Deneen Troupe-Buitrago

Grow from your overflow

Talents

Your PERSPECTIVE is everything

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Let’s begin with this PERSPECTIVE.

God has got your back and He is leading you into your next grand adventure. Where you are now in your business may not be where you are forever. God has given you a vision and you may just be starting to understand how far He wants to take you.

The things you are doing right now are building blocks for you to do something bigger in the future. He says that if you are faithful with a small amount He will give you MORE and MORE. God keeps it real for us so we grow at the pace He sets for us.

Learn MORE about how He created and equipped YOU to lead in your business. God’s timing for your vision to come into right PERSPECTIVE will be amazing. Think about it this way. . . How far will you go in your business and who will it impact for eternity?

 

Is this your PERSPECTIVE?

God calls us to not be ‘worldly’ in our ambitions but this does not mean we cannot have ambitions. He has put in your heart what success means for you. Your ambitions are exactly right for you. It is not up to you or me to judge or criticize others’ accomplishments. If anything, we should be celebrating one another.

God designed you so uniquely so you could bring into the world your part in His Story. You have been given your skills, experiences, talents, gifts and more so your business can stand out in the marketplace and attract the clients you were meant to serve.

And, in His perfect wisdom He also brings resources into your life so you can grow and develop into the Leader He knows you can be. When you use these resources to complement your natural abilities you take your business to the next level. It is about following God’s lead to discern what is right for you and not be distracted by how others are doing it.

 

God’s PERSPECTIVE

Believe what God says about you. In His Word He calls you Royalty & a Living Stone (1 Peter 2:5) that He will use to show His goodness in the marketplace as He builds your business. You were created the exact way He desired and He will help you create the business that is your gift to the world through Him.

Don’t allow the lies of the enemy to tell you that you cannot do it because . . .  You have something powerful to share with the world. God has allowed all those experiences, both amazing & difficult, to be the foundation for those you will serve. He makes you trustworthy to your clients by having empathy.

God wants you to believe in yourself, in your abilities, in your message, because He created you for this. He wants you to align with Him for your success and become the Leader He knows is inside of you. The leader that will tell others about Him through your business.

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Your PERSPECTIVE is everything. Make it one that that begins with God, has God working in it, and ends with God. Connect your Faith & Business and become the leader of your tribe, team, community, and industry. Make an impact for His Kingdom here on earth.

Are you all in? Do you believe you can be all God wants you to be? Join me at the Clarity Leadership Conference and connect to God, communicate as a Leader, clarify your abilities, and commit to God’s calling for you. Will you be there to learn how God wants you to show up as the Leader He sees in you?

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

 

How God Uses YOUR Equipping

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Equipping Deborah

Deborah was a judge and prophetess in her time. God had equipped her to do a special job. She was a political leader as well as a spiritual leader in Israel. I imagine there were great stories told about her around the tables of the women at that time and to future generations. Her sphere of influence was great.

She probably didn’t see herself that way. She was focused on what God had placed in front of her to do. So, when she gave the commander of the army the instructions she received from the Lord about how to defeat the oppressive army in their kingdom, she was working in her equipping from God.

However, when Barak, the commander, refused to fight without her leading the troops, she had a decision to make. Would she ignore God’s call to fight or would she become the commander-in-chief of the nation? She may have felt she did not have the skills to lead the army, she may have thought it was not her place. BUT GOD. . .

Though it was something out of her ‘comfort zone’, it was not outside of her skill set. There is a difference. Her trust in God gave her the confidence to move forward and lead the army. Her equipping had prepared her for this leadership role. Her faith in God allowed her to take that step of obedience.

Equipping You

You too are equipped with some amazing qualities. God has given you your personality, talents, values, expertise, spiritual gifts, strengths, and experiences so you can do the work He has for you. Your job is to understand how all this works together to live out the Calling He has for your life. It is exciting to think, you are the ONLY one like you that will EVER exist. And, His work for you is part of HIStory.

