When I set out to start my own jewelry design business, the “whys” behind my decision were pretty straightforward and relatively simple.  As a former career woman turned stay-at-home mom, I needed a creative outlet.  And a means to generate enough profit to support that outlet while earning a little extra to help supplement the family income.

Why a jewelry business?  Another easy why.  With a passion for creativity and a love for all things handcrafted, the idea of using my God-given gifts to express myself through the creation of wearable art that spoke to the hearts and souls of its recipients touched my own.

Early on in my business I decided to donate 10% of the proceeds of each and every jewelry purchase to charity.  Why?  Apprehensive about the sticky prospect of offering discounts and not wanting to run the risk of offending anyone who expected to receive one but didn’t, I thought donating money to charity in lieu of giving discounts seemed a good way to circumvent hurt feelings while making a positive difference in the process.

Where did most of that donation money go? To disadvantaged children in developing countries.  Why? I can’t explain it in words, other to say it was the result of a Spirit tug.  And a heart for international mission work and children.

Every child deserves a chance.  A chance to have their basic needs met.  A chance to grow up in an environment that supports their physical, mental, and spiritual development and well-being.  A chance to reach their full potential.  And a chance to experience God’s love.

With that in mind, I created Project Blooming Hope, an outreach effort to support those who work to foster the physical, mental, and spiritual development and well-being of disadvantaged children.  Through this effort, I was able to provide funding to a number of organizations, including ones that worked to support a Christian school in Kenya, a children’s education fund in Tanzania, families in Guatemala, and orphans in Uganda.

Time moved forward and the day-to-day operation of the business began to wear on me.  Soon the burden of obligation started to overshadow the joy of creating jewelry and my original “whys” could no longer sustain me.  There were many days I felt like simply quitting.  However, focusing on the bigger “whys,” specifically those children and their families and the difference I was able to make in their lives as a result of my efforts, motivated me to stay the course.

Eventually our family transitioned into a new phase of life when my children reached school age and I was blessed to be offered a job at the K-8 Christian school they attended.  With new responsibilities and obligations, the time had come to close the doors on my jewelry business as well as the vehicle that supported my passion project, Project Blooming Hope.

My time at my children’s school afforded me the opportunity to remain involved in their lives and also make positive difference in the lives of the other children in the school community.  And, while I was no longer able to do so on a consistent basis, I continued to support disadvantaged children in developing countries through periodic monetary donations and short-term mission trips.

As a former stay-at-home mom turned part-time employee who had benched her jewelry design tools, I needed a new method and medium for self-expression.  Turning to another creative passion of mine, writing, I eventually started a blog.  Why?  My preferred mode of communication, writing provides a means for me to organize and process my thoughts and feelings. And the blog affords me the chance to share my story as well as inspire and bring hope to others.

Our family recently transitioned into yet another new phase of life when our oldest child moved on to high school and, feeling a call to move in a new direction, I departed from our school as well.  Why?  I can’t explain it in words, other than to say it was the result of a Spirit tug. And a longing to invest more time and energy in my writing and my blog.

Sometimes the day-to-day work involved in maintaining my blog begins to wear on me and the burden of obligation overshadows the joy of writing.  There are many days I simply feel like quitting.  But I believe there is a greater purpose for my blog.  A bigger “why.”  One that will motivate me to stay the course.  And make a difference.

So what is this bigger “why?”  I’m not quite sure at the moment.  All I know is that I desire to use the gifts God has bestowed upon me to love and serve others.  And I think my blog is the vehicle through which I can accomplish this.

I also know that every child deserves a chance.  A chance to have their basic needs met.  A chance to grow up in an environment that supports their physical, mental, and spiritual development and well-being.  A chance to reach their full potential.  And a chance to experience God’s love.  For this reason, I’ve decided to embark upon a new journey.  One as a Compassion Blogger, where I will have the opportunity to share about the wonderful work Compassion International is doing in carrying out their mission to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. And one that might even lead me to discover that bigger “why.”

I look forward to sharing more with you about My Journey with Compassion in future posts.