Have Faith! That Voice You Hear…is REAL!

Have you ever had that “gut” feeling like you should be doing something that you weren’t?  Or have you felt that something was tugging at your spirit trying to get your attention?

Well, I wanted to use this time to share a quick story with you all.  Now, when I left my job almost a year ago, I really didn’t have too much planned in terms of what would be my next step.  One thing I knew was that I had to focus on having a healthy and stress-free remainder of my pregnancy.  I also knew that I wanted to be able to help other people who had been (or are) in similar situations such as myself.  Since I was no longer working outside of the home full-time, I was able to attend some business classes and seminars, as well as to connect with some awesome people by attending networking events.

I also used this time to really try to figure out what exactly Twitter was and how to use it.  Once I figured that out, I realized that I had been missing out on meeting some great people out there.  One of those people that I had begun to follow on Twitter was Lara Galloway (@MomBizCoach).  I was drawn to those women who were proving that you could really “have it all” (be a full-time wife, mother and business owner).  There are so many other fabulous women that I have come in contact with.  But I wanted to mention Lara, because she provided an opportunity for me to really step out of my fear zone, and step into my faith zone.

This past September, she posted an essay contest on her blog in which we had to “Write a 500 word essay that best describes your success as a mompreneur, and post it on your own blog.”  She wanted participants to explain what success personally meant and looked like to us.  Right off the bat, I had no intentions of submitting anything because 1) I didn’t own a successful business at the time, 2) I didn’t feel like I had any experiences or successes worth putting into a 500 word essay, and 3) I didn’t have a blog or know anything about blogging.  Over the next couple of days, the essay contest kept popping back up in my head, and I kept hearing that voice telling me that I needed to write an essay.  However, I continued to ignore the voice in my head.  Instead, I kept coming up with excuses not to submit an entry.  But when God is trying to get you to do something, He can be pretty persistent!  So ignoring Him just really doesn’t work too well.  I finally went back to Lara’s site and read the requirements another 43 times (if we didn’t have a blog, she made it convenient to e-mail our entries to her directly), and then I finally buckled down and submitted my essay – with 30 minutes left to spare before the deadline.

About two weeks later, the winners—she would be choosing ten total—were announced on her site.  I missed the initial announcement, but when I finally found the posting on her site, my mouth dropped and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!  My Essay was actually chosen as one of the winners!  Now, there could’ve only been ten entries for all I know, and I still would’ve been just as excited to have been one of them.  Why? Because I stepped out on faith and did something out of my norm.  Because out of the ten essay contest winners, I was the only one listed that did not have a company or a website.  Because that one essay reminded me that God has a plan for me (“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11).  Now, all I need to do is continue to listen…to that voice!

If you missed my Essay, you can take a look here: Essay Contest with Mom Biz Coach

Until next time, stay tuned & stay blessed!

Christine

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9 Comments

  • Staci
    February 18, 2012 at 5:26 AM

    Chrissy, congratulations on stepping out on faith and putting your health and your family first! I have bookmarked your blog and will check back often to follow your journey. I enjoyed your essay and agree with the very last line – “you really just have to face your fears and step out on faith”.

    • ckstvil
      February 18, 2012 at 3:32 PM

      Thank you so much Staci for your kind words and your support. I greatly appreciate it!

  • Lara Galloway
    February 29, 2012 at 7:23 PM

    Wow–I am so touched by this blog post. Of course, I had no idea the amount of courage it took for you to step out and write your essay. And yet, what you wrote here is such a perfect example of what I think all of us feel: that we’re not good enough, or not big enough, or not official enough, or not … enough in some way or other. So I can bet that your post resonates with so many mom entrepreneurs who are starting their own businesses and facing the reality every day that they are scared.

    Thanks for sharing your story and taking that courageous step! As scary as it is, perhaps you can soothe yourself by knowing that you’re helping others by sharing your experience. I’m just thrilled for you and the trust you have in yourself!

    Thank you again for submitting your essay and for your kind words about me and Mom Biz Coach. Hearing how this encouraged you, and watching you spread that encouragement to other mompreneurs is what I live for!

    Can’t wait to watch you grow, Christine!

    • ckstvil
      March 1, 2012 at 1:50 AM

      Wow, thank you SO much, Lara!! I’m really touched by your words of encouragement, and greatly appreciate you taking time to leave a comment. If I help just a few other moms to face their fears like me, then I will be extremely happy! So I know what you mean, and hope to inspire others just like you do everyday 🙂

  • T_Espi
    February 29, 2012 at 11:39 PM

    You continue to inspire me to “step out of my fear zone, and step into my faith zone” and I appreciate you for it.

    • ckstvil
      March 1, 2012 at 1:53 AM

      T. Espi: you my dear, inspire ME everyday! So I’m very flattered by your words. Let’s continue to uplift and encourage each other along this journey 😉

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