By knowing yourself better, you can better utilize the equipping you were given and shine in new ways. God is not the God of Sunday, nursery duty, volunteer outreach activities, or Bible study attendance. He doesn’t Call us to ‘fit Him in’ to our lives, He Calls us to ‘put Him in’ to our lives. To create a seamless life with Him front and center.

When He is first you can then access His power. His power to help you live out your Calling. When you know HOW He has equipped you, you can then focus on what is truly important for your sphere of influence. God wants that for you.

Equipping to SERVE

So, what is the Vision He has given you? How does He want you to move forward? Yes, it may be out of your ‘comfort zone’ BUT GOD. . .

He has brought you to the place you are right now with clients, customers, business partners, vendors and such. Now He is asking you to STAND OUT as the woman of God you were created to be. He wants you to understand HOW He has created you so you can show up whole, holy, and authentic in your marketplace.

Connect to this equipping by signing up for the Calling Clarity Course. God has placed this Resource at your feet so you can take that next step in obedience to His Calling. He wants you to do GREAT Things for Him. He wants you to know how incredibly unique you are. He wants you to FOCUS on what He wants to do in your life through your WORK.

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

P.S. There are only 5 spaces for this Course. Is God talking to your heart? Is this course the next step for you? Trust God, take that step.

 

 

The Great Commission & YOU

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Take the Great Commission Personally

If you have spent any time around me you know that I talk about how to live out the Great Commission. So, let’s review. ?

The Great Commission

In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus says to, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The way I see it is that you need to ask God who are the five people in your life that need Jesus and just start praying for them. Then begin to have a deeper relationship with one or two of these people. When they know you care about them, you will have the opportunity to tell your story about being in relationship with Jesus.

I have said all this before and I wanted to make sure you remembered. ?

Before the Great Commission

BUT, I want you to look back at the command from Jesus. . . it begins with THEREFORE. That means there is something He said that was important before He got to this part.

There was a reason He gave them this command. AND, He gave the command to everyone present. He gives the same command to us today. We are not excluded from living out the Great Commission. In fact, we are part of the Church, the Church is the bride of Christ and as His bride our role is to be an EZER, a helper, to Jesus.

How is this possible? How can we HELP Jesus? That’s where the THEREFORE comes into play. As we say in my Bible Study, “What is it THERE FOR?”

So, let’s back up to verse eighteen. It says, Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Woah! All authority? What does that mean?

Since Jesus died for us and took His place next to God in heaven He can do and send whomever He pleases. AND it pleases Him to send you and me into the world to be part of HIStory. You live in this time, in this culture, to live out the Great Commission personally.

Your Great Commission

God has made you a steward of your sphere of influence. He is expecting you to live up to your Calling. And don’t forget, at the end of the Great Commission, He states that He is with you (and me) always until the end.

Do you get how much power has been given to you by God? Do you know He wants you to live out your Calling in the marketplace by being exactly who He created you to be? He wants you to figure out your BEST way to Serve Him through your work. To live out the Great Commission through your business.

I offer tools to help you do just that! The Calling Clarity Course is opening again. Get info by clicking here. We will go through exactly HOW God has made YOU: your personality, values, strengths, spiritual gifts, experiences, expertise, and talents. Through the Course you will pull all your pieces together to show up Whole, Holy and Authentic in your work.

Hurry to get your spot. ONLY five places are in this 8-week Course. Make 2018 the year you start living your Calling and living out your Great Commission.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

 

 

Time Blocking and Serving God

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My day is broken down into time blocking tasks. For example, it is Monday morning and I have time blocked to write this blog. I ‘try’ to take away all distractions and just write.

During any day I have time carved out to get tasks and projects completed. I also have time blocked out for preparing dinner, going on appointments, and working with coaching clients. Is your day similar?

One thing I like about time blocking is that I get a lot more accomplished. Another thing I like is that I have an excuse not to deal with every distraction from others. I think that’s called, boundaries.

Advantages of Time Blocking

When you have many different things to do in a day, time blocking can make it easier. I am not just talking about in your business. I use it for everything (like when I said, ‘preparing dinner’). It gives me a way to break up my day and prioritize what I need to do.

