up for the She Speaks conference and realizing what a God thing it was to begin talking with them. I am now writing devotions for them and have hopes for becoming more involved in their ministry.

I know there is probably more I could share as through the past few months I feel I have received many divine appointments and opportunities. I see God moving in miraculous ways daily in my life, and for that I am grateful. I can’t wait to see what He has in store.

How Do I?

If you’ve read my blog lately or for any length of time you’ll see I”m normally rather long-winded. I am a chatty Cathy as one might call it and I do love to talk. In just 8 days now I am going to She Speaks in Charlotte, NC a speaker and writer’s conference put on by Proverbs 31 Ministries. I am super excited!

One of the things we have to do in preparation for the conference is to create a 3 minute speech to introduce ourselves, tell our story or testimony to the group we are in, if you signed up for a speaker’s group that is. I, of course, did and I’m looking so forward to the feedback. I have been doing public speaking now for quite some time. I have been speaking in churches and at clubs and other organizations as a part of my ministry to girls, Beauty by Design Ministries, since I founded it in January 2005. But I have NEVER, yes you read that right, NEVER, been to a speaker’s conference, had any training, other than speech class in college and the school of hard knocks called life and teaching youth and children Sunday School and etc. This I often I prepared for more than once per week for 5 years, I taught Sunday School, Wednesday night Bible studies and more a part of my position as youth /children’s minister.  Needless to say, I am not one of those ladies who this is my first time, so I don’t have the right to be trembling in my shoes.

In fact, I am not nervous, I am one of the few strange people in the world who does not have the fear of public speaking. This is even more odd because I was such a shy child! My fear does not lie in the arena of public speaking. In fact, I am just the opposite and energized by it. My adrenaline is flowing when I am up in front of others speaking, especially if it is an opportunity to speak about something I am passionate about. So, my dilemma is a little different. My dilemma is “How the heck do I introduce myself and tell my story or testimony in ONLY 3 minutes?” Can’t they give a girl 5?

So, any tips or advice on “shortening” my speech? Any thoughts on what you’d want to hear about me if you were in a group of ladies who are meeting me for the first time?

I am excited though and look forward to some “constructive” criticism as I have NEVER been evaluated and know that this can only help me to grow!

Leave me your thoughts folks!

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