Publisher's Synopsis
Prologue
Hey there! If you were expecting some 400-page novel or a complete dissertation on planning...well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. This girl LOVES a great 2-minute read, a newspaper or magazine article, an online blog post, and all things quick and punchy (to the point). I hope you are like me and see the value as you enjoy my easily digested, full of common-sense approaches, applicable to your life, and ready to discuss with a friend kind of book. Each story can be read alone or skipped even-to provide you a piece of wisdom. Thank you for reading about my lessons in career and faith. Let's jump in. Shareda Introduction It was stupid. The entire idea of it made no sense at all. I enjoyed my job. My small family was finally stabilizing. The money I was making was decent. I was fond of my co-workers (well, most of them). So, why in the world would I agree to take a pay cut well into the thousands of dollars, lose all bonus privileges, and forfeit my industry-specific skill-building and growth opportunities? When this happened, I wanted to be a short-sale negotiator. A spot coveted by primarily white men with a few women sprinkled in. Outside of this, my short sale closing coordinator job was great. So, who does this? This girl. I did that, which was the start of a very messy ride. Join me on this journey as I share what happened when God whispered for me to change careers and how I decoded His plan for my life as misfortunes and blessings unfolded. I began walking down a path I believed in but found early on that I did not know where to go. I put my trust in myself and failed. I put my trust in my partner, and his path seemed to collapse, too. When I saw God as faithful, my eyes were open to the joy of following and trusting only in Him. I had no clue that my decision would lead me down a winding road of stressors or that it would end with me releasing to give God the space in my life to show me that He is mindful of me, that I am loved, and that He only wants to get the glory out of my life. Jesus has transformed me into many things but for today's context, let's say He took this poorly-paid public school teacher who fell in love with Him, set her on a path to prosperity, and gave her back a voice she had long since relinquished to pain. God had a plan for my life; it has been a beautiful mess, but it is my story to love, own, and joyfully share. Reader, I offer you an opportunity to find jewels from my life to direct your path by avoiding my hard lessons. May you feel empowered to know at the end of this book that God loves you and that He desires you to do great work in Him. You, my sunshine, need God and a plan to sustain your life! I thank the Lord daily for waiting on me to see my way through His eyes and His plans for my life. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."