Gifted to Lead Conference

I also wanted to share tonight about the conference I attended today. It was a really great day of learning and encouragement. We had to share with someone next to us about 2 defining moments and on obstacle in our lives when it came to leadership. The first defining moment for me was when I was 16 and I decided to change churches. I wasn't being fed in the church I was in and new that God had more for me. This led to a wonderful connection with Chris and Geneva Dudley(youth pastors at the time). Who pretty much took me under their wing, taught me a lot about life, how to be serious about my walk, and just the shoulder I needed to cry on when the wonderful high school years got tough. I don't think they'll ever know how eternally grateful I am for them. They and their girls are a family that I will never lose contact with no matter where God takes me.

The second defining moment was about 3 years ago when I was really feeling this vision of starting a neighbor women's group. I've always had this burning passion to work with women and I hate being around strangers, so I strike up conversations with people no matter where I am. So I was supposed to be listening in church when I was daydreaming about what the group would look like, what we would be called, and what we could do. And then it hit me, W.W.F. (Women of Walker Farms)...perfect it had a funny connection to wrestling but yet had nothing to do with it. IT was obvious what we were and then the ideas of what we could do for our neighborhood just poured out. God truely put it all there for me that day and reminded me that I could do what He had called me to do. I would learn a few months later that I would need to do a lot of this on my own(but I desparately need to learn how to do this because I was really good at depending on others to tell me what I should do). So I did a lot of growing up and God honored it all. (We're now 160 strong!!)

My obstacle happened right before this time when I applied to be the Children's Ministry Coordinator at our church. After taking the required personality test, they decided that I was too strong of a personality in certain areas for the staff I would be working with and for the job. I was crushed, hurt, and totally didn't see how I could be told no. I had always been the teacher, babysitter, coordinator of things,etc and now I was too firm and strong....they're crazy I thought at the time...after only a few days and some self-evaluation I really realized that yes I did have some very strong and not yet tuned areas of my life that I needed to work on and that wasn't the job for me. But what I focused on for too long was that I was rejected and not good enough. I look back on that painful moment as a springboard for what God really had for me. With not taking that position, I've been able to do so many other things with our neighborhood, church, and community that I would have been way too busy to do. And besides they hired the perfect person, whom I adore, because she holds it ALL together which I would have failed miserably at....MARTINA IS THE BOMB!!!

So with a life of being the oldest girl, always being a teacher or leader, and going through a lot of tough life stuff, I've learned that God does have a leadership role He is shaping in me and I need to walk faithfully with Him and then and only will He flourish in me what's He's started. So, I'm really excited to see what God has in store in the future as well as with what I'm currently involved in.