In December 2021, I received news that I was promoted to professor at my university (the highest rank for faculty). Excellent! This recognizes years of scholarly research and teaching, and it came with a salary increase, too. Things were going very well in my career!

Three months after being promoted, God had other plans for my career. He wanted me to leave my full-time position as a professor to dedicate my efforts to writing and Surf 8 Christians. My husband, Bill, and I are the founders of Surf 8 Christians, but this had only been my side gig. This was a significant, pivotal event to the launch of this new website for my authentic purpose.

God’s Perfect Timing and Connections

God’s timing is perfect. He orchestrates connections for His divine purpose. Sometimes, these perfect meetings are in missed flights, delays, and what I call God Redirects. Other times, they are in supernatural sequence of events that feel like instant miracles. 

Miracle #1: About eight months after I left my job, a video came onto my YouTube feed. It was part of TBN’s Better Together program. There was someone talking about obeying God and leaving her job eight months prior. Okay, God…I’m listening! I didn’t know the person speaking, so I Googled her – Christy Wright who had been a Dave Ramsey personality. I was familiar with Dave Ramsey, so it got my attention. 

Miracle #2: So, how did God use Christy Wright’s story to get me here? Well, it was her website. It was a beautiful website and when I scrolled to the bottom, it listed the designer. It seems to be more common for websites not to list the designer. But there it was – Designed by lindseybeharry.com. 

What does any digital native do? Yes, of course! I went to Lindsey Beharry Design’s website. And then her social media. And then I searched for anything with her online portfolio to see her work. With some Godly confirmation, I decided to work with Lindsey for my (re)branding logo and website.

Miracle #3: At this point, I had not hired Lindsey yet. I had only scheduled my consultation meeting, but I knew I needed a talented photographer for website photos.

I had been (casually) looking for a good photographer near me for about 18 months but nothing stood out. There are a lot of good photographers in our area for beach weddings and family photos, but that was not what I needed. I had seen many photographers’ online portfolios, but I wasn’t sure if I would find the right photographer for this project. 

But then, God gave me a search term with location to use – lifestyle photographer Orlando. I had never considered this before in any of my searches. The first one listed was Gracie May Photography. I saw her online portfolio and it was exactly what I needed. The photographer, Elizabeth, had availability for a consultation on the same day as my consultation with Lindsey. 

Miracle #4: By this time, I had hired both Lindsey and Elizabeth. With Lindsey, we were in the early phase of my brand logo. With Elizabeth, we decided on a location, but I was working on my photoshoot wardrobe and shot list. 

I had ideas of outfits for my photoshoot. But as I prayed for guidance, I was led in a different direction. I made changes to my photoshoot outfits which added some brown tones and wood accessories. Before this, my wardrobe only included different shades of coral and black. 

Soon after I made these changes, I received my branding mood boards from Lindsey. One of them included more warmth with brown and wood accents. The process of selecting my wardrobe and preparing for the photoshoot had so many miracles of its own, it needs its own blog.

I had some overlaps in timelines between my branding and photoshoot. Because of this, I did not have any brand logos or color palettes before the photoshoot. The only thing I knew for sure was that it would contain the color coral. Coral alone includes so many shades with variations between pink and orange, but there are still other colors used in a palette.

During the photoshoot, there were a few God Redirects. I ended up modifying some outfits and improvising a few locations. But I knew God had a bigger plan. I knew I would end up with what I needed for the website. 

Four days after the photoshoot, I received my brand logos, patterns, and color palette. All went perfectly with the final wardrobe, locations, and shot list.

Listen to the Holy Spirit

Through all these events, I prayed for guidance, wisdom, and clarity. I prayed for everything, each step of the way. There was so much I didn’t know. Listening to the Holy Spirit ensured I received God’s best and stayed on His path. I consider myself very creative, but I never imagined what you see on my website. 

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. –John 14:26 (NKJV)

God is a Master Designer! I have seen so many of His miracles and I know I will see so many more! Finding Lindsey and Elizabeth was His plan, and I am grateful for my journey.

What is God calling you to do?

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