A 10 Year Journey Of Faith

February 7th, 2011 was the first time I talked to Hope Shortt.  I had stalked her –  followed her on Facebook, read about her, and was inspired by her faith.  I knew what an amazing person she was BEFORE I had this conversation.  I told her I wanted to join her Thirty One team.

She asked me “what my why” was?  For those in direct sales, we always want to know from new team members, “What is YOUR why?”, right?   I was nervous.  Why?  Because I honestly had no clue.  But in my true people pleasing style, I told her I wanted to earn some extra money.  No big dreams. I mean I was a Chief Operating Officer of a non-profit, who had time for anything.  I wanted to share the products at vendor shows, had NO desire to do home parties and really was not interested in having a team.  The truth was, I didn’t believe I was leadership material.  Yes, you can laugh…I could run a non-profit, manage grants, write grants and manage a staff of 18 programs BUT I never saw myself as a leader.

Thirty One helped with the “recruiting” aspect since this was just one day prior to the FREEZE.  WOW, what a relief.  Vendor shows was something I loved to do since I had been doing craft/ vendor shows for over 20 years.  It was a great place to meet people AND share a product.  Hope listened and said she would be there to help when I needed her.  No pressure just support and kindness.

Over the next few months I shared Thirty One at vendor events – selling but still NOT booking parties.  I mean I had a full-time CRAZY busy job, who had time for home parties.  Then came the first TWO potential recruits.  OMG!!!  I was honest with both of them from the start.  I wasn’t into doing home parties and I was going to learn along with them.  Believe it or not, they still joined as soon as the freeze lifted and quickly qualified.  I was a Senior Consultant by default.  Then came a home office lead who wanted a HOME PARTY!  Panic set in… it was someone I didn’t know and I was clueless.  I had never done a home party.  I could do this… and I DID!  Of course, it would not have been possible if it weren’t for Hope and the rest of the Beacon of Hope team.

My FIRST National Conference in 2012 had me setting a goal and deciding I wanted to be in Leadership. I had left my full-time job due to health issues but I wasn’t going to let it stop me.  I set a goal to be Director BEFORE National Conference 2013.  The stats say those who go to national conference earn more – TRUE!  Those who go to national conference – PROMOTE – TRUE!  In October, 2012 I was DIQ and in January 2013, I was blessed to earn my $1,000 Director Bonus.  It was a whirlwind time filled with lots of emotions.

National Conference 2013, I was blessed to be joined by my daughter and members of the Rays of Hope Team as I walked across stage being acknowledged as a NEW Thirty One Director.  Tears of joy flowed freely all weekend.  I walked across stage and was hugged by Hope Shortt, my National Executive Director.

The next few years brought many changes – dealing with testing and diagnosis of MS, worrying if I was really able to lead a team, fear, lots of comparison game playing and more tears.  I even wondered at times if I could continue since I couldn’t remember the names of prints and products.  I’m grateful for an amazing group of customers who understood and have stood by me all of these years…

National Conference 2018 would be my last road trip to a Thirty One event with my momma by my side.  The travel, the overwhelming feeling of not being able to understand everything and the struggle to remember things would get to be too much.  The theme of “Make Every Moment Count” would stay with me for a long time.

Fast forward to 2020 when I seriously considered leaving my pink bubble.  I was overwhelmed, the joy had left and I couldn’t seem to find my passion.  I turned things over to God and decided with hubby’s help, I would follow whatever path he thought I should take.  It took a few months BUT I found joy in my pink bubble again.  I focused on my business, praying the things I did would help my team.  I stepped out of my comfort zone to do virtual parties which included a LIVE portion with BINGO.  No matter how many times I thought “this is my last month”; God had another plan and my team and I made the numbers I needed to remain a Director.

I still struggle with my “why” and learning to DREAM BIG.  Home parties are no longer possible due to health issues.  Vendor events have been gone for awhile with the new social distancing rules.  I step out of my comfort zone to do things I wouldn’t have done before – asking for virtual socials (aka parties), offering the opportunity and embracing the things I love about my pink bubble.

One of the biggest blessings from Thirty One has been regaining my confidence which I lost so many years ago.  The other is gaining a sisterhood of women who celebrate, encourage and even cry with me.  Yes, I have earned FREE products! Yes, I have earned a FREE trip.  Yes, I was able to pay off credit card debt & travel as a result of my commission checks!  Yes, I have found a sisterhood I didn’t know existed in my Thirty One sisters!  Yes, I have grown in my walk with God, learning to trust and believe his will will be done in my business!  These are all the things Thirty One has blessed me with…. Who would have thought a pink box filled with product could CHANGE MY LIFE.  Could it change your life too?

