With all I have gone through I should be a statistic! Thankfully, the Lord had another plan. Between 2013 and 2015, my previous three decades of hardship culminated into a trifecta of even more heartache. My mother died prematurely. Six months later, I realized my 25-year marriage was coming to an end. A few months later, my father also passed away.
The back-to-back devastation felt like a tsunami on my soul. All I could think about was the pain and shock of losing so many things that meant the most to me. My family was gone. My marriage was gone. My hopes and dreams seemed only a distant vapor in the rear-view mirror.
I suppose those situations in and of themselves would have been a bit easier to navigate had they not occurred on the tail end of a long list of other headwinds of pain. Just when I thought I was getting over years of tragedy that included such things as domestic violence, date rape, poverty, and bankruptcy, a series of the unthinkable capstoned a huge mountain of pain.
But during my darkest moments, God reminded me that I still had a purpose. He let me know my long list of heartaches was not something to be ashamed of. In fact, it was because of his grace and mercy that I was able to overcome each devastating blow. As such, he wanted to use my rolodex of reversal as a resume of empowerment, and a platform of hope, to help other women overcome.
With renewed purpose, I chose to move forward in faith. But I knew I needed resources to help me. I was looking for a sisterhood where I could be transparent about my pain and the “shame subjects” that accompanied it. Unfortunately, I came up short. So, I made a promise to myself that one day, I would become the very thing I could not find in my time of need.
My quest to be what I could not find started with a simple blog, talking about how to overcome life’s challenges using biblical strategies. To my surprise, people from 90 countries began taking notice. Soon after, I wrote a book entitled “5 Easy Steps to Life Changing Prayer.” Then I became a certified Christian Life Coach to guide women in their overcomer journey.
Years later, God has woven all those small steps into a women’s mission called “Miss Overcomer.” As the Executive Director of Miss Overcomer Global, I am now able to offer the resources and sisterhood I was looking for in my time of need. God has answered my prayer to become what I could not find!
Miss Overcomer is a Global Mentoring Sisterhood that empowers women of faith to lead with Courage and Calling and fulfill their unique God given purpose. When a woman goes through setbacks, it tempts them to shrink back or sit on the bench. I know this firsthand. Because the two things I struggled with most during my overcomer journey were reclaiming my courage and getting excited about my calling again.
However, God never called us to sit on the bench. I believe each woman of faith has a divine purpose. I believe each woman of faith has a unique role to play for advancing the kingdom of God with her gifts and talents and with her dreams and imagination. But sometimes we all need a little help along the way.
Miss Overcomer exists to provide the support women need to reclaim the courage from wherever it has been stolen and fall back in love with the thing that makes their heart sing.
Through our regional gatherings, empowerment teams, mentoring and resources, Miss Overcomer offers an oasis of connection to empower women on their road to strong and courageous.
The most important lesson I have learned through my journey is this: if you give up when times are hard, if you quit too soon, you will miss seeing how God works all things together for good! I can honestly say that Miss Overcomer is a testimony of God working all my hardship together for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom. I was born for a moment just like this!
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