My time at the Honor Academy will never be forgotten! It was a priceless gift that I will treasure in my heart forever. The thing that I miss the most is certainly the people!! The men and women that I met at the Honor Academy have a special and tender place in my heart. Each person has made some sort of impact on my life that I am extremely grateful for. I will always be in their corner of the ring rooting them on as champions of the faith!
Although I experienced many valuable events and gained an immeasurable amount of wisdom, the Honor Academy was mainly a battle ground between flesh and spirit for me. During my first year as an intern, two worlds collided: the old me and the new me that was forming. I had to face my giants and the strong-holds passed down from previous generations. I came face to face with the insecurities that had built up in my heart over many years. With the revelation of God’s Word and the spiritual guidance of strong leaders, I began to truly understand who God was and who I was in light of Him. I am confident and fearless today because of the surgery God did on my heart at the Honor Academy.
During my second year as a Core Advisor, God challenged, stretched, grew and blessed me! I was given the privilege to lead and disciple 11 beautiful women, called The Bride of Christ! It was not an easy task, but God taught me along the way and as a result, I am a stronger woman and leader because of it. About half-way through my second year, the ultimate battle over my heart took place and I am so grateful to say that God fully won it over! At that moment an authentic commitment took place, like a stake being driven into the ground. My covenant with God became concrete and I passed the point of no return. Like the old hymn says, “I have decided to follow Jesus…though none go with me, still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back.
The Honor Academy was a place of major spiritual growth, where my roots went deep into the soil of God’s heart. The Honor Academy helped to lay a solid foundation in my life which the Lord has only built upon. He began a good work in me in Texas and has continued the work in Michigan! I have held onto a very special scripture that a best friend of mine at the Honor Academy gave to me, which says, “Be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). I have remained confident and God has remained faithful to His Word.
I am very excited to say that I have finally reached BAR in my life!! The Honor Academy was a war between flesh and spirit for me and the battle continued even after I left. But recently I experienced something that I can only describe as BAR (burial of the flesh and resurrection of the spirit). I have surrendered my emotions and have allowed the Holy Spirit to take over. Although I learned this at the Honor Academy a few years ago, it has now become a revelation in my heart and manifestation in my life. I have become emotionally stable, yet spiritually thriving.
The Lord gave me a burning heart for ministry at the Honor Academy, but it wasn’t until a month after I left that I received a specific call to young women’s ministry. Since the Honor Academy I have co-led a college ministry on Mackinac Island, created a young women’s ministry called Deeper at the church I grew up in, and was recently part of a church plant. In May of 2009 I moved to metro Detroit specifically to join the church planting team of Horizons Church. In September of 2009 Horizons was birthed and since the beginning of it’s inception I have taken the role of service director and video/production leader. I have worn many “hats” since the beginning of the church plant, but my true desire to create and develop the young women’s ministry is in the works. I have large dreams and aspirations for the city of Detroit! I am ready for God to shine His light and glory throughout the streets of the D. I have learned that although we may not understand what God is doing at any given moment or why he is doing it, we can be confident that He has a plan and that it’s a good one!