My Testimony

This Blog post is NOT going to follow my normal blog outline .... YYYYY??? ... Because this right here is My Testimony! Oh and FYI it is a long one!!! I don't know anyone that can have a true Testimony that is short! During My Interview Process!!! Final interview with the Church on Halloween, 2013!!! I received an offer!!!!How many of you out there know that we serve an awesome God? A God that can NOT do ANY WRONG?! I would need a lifetime to sit here and tell you all, all that he has done for me! I honestly want to stop typing and start praising just from the thought of everything God has done for me JUST since my last post in May!!! Here is a brief outline of how he has worked in my life. After reading this NOBODY will be able to tell me that my GOD isn't real and that he doesn't LOVE ME!

Over the past 6 months (2013)May 18 :: My beautiful baby girl Blake Michael Williams entered this world in a true dramatic state that all of my children have been birthed. My water broke in the car as my husband pulled up to the Emergency Room. He runs and grabs a wheel chair, tries to make me sit in it ... but Blake wasn't having that her HEAD was right there! He wheels me into the ER at 11:50 something the night of May 17th. There are NO nurses present in the ER lobby. I start yelling to anyone who would listen ... SHE'S HEAR!!! I told him to wheel me to the back NOW! As soon as we get to the back I am yelling HELP!!! Mind you it is close to midnight so patients in the trauma area are resting) and the Doctor comes out and tries to silence me. But I wasn't having that I had already started pulling my pants down and my sweet, sweet husband with his modest self was trying to pull my night gown over my bottom area ... I AM IN LABOR, DO YOU THINK I CARE WHO SEES WHAT? NO GET THIS CHILD OUT OF ME SHE IS COMING (that is what I was thinking). As soon as we make it back to a room Blake's head was literally coming out of me while they were trying to lift me off of my knees from the wheel chair to the bed. The nurses and doctor did not know what to do (can you believe that?) ... now enters JENNY ... a nurse from the Labor & Delivery Department who had to run cross country across the massive hospital to meet me to deliver my child. She pushed the doctor out of the way and in one good push enters Blake Michael Williams a few minutes after midnight on May 18th.

I had NO tear, NO problems with delivery, both mom and baby were perfectly HEALTHY!::::: That was GOD! A safe and healthy delivery for both MOM & BABY .... when there are hundreds of cases where Moms have complications at birth and/or Mom / Baby don't make it!

JULY :: I suffered a stint of depression. It seemed like everything in my life was going wrong or just not going at all. I had a situation with a family member that was literally tossing me from side to side due to their ignorance and wanting to see me fail. This persons actions were sending me through loop after loop. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride. I literally had NO money because my current job situation was that of nonexistence because the company I had been working on projects for were not receiving their funding as they had been in the past, prior to my maternity leave. Therefore, I couldn't re-enter into the work place like I had wanted. So now I was desperate for money ...Later that month, I told my Husband that we were going to attend a new members reception at a church we had visited only twice before for our niece and nephew's Baby Dedication and Baptism. Mind you, I had not RSVP'd ... we just kind of crashed the reception and walked in as if we belonged there. Well good thing we did! We got a chance to meet the Pastors, meet other church members and staff and view the presentation. I was even so bold to tell the First Lady / Senior Pastor that she would be my mentor one day! By the time the presentation was completed I looked at my husband and asked him which Ministry are you going to join? We knew we had found our new church home!

AUGUST :: My husband sends me an e-mail with a Job posting and says, "Babe, I think you should apply for this job. It is perfect for you." It just so happens that the church we had just "joined" were looking to fill a position in one of my fields of interest. There were a couple of postings that he thought would be a good fit for me at this same church, but I only applied for one.

SEPTEMBER :: I had not heard anything back from the church. I spoke with one of the staff and they said they are sorting through all of the hundreds of applicants and would be in touch. So my thoughts were, OK no worries. I proceeded with my job hunt. I text a couple of my friends and asked if they knew of anyone hiring. I even e-mailed them my resume.

OCTOBER :: After not hearing anything for a couple of months, I thought the church had filled the position. Then, one day I received a call asking me if I could come in to the church to interview THAT DAY! I said sure. By this time I was doing some temp work (a few hours here, a few hours there) at my old job and was able to run home change and go to my interview. I thought the interview went well so we shall see. I figured they had filled the job with someone else after not hearing anything back for a couple of weeks. I finally saw the staffer at the church after a Tuesday night service and she asked if I could come in for my second round of interviews. I said sure and asked if I needed to have anything prepared or bring anything with me and she said NO.

