It’s been a while, but time hasn’t been wasted. I first want to let you know I haven’t gone anywhere nor have I forgotten you. This year has been an incredible journey of the Lord leading me into new seasons of ministry along with new projects and opportunities.
For the sake of being transparent, I see the Lord leading me away from the ‘old’ and into a ‘new.’ When I first started blogging there was a formula writers were told to follow to gain traction. To write, build an email list, post on all social media pages, ensure you’re using the right hashtags, and repeat. I was told to never take breaks, to be consistent, and grow my following. Like a mouse on a wheel- never stop the goal of growing a following. Doing such is what will create a space for me, make a name for myself, bring me recognition, and make me an “official” writer.
Well, I was never good at that game.
I wrote my heart out and shared it with you all, THAT I was great at. But, the chase of growing a following and using hashtags and playing that game- I hated it. It rarely felt genuine, but I did it. And to an extent it worked- and for those of you that came here through that- I’m incredibly grateful.
Some of you have been such an encouraging voice in my life. I never know who is on the other side of my words and you opening up and sharing how God used my words in your life is nothing but humbling.
A large part of my big dream in life is to travel the world telling everyone about Jesus and all the good He has done in my life. I believe with every fiber of my being if God could do it for me- He will absolutely do it for you. And He deserves all the credit and glory- so, I won’t stop sharing about all that He does.
I don’t care about being ‘known’ or going viral or chasing any awards or titles. The creator of this universe knows my name, has called me by that name, and will use me for His glory- and that is more than enough for me.
While I love getting to know you and sharing my life with you- I truly love it from the depths of my heart. The purpose behind it all is for you and me to get to know more about Christ and become more like Him. That’s it. And the more who join, the better.
So, what does this mean?
I see God leading me away from weekly blog posts and into a new season of writing. Weekly or biweekly blog posts allowed me to be in constant communication with you- which I LOVE. The ‘problem’, for a lack of a better term, is with frequent blog posts- it doesn’t allow me to explore topics more in-depth or to expand on them. Most of the time you’re getting a snapshot of my heart on a topic, not the full detailed picture. And if you know me- you know I love details haha.
While I knew I would eventually write books I wasn’t exactly sure when or what subjects. I had too many ideas floating around in my head and none felt right or stuck. Until recently! I was praying one evening and the thought of writing a book would not leave me alone. I simply asked the Holy Spirit to show me what He would want me to write on… and BOOM… a full-fledged idea of a book was in my mind- out of nowhere. The subject and topic didn’t surprise me. It was something I’ve been passionate about and would share with other ministry leaders. So, it made sense- I just never thought I would write a book on it.
Here’s the cool part:
Most of the time when people write a book they do so in private. They spend 6 months to a year writing and then come out of the woodworks and yell, “Surprise! I wrote a book!” While I love a good secret that leads to a surprise (I love them), I don’t want to do that with you. I want to write this book with you. What I mean is, as I study and write, I want to share snippets of it. I want to share ways God is teaching and growing me through this process and when the book is finished- it will be available for all of you to continue on that journey with me.
While this isn’t the title per se, I’ve always seen the value in the ‘one.’ As someone who has followed Jesus for 20 years and has been in ministry for 16 of those 20 years- God has continued to show me the value of one.
As a follower of Jesus, we can get so caught up in this idea we have to save the world for Him that it seems so overwhelming we don’t know where to begin. Or, we think our actions on a micro level don’t make a dent in the Kingdom of God.
As a minister, I’ve talked to countless ministry leaders who get frustrated with the lack of attendance or commitment. They work and plan for hours to be let down by the few who show up and their hearts become weary.
What I’ve shared with fellow believers is this: sharing about Christ with your co-worker, fellow mom in the bleachers, or cousin… all matters. One person coming to know Christ and their eternal destination changing absolutely impacts the Kingdom of God. But, that one coworker, fellow sports mom, or cousin all has a family they go home to. A family they will share the Good News with and that right there is the power of the Gospel and an entire family going to heaven because you shared with one person.
What I’ve shared with fellow ministers: yes, it can be frustrating when you show up to teach/lead/pray and only a handful of people come. I’ve led groups where a single individual showed up. But, that is one person- one person who has taken time out of their schedule to hear what you have to say, to be discipled and grow in their walk with the Lord. That is one person who may have a life of hurt that needs to be healed and a family who needs to be saved. That is one person who you can disciple into a mature Christian who will then go out and disciple others themselves. All because you took the time to show them how. If you cannot appreciate or value the one… you will never fully appreciate or value the hundreds.
So, what am I going to do with all of this in a book?
I’m going to show you how while Jesus ministered to the masses- He also ministered to the one. He would pause whatever He was doing, teach and heal whoever was in need and continue on His way. But, what’s beautiful about this is, those people were changed from the inside out. And they went back to their family and into their community and told them all about Jesus. Entire families and communities were changed because of a single interaction Jesus had with one individual.
I love that and it gives me so much hope.
So, for the months to come, I will be spending a lot of time researching the Gospels and the life of Jesus. I’m going to break down each single interaction Jesus had with someone, what lessons each interaction has for us, and the outcome and impact they had. We will, together, learn about the value of one and the impact you and I can have on God’s Kingdom once we see that singular value and chase it.
I invite you on this journey with me. I will be posting about it on the website as well as sending it directly to the inbox of my subscribers. Make sure you’re subscribed by clicking HERE. I would love to hear your feedback and thoughts during this. You never know- I may include you and your words in my book!
The very last thing I want to update you on is, I’m still launching a nationwide women’s ministry. I have my initial team in place and we’re working on all the fun behind-the-scenes stuff. Once it is ready to go live, you will be the first to know about it. And friend, I’m so excited about this. Future writings, bible studies, in-person and virtual events, podcast, etc. will all be housed here.
I’m so thankful for you. I appreciate you and your time and I’m excited to walk into this new season with you.
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