 

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Shining the Light On Mental Health

Thank you Thirty One for making a difference in the lives of others!  This blog is a repost from Thirty One…

Mental and behavioral health are not always talked about openly, but millions of children in the U.S.need someone to start speaking up: In the U.S., half of all mental illnesses begin by the age of 14.  While an estimated 1.2 million children and youth are affected by mental illness, fewer than 20 percent will receive the proper treatment.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Thirty-One is proud to recognize the research being done with our support at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the U.S.. Thirty-One Gifts Consultants are spreading the word about ways you can help destigmatize mental health issues and help fund groundbreaking research benefiting youth across the U.S.

 

We’re are proud to partner with America’s largest children’s hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dr. Nancy Cunningham says funding from Thirty-One Gives is supporting two research projects. One has a focus of enhancing girls’ eHealth literacy, helping them to improve how they find and evaluate health information. The second uses neuroimaging to identify girls who could be at risk for anxiety, depression, drug use and behavioral challenges.

Thirty-One Consultants are making a difference, Cunningham says.  The Thirty-One network of Consultants, Customers and leadership who champion these issues is “remarkable,” Cunningham says.

“Together we can discover new knowledge and strategies to support girls and young women, and together spread the word through our unique relationships and areas of influence,” she says.

Learn more: Read Sarah’s story to hear from one of the many young people helped by this type of research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Raising funds, raising awareness…  You can do so much to support the Gives mission in May!

• Through the Gives Round Up! initiative, Customers in the U.S. have the option to support the important mental health research being done by our partners by rounding up their purchase (after tax and shipping) to the nearest dollar, or any amount. This May, funds raised in the U.S. will go to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
• You also can host a party to share more about Mental Health Awareness Month. The cause is represented by the color green, so incorporate it into your party! Serve green food or drinks. Enter every Customer who wears green into a drawing. Then discuss Thirty-One Gives’ partnerships during the party and share how they are making a difference in your community.
• Another way to spread the word and reduce the stigma of mental health issues is as close as your smartphone or laptop. Use the #StartTheConvo and #31Gives hashtags on social media to discuss mental and behavioral health issues, and to invite others to join the conversation.

You can also make a difference by purchasing an Awareness Angel from me for $5.  The proceeds will be donated to Gives this month and support Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Your One-Sentence Eulogy

Thank you KAREN EHMAN for today’s message.

My kitchen contains some of my favorite things.

My big red Dutch oven where a batch of cheesy potato-corn chowder simmers. A watercolor painting of a bowl of fruit, purchased at an estate sale. And my aqua hand mixer. Because, well, I like to bake, and I love the color aqua! But the object I adore most is a lettered sign my mother-in-law gave me, made from rustic barnwood and stenciled with this simple phrase: “Scatter Kindness.”

I hung this inspiring inscription above the kitchen door that leads to the garage, so I’m sure to see it every time I exit my home. We live in a world filled with turmoil, sadness and despair. Of course, there are pockets of happiness too. On many days, though, it feels like the sadness overshadows the joy. It doesn’t take much looking around to find a soul in need of a little encouragement or a healthy dose of hope.

I was once told that there are two types of people in the world: those who enter a room full of people and announce, “Here I am!” and those who walk into a room, seek out another soul and lovingly declare, “Oh … there you are!” It makes me wonder, someday — when I am long gone — will I be remembered as someone who sought to encourage others or sought only to make herself known? Which one will be said of you?

The Bible tells detailed stories of the titans of the faith: Abraham, Joseph, Esther and Mary, to name a few. But sometimes it gives us an intriguing glimpse of some lesser-known characters, sketching their stories in a simple sentence or two. One such character is the New Testament woman named Tabitha.

We meet Tabitha in Acts, where the story of the birth of the Christian church is recorded by a doctor named Luke. Acts also introduces us to the founders of the church, including Peter and Paul. But tucked away in its pages we also find a portrait of a woman who demonstrated how to put others first and scatter kindness. I love her one-sentence description: “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36, emphasis added).

What a beautiful and unusual introduction! While most personal descriptions mention relationships (such as “a wonderful wife and mother”) or career accomplishments (“a dedicated nurse”) this woman was known for continually looking for ways to scatter kindness. Concerned about the poor, she actively worked to make their lives better. In fact, her actions so radiated Christ’s love that the author of Acts recorded these words for us to read 2,000 years later in our Bibles.

One reason we know about Tabitha today is because she died, and Peter raised her from the dead. But as glorious as her resurrection was, her character is what impresses me: “She was always doing good and helping the poor.” Oh, how this one sentence shakes my soul and stirs my heart!

If someone were going to record a one-sentence eulogy about us, what would they say? Would they observe about us — like Tabitha — that we were “always doing good” to others? Were we on the lookout for those who had a much harder row to hoe, or were we more concerned about our own safety and comfort, giving little thought to others?

While sometimes we may think our life is boring, could we see our humble and common circumstances as an opportunity for God’s eternal purposes, just as Tabitha did? Could we seek to scatter kindness, discovering an important and fulfilling ministry as we do?

