“My Tribe”

I would love for you to meet a group of strangers that met last year at a Mastermind in 2017 Jennifer Allwood hosted. We all came from separate states.  We all have separate lives. No one knew each other.  I think a couple of them had heard of each other online but again …..we were complete strangers !

Women who were strangers that God has now cemented their hearts and souls together.  We have one straggler bringing up the rear but it’s like she was there all the time.

This mastermind of course was for business but it was very apparent to me that God was all over this event.  From Jennifer’s pastor speaking to hearing the heart of Carrie Robiana, my heart was being refreshed.  There were more than a few “amens” at this event and this girl felt right at home.  The purpose God had for me in this weekend was for the connections of the heart.  It didn’t really have a thing to do with business. God was connecting me to women I needed in my life.  Women God knew would help me grow.

God would expose these reasons as we started doing life together via FaceTime, Zoom and Marco Polo. We continue to see God line up ways He is growing us all from the community He has created. We like to say things happen by coincidence.  We happen to disagree.  We call them, “godincidences”.  These “godincidences” are still being playing out as we are allowed time with each other.

God has really laid it upon my heart that women are missing community and the sad part about it is we’ve done without it so long we don’t even know we have missed a valuable part of life.

We have become a society of women who are lone rangers and we are drowning in a sea of loneliness.  We are trapped by a mindset that no one is struggling like we are.

We are overwhelmed by the need for perfection we see in others when in reality we all are. No matter the age of the “girl”, whether twenty two or sixty two we still have similar struggles, anxieties and desires.

So this blog post  is for no other reason than to share a little bit about these women.  I was blessed to share the 2018 Christy Wright Business Boutique with them this past weekend. Again their lives refreshed mine once again reminding me of our need for intimate community with other women.

My goal here is to slather them with love and the recognition they so deserve.  If I had a big cheerleading suit on, I would shout and cheer for them but words is all I have so here you go.

MEET MY PRECIOUS “BIZ BUDDIES”

Meet Roxanne Olson…

Roxanne sat across from me in the 2017 Mastermind I spoke about in the opening paragraph. She is beautiful.  I love her accent. Roxanne is the quietest of the group.  Her head probably spins when some of us “loud mouths” get going. Roxanne’s quiet spirit is precious to me. I learn from her when she does get a word in edge wise.  Her business is furniture painting. She is stretching herself to paint  some “out of the box” colors. It’s so neat to see all of us growing and trying new things. I will never forget Roxanne asked me to be her business buddy that weekend a year ago.  She has a special place in my heart.  I love her tenderness!  She is a force to be reckoned with within herself.  I love that she has grown so much in the last year. You go girl !!  One of the things I am learning from Roxanne is tender spirit.  I am a go getter and loud most of the time. There is so much to be said for being quiet and listening.  I need a little bit of Roxanne in my life.

Meet Donna Dodson…

Well Lordy mercy what can I say about Donna? Donna and I gravitated toward each other some how. She sat on the other side of the room from me at the Mastermind.  At the end of the conference, we were encouraged to swap business cards and that kinda thing. Folks were taking pictures.  I grabbed a few pictures with some of the ladies.  I grabbed one with Donna and Tammy.  We honestly didn’t talk much that weekend but through out the last year God has cemented a precious friendship. She is the self proclaimed “momma” of the group. Her desire to lead well inspires me.  She doesn’t seem to ever shy away from the hard things in life whether they be personal or business.  She is a sassy but tender all in the same big ole’ ball.  She and I have had some deep conversations about life, God and the seasons He has allowed us to walk through.  God put a sweet package together when He made this one. I am one blessed woman because God let our paths cross. One of the things I can learn from Donna is her unconditional love for others.  There is not a thing I could tell her that would make her love me less.  Man what a thing to be said of someone.  I love her with everything I have.

Meet Tammy Graves….

While we were away together this weekend at The Business Boutique, we capped our weekend off with a wonder dinner at “The Melting Pot”. If you have never been oh my word please make your reservation right away. It’s a fondue restaurant so the evening is an experience !!  It takes a while to eat because you are preparing the food yourself.  Such fun !!!!  As we sat there just recapping our weekend, we shared what we learned from the conference, what our strengths were and what our weaknesses were.  We also shared the same things we saw in each other.  Sometimes we see ourselves differently than others see us.  There are often times strengths that we have we aren’t aware of.  Tammy is one of these “chickas” for me !  She is compassionate but has a saucy side.  There have been numerous times in my life she has just said what needed to be said.  Some how the Holy Spirit within her makes it bearable to my Spirit as she speaks.  I ain’t gonna lie sometimes they’ve been hard to hear but so needed in my life.  So I am thankful for her “spit fire” personality that she allows to be used in my life when I am blinded to my own self. One of the things that I am learning from Tammy is her ability to not be swayed by those around her. She is a few steps ahead of me in this area.  There are many areas I’m not swayed in but I can bend sometimes.  This girl is a tower.  I am blessed to know.