So, with such a great tool for my schedule . . . How can I FIT serving God into my day? Since I believe I am called to the Marketplace, and I am assuming you are too, I need to figure out how to do it during my work day.

It may be simpler than you think. ? AND, I have an acronym to help you remember.

FIT in Time Blocking

The F in FIT is for Flair. The definition of flair is a natural ability to do something well. Some of the synonyms are Style, Aptitude, and Gift. You are exceptional, a one of a kind. God wants you to be your true self, not someone’s image of you or even someone you think you should be. You have something special that makes you the perfect person to do His work at any time.

The I in FIT is for Individuality.  This definition says, ‘a specific personality, character, or characteristic that distinguishes you from others’. Whoa! You need to grasp how special God made you. You are distinct from anyone who has ever lived or who will ever live. AND, He has called you to a specific job that is different from anyone else. He is shaping your character to be more like Him every day.

The T in FIT is for Timely. Again, you were born and live in this generation for His purpose. The business you’re in is no mistake. You are there to do the work, the calling, He has for you. Your service to coworkers, friends, and others belongs to you alone. God tells us that the ‘time is short’ and we are to make the most of each moment. Use your day-to-day moments to see God opportunities to serve Him.

Did you notice there was no time blocking in that? It’s because you have a unique ROLE that God has called you to. That ROLE also fits into your time blocks because it is designed for you.

Your Time Blocking ROLE

Of course, I have another acronym to help you. ?

R- Be the REAL you. God wants to grow you into His image so you shine for Him. Do it, every day, at home and in your work, while commuting and when having fun. See the people in your life as your way to serve God. Share yourself with them in ways that are natural and build relationships.

O- Be Obedient to Him. Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit pulling at your heart to do something or say something? Don’t squelch those promptings. Ask God for courage to act on them. He will not give you an assignment He has not equipped you for. It is in the little things, the care and attention you give someone that can show them Jesus.

L- Love others. On our own we are incapable of really loving others. Let’s face it, many people are not lovable. That coworker, boss, intern . . . will feel love when you allow God’s love to show through you. Make sure to fill up on God each day so you have His power to love others.

E- You will have an Effect. Those around you will take notice. Each day you will make others stop and think about you by the way you interact with them. Your depth of influence will grow. AND, opportunities will open for you to share your faith.

Time Blocking is a Tool

While time blocking is a great tool for you to grow your business and to take control of your life, it is not something you can utilize to serve God well. He doesn’t want you to FIT Him in along with your other activities. He wants to be woven throughout your day, your week, your life.

When you understand that your ROLE is to show others God’s goodness all the time then it becomes as natural as breathing. This Christian adventure is ‘figureoutable’ because it is simple.

Let me help you ‘figure it out’ with the Calling Clarity Course. God wants you to shine for Him in the way He has uniquely designed you. You have it inside of you to know how to FIT service into your life and how to live out the ROLE God purposed for you.

Check out the info and sign up today.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

 

Break with Tradition

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The Church You Know

I grew up in church, maybe you did too, maybe not. Either way, once you are in a church community you start to ‘learn’ how to be a Christian. Some messages are given very directly; others, more subtly.

Here are some of the overt messages I received: Go to church twice on Sunday and on Wednesday evenings, join a Bible study group, attend Sunday School, do outreach in the community, take mission trips, have your devotional times each morning, pray every day.

Think about your own faith traditions. What has been taught to you? Daily services, prayer rituals, volunteerism . . . Do you feel the life draining away from you as you think about it? Sorry.

For me, I remember beating myself up when I didn’t meet these imposed expectations. I took them in and made them the standard for how I needed to SERVE God. I thought I just wasn’t ‘good’ at being a Christian.

Bible over Church

Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” What does freedom look like for you? For me it meant finding a way to SERVE God that aligned with my personality, aligned with what I was doing (working), and aligned with what God was asking me to do.

Many of us settle for ‘doing church’ and then wonder why we feel inauthentic and stagnate in our faith. Christian business woman, entrepreneur, working woman, YOU need to shift your mindset to see yourself as a follower of Jesus in your every moment.

