Purpose Driven Women Magazine

+++

FINANCIAL FAITH DOES OUR MARRIAGE MATTER POWER UP OUR CHILDREN MENTAL BATTLEFIELD FEB 2021

JOIN WOMEN JUST LIKE YOU PDWMAG.COM

SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US VISIT PDWMAG.COM

Publisher Kimi Johnson

Editor-in-Chief Carmelita Mcroy

Cover Designer Kimi Johnson

Contributors

Bernadette Evans Kimberly Young Rhoda Whitfield Dr. Shelia E. Sapp Jasmine Wise

Cover Feature Courtney Ajinca Photographer: Breonna Collier

Business Features

Kawanzasis Harris, owner of Berry Keen Sharon Yvonne Watkins, owners of ColShar Productions

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV Purpose Driven Women Magazine is the woman's guide to connecting to and thriving in their purpose. We are a bi-monthly digital faith based magazine designed to provide inspiration for women on their purpose journey. Our publication is published by PurposePals, LLC on the first Tuesday of every odd month.

OUR MISSION Imagine a world where every woman knew exactly why they were created. Despite their economical background, past failures, trials, or tribulations they believed they were more than enough to thrive as the person God created them to be with ease and flow. Our Vision is to create an international publication that creates unification and connection amongst women from different walks of life, giving them an opportunity to uplift each other by sharing stories, resources, products, and expertise.

OUR VISION

Purpose Driven Women Magazine is a publication of PurposePals, LLC. The information in this publication is presented in good faith. The publisher does not guarantee accuracy or assume responsibility for errors or omissions.

Copyright 2020 © PurposePals, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in part or in whole, without expressed written consent of the Publisher is prohibited.

4 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

Purpose Driven Women Magazine’s Mission is to inspire and encourage women to discover and surrender to the plan God has for their life. We give everyday women a voice and platform by means of testimonials, interviews, training, resources, and informative articles to share stories of how their faith helped them to overcome hardship. EBSITE: pdwag.com

CONTACT INFORMATION PDWMAG.COM EMAIL: HELLO@pdwmag.com

16

PLAN YOUR PARTY LIKE A PRO: 5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR EVENT STAND OUT

Love & Relationship DOES OUR MARRIAGE

12 Table of Contents Spiritual 8

CONQUERING THE BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND

ColShar Productions 24

Beauty & Wellness

Family 38

12

FEATURING NICOL RAINEY AND SHARON YVONNE WATKINS

POWER UP CHILDREN FOR LIFE’S SUCCESS

EXPLORE A LITTLE PURPOSE

Wealth & Prosperity FINANCIAL FAITH

12

Letter From the Editor

Hello, Purpose Driven Women, This month many of us focus on love because February resonates with Valentine's Day. While that is a day put aside for couples, I say let's use it as a time to talk about God's love, because without His love or his examples of love we wouldn't know how great that word LOVE is.

LOVE is a powerful word. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world", "Love your neighbor as yourself," "but the greatest of these is love," "Love is patient". As you live our lives for the rest of this month, focus on love, not just this month but all year. Love is how we win souls. You cannot buy love, earn love, or win love; love is unconditional, meaning no matter what you do, wrong or right; God loves you, and the people who love you put no conditions on it. I pray every one of you experiences love, every day.

2020 focused on too much hate, so let's make 2021 about love and watch how things will change. Let's see how our nation, our world, our communities, our cities, our homes can become better when we focus on loving those around us, just like Jesus loves you.

Always remember to Expect It, Believe It, Receive It! Carmelita Mcroy Editor in Chief

February 2021PDWMAG.COM 7

Spiritual

Conquering the Battlefield of the Mind

By Kimberly Young

I

It seems almost unavoidable to become consumed by the madness happening in our world, our country, and our lives: wars and famine, unemployment and economic uncertainty, a pandemic sickening and killing millions unabated, and social, civil, and political unrest running rampant through the country once considered the greatest democracy in the world. On a personal level, many are struggling with illness, fractured families, business failures, and other situations.

We are physically tired, emotionally spent, and in spiritual despair; and…we cry out for relief! The circumstances we face are real, but we must not allow them to turn us away from the Truth. We must remember these issues are used by the enemy of our souls—the devil—to gain a foothold and make us doubt the Lord and His goodness.

