Part 2-The Gather Message

Before I dive into my take on the topic of Intentionality I figured I should share just a little background so that it can then successfully segway into the insight God has given me so far.

 I walked away from my corporate bank job in 2022 to step out in faith full time, so not quite 3 years, and it’s been the most beautiful, challenging, gut wrenching, amazing, almost pee your pants, faith stretching, lay in the floor crying, hysterically moving, cleansing, refining, walk through fire, exhausting, peaceful, hardest, greatest thing I’ve ever done. And I mean every word of that long and probably incorrectly written sentence.                       

When you step out in faith, or in my case, leap out of the plane blindfolded with no parachute, in faith, it’s likely that you do feel everything I listed.  It’s been beautiful but the challenges haven't stopped and they won’t. It’s been gut wrenching but, it’s been equally amazing.  I’ve almost pee’d my pants during times of constant unknown but, it's during those times that God has stretched and taken my faith to new levels. 

Days where all I wanted to do was curl up on the floor and cry and there were some moments where I did just that…but, even in those moments He met there, and He held me through it. There have been hysterically moving times, moved in a deep insightful way and, also hysterically moved in pure deep belly laughter at JUST how good God is. I’ve watched Him bring beauty from ashes and show up and show out in ways that my mind still can’t fathom.  

I’ve been through a cleansing and refining fire and still am but, I’m not in it alone, there’s another in the fire with me.  I’ve worked harder than I ever have in my life, been more exhausted than I ever have but, at the same time, in the exact same moments I’ve had the most beautifully invigorating peace that I’ve ever experienced.  As far as choices and career is concerned, it has been the hardest and yet greatest thing I have ever done and honestly, just over 2 years in I’m just getting started! Ha! 

Although I started the business because I believe He called me to.  Although I leaped out in faith with all expectation on Him to catch me (and He has).  He has still had to teach me how to let go, He’s had to teach me how to truly trust Him and teach me how to surrender all and thankfully He’s done it so patiently. 

I said at the beginning and still to this day, this business is His but, even though I proclaimed it from the beginning with the best of intentions and to my knowledge then I believed it to be true, I’ve just now two years later, realized what it truly is to surrender it all to Him and the only reason I’ve realized, the only reason I can see it now and have actually surrendered it all is because of His mercy and grace walking me through the fire, teaching me through the challenges and loving me through the growing pains of my stretching faith.  

The only way I can stand here and truthfully say that this business is His and I surrender all to Him is because I’ve had to. No not that He has made me, God will never force anything on you, He gives us a choice, he always has. I’ve had to because when you stamp the Lord’s name on it, you better be ready and you better be real. Because He’s not going to allow you to smear His name and the enemy is not going to allow you to succeed without a fight. And I’m not talking about just any old little nothing fight, if you’re in it to testify of God’s goodness, to give up your old ways, to put Him first, to leave the way of the world behind, to share His gospel and to give God all the glory, you’re guaranteed to have the fight of your life.  

But…

you're also guaranteed to be on the winning team. And you’ll never have to fight alone.

Matthew 16: 24-27

John 16:33

The title of the series of meetings is, “Intentionality”-which is, the ability to act purposefully and I was asked to provide 1-2 Godly principles and/or kingdom-minded practices that I have implemented in my business that has produced impact/growth:

The segway…

We can’t lead a TRUE Kingdom business without first surrendering our business to the King himself.

• Complete surrender- intentional, daily surrender- His will, His way, in His time. That’s how you get that peace that makes no sense. Even in the middle of the storm, supernatural peace.

• Praise- Intentional praise. Praise when you're on top and praise even more when you're in the valley. The sweetest fruit is produced in the valleys and our praise brings us closer to the Father.  Praise is not about us or how we feel.  Praise is about the Father, He is always worthy to be praised, good days, bad days, sad days or wonderful days, He is always worthy.  Plus, our praise is a weapon. You wanna know how to shut the enemy up? PRAISE. How to correctly fight back? PRAISE.  You’re not feeling it today?  Even more reason to Praise even louder. - Psalm 100

• Allow your tests and trials to be your testimony - They may have sucked to go through..can I say sucked? …but, you never know who may need to hear it and you never know how God will use it.

  Your transparency in your struggle could bring another healing and could bring another to God!

You may be thinking- Taylor what does all of this have to do with your baking business and how is it supposed to help me in my own business?  It has everything to do with it!  It doesn't matter if you bake cakes, wash windows, clean houses, run a boutique or own a coffee shop.  He is the Alpha & the Omega, He can use you in ways your mind would never even imagine and bless you while He's doing it, and He will, if you let Him.  Again- with the choice, He will never force it but, if you seek His face, if you surrender all to Him and truly ask His will be done, He will move in your life and in your business and bless you beyond measure. 

