BEE-live in God Book

My story is one of stepping forward without knowing what God has planned for me.

I was raised in a Baptist pastor's home, so pretty much went to church before I was born. My heart has almost always been about ministry. I would sing in the church from a very young age, stand by my father at the door after services, visit people in the hospital and nursing homes and was in church every time the doors were open (whether I wanted to be or not!)
I have a rich legacy in God from my parents and grandparents. Four truths resonate in my mind and heart to this day.

#1 I am nothing without God, but I am everything WITH Him.

#2 God said it, I believe it and that settles it!

#3 If God calls you to do something, He has called you, He equips you, and He goes before you. Do all you can do to prepare well, then get up there and let Him do HIs business through you.

#4 Whomever or whatever God places in front of you, give 100% and give Him all the glory.

These are the truths that have led me throughout my life of ministry. I will briefly share where He has led me.
I was always a chunky kid with a lot of rhythm and I loved music with a "Mama T" beat.

God led me to become the director of L.I.F.E. Aerobics here in Oregon from 1980-1988. I was never allowed to dance when I was a kid, but through L.I.F.E., I choreographed hundreds of routines, all to gospel music and that ministry grew to over 1500 students and 50 instructors and many students accepting Christ. Praise be to God!

The next ministry was recording albums and giving concerts in many churches in the Northwest. That provided many opportunities to minister to hundreds of people. I wrote all the songs on my albums and one of them was about a little girl named Jessie who was hurting from the divorce of her parents (I will mention this later).

I later became the assistant to the mid-school pastor of our church for five years and then became the "Camp Mom" at our large church camp.

I would love on kids who were hurting from the breakup of their parents and hold them while they cried. One night, my shirt was wet from the tears of a middle school boy as he shared about the hurt in his heart because of his family situation. The Lord spoke to me and said, "There are parents hurting as much as this child. What is your church doing about it?"

The next summer, we included a box on our camp registration form where parents could check if they were interested in a single parent family ministry and about 450 families checked that box! 450!

A year later, we began Family Connections, a single parent family ministry that has grown in number, where families feel accepted, heard, loved and cared about at our church.

The beauty of this story is that I was not a beautifully slim woman who led L.I.F.E. Aerobics, I was not a professionally trained woman giving concerts and recording albums, I am a very happiy married woman of 35 years directing a vibrant ministry for single parents and their kids. Who I am is a child of God, led by His Spirit and equpped to do His will.

My encouragement to each of you is that if God is calling you to do something, there is NOTHING you can't do in His name and through His power! I am living proof, praise His name!

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