The enemy’s greatest weapon against us is the lies he plants within our minds. Anytime we allow an open door to the enemy in the form of unresolved anger or hurt, unforgiveness, bitterness, or pride, he will come in with his falsehoods to entice us to doubt the goodness, faithfulness, and love of our

10 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

Heavenly Father. Just as with Eve in the Garden, he whispers to us, “Did God really say _________?” The devil’s main priority is to cause us to doubt our Father, become discouraged, and give up on living the purposeful, blessed life He planned for us before the foundation of the world.

BUT…the good news is, we do not have to fall prey to these lies! We have the Word of God, the Bible, to remind us daily of the promises of God— promises that are “Yes!” through Christ and “Amen!” to the glory of God through us (2 Corinthians 1:20). We also have the Holy Spirit, who teaches us all things and guides us into all truth (John 16:13-14). Finally, we have the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11), with which we overcome the enemy by sharing the good news of the Gospel and the life-changing work of Christ Jesus in our lives with others. By staying focused on the Lord, we can win the battle within our minds!

“The devil’s main priority is to cause us to doubt our Father, become discouraged, and give up on living the purposeful, blessed life He planned for us before the foundation of the world.”

-Kimberly Young

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

11

Wealth & Prosperity

Financial Faith

By Bernadette Evans

Often, financial obligations and needs pull us in many different directions, and financial constraints stop us from achieving our goals. As Christians, we ask ourselves what our financial priorities should be while we are living in this material world. God does not hate money, but He does want us to use it in a way that cultivates generosity and builds our faith.

God’s Reward for Wise Money Management Money is the acid test of your faithfulness. God uses it more than any other thing in your life to test your faith.

Why? Because it’s the thing we have the hardest time with. The truth is that you are only the manager of your money. This is called stewardship — the old English word for “manager.” Everything that we have belongs to God. If we are talking about finances and faith, then we must have a conversation about budgeting. God wants us to be good stewards (managers) of the resources He has given us, and budgeting is a great way to do that. Most of us are familiar with how to build a budget, so we will not go over that. Just be aware that creating a budget can help build faith.

Budgeting helps us to manage our resources in a way that honors and glorifies God. For example, a faith-based budget should include giving, whether that be a financial offering, charity work, or setting aside funds to help someone in need when the opportunity arises. A faith-based budget is centered not primarily around our wants and needs, but around God’s priorities and values.

14 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

If you find yourself faced with tough financial times, be encouraged here are a few things that you can do to set your path to financial freedom.

A Few Tips for Financial Faith and Freedom 

Write down all of your debts from lowest to the highest amount or from highest to lowest interest rate.



Calculate the minimum payments on all your debts.



Make a plan to pay only the minimum payments on everything except for the lowest payment. Put a little extra, as much as you can afford, into that payment every month until you’ve paid it off. Then take what you were paying on that payment and apply it to the next lowest debt.

Keep doing this until all of your debt is gone. It may take a while, keep at it and it will happen.

Money is not evil as some Christians have been made to believe. It is how you look at money and how you misuse money that can make it evil.

Be a good steward over your money (resources).

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

15

CLICK HERE TO WATCH INTERVIEW

CELEBRITY EVENT PLANNER COURTNEY AJINCA

By Kimi Johnson

From humble beginnings in North Carolina to soaring above and beyond achieving her wildest dreams, internationally acclaimed event and interior designer Courtney Ajinça continues to turn fantasy into reality as a vivacious mastermind that gives people around the world the events of their dreams! As an artistic visionary whose ability, uniquely creative talents and outstanding reputation have made her a tremendous success in the lifestyle arena, Courtney has made a name for herself by taking her passion for designing spectacular events and transforming it into a lifestyle. She continuously exceeds the expected with an unmatched level of inspiration, imagination and innovation to create the latest trends in entertaining.

Courtney has created a number of installations for several high-profile celebrities and networks, including NBC and is known for her over the top and whimsical events. Courtney is always providing new visual adventures for her clients and the industry!

Courtney is mom of two beautiful boys and wife of NBA player Alexis Ajinça.

16 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

17

Kimi Johnson: Courtney, how are you? It is such a pleasure to speak with you.

Courtney Ajinca: Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited.

