I have a ginormous announcement!!!
Last year was a season of big changes in so many areas of my life. Most significant and most recent change though is in my business. Iāve been at a counseling center for the last 10 years as both administrative assistant, earlier on, and then as I completed my Master’s program, I transitioned to therapy intern, and then to a full-time state Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. It has been a long season of growth for me, and strong friendships were created over the years.
In a lot of ways, I have felt like that counseling center was as much my baby as it was the actual directorās. I was volunteering with him for ministry reasons before the centerās inception, working out of a garage attached to a house, which was located behind our church. It had been fully transitioned to needed office space for the church staff. We worked out of a garage. Haha! We got our own secluded house which was converted to office space back in 2008, and along with a small team, we began building the counseling center together. Anyway, this post is not about that.
Moving onā¦
I said all that to say, I have loved my time there but knew that God had started calling me to a different place. If you have read anything else I have written, you will know, I donāt jump into anything too quickly. Haha! Oftentimes, I want to wait until there is a solid plan and I know everything will work out. You know what I mean? I want to be successful! Unfortunately, God doesnāt work like that. In my experience, He will show me one step. When I take that step, He will show me the next. Ugh!
Do you see how incredibly SLOW this process has been for me? He told me to start this blog back in 2015, and I didnāt start it until 2017! He started stirring me to leave the counseling center 2 years ago, but I didnāt have clarity about the next step. In January of 2016, I started praying for clarity. By the end of that year, I had an idea about what He wanted me to do, but I just stopped.
Dead. In. My. Tracks. I Stopped.
Fast-forward to the middle of 2017, when I finally worked up the courage to start this blog. And now, I know my next step.
In the Fall of 2017, I finally worked up the courage to tell my colleagues (and begin telling my clients) that God was calling me away from the counseling center. Everyone was incredibly supportive of my next step, but I left the office that day feeling some kind of way and all mixed up emotionally. Haha!
Well, I was kind of sad that this was an end of such a loved chapter, but I was super excited about the next adventurous chapter, but I was also shocked at myself for following through with leaving but at the same time full of peace and contentment that I was stepping in to whatever God has for me.
Completely mixed-up emotions and thoughts as I drove home.
As I opened the door to my house, my youngest daughter met me at the door. She has no clue about anything going on with my business decisions other than Mommy has a blog called Sincerely Christi. Thatās it. I mean, really. Sheās 9. Haha!
She met me at the door with a picture she had drawn with a quote written from the movie, Sing.
āDonāt Let Fear Stop You From Doing the Thing You Love.ā ~Mr. Moon
Oh. My. Heart. <3
She had no idea how much I needed that, in that moment. I gave her a giant hug and told her thank you as I fought back a few tears. This beautiful picture is now framed and in my office as a reminder of His faithfulness. I see it daily. Love.
Sweet people, you can fight fear because God is always faithful and whether you know it or not, He wants you to be fulfilled and living out your purpose.
He placed desires, talents, skills, and abilities in each one of us for a reason. He desires that we TRUST Him with EVERYTHING and SEEK Him in ALL things.
Yes, the reality is that the majority of us have to work and make money to support ourselves and our families, but you never know where He will use you if you don’t listen and take the first step.
Donāt misunderstand me though, Iām not saying to rush out and quit your job. You still need to use wisdom. You still need a plan and to know what’s next. Haha!
The point is to seek Him and trust Him with your journey, because He created it.
That is exactly what Iām going to do.
So, what is my Ginourmous News???
I have opened my ONLINE DOORS for both, Individual and Relationship Coaching through secure video, and I am loving it!!
Yes! I did it! I quit letting fear stop me from doing what I love, and that is to help others. I have added a tab called Work With Me, where you will find my individual coaching packages. Under the drop-down, you will see Relationship Coaching for those packages.
If you are interested in moving your life or relationships forward, don’t hesitate to send me an email and request more info. Or you can even schedule a FREE 20-minute “Get-to-know-you” Session here.
UPDATE 7/1/18:
Another exciting project that I have been working on is a self-published book called Your Marriage Retreat: 7 Date Nights to a Thriving Marriage. The digital full-size version is currently $15.00 and is full of marriage help and interactive couple’s activities that will get you talking and working through whatever has been ailing you in your relationship.
In addition, I have also created a course with the same material which includes the e-book and printable activities in an easy to do
Just a little something to ponder …
Don’t let fear stop you. There are soooo many scriptures that tell us that He will hold our hand and give us strength. Yes!
He walks with us!
