I’m sure that most of you would agree that it is MUCH easier to dream than to actually do… I mean, how many times do we say we’re gonna do something or go somewhere or accomplish this grand amazing childhood dream… and we just get sidetracked by… well… life itself! I will be the first to admit that when this “dream” or “vision” came to me, I was terrified that this was just something else that I would eventually let slip to the way side. I have a great talent of starting things and not finishing them… and did I mention I LOVE change! My whole life I have changed jobs, changed cars, changed boyfriends, changed cities, changed apartments within the cities, like I change my underwear! (For those of you questioning this comment, yes that means daily). Of course though, to me it was all an adventure, an opportunity to meet new people, create new dreams , face new fears, reach new accomplishments, push my limits, start fresh, face adversity, challenge my parents, and fight the idea of “settling.” That word, along with the word “commitment,” really didn’t fit into my vocabulary. It was too final! I wasn’t done living yet and I was NOT going to end up one of those people that life just passed by just to one day find myself saying, “gosh, the older I get the faster the days go by!” No way, not me! I was going to suck all the life out of this… well.. life for as long as I could!

So now here I am… age 30… absolutely NO regrets (mistakes brought me here,right?) , and for the first time I have decided to plant some roots. Not with a man yet (they are all stuck somewhere between a third interview, a stack of applications, personality quizzes and morality tests), but with a purpose and focus for my life. I think it is because I have finally found a place where I actually “fit” in this billion piece life puzzle! Being at Celebration church, creating friendships that are stronger and closer and more full of love than I ever knew possible, has caused me to stop thinking of myself or what’s wrong with MY life but  to actually care more about others! Somehow, though, by the grace and love of God, my life for the first time is actually falling right into place! I guess He was just waiting for me to stop being so selfish!! Now that I have put myself last, He has put me first! What an amazing concept, eh?

Now here I sit, 2:03 am with so much excitement and hope for this year, yet still a chicken at heart. Little by little though I am learning to let go of my fear and take it one step at a time. 2008 taught me this fun little simple-and-well-known-but-hardly-ever-practiced nugget of wisdom. 2008 was the year that I actually registered my business with the state as Peace Project Productions, LLC. My first project being the Christian teen magazine, CultureShock. My second project is to start a local outreach project/international mission team. As you will read in future blogs… this awesome project will probably happen sooner than I thought! But back to the entrepreneur challenge, I really had no idea where to start. All I knew was how to run an editorial staff and write articles… not too much about business, just the basics from trying to develop my career as a financial advisor. (Yes, this creative, unstable girl actually decided to take the Series 7, 66 & Life, Health & Annuities exams to be licensed to sell any and every type of investment. Should have listened to my friends when they told me that it was not “me.” I guess I wanted to be that business woman that wore business suits and had her name on the door of a nice office. Sooo overrated! Well, for me anyway!) Two years later, here I am, back to square one and finally accepting my passion as a writer. So what did I do to start? I found a book that would tell me everything, of course! I ordered “Publish Your Own Magazine, Guidebook, or Weekly Newspaper” by Thomas A. Williams. Though some parts did not apply to me, it gave me sooo much valuable information that I was bombarded with ideas and to-do lists. I also signed up for a business counselor at the Small Business Development Center here at the University of North Florida. Apparently they have one in each city and it is completely free! I couldn’t believe it! That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship! I went to tax workshops, business planning workshops, women business owners seminars, entrepreneur luncheons, networking events, you name it I was there! During this time I had already left my job as an advisor and decided that for once, I wanted to apply for fun jobs that I would enjoy doing while I built my business. I used my experience as a wedding/event/party planner to get a job as an independent contractor for an event planning company called Destination Planning. I would take tours to Marineland, the JAX Zoo & St. Augustine, set up for big gala’s in beautiful locations, and sometimes work in the office simply making gift baskets!  I also took a job as a graduation photographer for Bob Knight Photo. For those of you who know me personally, it was a perfect way to get my photography fix (though most of you would say it didn’t help much)!

I truly did do something different everyday.. it was awesome and exactly what I needed… to enjoy my life and my work! I knew these temp jobs would soon end, but God is so amazing that He had everything planned out perfectly. I got hired to travel with the Revolve Tour for the ’08-’09 season (www.therevolvetour.com). For those of you who don’t know, Revolve is the teen girl version of the Women of Faith conference that travels around the country. Both are owned by Thomas Nelson Publishing. Hmmm. I would be now be getting paid very well to travel the country with national bands and speakers, work only 2 days a week, and have my hotel, food and airfare paid for… and don’t forget the part about working for a publishing company. Coincidence? I think not! Oh yes, He’s good…

To Be Continued…

Revolve Tour – St. Louis, MO