KJ: So Courtney, tell us about your business and how you got started in the event planning industry.

CA: I got started just doing really small events and celebrations for family and friends. My husband started taking notice and he was like, “Hey babe, you're good at this. You should take it seriously.”

So I did and I haven't looked back.

It's so funny because a memory popped up on my timeline and iPhone memory this morning from four years ago, which was my first paid event. It's so crazy to see how far I've come as an event planner.

It was pretty satisfying to look back and see the journey and how far I've come.

KJ: Did you always know event planning would be a part of your purpose journey?

CA: In college, I studied biology and pre-med. That was my focus. I wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. And then life happened. I ended up meeting my husband and then, you know, he's an athlete, so I traveled with him.

But I think it is something that I've

18 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

always come back to, like in college I liked to party, so I became a promoter. I had a promotion company called Pretty Girls in Charge. Then I went away from that and I went into the beauty industry following in the footsteps of my grandfather who owned one of the first African-American beauty supply stores in the Southeast. Then it just kind of came full circle and I went back to doing the events. It's always something that makes me feel fulfilled. I love entertaining and having people over. I think event planning is just something that is in me. It feels right. I feel like I found my passion. I always say when things flow freely and effortlessly, that's what your old ordained to be doing. And that's how you know that you're walking in God's will because you don't have all of those obstructions and difficulties. Everything flows to you the way it's supposed to. So I can say that I feel like I have found my passion. I don't know if I have found my purpose yet. I'm still on the way to doing that, but definitely, I feel like I'm walking in my passion.

KJ: You're doing such a fabulous job with it. So at what point did you decide, Hey, you know, I enjoyed this. I want to make this into a business.

CA: I would have to say about

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

19

four years ago when I did my first paid event. I was so surprised when I saw what was in my head come together in a 3d design.

Seeing everything be executed and come to fruition became addictive.

I love the thrill of seeing the event come to life. It's a high I get.

KJ: What has been your most memorable event so far? I'm sure you have so many, but is there one that stands out?

CA: Aside from Cynthia, because Cynthia just had a special place in my heart, I would have to say my favorite event is the LeBron James event I did for his Christmas party for Uninterrupted. That was my favorite because they gave me creative control. My favorite element of that event was this huge nine-foot sneaker that I had custom made to mimic a replica of the Air Force One that he had just released with Nike. Although it was a Christmas party it was so non-traditional. It was blue, which was the color of Uninterrupted.

And I had a neon tunnel and neon lights on the windows that vibrated to the beat of the music. I thought that was very creative. It did it for me.

KJ: You mentioned planning an event for Cynthia Bailey from the Real Housewives of Atlanta. This happened during the pandemic, right? How did you all make it through?

CA: Oh my goodness. We went through it with Cynthia's wedding.

I could not have had a better bride to go through it with because Cynthia was so easy and laid back.

20 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

We just took everything as it came.

The Governor told us we could not have more than 25 people. We were freaking out trying to figure out how we're going to change the wedding to twenty-five people. If we had the wedding outside of Atlanta we were would be able to have it at the size of her magnitude so we ended up having the wedding in Acworth at this stunning venue called the Governor's Town Club. But it was difficult to plan the wedding because every day, every week it was something that changed. We could only have so many people per square footage. We couldn't have a dance floor. There were so many things that people are going to see that are missing, but it's because we literally could not have it there due to COVID. We took every precaution because the last thing we wanted was for someone to get sick from the wedding, that would have just been horrible. We took temperatures, everybody had to sign a COVID waiver. We had voluntary COVID tests Masks were mandatory. We had social distancing dots throughout the venue.

We took every measure possible and nobody got sick. We were really happy about that. And then a little known fact that people don't know was that it was a hurricane on the day of the wedding and it was like forecasted the entire week leading up to it. So we changed the venue from outside to inside at least four times before the whole wedding before we decided to have it inside and thank God we

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

21

did because it poured, I mean, it was like a torrential downpour on the wedding day.

KJ: On top of dealing with COVID and all of them come along with that, you also had to deal with a hurricane. Oh my gosh.

CA: Yes! We made it work.

We just took everything as a cane. We went with the flow, like I said, Cynthia and Mike are just amazing. She was not a bridezilla at all. I couldn't have had an easier bride, so I'm grateful for that as well.

