"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
Recently, I have been working through The Business Boutique by Christy Wright. It has been a game-changer for me. As you will notice, I have been making a lot of subtle changes to the P40 Ministries website over the past week or so. (Be sure to check out the new purpose statement, the updated privacy, return, and exchange policies, and also the new look to the "Publications" page.) I am making all these subtle changes because I finally understand the reason why I do what I do.
This might sound like an odd statement to you. How could I have run P40 Ministries for over a year without knowing why I do it? Well, it's more common than you might think. People often rush into a dream, plan, or idea without really understanding the reason why they might have those dreams, plans, and ideas. I fell into this category. I knew it was a dream of mine to write for a living... but I didn't understand why I wanted to write, or even what to write about. In fact, the previous blogs I had in the past all failed. I figured that becoming a full-time author was nothing but a pipe dream.
Then 2019 hit. It was the time when I felt purposeless. I desperately wanted to feel like what I was doing had a meaning, yet I didn't. I felt lost, ashamed, embarrassed, among all sorts of other negative feelings. I still had a dream of being an author, but I didn't even believe such a dream was attainable. But, in spite of my negative feelings, I started a blog anyway to see what might happen. That blog was called Out of the Mire. Eventually, that blog became known as P40 Ministries.
Now, after almost two years, I finally have a solid grasp as to why I work so hard at P40 Ministries - and why I love it. It's the reason why I write, blog, podcast, illustrate, and create, among other things.
I started P40 Ministries because I have a passion for purpose.
I have a passion to help people find purpose, meaning, and joy in their lives. Paired with my love to write and my Christian values, I originally started Out of the Mire (a.k.a P40 Ministries) as a way to bring hope and happiness to people who felt lost and purposeless.
This is evident through almost everything that I do/did to one extent or another. This is why I sing and play at church: to help people worship - a way to bring them closer to God, the One who makes paths straight and the Giver of pure joy. I write devotionals and Christian blog posts because I personally believe that growing close to God is the number one way to accurately find purpose in life. I used to do hair to put a smile on women's faces and bring them joy during their mundane days (which is why I ultimately ended up hating cosmetology because I got more complaints than I did smiles.) I love personality tests because personality tests help people learn more about themselves, their values, and their strengths, which ultimately helps them grow closer to understanding more about their own purpose. I podcast because reading the Bible from front to back was one of the most beneficial things I ever did. It helped me grow closer to God, understand more about Him, and realize what His plan and purpose was for me personally.
Perhaps this is why some of my favorite Bible verses are both Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 40:1-2 because they are both about God directing steps, giving us hope, purpose, and a future:
"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. - Psalm 40:1-2
As I learn more about why I do what I do, expect to see more changes to P40 Ministries as it continues to grow further and further into it's purpose.
Enjoy the ride!