*** update*** I’m back to using my college degree as of last year, but it takes nothing away from the three years I was home with my kids.
I remember when they called my name at college graduation. I was so proud of myself. I had beat so many odds that were stacked against me and had overcome many statistics that said I wouldn’t get a college degree. I couldn’t wait to go out into the world and start an amazing career doing what God had called me to do. It was a moment in time I will never forget. Being called into ministry of any kind is not easy. Working in a church is not easy. Following God’s will is not always easy. I did it though. Every time I was led into another direction I did it. I have only held positions that are considered a ministry of some form. My jobs have had me working with all different ages of kids in a Christian setting each time. That never seemed odd to people who knew me. As I look back on the last three years I am struck by how many people are confused by what I do now.

“So, what is it you do again? Are you just doing that jewelry thing?”

I get asked this frequently. I get it. I get why those who know me get confused by this. Unless they take the time to dig deeper. My brain is bigger than jewelry. My heart is for serving Jesus. So why sales? And why this jewelry gig? And where is my pink car? (We don’t really have pink cars, but people ask me that.)

Let me start with the ministry I am in. I am in the field of working with women. I am blessed enough to witness the power of what a little social time with friends can do for women like us,  from all walks of life. I am invited into women’s homes to help them do something fun for themselves. We all know what a woman’s life is like these days. She is an exhausted SAHM who is just really wanting to talk to someone who doesn’t require a diaper change. She is a working mom who is burning the candle at both ends and could use a night where no one is expecting anything from her. She is a woman who is beautiful beyond belief but doesn’t think so, because someone told her she wasn’t. She is a woman who doesn’t have the most supportive loving husband and lights up when her friends tell her she looks great in a necklace. She is the woman who loves fashion and will do anything for a new accessory. She is the woman who will use any excuse to hang out with her girlfriends. She is you. She is me.

Last night I received a text from someone who said this, “Something as simple as a CL necklace has truly made me feel beautiful in more than one way. Good night sweet friend.” It was a reminder to me that this “jewelry thing” isn’t about the jewelry. It’s about how women feel when they empower each other. It’s about how much women need each other. I am part of a large network of women all across the country who do what I do, who are making a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. I get to walk alongside some of the smartest entrepreneurs I have ever met. They have become some of my best friends. I wouldn’t hesitate to call any of them should I need a friend, a prayer, or advice. Some of them do this full-time like me, some use it as supplemental income. Some do it for the fun. Whatever the reason I am so glad to know them. They have blessed me in ways I didn’t know I needed to be blessed. I have an amazing team of women that I coach and train that have become my friends and are a gift to me. This is my ministry. To love, care, and support other women in whatever ways they need it.

Why did I choose this? Because the three in the picture below deserve to have a mom who is not stressed out by her boss. They deserve a mom who can drop everything and come down to their school if needed. They deserve a mom who can build her schedule around them. They deserve to have the mom I always wanted and dreamed of being. I am a work in progress and these three are helping me get there. My husband deserves to have a happy wife who can drag him on all expense paid vacations to exotic places! Working for myself can be hard, but so worth it in so many ways.

So that’s what I do. I work from my home office. I work to be a better mom. I work to be a better wife. I work to empower women.