KJ: Yeah, I'm sure that was a blessing, especially with everything else you and your team had to pivot to make sure you all had a successful wedding. Speaking of pivots, what changes have you made in your business to withstand the pandemic?

CA: Once the pandemic started and the government mandates for the amounts of people that you can have in one space went down so dramatically to like 10 and 15, I think that's when it hit. I was like Oh my gosh, this is the future of events, you know, for the foreseeable future. We had to pivot in a lot of ways.

About 90% of my events canceled. And literally,

22 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

Cynthia's wedding was the only event that was still on the calendar.

Thankfully, I started having brides hit me up for micro weddings for only 10 guests. Those types of weddings became popular. I had hybrid weddings with the bride and groom in person, but their family all watched from zoom.

People just made it work and it was really inspiring and very heartwarming to see that people still wanted it to get married through the pandemic, despite all that happened. Their love was so strong, Cynthia and Mike included, that they persevered through everything to fill their love down the aisles. I also pivoted to virtual events which started on zoom and eventually transformed into really nice virtual reality events. Some were in-person virtual events, which are like the hybrid virtual events. We just kind of made it work. I mean, we had nothing else to do. We just had to do what needed to be done.

KJ: You were recently one of the featured event planners in VH1’s “My Celebrity Dream Wedding”

which aired on February 9th. How was that?

CA: Okay. So this show has been in the works for about two years and finally VH1 decided to green light it for a Valentine's day special on February 9th.

So we are very, very excited about it. Basically we've been able to give a deserving bride the wedding of her dreams on like a small budget. So that's a part of the drama, how we're going to pull it off because we are so used to having a big budget.

And now we're going to plan her this extravagant affair on a little budget. So we're excited. We shot it literally a month before COVID shut everything down. We were really blessed and lucky to be able to film that right before. So now it's out for the world to see. We're excited!

KJ: You also offer masterclasses, right?

CA: Yes, I teach the fundamentals of design and advanced floral techniques. I also teach my students how to transform a completely blank space or an existing space into a room that their clients could not dream of. I discussed draping and floral and lighting and so many other things. I discuss different elements to bring the room to life without breaking the bank. You have to sign up if you want to know all the goods.

outlet as well. In addition to my masterclasses, this is one of the exciting things I will be working on in 2021.

Book Courtney Ajinca for you next event Visit courtneyajinca.com Follow her on Instagram: @CourtneyAjinca @CournteyAjincaEvents Watch My Celebrity Dream Wedding on VH1 featuring Courtney Ajinca

CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT NOW

KJ: What’s next for Mrs. Ajinca in 2021?

CA: During the pandemic, I have had so much creative energy and if I don't get it out it gives me so much anxiety. So, I started Flower Fridays to get my creative energy out of my body, out of my head. It also became a form of self-care for me. I have my music. I'm dancing, you know, so it just really became like a form of self-care. Um, and then it just got such great feedback. I posted the first one, not even thinking anything of it and I got such good feedback. I think the first one had like 7,000 views or something like that. I realized people needed that

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

23

24 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

25

Just Simply Saying

Does Our Marriage Matter?

By: Rhoda Whitfield

H

ave bumps in the road or discussions with your spouse ever made you feel devalued or unimportant? Did you think that your voice was being overlooked?

When we encounter difficult situations in our marriage, we sometimes feel that our relationship is not progressing in the manner we thought it would. We have these feelings because of how we have been made to feel in the marriage.

As we access our circumstances, it causes us to ask the questions. Do I matter? Does our marriage matter? These questions will be based on how you treat your spouse, how your spouse treats you, and how we consider each other. We have to consider and discuss what we expect to experience in our marriage. If we lack expectations for our marital journey, how do we expect it to move forward so that we both will be happy and content? Each of our lives has meaning as individuals. More importantly, our lives are

28 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

meaningful as a couple. We have to recognize our marriage has an ordained purpose. It’s not one to be dominated by one party. Therefore, we can’t allow a controlling spirit to go unaddressed. When we do this, we leave room for it to take root in our union. Believe it or not, sometimes people are unaware that they are displaying that type of behavior. We should work to move forward with the mindset that we are both critical to our marriage’s success. Though the journey may experience difficult moments, it should not catch us off guard or be unexpected. Just look at it as marriage will require you to grow up fast. The immature, self-centered ways of your past will have to be set aside.