Meet Katy McHolm…

Oh Katy!  Katy is our transplant. Jenni and Katy have been life long friends.  This weekend was my first time to meet Katy. I honestly didn’t know how this “new chic” was gonna fit in our group. I didn’t know her. I mean we had Marco polo’ed but like I didn’t know her !!   Y’all ! SHE IS MY PEOPLE ! She is full of sass and full of Jesus. I don’t know how you can be filled to the brim with both but this girl is overflowing with both. She is unapologetically herself.  The gifting God has given her are large and in charge. She has a way of giving you a ….Jesus whippin’…that somehow spurs you to reach for more that God has for you as she has the belt out …..spankin’ your behind.  She and I are two peas in a pod.  One of the things I can learn from Katy is her freedom to stand and be her own voice.  There are areas in my life I need freedom from “people pleasing”.  All I can say is she has walked through those seasons and received the certificate.  People pleasing isn’t even on her radar. She is focused on making sure the Lord and Mr. McHolm are pleased with her. That’s all she is focused on. She is a few steps ahead of me in these areas and I am being encouraged by her boldness to stand in her own skin for Christ.  This is definitely needed in my life.

Meet Amy Pembrook…

My sweet Amy !  After the first session of the 2017 Mastermind where we first met, she and I kinda bumped into one another outside at the food trucks.  Now mind you no one knew each other at this point.  Neither one of us are wall flowers let me say that.  She and her husband Mike have cattle. It’s often been said of my personality that I could moo at a cow and it would moo back !  This is Amy. So we struck up a conversation and we’ve been besties every since.  This woman has a flare for fashion and she totally rocks it. She puts cheetah with the wildest of colors and she owns it.  She is another one of those gals that is teaching me to walk in my own personality. I think she is a little more head strong that me !  If that is even a thing. I know without a shadow of a doubt the Holy Spirit brought us together that day. The Lord is stretching the snot out of her. Amy, as you read this you know what God has told you to do !  We are all waiting for you to accomplish the last task !   Be obedient girl !  One of the things I am learning from Amy is God plants seeds in us long before the fruit comes.  She is faithful to wait until He opens the next door.

Meet Kiersten O Dell…

Kiersten has a glow about her. I could literally listen to her talk all day long.  I know most women have more on their plate than they can shake a stick at but she seems to do it all with class and dignity.  I rarely see her flustered.  This is such a busy season for her, of working a full time job, a mom of littles and a business owner and she just does it all…with a smile on her face.  I have no doubt she has “come apart” moments at some point but she walks through life with confidence. She isn’t afraid to dream big. She isn’t afraid to shut something down if it doesn’t align with the goals God has for her life right now.  She isn’t afraid to fail. She has the “go get it girl” attitude in every area of life. She is a joy to have the privilege to know. One of the ways I am growing as I watch the life of Kiersten is she sets priorities and even if those priorities don’t line up with those around her she sticks to them. That is an honorable thing in my book. Kiersten does Kiersten very well. Love you girl !!

Meet Jenni Ingram…

Jenni and I actually did converse a little bit at the Jennifer Allowed Mastermind in 2017. I remember asking for a copy of some notes she had taken that weekend.  LOL.  I would still ask for her notes today !!  I have to tell you she seemed much smarter than me. She was so focused in on what she could learn. She was a note taking machine. You could tell she had been in business much longer than me and was a techie !  Let it be said from now til eternity I am not.  I need a “dummies” course for most technology needs. This girl needs no help. She will dive head long in and conquer it. She is 100% a Jesus girl. She is a prayer warrior. We have had numerous conversations about ministry and the fact that God is stretching me big time.  She is a quiet soul but when she does use her voice there is some good stuff in there.  When we left each other this weekend, her eyes welled up with tears. She has a part of my heart. One of the things I am learning from Jenni is her steadfastness.  Nothing seems to unravel her. Her personality is very strong and even.  You don’t see her falling apart. She is what my mother would have called a “ponderer”. I now know that to be a deep thinker. I can learn from her. Jenni has a quiet spirit and a woman who minds her own business and works with her hands.  God is pleased I am sure.

Every one needs a tribe !

Every one needs a soft place to land.  We all need people that will sow goodness and truth into our lives.

This is a portion of the goodness God has allowed in my life.