Do I dare say, BREAK OUT of your traditions? Break out of the messages that are coming from your community of faith and ask God what He wants from you as you stand in the Marketplace each day.

The Bible tells us to help the poor, the orphaned, the widows and the foreigner. That is universal. But above ALL else, Jesus told us to teach others about Him. The GREAT COMMISSION (Matthew 28: 18-20) says to make disciples of those who do not know Him. Those are your poor and orphaned because they do not know God.

The Great Commission also says to start in your Jerusalem, the people you see every day. That is your workplace. You have the most contact with people who are in business with you. What can you do to show God’s goodness to them? How can you be salt and light in your business?

God is not calling you to follow a set of rules: pray before meals, go to church whenever the doors are open, volunteer in the nursery. You were meant for MORE as a Christian Business Woman. God wants you to connect your Faith & Business/Work and see the Marketplace as your primary mission field. The place where you live your Faith out loud.

Free from Church

Are you stuck in the ‘I have to’ trap of church sponsored activities? Are you afraid you won’t grow if you aren’t plugged into your church community? God is asking you to step out and be 24/7 with Him. See your church as a community of believers who are there to encourage and support what God is asking you to do through your work.

I know what you are thinking . . . “If I quit serving as a greeter, a Sunday School teacher, a nursery worker, an usher, a committee member, etc. at church someone will be upset.” It is okay. God has a specific plan for you and He wants you to cooperate with Him for your success.

I have a tool for you that I know will help you connect your Faith and Business. It is my new book, CLARIFY 12 Principles to Illuminate Your Calling to the Marketplace. You can ORDER it this Thursday 1/18/18 @ http://amzn.to/2qowPNN. It is the place to get started.

God has so much MORE for you. Be COURAGEOUS and take the next step with Him.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

Serve God More at WORK

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So, it’s Monday, time to go to ‘Work’.  How do you feel?  Excited? Depressed? Or do you feel just plain tired?  How do you see your work?  Is it something that pays the bills OR are you passionate about what you do?  How do you think God sees your work?

Your Week to Serve

I want to give you some statistics about your week. You have 168 hours to make the most of it. Here is the breakdown (on average):

40 hours- Work

05 hours- Commute

15 hours- Meal Prep & Eating

06 hours- Domestic Duties

35 hours- Sleep

03 hours- Health (physical, mental)

2.5 hours- Bible Reading

10 hours- Kids (homework, driving, talking, etc.)

If you are a numbers person like me I have broken it down into each day too. ?

8 working + .5 commuting + 3 eating + 1.5 cleaning + 7 sleeping + .5 exercising + .5 Bible/Prayer + 2 kids = 23 hours! (You have one hour to do whatever you want!)

Are you tired? Do you see this list and think, How can I do it all? That’s where a little planning can go a looooong way to create space for doing MORE to Serve God Daily.

Look at where you spend your most waking hours, WORK. This may be in an office, factory, store, or in your own business. It is the place you are most engaged with multiple people over the course of the day and week. This is EXACTLY the place you can be the most effective for God.

Your Day to Serve

As a Christian Woman in business or in the workplace you can serve God by serving those you have direct contact with each day. He calls you to use your unique personality, strengths, gifts, and abilities to show up as you. He wants to use you in a mighty way right where you spend most of your waking hours.

Let me give you a tool to begin thinking about this. Ask God to show you 5 people in your everyday life that do not know Him. Write down their names and commit to pray for them each day. Even if it a quick prayer when you see them in passing. Next, start to grow your relationship with them inside and outside of the ‘office’. Pour into those relationships until you have the opportunity to share your story about what Jesus has done for you.

There is no pressure here. BUT, this is what we are called to do as believers in Christ (Matthew 28:19,20). It begins with kindness, interest, affection, caring, and love. For me, Priscilla’s story in the Bible shows me how she not only used her relationships with other believers to give her strength but she also gives me an example of how to reach out, mentor, and tell others about Jesus while I am at work.