When we experience difficulties, we often tend to voice what we don’t like or what our spouse is

doing wrong. We have to realize that how we enter marriage matters, how we handle things matters, how we treat each other matters, and how we deal with difficult moments matters too. If we enter marriage wrong, we’ll find ourselves like a train on the wrong track. We can’t go into our marriage like we are still boyfriend and girlfriend. In situations like this, we move through our marriage in a cavalier manner as though we are still single. Conducting our relationship like this only leads to us disregarding each other. I can’t begin to stress how you are both two crucial parts of your marital puzzle. Yes, there will be days where it seems as though pieces don’t fit. But you have to remember to keep working on blending your relationship and moving forward. Let’s focus on one essential point. You are married and not a glorified boyfriend and girlfriend couple. Therefore, going into a marriage with the thoughts that if the marriage doesn’t work, get a

divorce is not an option. Instead, you should accept the vows you exchanged and realize the seriousness of them. Step into the life you chose to be, husband and wife. Now your marriage will require you to work it and work through any problems. This is a part of marital growth.

Marriage should be a wonderful union filled with love, understanding, compassion, commitment, and forgiveness for each other. You do matter, and so does your marriage. So, step it up as if your life depended on it. As Romans 8:37 says, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loves us. Be a conqueror over your situation. Don’t allow your circumstances to conquer you and your marriage.

“I’m Just Simply Saying.”

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

29

PRODUCTIONS Nicol Rainey and Sharon Yvonne Watkins are the ladies behind ColShar Productions in Huntsville, Alabama, an event planning production company that started in 2007. How they came to be is just pure coincidence. Nicol asked a friend if she could help them with their play production, and in doing that, she needed more assistance; and Sharon was one of the people she asked for help with the play, and now you have ColShar Productions. Of course, the name is a mix of both ladies.

They put on their first event at Bridge Street, and it was standing room only. They did this by social media only, with no advertisements or TV promos. They have produced lots of live events, gospel concerts, plays, comedy, live bands, and that is what their main goal is because they wanted to bring entertainment to the Huntsville, Alabama area. Occasionally, they will do retirement parties, birthday bashes, and baby showers because, you know, people put-on productions for these events nowadays.

They give some proceeds of all their events to some charity or an organization that helps the community. Like the Kimberly Fails Jones Foundation, they hold an event for each year and donate to this worthy cause.

Nicol and Sharon work well together to coordinate each event. Nicol is the creative think tank, and Sharon supports her in whatever they come up with and helps put it together. They hire anywhere from 7-15 employees to work their events, depending on the size.

It is a blessing for this company to be in the Huntsville area to bring entertainment and give back to those less fortunate and in need. If you want to reach them to put on your next production, contact them at colshar2007@gmail.com.

30 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

Nicol Rainey and Sharon Yvonne Watkins, owners of ColShar Productions

Family

Power Up Children For Life’s Success

By Dr. Sheila E. Sapp

All parents/caregivers want their children to have successful and productive lives as they journey to adulthood. Many parents do not realize that they have access to power tools that ensure their child's /children's success and enable them to become future contributing members of our society. What are those power tools, and how are they obtained?

In my opinion, self-esteem, self-confidence, resilience, and perseverance are power tools that are needed for life success. Parents can nurture and foster these tools from birth up through adulthood. Children learn to love and accept themselves from significant others in their home - parents. Children learn from what they see and hear during their early years of development. They are soaking up everything in their environment. Parents are walking billboards and role models for their children. If they are not loved and valued in their family, they are less likely to feel loved and develop positive, healthy self-esteem.

Successes and acceptance help children obtain self-confidence in their abilities. They learn how to do simple tasks such as tying their shoes, dressing, brushing their teeth, recognizing/ writing their name, or counting to ten. Parents/ caregivers need to provide positive experiences and appropriate developmentally appropriate tasks for children. Remember, they are learning and need your patience and instruction to become skilled doing the assigned chore (s).

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from

34 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

failures and disappointments. Sometimes, as parents/caregivers, we want to fix everything for our children. We want everything to be perfect and hover over them, blocking the opportunity for them to develop coping skills and learn how to recover from mistakes or failures. We forget about the coping skills we acquired over time to help us adjust or modify if needed. Start with simple things to help them develop resilience. For example, if your child keeps leaving their homework home, he/she should face the consequence of his/her action.

