Discover the bold faith of two women, best friends, mother ~ daughter, who started their business together. They stretched their faith to believe for God's provision to fulfill their dreams. Amber Marie describes their journey as one where "God opens and closes doors when you least expect it." Hear their inspiring and humorous story with the challenges that come in owning your own business.
Podcast
Show Notes
Amber - Nothing will strengthen your prayer life like owning a business for so many reasons." Jere - "well, nothing strengthens your prayer life like having kids too."
God has opened every door for us in our business from day one, and closed every door that we needed to be close too. We literally prayed about every single thing through our business as we have gone through the last 16 years. We literally started our business with a garage sale. We had a garage sale where we made $500. We started reinvesting into the business from there. It was a huge leap of faith.
Whether it's for our employees or employee families, families are very important to us because our employees are like our family. We pray for them a lot.
There are ups and downs of owning a business and during those parts that are not so easy, like being closed during COVID Yes, it really helps your prayer life. I mean, it just did. There were so many aspects of what happened during COVID that totally impacted us for the better. I mean, besides the pandemic and you know, all that was included that was not good. There were so many other things that God brought us through that were huge blessings.
Prayer has always woven through our lives. Even when prayer in our dark times... we really hate those dark times, because it's hard. But when you turn around and look behind. If you didn't have the dark, you wouldn't have the light and those dark times are what bring you through and turn you to the light and they are treasured times. So that was a treasured time in our lives.
a devotion from Oswald Chambers that I hold it so dear. And it's a devotion about keeping your boat tied to the dock or taking your boat out. Because if you keep your boat tied to the dock and always do the same thing, right? What will you see? Wow, nothing and when that boat is tied to the dock and waves come up to that boat, right, it thrashes around and everything. But if you release that boat from the dock and you get out there in the ocean, you're going to see more, the waves will be bigger and it will be harder, like right it's safe in the dock right? You're tied to something you're tethered, it's safe but when you get out in the ocean and it's you know you've got these big waves and these big challenges. That is when you really learn to rely on God and that is why I say nothing strengthens your prayer life like having a small business because you're not tied to the dock anymore. It is all on you. You have employees that are sick, somebody can't come in, whatever the case may be. I just actually tonight had an employee that couldn't make it and so I had to cancel my plans that I had tonight to work the business and that is the way it goes. You're on call just it's almost like being a parent or a mother to your business, right?
We've talked about wanting to be a missionary. I wanted to do mission work when I was a little girl and this is our mission field. Amber and I are maybe listening and hearing the call that God had on our lives and how we're fulfilling that call through our ministry at the store and through our Facebook Live's and people that are on our social media. We’re the hands and feet in a retail store.
It’s raw and it's real, but it's exactly how God wants it. I want to encourage everybody out there that you know, no matter where you might be, whether you think your prayers are beautiful or not, because you know, I never would have thought that about mine, but it impacts other people. So it is okay if you say something silly or something that doesn't make sense, or you repeat the same thing. God thanks you. It doesn't matter. - Amber
When God closes one door and you think oh, what are we gonna do now? That other door opens and its gorgeous, beautiful, wonderful... He had planned all along that we didn't even see and we didn't even know. But there it is, He has it. And when Amber was talking about the boat being tethered, who is the one that calms the storm when you're out there and that boat and the winds and the waves are hitting you? He can calm that storm and that's what he's done for us every time. When we're worried and we're scared, He does. He calms that. He comes in and makes it all better. And it's like, wow, I knew you could do that. How could I doubt?! - Jere
“When God presents an opportunity to you and opens a window, a window of opportunity, don't pull down the shades. Don't pull down the shades and retreat. You see the window and look through it and prayerfully consider what you're going to do and how you're going to see that whole vision because that window in that picture is just perfect. He gives you that vision. Sometimes we don't know how we're going to meet that vision, right? But you just keep stepping out there and you say, “Okay, God, I got this. You know, I'm going to do this today. And then we're going to do this tomorrow.” And you just take those steps towards that vision of ultimately what you want for your goal.
Jeremiah 33:3 If you call to me, I will answer you and I will tell you and show you things you do not know. That is my battle cry. - Amber
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