Tag Archives: leading

What My Wedding Meant to Me

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On January 3rd, 2015 I experienced my wedding day and it was something I will hold close to my heart forever. You see, I come from a family of mostly shotgun weddings. Abstinence was non-existent and elegance was foreign. So as I looked at myself in the mirror with my white dress, make up, and well-designed hair I just couldn’t seem to look away.

Feel Pretty

“Lovelle, do you feel pretty?” my bridesmaid Lindsey asked me.

“Yes” I said in amazement. “Yes, I really do.“

My wedding symbolized so much more than marrying the man of my dreams. My wedding symbolized the redemption of a horrible past and God’s unfailing love. 

My white dress symbolized purity, a concept that was hard to accept because I was sexually abused. God really showed me the meaning of the verse in 2nd Corinthians 5:17. He says that those who find Christ are a new creation. Their old life is gone. They are made new…

My husband symbolized a broken cycle and true love with a person God chose specifically for me. As both of our families joined together and prayed around a corner (to keep from seeing each other before the wedding) I couldn’t be happier because even before we said “I do” we were able to start our new life off with a focus on God.

Family Prayer

I think one of my favorite memories though was the father daughter dance. It wasn’t even two years ago that I was without parents. I remember being on my knees praying to God. All I wanted was to be loved.

I never thought it was possible, but God answered my prayers by giving me two amazing parents and I can honestly say they are better than even my wildest dreams.

They were worth every bit of abuse.

They were worth the long journey of pain.

They were worth the confusion and every horrible situation I faced.

Father Dance

Its funny to me that the one thing that I thought I would never have in my wedding, God proved to be so. As I took my Dad’s hand and danced to our song I began thanking the Lord for the many gifts He had given me. When the song ended I grabbed my Mom and we all began to cry. We cried because we knew that this wedding wasn’t about us. It was about God, His ability to answer even the craziest of our hearts’ desires, and His ability to redeem.

In the past, I never really understood the significance of a wedding but now I do. It was the best day of my life and it was so full of joy. I want to relive this moment for the rest of my life.

My marriage was a celebration to God for everything that He has done. It was His love that saved me and it was His strength that sustained me. This wedding was proof that everything that was taken from me, God, in his love, redeemed.

~Lovelle ❤

My Lesson From a Homeless Woman

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She pushes a shopping on the sidewalk of a busy road with a torn jacket that doesn’t look very insulated in the thirty degree weather. Written all over her face is sadness.

You don’t have to look very long to see that this woman has had a hard life. 

Suddenly, her face lights up and she looks down at a little dog in the front of her worn out shopping cart with a smile. As I observe the situation I see the dog with a nice collar dressed a pretty sweater and the dog is wagging her tail with excitement.

Unlike all the people in the cars driving by, who didn’t even glance at the woman for a second, the dog looked at the woman with adoration and love.

As the light turned green, we continued on our way, and the woman disappeared behind the miles ahead of me but what I had witnessed in those couple of minutes taught me something.

Just like that dog, I want to look at people with the love and adoration. I want my life to be the hands and feet of Jesus and I want to do whatever I can to tend for his sheep.

Beauty in everyone

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That may mean giving a simple smile to a woman who was obviously ignored or possibly even donating some of my clothes to those who go without.

It could be opening up my heart, having a shoulder to cry on, and an ear that will just sit in silence and listen.

It’s funny to me that you could see that beautiful woman lived without so much, but when she smiled, you could see peace and contentment.

Contentment is learned not earned, and you could see that is how that woman lived her life.

Never disregard your surroundings because sometimes those who are counted as nothing, can provide us with the most important lessons.

Shine Your Light With Pride

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I’ve always been a little odd. In high school I was considered weird to the other kids. I had a serious face with a mentality to survive. I didn’t wear the latest outfits; in fact, at one point in time, my weight loss caused my clothes to be two sizes too big.

My clothes were secondhand. I became the expert of improvisation because I couldn’t afford to replace anything. I found cheap ways to get by, and yes, duct tape was one of my favorite ways to do that. Between being overweight, having ugly outfits, and having no knowledge on how to interact with my peers, I was bullied frequently.

I remember those whispers through the halls as I walked to class. I remember being a social outcast.

I acted like I didn’t care what people thought, but deep within my heart, I had a desire to fit in and a longing to be accepted by my peers.

If I could go back in time to the sixteen-year-old “me”, there’s one thing I would say, and I know it would change everything:

shine

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I know now that I am perfect just the way I am. I am loved by a God who knit me together, and designed me. I am a work of art, I am made perfect in his eyes and he didn’t mess up when he made me. If had known those things in high school, my time there would have been so much better.

I remember crying out to God because of my shame. Every time I looked at myself in the mirror, I was disgusted because I didn’t fit the image of those around me. But those experiences didn’t happen in vain.

I stood out. I was different.

I look back at those moments now and I realize that even then, in my broken state, I was made to shine God’s light.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way that you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
~Romans 2:12

To the person reading this who is full of shame because you don’t fit in, let it go! Shame isn’t God, and you are made to be this way. If you were here with me right now, I would wrap you into the biggest hug I could possibly give. I would open up my bible and show you scriptures (there are so many in there) that remind you that you, my friend, are His. You don’t fit in because you were made for so much more. His plan for you is to fit His image, not the world’s. So as you walk through this day, remember who you are in Him. You are transformed, renewed, and you are made perfect in God’s image.

You weren’t made to fit in, you were made to stand out.

The True Definition of Leadership

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I have seen plenty of leaders in my lifetime…

I have seen ones that lift you up, encourage you, and help you to become your best.

I’ve seen leaders that dehumanize you. They say hateful things that knock down your self-esteem in attempts to force you to submit to their authority.

I’ve seen ones that genuinely care about you, make you better, and really push you to succeed.

But sadly, I’ve also seen leaders who take advantage of their position, and the purpose of the organization becomes lost; the organization is no longer a” we”, instead, it’s a “me”.

I am thankful for my experiences with leadership because it has taught me what kind of leader I should be. 

For the longest time I was taught that leadership meant submitting to an authority, even if they were wrong in their actions. But now I know how that this is not the way it is meant to be.

A good leader is a servant. The higher their position, the more they should be willing to serve.

A leader is respectful, caring, kind, and approachable. They are open-minded and humble in everything they do. They can respectfully and professionally resolve conflicts. A leader knows what not to say, when to walk away, and when to speak up.

A leader looks to God when making decisions, not themselves, and not Man.

I’ve always known that I was a leader, but until recently I didn’t really know what that involved. Through a lot of prayer, and good and bad situations, I have learned my purpose in my leadership role.

Leader

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I am here to do what’s right and to stand up for the truth. I am here to remain humble and speak up for those who can’t do it themselves.

I’m here to lift people up with encouragement, not knock them down. My words are not a weapon. They are an instrument of healing. 

As a leader, I am not above anyone else. I am simply a tool used in doing God’s will. Although I make mistakes, God teaches me to improve everyday. The most important thing that I have learned about leadership is that it is a gift from God, and it should be used as such.