It's been a long time since I've blogged or even looked at my website. As a matter of fact, it hasn't even been public or published for over a year, maybe longer.
What happened? Well, in March of 2015, my stay-at-home status changed quickly. I'd been looking for work for about 17 months but nothing seemed to fit! That is until March of 2015, when I accepted a job with a local Faith based ministry.
When I started my new assignment from God, I knew I had my work cut out for me, but boy oh boy I had no idea how much I'd need him in this new job. I would be running an organization that built/rehabbed homes, originated mortgages, serviced them and helped low income families accomplish the dream of home ownership plus a million other things to accomplish our mission.
I had no idea how much I would need to learn in a short period of time, and over the past almost 3 years. I've felt like I've had a constant flow of information come at me with a fire hose valve fully open for 2.5 if those 3 years. Haha!
Truthfully, I also didn't expect the toll it would take on me and dare I say my family too. While I've been in non-profit leadership for much of my professional life, I'd never run such a complex organization with so many moving parts, never mind the changes that would be required to happen if the organization was to operate well and plan for the future growth necessary to make a larger impact in our community. Land Development, Zoning, Construction Building Codes, City Council, Redevelopment Authorities, Thousands of Volunteers, TILA, RESPA, TRID and a thousand other acronyms that explain all I didn't know about any of it when I started! I was so tired for my first 6 months, I actually considered making mac n cheese out of the box!
Before you start poo-poo'ing me, let me just say, I take great joy in preparing homemade meals for my family and boxed foods were reserved for when I wasn't home and my hubby had to cook for the boys! But I was so exhausted I could barely think when I got home, never mind cook.
What's even more interesting to me, is almost at the exact time that I started this new position, speaking invitations STOPPED. They didn't slow down, or trickle in. They abruptly stopped. Looking back, I'm grateful because this new job took everything I had and then some! It wasn’t a ceasing of ministry it was a shift in ministry.
My husband during my first month of work had a very scary heart issue, that landed him in the hospital a couple of times. The Doctor's never were able to pinpoint what actually caused his episodes, but I knew what was happening, but I'll save that for another time.
My point is things changed drastically and I had to rely on my husband more than ever before to help with the kids. He stepped right up and without him these almost 3 years in my current position, would've been impossible! God's timing was and is always perfect!
In the last year, I've been aching, to speak again. I've had a couple of one on one opportunities here and there with friends and strangers to share the gospel through my stories, but the desire to commandeer a microphone and let it flow has been unusually strong! So I began to pray again about this to God.
I've been hearing stories about Joseph A LOT lately, and can't help but resonate with the many things he learned while in prison for a crime he did not commit, and how even though he didn't do anything wrong, he used his time wisely, uncertain of the eventual outcome, but hanging onto the vision God gave him when he was a young brat, and was braggadocios with his brothers and it landed him in a pit to be sold as a slave! So my current job isn't jail. I didn't get sold into slavery by my siblings and I surely didn't get hit on by the President of the Company's spouse, but still I cannot help but relate to Joseph. Ok, Ok! You want to know how, right?
Well it's simple really. Joseph had a dream! A dream God gave him! It was many YEARS before it would ever come to pass and much training and discipleship would have to occur before it materialized. BUT JOSEPH had a dream! So do I. My dream is to speak before the women of the world. To share my story, to encourage and build up, to see women set free, healed, restored and blessed. After all, I didn't go through all of those years of prison and training to keep my mouth shut, did I? No I don't think so! But I would be foolish if I didn't admit the invaluable lessons and training I've had over the past 14 years as a follower of Christ, 10 years in formal ministry and especially the past 3 in my current assignment!
Yet, I cannot help but feel a stirring inside of me! As with anything I desire but don't see, I pray and trust God! But low and behold a series of things began to happen that caused me to wonder, did God reawaken this desire in me, because the website I hadn't looked at in almost two years, just renewed on my credit card and I received a call from a PRO-LIFE group who wanted me to be their Rally Speaker in January and I've been running into people asking me where I'm speaking next! I was also asked to speak in early March and did so. Both were wonderful and both were like gas to the flame inside of me. Two more invitations came out of the March event and truth be told I cannot wait to see what God is doing and then of course share it with you!!! If you need a speaker, I’m AVAILABLE!!
Love,
Tammi