I was a single parent mom who had left a domestic violence marriage. After struggling for over 25 years with alcoholism, I lost my job. My life hit rock bottom. In that moment, when everything had fallen apart, I was face down on the floor thinking I would die. My life had blown up. It was then that I surrendered my life to Christ and confessed to the Lord that I had made a terrible mess of my life. I asked Him to do something of value, His will, with my life. Finally, I was able to get sober and connect with my… Read More
Mentoring
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For as long as I can remember, the ocean has been my refuge; I found solace watching the waves; they were my only escape from a tumultuous childhood. I was the eighth of nine children born into poverty in a beachside town in Costa Rica. My neighborhood was nicknamed “little hell.” My mother walked out on my family when I was four, dramatically changing the course of my life. I still vividly remember the moment she loaded her suitcase into a taxi and rode off, leaving me confused and crying in the dusty street. My father turned to alcohol to deal with… Read More
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My life has been a journey of mundane moments, mountaintops, valleys, and soaring times, all shaped by my hope in the Lord. I recall my youth, weary and stumbling, but also how God continually renewed my strength. His loving guidance, like a constant presence over me, has been my anchor (Psalm 32:8). Even in the mundane, I’ve witnessed His hand, especially during my high school years. In the 1980s, my days were filled with music, Bible quizzing, art, and babysitting—seemingly ordinary, but deeply significant. I was passionate about studying Scripture for Bible quizzing, memorizing verses from the New Testament, and reciting… Read More
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My Grandma was an amazing person. I will never forget her; that would be impossible. So much of me, and who I am as a young woman, is because of her powerful influence. She watched me take my first breath as I entered this world, and I watched her take her last breath as she left it. She has lived with me from day one, for my entire life. The first thing I did every morning for as long as I can remember was to go say good morning to her. And she has been such a strong inspiration of… Read More
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I own God Body Gym in Memphis. One day, I found a young homeless man asleep in my car behind our building. I didn’t know at the time that God’s plan would be for me to mentor that young man, and my gym would become his home for the last nine months…and counting. And it’s clear that God was preparing me for this for almost a decade. About ten years ago, God got my attention. I owned a small company but I was getting into a little trouble, doing some things that weren’t right. My company experienced some turmoil, and I… Read More
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In 2011, God gave me a heart and vision for middle and high schoolers. I wanted to open a center for youth that met them just where they were. So with only five teen interns and only a few hundred dollars to work with, the Catalyst Teen Center was born. In the beginning, Catalyst appeared like a regular youth group, but it quickly transformed into something never seen before. We began offering classes, everything from Forensic Science, guitar lessons, home economics, Japanese and more. The Teen Center provided a community the teens were starving for. All of them had gifts and… Read More