FOR THE LOVE: Before, During and After

The past year and a half has been a crazy ride for Brant and I. I guess it actually started when Cade was born. We had finished renovating our rent house and were going to re-rent it...we found renters and thought we had a great job that opened right as we needed to move on. We had all of our ducks in a row in order to make our first BIG move (from Abilene to Midland). 3 days before we were suppose to move/ get started at our new job, we received a phone call saying that the job was being cut from the budget and they were not going to be able to follow through with their offer. Meaning we were homeless and jobless after 3 days. At that point we were on our knees in prayer about what needed to happen. We found another job and ended up moving within 5 days. NUTS! We moved to Odessa to help with a ministry called Mission Messiah. It is a great place for women to over come addictions by learning about the love of Christ! I had a blast, but our time there was only for a season. We moved there in February and by July we were on the move again. We had finished the task set before us for Mission Messiah and we (including the other staff) felt as though it was our time to start up our own businesses and focus on our goals as a family. 

At that point Brant and I started Real Estate investing full time...ABSOLUTELY THE HARDEST THING YOU CAN DO! Not real estate investing, but starting your own business.  This has been such a spiritual battle. Since we have been doing real estate investing full time I have yet to see it truly pay off... We had been working sooo hard but there was not any money coming in...All we were living off of was savings (we have only been married 2 years...not much in savings) money from our rent house in Abilene and anything I was able to bring in through photography (which was another soft spot because I have lacked confidence) As a wife I was trying to be supportive, but as a mother I was scared that we were pushing out limits too far...I didn't want to end up with no money at all...I wanted to get a job to make sure we were secure and able to do what we wanted to do when we wanted to. Brant really didn't want me to get a job, he loves the time I am able to spend with Cade as a stay at home mom and I he needed me to stay home to watch Cade while he was working super hard on real estate. Needless to say we had to work through a lot of emotional struggles...Satan really gets in your head when you are working on your passions...your passions are God given and when you live them out to the fullest you are glorifying God so satan tries to get under your skin so that you will give up! 

When it was time for the For the Love Workshop I was seriously ready to be done with real estate. I was tired of working hard and not seeing any pay off. I was sick of dealing with people who are ungrateful for the things they have, sick of being so busy with work that we couldn't make new friends in Odessa...I was just done!  The first night in the cabin Chelsea and I were planning on doing a midnight kitchen raid. When we went downstairs we were greeted by Ginny Corbett. We started talking about tons of stuff that Satan had been telling me, TONS of LIES! I didn't feel creative or good enough to be a photographer, I didn't feel like I had any friends in Odesssa/Midland, I didn't think I was being a good mom or a good wife, ALL LIES! As she was listening Ginny was given a vision and spoke amazing blessings over me! She said that God was going to give me plans and direction, big ideas, there was going to be a few people that I would meet that would help me network and bring in more business, and that Satan had NO hold on me! She told me I can do GREAT things! WHAT A BLESSING!! Every word she said was directly from God! He was singing me a sweet song through her!! He knew what I need to hear and he said it!

Through out the week, through everything and everyone, God was telling me how much He loved me and how I am doing all of this because of His strength and provision. It was completely God that helped me get to For the Love in the first place...I woke up on the wrong side of the bed one morning and was staying mad because I could when I decided to check my email instead of spend time with the Lord. When I checked my email I had received an email from Chelsea asking if I would want to go to For the Love with her...I immediately started crying! God had blessed me even while I was pouting and giving in to my flesh. He is so gracious!

Being at For the Love was an incredible blessing! It renewed my faith in the Lord's perfect plan...I had lost faith in His timing all because I was too nervous about my situation. I was encouraged by every person who attended the workshop! I have also gained lasting friendships!

Since For the Love the Lord has given me a renewed mind, heart and body. I am ready to continue to fight the spiritual battle that comes with building up your business and I am ready to continue on in real estate and help my husband in every way I can! 

I have also been given great ideas of how to further my business, grow my network and ways to get better equipment. I have also met an amazing young woman who is incredibly talented at networking and is helping me spread the word about my work here in Odessa. 

Brant and I have also received confirmation that we have 2 buyers lined up for 2 of the houses we have been trying to sell. The contracts were signed on Friday (2-19-10)!! PRAISE GOD!! 

For the Love really helped me to take time to remember Matthew 11:28...Here it is from The Message..."Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."  I needed For the Love...God knew where I was going to be emotionally and physically at this point in my life and He placed me at For the Love for my sake! To rejuvenate me and to love on me as his daughter! I LOVE IT! Thank you Lord for your grace, mercy and love! And thank you to Ginny, Erik, and Lauren for teaching us photography, but more than that being real with us and teaching us about walking with God, the ups and the downs! I LOVE YOU GUYS! Thank you to Glendon Tang, Chris Luk, and Jason Mize, for being wonderful men of God that are crazy cool and so much fun to be around, plus as you can see from their sites amazing photographers!! Thanks for the tips guys! To Allison Ballinger, Allison Dameron, Allison Davis, Alison Holcomb, Andrea Crosswhite, Christina Peters, Clary Pfeiffier, Jenny Beck, Kasey Boatright, Kelly Hornberger, Kimberly Chau, Larae Russell, Leslie Harris, Maria Traut, Nicki Smith, Rebekah Hood, Sharon Chin and Chelsea Giles: I love you girls...Each of you have been a blessing to meet! I know for a fact that when I come to a town near you I will call you and see if we can meet again! I was blessed to have a chance to speak with each of you and learn from you; for your openness and honesty I thank you! You are beautiful women of God and I am excited to see what He does for you in your business!! I love all of you!!