I was also asked to give any Biblical references that inspire intentionality within those practices or that inspire my business/life as a whole

• Luke 1:37 - Nothing is impossible with God- He stamped this on my business when it was just a thought on a piece of paper and I’ve clung to it ever since. I’ve spoken it over my business and my life since then and already I’ve witnessed things that I thought impossible…and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Lastly, any actionable steps others can implement to promote growth in their own businesses...

• Tithe - Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:10-12, Leviticus 27:30, Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:7, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

I have seen God move in crazy, unexplainable ways because He keeps his promises. He's not a man that He should lie- Numbers 23:19 

This is the one and only thing God says to test Him in - Malachi 3:10

• We give to the Lord not because He needs it, what does he care about our earthly dollar bills…He cares about our heart.  He cares about our heart posture and what we hold most dear. What has the ability to control if we allow it, to ruin if we put it above Him.  He teaches us to tithe, to help us.  Just to teach us and bring us more peace, Matthew 6:21

  
  

• The amount of times I have heard the excuse of “well idk where that money really goes…Idk what that pastor does with it…who knows if it truly goes to the church, they sure do drive a nice car and wear nice clothes, I'm not giving my hard earned money…”  Let me tell you something, the devil is a liar.  Who are we to think we know better than what God has told us to do…We need to remember just who He is and develop the Holy reverence that HE deserves and do so quickly. He said to do it. That's it. What happens to it after that, is up to Him.  If that pastor or church or ministry has the gall to handle the Lord’s money incorrectly that's out of our hands. God help those that do that, wouldn't want it to be me.  

  
  

Our God is a consuming fire- Hebrews 12:28-29, I think He can handle that.  We are just called to give and it's all for our own benefit. HE knows our thoughts before we think them, He sees our heart and knows us better than we know ourselves, He knows the intent of the heart so therefore if you act in obedience to him and his word no matter what happens to that tithe after you give it, He will honor it and bless you for it.

Tithe where you are fed and where Holy spirit leads.

• Get in His word. Hebrews 4:12 

• It is alive and active.

• It is HEALING

• It is vital.

• If you aren’t filling your mind and heart with God’s word, it’s getting filled with the world and if that's the case it's only a matter of time that it would consume you. We are called to be in the world but not of the world.

• John 17:14-15, Romans 12:2

I believe the Lord is calling us deeper than He has ever called his people before.  We are living in the end days, no one knows the day or hour but, He told us the signs and they are listed in his word - and revelation is happening before our eyes, oh that we pray and ask for eyes to see and ears to hear.  I know this meeting is about our businesses but, I believe our first order of business not just as women but as Kingdom women, is to surrender all to Him.

I believe God is raising up a new breed of followers, followers who are bold and courageous for Him because that's what is vital in this time.  Followers that have been through the fire, been through the muck, maybe went astray at one time but have experienced His redeeming love and were called back and fell into His loving arms.  

Followers that have scars and stories.  Followers that HE has been healing and preparing in the secret place for such a time as this.  Followers that will share all they’ve done, all they’ve seen, and all they’ve witnessed in order for God to get all the glory.  I believe this breed of followers are different, and they won’t hold back. There’s no time for the lukewarm- as He has already told us in Revelation 3:15-16 AMP- “ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot or cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth (rejecting you with disgust)” I don't know about you but, I don’t want to ever be vomited out by the God of creation. 

Please don't take any of this the wrong way, I'm not here to share doom and gloom and I’m no pastor, it's actually the opposite, I hope this encourages you and draws you to Him even more, I'm here to be real and to be obedient to what God has put on my heart. We’re here in this time, the greatest time the earth has ever seen, to share His love and be His light, and to do so with humility and boldness. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

I believe He is calling the Esthers and Hannah’s to rise up.  He is calling us to be the example to not only our children, families, and communities but to all who are lost and in need of a savior.  It’s time for us to be the brave daughters he has created us to be.

So…

Before we can ever successfully lead a kingdom business we have to first surrender to the King himself and allow Him to transform us and in turn transform our business into what HE wants it to be.  Then we watch the blessings flow!

I don't have all the answers and I'm so far from perfect it’s not even funny, I fail every day but, I know the one who has the answers and I know the one who picks me up when I fall every time and tells me it’s ok, tells me He loves me, tells me I’m doing great, tells me He's proud of me and I’m, telling you today if you don’t know Him oh you can, it’s not too late!  He loves you and HE wants you.  If you don’t know him and you want to, if you want to experience that supernatural peace no matter what storm you are in the middle of…..He’s calling you. Don’t let it pass you by, you will regret it if you do.

You are SO loved.

Taylor