HOWEVER, I REALLLLLYYYYY wanted this job. Out of all of the dozens of positions I had been applying for this was the ONE. I crafted a power point presentation in which I stamped my name on the title of this position. I printed the power point presentation out, laminated it and left it for all of the decision makers to view. It was now time for the second interview I had been waiting on. In the mean time, I was interviewing for another position with another company. I had not been able to move past first interviews with a number of companies and mind you, I am a great candidate for any job!!! While I was DRIVING to my second interview with the church, I received a call from a different company asking me to do a quick second interview over the phone. Sure I had the time. I was just driving and was on my headset. Lets do it! I pulled into the parking spot at my church office and completed my phone interview with the second company. The lady on the other end says, "You are perfect! I just had so much fun with you and you are my most favorite candidate yet! I am definitely going to pass you to the next level....". My thoughts were cool, that's great! But, GOD please don't let me get that job ... I want to just work for you and serve your people with this job at this church!!!!

Shortly after, I head into my second interviews with the church, they go great. I able to move to the next level in the interview process. I literally have third interviews with both companies days apart. After my third interview with the second company they told me they wanted me to meet with 2 more managers that were not in the office. I KNEW I had the second company hands down! I had a great third interview with the church as well. ...I am on to round 4 with both the church and the second company. I interview with the church ... ok great I am given an offer ... after negotiations I could not afford to accept the position. I was totally bummed out and literally felt my heart break. I felt like I had just had a bad break up with the love of my life. But, I had to keep it moving!

So I go in for my final round with the other company! They had an offer letter that day, but could not present it to me until my background check cleared and would send it as soon as it did. This was a Friday. Literally one hour after leaving the second companies office they emailed me the offer. However, I did not see it until close to midnight after running around with my kids and prepping them for bed and all. The next day ... Saturday, I receive a text message from the church they wanted to meet with me briefly between services on Sunday. I was all for it. My heart was still broken, but I had already started trying to figure out a way to devote all my spare time to God by volunteering at my church home. Sunday roles around. I see one of our Pastors and he asks me if everything was officially. I said NO, I am not going to be able to take the position with the church. He tells me to, "Wait on the Lord," and references Isaiah 42.

In the lobby of the church I am asked what's new by my hiring Pastor. I said, "Nothing ... I was offered the job from the other company, but I haven't signed any paperwork yet". I was then told that the church decided to not only accept my negotiation points, but exceed the original offer. The offer given was the exact number I had in mind during the negotiations that would leave my family comfortable for our current situation. I never once told ANYBODY what that number was and they came back with the EXACT number.

::: THAT IS GOD ::: He made a way for there to be a slight hold up from me signing with the second company so that I could get the memo that my name was STAMPED on the position to serve Him. Out of all of the back and forth ... people asking me all kinds of questions:The People: What if the second company pays you more than the church, are you still going to go with the church?ME: YesThe People: Even if the second company offers you six figures starting + bonuses and the church offers you 30-40k?ME: Yes. The second company can offer me $1 Million and I will still pick the church over the money and the second company. Now don't get me wrong! I really, truly liked the second company as well. I mean it was EXACTLY what I went to college for! And how many people in today's economy can say they do exactly what they went to school for???

Plus, I had grown to like ALL of the people that I had interviewed with and grew to respect them and what they have done within the company. All in all, throughout the whole interview process I knew that God was testing me! I knew I had to stand strong and walk in FAITH that He was going to take me to where I am supposed to be at this time in my life! I am truly excited about the next phase in my life. The birth of my daughter (my 3rd born) and the new job are ONLY 2 of many ways that God has blessed me over these past six months.

I will continue to be obedient and share with you all my Journey as God reveals it to me! My hope for me sharing these intimate stories with the world is that you all can take from this that if you BELIEVEin the POWER of GOD and the name JESUS ... you will be shown your blessings on a daily basis. There isNOTHING that is too small for God! He is our Potter ... he is our Creator and all things are made possible through him!

ACTION STEPS: I ask that you all keep the FAITH no matter how things may look. You may be homeless, without a car, no food in your pantry, lights are about to cut off because you can't pay the bill ... although that may seem like the end all, be all for you at this moment ... just know that God is the one that is carrying you and you STILL have breath! He is with you RIGHT Now. If you don't know what to say to Him, tell Him THANK YOU! Just thank Him for all that He has done for you! Thank Him for everything that He is doing for you! Thank Him for everything he will do for you! He has kept you in the middle of the night when thieves have tried to break into your house. He has kept you safe as you enter and exit the mall, shopping centers and your children's schools. He has put breath in your lungs and a heart beat in your heart. So what if the Doctors say you have Cancer ... guess what MY GOD that I know ... created that body He has allowed you to use and He can make any virus, any illness, any CANCER that the Doctor says you have disappear as if it were never detected in the breast that are attached to your chest.

Come on Somebody ... Believe and have Faith and KNOW that God is Yours and, "He GOT THIS" ... He is My Black Star Power! #IJS

May God Be with You Always,

b.Marcell

Be sure to check back for future blog post!

P.S. Happy Birthday on today to one of my best friends, my cousin, the mother of my God Babies and my Family Samyra Williams Jefferson! Samyra and I, Easter 2013 at her sons Baby Christening and the day I announced to the world I was preggo with Blake.Easter is a monumental day for our families!