Today, I am excited to introduce you to one of my friends, Kayla of Embrace Purity. I met Kayla this summer and was blown away at how someone so young was so full of Jesus’ love! I hope you enjoy getting to know her in our Intentionality Spotlight segment as much as I have!
First some easy stuff: Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your work, your passions and interests?
My greatest passion is reaching out to the hurting and sharing the hope of Jesus. I’m a freelance writer who loves music, reading, and spending time with the people (and animals) I love. I’ve been homeschooled for the last 6 years and love it! My biggest goal in life is to use my gifts and talents to point others to Christ.
I love that your blog is about embracing purity in all areas of life! What is the story behind how your blog was started, and how has that changed over time? What is your goal and has that goal developed?
Writing has always been a part of me. When I was little, I often made up short stories and kept journals. Along with that, I had a real desire to make a difference in people’s lives. It wasn’t until 2016 that I realized writing could be more than simply a hobby. In fact, I could even combine writing and my desire to help others!
That year, a blogging class was being offered at my co-op. That’s when I started “Embrace Purity”. Though I didn’t know much, at the beginning, I knew I wanted to use my blog to point other young women toward Christ. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to write articles for multiple platforms including other websites and a magazine.
I now have the opportunity to expand my ministry to both young women and young men! Later this year, I will be launching “Rescued with Purpose”, a ministry all about trusting God and getting serious about living for Him.
I definitely want to keep “Embrace Purity” up and running, so I will be transferring it to “Rescued with Purpose”, where it will have its own section. I can’t wait to see what God will do!
As a young woman, who writes for other young women, where do you get the inspiration for the topics? Is it hard, or does it come easily?
If you take a look around, it doesn’t take long to realize that there are countless young women who are struggling. Most of my inspiration comes from observing and listening. I’ve had many conversations with girls who feel alone, worthless, and burnt-out on life. I truly believe that God’s word is equipped to help us in any situation. That’s why I put time and energy into my writing!
Whenever I hit writer's’ block, I often look back to books or articles I’ve read and get more ideas!
What is one other specific area in your life you find that intentionality is absolutely critical? How do you exercise mindfulness in it?
I find that intentionality is absolutely critical when it comes to saying “yes” to God. For the longest time, I claimed to have faith, but I was still letting fear run my life. Though I knew there were certain things that the Holy Spirit wanted me to do, I often ignored it if it was outside my comfort zone.
When I decided to start saying yes to God, I realized that true joy comes from fully trusting God to keep His promises! Now, I’m able to experience the life God wants for me: one of fullness, freedom, and joy.
If you could give one piece of advice about saying "yes" to God to someone who struggles with it, what would you tell them?
Take it day by day. Sometimes, God calls us to do things that seem scary or hard. It isn’t always easy to listen when He asks us to go outside our comfort zones.
The first step is when the Holy Spirit impresses you to do something (sharing your faith, confronting a friend, overcoming a specific sin, etc), decide beforehand that you will say yes and do it, even if it’s hard.
Remember that you’re not alone in this journey. We’ve all struggled with fear, at one time or another. When you choose to start saying yes to God, your faith can only become stronger!
