The Story Behind the Aspiring Christian Ministry
Hi, I'm April, founder, president and coach of Aspiring Christian, an empowerment resource and coaching ministry for Christians seeking God's will and way for their lives. Ultimately, Aspiring Christian as a whole, aspires to help every person achieve these four core elements:
Established in 2005, God gave me a small piece of the Aspiring Christian vision, the name itself and the devotional blog I wrote for so many years. The Aspiring Christian blog started out of a deep longing to find God in my personal pain and hardship. The sudden, tragic death of my brother, an oppressive marriage, a parent diagnosed with terminal cancer, and becoming chronically ill myself led me to intense bible study and prayer. I needed to know what the Word of God said about what I was going through. Through my experiences and time in the Word, God created within me a desire to reach out to others who were hurting through my blog in hopes of offering some empathy, support and encouragement.
In 2015, God released yet another piece of the Aspiring Christian vision to me when I was led to train professionally as a Christian coach, adding a coaching component that would empower His people to upper-level living, where they would intimately know Him, put His principles into practice, and live out His call on their lives.
And here we are now, 2020. Along with these other elements, there's another piece in process... so stay tuned!!
So, digging deeper, it's important to define things:
1) Aspire
2) Christian
Look up these words yourself and you will see that these particular ones most pertain to the purpose of this site and what I truly felt led towards and envisioned “Aspiring Christian” to be. It's a safe place here. So take a deep breath. Kick off your shoes and sit back and relax.
- Intimately know Christ and place Him first and foremost in all areas of life; authentically living out their Christian faith
- Experience the transformational power that comes with personally knowing and actively applying the Word to every situation for themselves as well as share the Truth with others
- Discover their God given strengths, gifts and call in order to abundantly live out their God-given potential and purpose
- Proactively love their neighbors as Christ’s ambassador, being His hands and feet, and salt and light to those around them, believer and unbeliever alike
Established in 2005, God gave me a small piece of the Aspiring Christian vision, the name itself and the devotional blog I wrote for so many years. The Aspiring Christian blog started out of a deep longing to find God in my personal pain and hardship. The sudden, tragic death of my brother, an oppressive marriage, a parent diagnosed with terminal cancer, and becoming chronically ill myself led me to intense bible study and prayer. I needed to know what the Word of God said about what I was going through. Through my experiences and time in the Word, God created within me a desire to reach out to others who were hurting through my blog in hopes of offering some empathy, support and encouragement.
In 2015, God released yet another piece of the Aspiring Christian vision to me when I was led to train professionally as a Christian coach, adding a coaching component that would empower His people to upper-level living, where they would intimately know Him, put His principles into practice, and live out His call on their lives.
And here we are now, 2020. Along with these other elements, there's another piece in process... so stay tuned!!
So, digging deeper, it's important to define things:
1) Aspire
- to long, aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, especially for something great or of high value
- to rise up; soar; mount; tower
2) Christian
- exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christ-Like
- a person who in his or her life exemplifies the teachings of Christ
Look up these words yourself and you will see that these particular ones most pertain to the purpose of this site and what I truly felt led towards and envisioned “Aspiring Christian” to be. It's a safe place here. So take a deep breath. Kick off your shoes and sit back and relax.
Don't forget to stop by the Next Level Blog!
My Christian Journey
From an early age, I considered myself a Christian. But the truth is, I had a lot of wrong beliefs and I didn't live like I was saved. Up until my early 20's, I was a horrible witness for Christ. I was selfish and self-righteous, and great at cherry-picking scripture. But one day, it all changed. OK, I wish it all changed in one day (don't you get jealous of those people?!)! Instead, like most people, I got pieces of the puzzle here and there, over years and years, and then one day all the pieces came together to form a picture. Only then did I suddenly understand what a Christian is supposed to look like... and that all over the bible, scripture after scripture confirmed my responsibility to live "right." How could I have missed it?!
Scripture after scripture would solidify this knowledge and spark my purpose and calling to genuinely strive to lead like Jesus in all ways, in all areas of life. It'd also ignite a desire to partner with my brothers and sisters to help them reach that next level in leading and living like Jesus too. There are so many blessings and so much freedom in doing things God's way. And to paraphrase a comment by Francis Chan, the more we heed God's voice and ways of doing things, the easier it gets! But the opposite is true too, the more we ignore God's voice and convictions, the easier it gets.
Here's the deal, what I didn't understand in those early years was that we are all leaders. No matter who we are, where we work (or don't work, for you stay at home moms/dads!), or what our position is, our behavior and words are on display, especially as Christians. We are showing others who Christ is by who we are and what we do. So what does leading like Jesus look like? Just as Jesus commands in Mark 12, we are to:
What does that look like in action? What does life look like when you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? What if we really lived and loved as Jesus commands us to? How would this change not only our lives and the way we do things but the lives of those around us? What if our relationships truly exemplified Christ? What if we were the kind of employee/boss that Jesus talked about in his Word? And not only outwardly, as if merely a display to please others or to mislead others to thinking certain things about us, but inwardly and authentically-that we actually feel it in our hearts, motives and mindset and therefore who we are externally is a natural outpouring of what is on the inside! That's what this site is all about!
