Guest Blogger Amy Bayliss

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We don't go into ministry; it's who we are.

“Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don’t have to
have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and
your verb agree to serve… you only need a heart full of grace – a soul
generated by love.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

People don’t care about our fancy titles and how we refer to ourselves.
They want to know what we do and how we can help them. I can say that I
am a Christian or a child of God till I am blue in the face, but what does that
mean to someone who has never been to church or recognized the hand
of God in their lives? It means nothing.
Who am I and what do I do?
My name is Amy and I have a desire to serve people. I want to see women
set free. I want them to find more joy in life. I pray for others. I have to repent daily but I always try to go the extra mile to help others if they are
in need. I try to bless others when no one else is watching because it isn’t
about the glory. I serve a God who is bigger than me and He can help me
overcome anything.
That is what I do and that my friend is part of who I am. So the next time
you feel insignificant because you can't say “I’m the women's ministry leader,”
or “I'm an evangelist,” remember that you could be the only one within
ear's reach who knows what that means anyway. Besides, that isn't who
you are or what you do. You are a child of God and you share His love to
others. There is nothing insignificant about that.

Be who you are! Minister using the gifts God has equipped you with.

If you've ever wanted to tear the 31st chapter of Proverbs out of your bible this book is for you. She is a wife, mom, business owner, seamstress, she serves the needy, speaks life and wisdom, and seems to be quite the major overachiever, perfectionist type. Except that...she's not. Come along and journey with Amy and take a look at the real woman of Proverbs 31. She isn't as perfect as she seems. In fact, I think she is a lot like you and me. If you want the Kindle version, get it here: Pursuit of Proverbs 31 for Kindle. You can also download the free Kindle app on your PC, iPad, iPhone, or many other devices. For the downloadable, printable PDF version, get it here: Pursuit of Proverbs 31

Amy Bayliss Amy is a small town Cajun girl living life in the big city. She and her husband Ryan have four children, all boys, ranging in age from toddler to teen! Amy is a full-time blogger and WP designer at My Southern Media. You can visit her at her personal blog, Cajun Joie de Vivre or you can follow her ramblings on Twitter and keep up with her mischief on Facebook.

Inspiring Magazines and Inspiring Friends old and new

Check out the latest  E Design Magazine:   House of Fifty Magazine It's inspiring!

Check out WHOA Magazine, a fabulous somewhat new magazine. A Christian Magazine filled with beautiful photographs, gorgeous layout and inspiring articles, at most Barnes & Noble.

I thought you might like to know...  Our mission is to INSPIRE teenage girls, mothers and others to find, follow and celebrate God's DESIGN for their lives AND use it to impact others.                  Through inspiring role models, Inspired31.org, conferences, seminars, books, and resources, we desire each woman to walk in her true identity, live with purpose, and experience the overwhelming love of her Designer.

Speaking of inspiring...
Where do you go to get inspiration?
Thankfully, I don't have to go far! 
Inspired (the entire entity) is made up of the most astounding women that I know. Some have been part of my life for almost 20 years, part, of my daughter's earliest playgroup. Some are new friends brought in by other friends, or simply by God's divine providence. 


I explain this because this has been one of the best months of my life! Strange how things work out sometime, seemingly filled with what might seem like disappointment.  My daughter has chosen to attend a wonderful highly rated Christian college that is excellent with a world view that we respect! She was thankfully accepted to highly rated UC schools, like San Diego and Davis! She is being honored Friday for National Honor Society. This is the celebratory part!   She was also rejected by my Alma Mater, and that of my father for undergrad and graduate school, USC: A legacy for our family of sorts.  While my family (not my UCLA husband, as much) reeled and grieved as my CIF pole-vaulting daughter, rather excellent academically, athletically and of amazing character was rejected, she was joyful!  (Since I am the mom I can say that right?) Forgive me if it sounds snotty!
Although I was certain what school she was choosing, I wanted her to have the choice to make herself!


During this time, I had several meetings for Inspired for our first ever mother daughter retreat. I could see Hannah's path revealed Majestically (capital M). The more I met with these divine connections the more I could see how God's hand was in where he was placing her, just as where he has placed me, more importantly with WHOM. Most important to me is their hearts for God, and those who need help for example: the orphans who benefit from Inspired.
Watch where all of this comes together:
My friend Laura, who is a helicopter crash survivor and inspiring with her program Artists for Trauma: See NBC Video, she is a miracle! Another friend, Marta, a Hollywood Producer & wife of awesome stunt man, on steering with her daughter & the Board of Directors is doing all of our short video's and making it possible that our programs can go all over  the world! My friend Camille, a marketing/connections/communications expert who has generously shared her friends with me, co-authoring our Blessing Tea Book with our daughters! Her friend (and my new one) Kristin teaching Song of Solomon to our mothers/daughters on our first ever "Garden Retreat" to experience the amazing and ravishing love of God for us, together with our daughters. My inspiringly sweet and kind friend Karen and her daughter Grace are part of steering and using Karen's gifts for Hospitality for the book, as her house is in it, and in Inspired31 as she is the new design girl for the gatherings! Her daughter is just an amazing light!
This is just the tip of the iceberg! After 4 years of prayer and building a foundation and structure for amazing women to show our teenagers how beautiful a life serving God can be! To take a word picture out of a prayer time with those above...
We are swinging our legs over and jumping into kingdom work with both feet!
Exceedingly, Abundantly we move forward!
Be blessed, beloved!!