Let your child come up with a plan with your guidance. Praise him/her for solving the problem. Share how you bounced back from a disappointment or failure. Children learn from parents' actions and personal experiences too.

Learning how to stick to something or accomplish a goal no matter how long it takes is an essential tool. Children will face many situations throughout life. As they mature, events and situations will test their willingness to persevere despite difficulties. Parents/caregivers can nurture and assist children in developing perseverance. As children show interest or talent in sports, dance, or music, for example, provide resources needed to strengthen that skill/talent.

Please do not allow them to quit when things are hard or tiring. Please encourage them to stay and see a project, activity, or goal to its completion.

Being a parent/caregiver is rewarding and challenging. Equipping children with power tools for future life success is critical for children and families' overall health and well-being.

“Parents are walking billboards and role models for their children.

If they are not loved and valued in their family, they are less likely to feel loved and develop positive, healthy self-esteem.”

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

35

Kawanzasis Henderson, Owner of Berry Kween. LLC B

erry Kween, LLC began in 2020 as a way to uplift people during COVID 19. When I realized the extent of the virus, I began preparing delicious treats to make people smile. And soon, following the urgings of my family and friends, I decided to start Berry Kween, LLC with the intent of spreading cheer throughout the state.

I am committed to making an excellent product: from choosing the freshest, most succulent berries to handcrafting uniquely designed treats that will melt in your mouth- without melting your pockets! Because Berry Kween aims to please, each treat is customized to reflect the customer’s interests. Even the gift boxes are prepared with distinction!

If you are looking for a special way to tell someone “Thank you,” “I love you,” “Marry Me,” etc. or are looking for an impressive gift, Berry Kween offers the perfect solution. These treats will most certainly leave a lasting impression.

Kawanzasis Henderson , owner of Berry Kween, LLC, has a natural zeal for business. She comes from humble beginnings and became the first in her family to earn a master’s degree. She is the proud mother of an amazing son and is determined to leave a legacy for her lineage!

She firmly believes that she can do all things through Christ who strengthens her (Philippians 4:13).

38 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

February 2021 PDWMAG.COM

33

Beauty and Wellness

Explore a Little Purpose

by Jasmine Wise

I never asked myself, "What is my purpose?" I followed the path I thought was marked in front of me; go to school, graduate, start a career. The funny thing is, that was never my path. A few short years after graduating, God told me to quit the full-time job I waited a year to land.

After quitting, I was still trying to follow the path I believed to be marked in front of me, get another job. I don't think I could pay for an interview at that time. I began to question whether I heard God correctly, but I knew I did. I didn't know much else, but I knew God told me to quit my job. Leaving my job was the easy part. It was this aftermath that got a little rocky.

I started a business right after graduation but didn't put much thought into it. I knew the idea was from God, but I still wasn't diligent about it. The company was quickly placed on the back burner when I thought I was beginning my career. After leaving, I began to build my business again. Through this work, I learned that purpose doesn't always slap you in the face. It's not the Big Bang, as I call it, for everyone. Not everyone who takes a leap of faith lands on their feet, some of us have to dust the dirt off our pants and clean a few scrapes.

42 PDWMAG.COM February 2021

I want to encourage those of us who might stumble into our purpose. It's okay not to know. God is bigger than that and can work through you while you find your way. As I stumbled, I know I have grown spiritually by leaps and bounds. I learned more about God's character in the past year than I have in the last 29 years of my life. Sometimes God wants us to go on a journey to learn about him along the way. With each step, no matter how small, I see God. God has provided me with equipment for my podcast, a place to record, and paid speaking opportunities. He has provided for every need and most of my wants. I continue to make mistakes and get bruised as I build my businesses and podcast, but I feel safe because I know I'm working within my purpose. My journey won't look like yours, and yours won't look like mine, and that's okay. God is in them both.

Not everyone is ready to leap; I understand that, but I want to encourage you to take a step toward where you feel God is calling you. Ask yourself, what can I do today that brings me closer to my purpose? How can I say yes to the thing I feel drawn most to? By answering these two questions, you will get closer to the purpose God has for you. God has each of us on a journey worth exploring.