If this is something you are struggling with and need help moving forward, consider working with me and let me help you get to where God is leading you.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Ā ~Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”Ā ~Isaiah 41:10 NIV
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” ~2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
While I was writing this post, I have worship music playing in the background. This began playing. He Won’t Let You Go by Switchfoot.Ā And then, the very next song was this song by Lauren Daigle called Trust in You.
I don’t have to tell you that I had to stop and have a moment with God.
Okay, I was in a puddle on the floor. I know… It’s just where I am though.
I said all of that to say this.
Trust Him. Cling to Him. He created you for a purpose. Follow Him. He won’t let you go.
Just push through and take the first step.
Sincerely, Christi
I love this thought! And needed it today. I also am new to blogging and would love to compare notes about how things are going.
Thank you, Tammy! Just send me an email to christi@sincerelychristi.com and let’s connect!
I wrote a similar post, not too long ago. Everyone needs to talk about fear because I truly believe we all struggle with it in some way shape or form. Thanks for sharing. Charlene – https://faithtoraisenate.com
You are so right! I think it’s hard to admit you have a struggle with fear. As Christians, we are taught to just go boldly and that fear doesn’t belong where faith abides, which is truth! However, it certainly is a weapon that Satan uses to stop us so that we will never make it to God’s destiny for our lives. We allow it to control us and it keeps us from following His will in all areas. I will be the first to say that I have allowed fear to stop me on more than one occasion. BUT… I keep getting braver and bolder. I keep looking to God for His strength because ultimately, it all falls on Him anyways. He is always faithful. š Thank you for taking the time to read and comment! <3
a few years ago, I started blogging about giants in my land that I needed to slay…I was supposed to be writing the book God has put in my hand, and spoken to me via other people(that knew nothing about it) over the past 10…17..(hmmm, how many?) years.
FEAR…is the thing that stops me.
I messd up timing with painting…because, yeah, I have a gift…but it’s not THE gift God wants me to use! WHY did I choose painting rather than writing? um, FEAR! people liked my painting…I didn’t know if they’d like what I wrote!
Fear – it’s a huge giant…thank you for tackling it. Oh, that 9 year old…just wait until she’s a mom of three and calls you to vent and instead turns around and starts re-preaching the things you’ve planted in her heart! Oh the blessings to know our children walk with the Lord! Thank you for sharing…
No doubt! I have let fear stop me from many things. It’s a process. That’s one of my favorite things to say. Sometimes it takes me a while. Sometimes God has to push me harder. LOL! I have always been funny about letting people read what I write. I don’t know why because I’ve always been told that I’m a good writer. It’s just that it’s so personal. It’s my voice and the thoughts in my head. Those are private. Right? Well, some are meant to be kept private and others not so much. It’s growth and I’ll take it.
Nothing better than seeing your grown kids live for the Lord. I’ve got 2 grown kids making their way through life now. That’s an entirely different stressor I wasn’t prepared for and will probably be a blog post at some point. BUT. It’s so beautiful when I get those glimpses of them reaching for God’s goodness for their lives. My heart.
I have been in a season of loss for the last 6 months and the last two weeks have been some of the hardest. I’m in a situation where i need God to restore what Satan stole from me and I have been waiting and waiting and growing tired. I read your whole story while I was at work today and I found myself feeling a lot of the same emotions you expressed. Thank you for being vulnerable. I hope when this storm passes I can see Gods faithfulness in my life even if he doesn’t give me the miracle I need. I don’t see a way but I hope i can make it to the other side of this still being able to have faith in Gods goodness.
Kelsey,
I want to thank you for taking the time to read my story, and comment.
It’s okay to have fear. It’s okay to get angry. It’s okay to go all over the rollercoaster of emotions you are likely experiencing. I know it’s not easy. It takes strength and courage to face it and stay the course, trusting that God is going to make a way, where there seems to be no way. Without a doubt, one of the things that I have tools that I have used over the course of my life, as I dealt with various losses, valleys, and seasons is to count my blessings. In the middle of the storm, I know they can be hard to find, but I would encourage you to start somewhere. I like to use the notes app in my phone to keep a running list that I add to from time to time.
1. I am thankful I have a roof over my head.
2. I am blessed to have 1 person in my life that loves me and thinks I’m special.
3. I am grateful that God loves me enough to forgive me.
4. I am thankful I don’t have to worry about where my next meal comes from.
Etc.
You don’t have to overcomplicate it.
Add to it over time.
Find 5 scriptures that you can cling to that are relevant for your situation, and post them everywhere you can… on your bathroom mirror, in your car, on your computer screen, etc.
I wish I could tell you about this magic wand I know of but I can’t. It took me a long time to get through that period, and many, many more years before I was able to start connecting any dots.
I will be praying for you, Kelsey. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me through email. š