Years from now, how will you be remembered? As a, “Here I am!” person or as an, “Oh … there you are!” sort of soul?

What will be your one-sentence eulogy?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Tired of Doing Good?

Thank you AMY CARROLL for today’s message:

I felt worn-out, and I knew my perspective on giving needed a little refreshing.

Even though I’ve always admired generous people and want to be known as one, I started to feel resistance in my heart against being a truly cheerful giver in every area of my life — with my time, my gifts and my finances.

Sometimes I was reluctant to give because I felt too consumed by my every day schedule. Other times, I felt the pinch of need in my own life. And occasionally it was because I’d become jaded toward the recipients of my help.

My friend Rita told me a story that was just what I needed. Her mother, an immigrant who grew up in desperate poverty, was very committed to a relief project for her home country. She would collect gently used shoes and ship them to an organization in her homeland that had needed help.

Rita’s mother did this for years, during which her own eight children observed their mother’s work and generosity.

Surprisingly, Rita was frustrated with her mother instead of admiring her work. One day, in exasperation, she said to her mother, “Why do you continue to work on this project? You know how corrupt the system is over there. Those shoes are probably stolen, resold and used to line the pockets of some corrupt official. You are just wasting your time.”

Her mother looked at Rita compassionately and responded, “Rita, my responsibility is not in the receiving. My responsibility is in the giving.”

As I digested Rita’s story and her mother’s lesson, I realized I’d stopped giving because I wasn’t sure of the response.

I didn’t give to poor people on the street because I didn’t know how they’d spend the money.
I didn’t freely love friends because I didn’t know how they felt about me.
I withheld time from my family because I didn’t think they appreciated it.
It’s easy to find reasons not to give … Too busy. One too many scams. Believing nobody cares about giving to me in my need. Thinking that somehow, somebody else will take care of it.

I’ve used all these excuses at one point or another, but I felt a softening in the hardened places of my heart as I listened to the wisdom Rita’s mom shared.

Her reminder is one echoed in Galatians 6:9, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

If you’re tired and full of excuses like I was, the best way to renew your commitment to doing good is to start giving.

My former stingy approach to life and love never served me well. God has given me extravagance and abundance. I want to be wise about where I give my time and resources, but I also want to do it freely and with an open heart. I want to be one who listens carefully to His voice for opportunities to give, because I know He can be trusted with the results.

Receiving refreshment comes through giving. And sometimes, it’s in the simplest of ways:

Give a smile to a weary clerk.

Give a break to a worn-out mom.

Give some time to a struggling non-profit.

Give your money to someone in need.

Give loving wisdom to a stressed friend.

Join me in the refreshing act of giving, even if you’re tired of doing good!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Give the Gift of Hope

I can’t believe it has been almost six years since I started my journey with Thirty One with a goal to help others. Sometimes it is a fundraising project, or a donation to an event or giving to those who were in need.  It doesn’t matter whether it is for an individual, a group, a team or if we were just part of making a difference…. I always want to help.  Over the years, we have been able to make a difference in the lives of many….

This was our very first #31gives project for the kids who were in the hospital over Easter.  There are 6 beds at Ocean Medical and each child received one of these pouches. It was so humbling when we were one of the featured pictures in Thirty One’s Virtuous Women magazine.

No, I am not telling you all of this to toot my own horn. I NEVER do any of these projects without the help of my AMAZING customers, hostesses, family and friends. Individuals who believe in the cause, or just want to help. Okay, can you guess where this is leading…. YOU GOT IT!

I am blessed to know several people who are on dialysis, some who have received transplants while others still are waiting. Their daily struggles have taught me to appreciate my life so much – the good, the bad and the ugly. They go through their days with faith looking at each day as a blessing, appreciating all they have been given.

Over the last two years I have done Chemo Comfort Bags bringing smiles to those who are fighting cancer. I was asked by a friend to help those who are struggling with dialysis because her hubby is one of them. Silly me, I thought dialysis patients received their treatment in the same spot as the chemo patients so they would also be treated to the donated bags – sadly it is not the case. Here is her plea for help….

Please help! Kidney disease is horrible. It be wonderful for the patients to have a care bag to help comfort them during their dialysis appointments. These appointments can last 3 hours up to 4 & 1/2- 5 hours. That’s a long time to be sitting in a chair.

Your $30 sponsorship will pay for the actual bag and I will use 100% of my commission to fill them with a variety of things like a blanket, notepad, pen, bottle of water, lotion, warm socks, chap stick and crossword puzzle book. Donations will be distributed at the local dialysis center to bring a smile to the face of those who are fighting this dreadful disease.

Won’t you help me bring a smile to the face of those who are struggling during dialysis?

You can sponsor a bag in memory of someone, in honor of someone or just anonymously. Payments can be made via check or through Paypal at hopesgiftcloset@@comcast.net as a friend/family.  I can also accept credit card payments directly.

Won’t you help to make a difference today?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!