For 13 years, I have been doing business as Abiding Communications. Abiding Communications represents more than a business name. These visionary words stem from the truth Jesus spoke in John 15:5 (NKJV) of the Bible:

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

I conceived Abiding Communications in August 2009. The idea for my Christian business came to me after experiencing a job layoff. For almost two years prior to that, I had endured a costly, painful, and tiring health battle. While I had enough savings to pay for only three months of rent, God had a lot more in store for me (John 14:12).

Created and Called to Produce Plenty

God handcrafted each one of us and gives us what we need to do the good works He planned for us (Ephesians 2:10). He created me to glorify Him through my artwork, care of my family, speaking, teaching, and writing. What wonderful handiwork indeed!

I did not always see the beauty or purpose God saw in me. In my early years, I did not treasure myself the way God does. I did not have confidence in my ability to use my creative gifts.

Despite my best plans, a college education, and my pursuit of knowledge and security, I still faced a period of unemployment. However, I was not alone there in my small apartment in Houston. God was with me. I heard Him speaking to me about the future He had planned for me from the beginning.

“You didn’t think you could make a living as an artist or writer. You didn’t think you were good enough. Will you trust Me this time?”

“Yes!” I made a commitment to develop my creative gifts and use them to convey God’s messages. And by remaining in Christ, I continue to bring forth much fruit that impacts lives in lasting ways (John 15:16).

Abiding and Growing in Christ

Abiding in Christ means staying connected to God and following His lead. As I sought God, He revealed how and where to build my creative business. He initially directed me to go to Taylor, Texas.

I relied on God to overcome my fear of returning to this place where some people had deeply wounded me. My reluctance turned into eagerness to take every step as God guided me. I packed my belongings and headed back to my hometown in the fall of 2009.

For 26 months, I served throughout the city of Taylor. I spoke at gatherings in businesses, churches, homes, and schools. I wrote my first book and Bible study. I had the privilege of leading and working with groups dedicated to using their gifts to minister to others.

Then in early 2012, I relocated to the Texas Medical Center in Houston where I had been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition 4 years earlier. I was commissioned to write for a hospital focused on caring for children and women. My work there fueled my desire to support patients and families affected by illness and injury. I also learned a lot that helped me nurture my own children when I married and became a stepmother in 2015 and then gave birth to a son of my own the next year.

Pruned to Bear Even More Fruit

When my maternity leave ended in 2017, I did not go back to working full-time outside of my home. I chose to work from home, so I could spend more time being the wife and mother I God also destined me to be. I have been writing and speaking on a freelance basis ever since.

Looking back, I can see the layoff and other job changes as pruning that resulted in more fruitfulness. I lost a major writing and editing contract when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Several weeks before that occurred, I had signed a contract to write medical articles about chronic illnesses. I had more time to focus on this assignment, which continued for more than two years and gave way to a contract to write articles about my personal experience with allergies.

Today, I am focused on healing that helps us all communicate and function well. I create and share resources for healing, for families, and for creators. I write and teach children as well as adults. I also provide special support for people with allergies and autoimmune conditions.

My aim with Abiding Communications is to point people to the healing found in God’s Word (the Bible), so we can live creatively as God designed us to. The truth I have encountered on my journey has encouraged, healed, and renewed me. To my delightful surprise, I have become a prolific creator—an artist, author, and entrepreneur as well as a homeschool teacher, mother, and speaker.

Flourishing at Home

According to Acts 17:26, God determines when and where we live. My story started in Taylor, Texas. And now in the fall of 2022, I have the opportunity to spend more time in my hometown once again.

My goal in this season is to reach even more people wherever they are. I still serve people in the churches, hospitals, and marketplace. And through virtual offerings, I also reach people in their homes.

Sometimes home is where we need the most support. This is where we grow and develop our talents (or get stymied). After receiving a medical diagnosis, many patients go home with the need for ongoing care. And because of the pandemic, home is now where many people learn and work.

Where and how we dwell impacts what we do and why. Regardless of my earthly location, dwelling in Christ has given me life and purpose. Having grown up physically on a farm and spiritually with God, the Master Gardener, I am honored to bear much fruit through Abiding Communications.

I hope what I create and share points people to Jesus. He is our Creator, the God who heals, and the Master of Communications. May we all come to know Christ—the true vine—and forever abide and flourish in Him (John 15:1).