The plan is not hard. I am not asking you to preach on a soap box, start a Bible Study, or wear a button to proclaim your Faith. I am asking you to SERVE God by thinking differently about your Work. Don’t make the next volunteer activity at church take you away from spending time with your kids or giving up your exercise time. Make your everyday life count for God. Use the 40 hours of ‘marketplace time’ your place to show others the goodness of God.

Is this the first time you have thought about this way of connecting your Faith & Business? Are you shocked that I would suggest not doing something at church? We have been ‘taught’ for so long that in order to do anything for God it must be through the church. I want to shake you up to think differently and get your Faith ACTIVE in your daily ‘work’ life.

Sharon’s Service

I told this story a few months ago and want to repeat it now.

Sharon came to my Christian Women’s network group one month and asked this question. “How can I serve God at my work?” I began to laugh. Why? Because she had just told me this story. . .

“There is a new woman at work and she is having a difficult time adjusting to the culture of the company. Up until this point I have been the only female in the office. I have adapted my style of communicating and functioning to reflect the male dominated atmosphere. I had not realized how flexible I was at being able to adjust my style based on the person in front of me. I have been working with her the last two weeks to coach her through email language, speaking directly, and confidence issues. She has come a long way in being able to deal with what she has called ‘male abruptness’ and has learned to match her style with the person she is speaking with.”

Why did it make me laugh when she asked the question? For me it was clear that she was serving God by being a mentor to this woman. She was sharing her expertise and giving insight to this woman. I reminded her that she does not need to be at church, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or helping the underprivileged to be serving Christ. She was showing kindness, hospitality, love, and concern for someone at work. That is enough.

It really is enough.

Your Plan to Serve

God wants you to be in relationship with HIM first. That vertical relationship needs to be fed and nurtured before anything else.

Start with spending more time with God and reading His Word.

Pray for those He puts in your mind and on your heart.

Show those people how much you care about them through your words and actions.

Then be ready to share your Story about what Jesus has done for you.

THAT’s the Plan. God wants you to have an Impact. He wants you to make Him known to specific people, the people in your marketplace. That’s how you SERVE Him MORE.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

P.S. The Clarify Book will be released this month. If you are interested in being one of my Promoters please send me your name and email address. I need your help to spread the word about the Book. Thanks!

Building YOUR Reputation

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Building Takes Time

Statistics say it takes ten years of focused study to become an expert in any field and building a reputation can take just as long. That is not meant to discourage you, it is meant to encourage you to keep going. God only requires that we take the next step, trust Him, and do what is in front of us.

Huldah has spent her entire life in the pursuit of knowledge.  She loves learning and God has rewarded her by giving her the gift of discernment.  Huldah is not famous but she is known.  During her time in Jewish history (2 Kings 22:8-20) the temple is destroyed and the Jews are worshipping other gods.  Her sphere of influence is very limited because of this disarray. Life is full of turmoil for the Jewish nation and there is no stability.

Building Takes Behavior

Our own world today is the same.  Everyone is doing their own thing and there is no moral authority.  We can feel like it doesn’t matter what we do or how we act; that no one is paying attention.  But someone is always watching our behavior, our reactions to situations, and how we respond to others.  Huldah was being watched and so are you.

Huldah’s husband has the position in the royal court as the keeper of the royal wardrobe.  This gives him and Huldah daily access to the King and Queen. They are known instructors and confidants to the royal family. I imagine Huldah helping the Queen with her outfits each day; using her time wisely, as an insider, to give counsel while she is assisting.

Jewish literature says that Queen Jedidah was a godly woman because when King Josiah takes the throne at the age of eight he has been influenced greatly by his mother.  As the Queen’s ‘dresser’ Huldah also has opportunities to share knowledge and teach not only the Queen but the young prince.

Building Takes Opportunity

Huldah’s day comes eighteen years after Josiah has become king.  He is still under 30 and Huldah is much older and wiser.  Since he was sixteen, Josiah has implemented many spiritual practices that had been lost to the nation of Israel.  This has given Huldah many opportunities to teach and guide eager students in this new-found enthusiasm for God. Her reputation has grown as more and more Jews are returning to follow the Law.