Scripture after scripture would solidify this knowledge and spark my purpose and calling to genuinely strive to lead like Jesus in all ways, in all areas of life. It'd also ignite a desire to partner with my brothers and sisters to help them reach that next level in leading and living like Jesus too. There are so many blessings and so much freedom in doing things God's way. And to paraphrase a comment by Francis Chan, the more we heed God's voice and ways of doing things, the easier it gets! But the opposite is true too, the more we ignore God's voice and convictions, the easier it gets.
Here's the deal, what I didn't understand in those early years was that we are all leaders. No matter who we are, where we work (or don't work, for you stay at home moms/dads!), or what our position is, our behavior and words are on display, especially as Christians. We are showing others who Christ is by who we are and what we do. So what does leading like Jesus look like? Just as Jesus commands in Mark 12, we are to:
- Love the Lord God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength
- Love our neighbors as ourselves
What does that look like in action? What does life look like when you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? What if we really lived and loved as Jesus commands us to? How would this change not only our lives and the way we do things but the lives of those around us? What if our relationships truly exemplified Christ? What if we were the kind of employee/boss that Jesus talked about in his Word? And not only outwardly, as if merely a display to please others or to mislead others to thinking certain things about us, but inwardly and authentically-that we actually feel it in our hearts, motives and mindset and therefore who we are externally is a natural outpouring of what is on the inside! That's what this site is all about!
My Education and Experience
I never want this to be about me. I always want it to be about Jesus. But I realize that not listing education and experience could be an issue for some, and understandably so. I don't want anything to stand in the way of someone taking advantage of all this site has to offer. So in love, here's a little more about me!
I live in Texas with my husband and two daughters. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Sociology (started under the BSW degree program, so my core is primarily in social work) from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, Cum Laude, with certificates in Social Conflict and Mediation, and Criminology. I'm a former student member of the National Association of Social Workers and a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology Honors Society). I have over a decade of non-profit experience, with both start-ups and major non-profits; managing volunteers/mentors, providing case management, and assisting at-risk youth, adults and families in the education, mental health, and juvenile justice sectors. I am a Certified Professional Life Coach (CPLC) and am pursuing the International Coach Federation (ICF) designation of Professional Certified Coach (PCC).
Leading like Jesus, right where you are, no matter what your position, is heavy on my heart, as I alluded to above. I come from a long line of small business owners and have formal training and experience in effective leadership practices and business ethics, particularly for Christians. My last position in the public sector was as Director of Administration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), where I managed day-to-day operations, volunteers/interns, and assisted with individual and family support functions (HelpLine calls, support group facilitation, supported employment program, etc.).
God’s placed within me a deep love for His Word and ways. I am authentically committed to daily study and prayer. I am currently a member of Life Foursquare church where I volunteer in the middle school, marriage, and care ministries and from time to time help with women's events and special projects, such as coordinating community outreach for our junior high youth and leaders, and teaching Sunday services for the junior high youth on a month basis. I love facilitating groups and serving! Local missions is HUGE on my heart and has been for decades!
I love to see people maximize the potential God’s placed in them, especially in tough situations, new seasons, and seasons of transition, which I can personally identify with. I love connecting believers to God’s truths, biblical resources to help them thrive, and other Christians that can help take them to the next level!
I live in Texas with my husband and two daughters. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Sociology (started under the BSW degree program, so my core is primarily in social work) from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, Cum Laude, with certificates in Social Conflict and Mediation, and Criminology. I'm a former student member of the National Association of Social Workers and a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology Honors Society). I have over a decade of non-profit experience, with both start-ups and major non-profits; managing volunteers/mentors, providing case management, and assisting at-risk youth, adults and families in the education, mental health, and juvenile justice sectors. I am a Certified Professional Life Coach (CPLC) and am pursuing the International Coach Federation (ICF) designation of Professional Certified Coach (PCC).
Leading like Jesus, right where you are, no matter what your position, is heavy on my heart, as I alluded to above. I come from a long line of small business owners and have formal training and experience in effective leadership practices and business ethics, particularly for Christians. My last position in the public sector was as Director of Administration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), where I managed day-to-day operations, volunteers/interns, and assisted with individual and family support functions (HelpLine calls, support group facilitation, supported employment program, etc.).
God’s placed within me a deep love for His Word and ways. I am authentically committed to daily study and prayer. I am currently a member of Life Foursquare church where I volunteer in the middle school, marriage, and care ministries and from time to time help with women's events and special projects, such as coordinating community outreach for our junior high youth and leaders, and teaching Sunday services for the junior high youth on a month basis. I love facilitating groups and serving! Local missions is HUGE on my heart and has been for decades!
I love to see people maximize the potential God’s placed in them, especially in tough situations, new seasons, and seasons of transition, which I can personally identify with. I love connecting believers to God’s truths, biblical resources to help them thrive, and other Christians that can help take them to the next level!
Check out the Next Level Blog for deep, impactful studies to take you to the Next Level!