When a lost scroll (a piece of original manuscript) is discovered during the restoration project of the temple in Jerusalem, it is delivered to the king. It is not good news; in fact, it speaks of destruction because God is angry with his people. The priests go to Huldah for counsel.

Huldah first authenticates the scroll.  Her years of study and experience have taught her to recognize God’s Word. She is clear in the work she is being called to do. She does not try to make herself look more important but works at the job she is asked to do.

Building Takes Commitment

Too often we choose to do the work we want to do instead of the work that is in front of us. We must earn respect, and a good reputation, by doing the job given to us; only then, can we move up.

There is no fast lane in building a good reputation. It is in the choices you make every day, the things you do that go beyond the expectations of your customers, clients, colleagues and co-workers that builds the reputation you want and the one God wants for you.

What are three attributes you can incorporate into your daily routine that will grow your reputation as an expert? Integrity? Loyalty? Intelligence? Stability? Honesty? Reliability? Sincerity? I would LOVE to know your words. 🙂

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

P.S. Your next step is to join us at the GFYO Christian Women’s Network Group Christmas Celebration. If you are in Metro Detroit we would LOVE to spoil you at our Party. Tickets available through THIS Friday, December 1st, 2017. Start building your reputation with like-minded women who want to assist you in connecting Faith & Business so you can SERVE God more.

Trust God for the Results

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God gave you the vision for your business. . . trust Him. Only you can accomplish the purpose of your life. God gives supernatural gifts so you can live out His calling on your life. Are you confident in His plan and His provision for every decision you make?

The Spiritual gift of Faith is the ability to believe God will do things that are impossible for us apart from His involvement. Do you have Faith?

Rahab’s Trust

Rahab did. Her trust in God was real. She believed in a power more than herself and put her faith in that power.  She knew she could not control the situation she was in or rely on her own strength for survival.  She saw a BIG God and was overwhelmed with fear by what He had done.

The rumors and reports were true. The Israelites had wandered in the desert east of the Jordan for 40-years and had defeated all the powerful kings of the land. Now, they were poised to come into Jericho. Everyone was terrified.

This is where we meet Rahab.  Described in many commentaries as a hardworking business woman, labeled a prostitute, but also the owner of an inn. Her residence is in a strategic location on the city wall and she has the attention of the king. This suggests she has a somewhat respected reputation. Even with connections in the community she probably feels on the fringe of society, not really accepted.

We all feel like this at times. Her situation is like yours if you work in an environment where you can’t say no to others and are stuck in a place where you are devalued.  Plus, we have all played the recording in our heads that if someone finds out that ‘one thing about me’ they won’t accept me, they won’t like me.  I imagine she feels stuck with no way out.  And now, with the Jewish nation on the doorstep, she has nowhere to turn.

Rahab’s Plan

But, Rahab is a woman with a plan. This industrious, hard-working, multi-hat wearing woman has a plan. Maybe motivated by fear of what was going to happen, but I think she was motivated by what she heard God could do.  I imagine her sitting on her roof, scutching the flax she had laid out to dry and formulating what she would do if she had the chance, how she could save herself and her family.  As she scraped the wooden knife along the long strands of flax a plan formed.

How do I know? By her quick and decisive actions when she hides the spies and then lies to the king’s men.  She had made the decision to trust God before she even knew who He was. She was watching and expecting God to move and had already decided to follow Him. If God acted swiftly and powerfully in your life right now, would you be ready?

Her actions are courageous and she is given supernatural faith to stand up on the side of God’s people. Using faith in your business means you are looking to God to do big things.  Trust God to give you exactly what you need, when you need it, to do exactly what He wants you to do to move forward and work in your business.

Your Plan

Rahab’s plan formed as she worked on her roof, sitting alone, in the quiet of her day. This place of silence and solitude gave her heart time to listen and allowed God to fill her with the supernatural gift of Faith. Where do you go to take time to listen to God so He can fill you with a supernatural Spiritual Gift?

Find YOUR space to connect with God to ask Him the important questions at the CLARITY RETREAT. Start 2018 Listening to what God wants to tell your Heart as you connect your Faith & Business. Sign up today.