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Have you ever felt the urge to take on something new? To run a half marathon? To start a new business? To move to a new community? Or even change the world? Have you ever felt like you were made for more?

Maybe you’re happy with where you are in life. You have great friends, a good job, and everything you could possibly want. You’re comfortable. There may be a few things out of sorts, but overall you feel good about where you’re at.

This was me 4 years ago! We were living in DeWitt and loving our life there. I was proud of how far we had come, the challenges we had overcome, the friends we had made, experiences we were fortunate enough to partake in, and our wonderful career paths. We were living the life.

So you can imagine when my husband told me he had been recruited by a vet clinic in western Iowa, I was devastated. I felt like we would have to give up all that we had worked so hard to achieve and start new, once again…making new friends, starting new jobs, and getting involved in a new community.

Even though I LOVED western Iowa and even the Manning community (which I had experienced 5 years earlier) I was still hesitant to believe that this was the right move for our family. So I prayed about it and prayed about it.

Although a small part of me remembered that my lifelong dream was to be an entrepreneur having a business in rural Iowa that took advantage of all my varied talents and impacted Iowa, I still couldn’t quite understand why that meant I would have to move and start over in a new community. I thought we had found our landing place, and I would have loved to start that same business in DeWitt.

But on a beautiful sunny day in June 2016 (June 2nd, our anniversary to be exact) God slapped me upside the face with more signs than I could possibly resist. It was a pivotal moment in my life and from that day forward I never looked back and never questioned the path that I was on was one led by God’s love, hope and grace.

As I sit here on an incredible family vacation to South Dakota (nearly 3 years to the day after that transformational moment) I can’t help but be overwhelmed by the way God has taken care of us and led us to places we never thought possible.

I knew where I wanted to be in life ‘someday’ and what goals I had set before me to be able to get there. I’m a planner and I know that you have to have a vision, put in the time, gain the experience, and work hard to achieve your dreams. But what I had forgotten was that God also has a plan, and it’s ALWAYS greater than you could ever imagine or ‘plan!’

It took that turtle coming right up into our backyard to remind me that we must follow our inner vision, adapt to new surroundings, trust that all things happen in perfect and divine timing and most of all enjoy the journey.

So if you’re on a path that you love (or hate) trust that God has a plan for you as well. Prepare to emerge strengthened. Your journey has only just begun.

Do rural Iowa communities have what it takes to go from good to great?

Right now is an exciting time to be an Iowan living in rural Iowa and advocating for revitalization and investment in our small town communities.  The amount of momentum and support that we’re seeing, hearing and feeling is enough to make anyone get excited about what’s next.  In Iowa, we KNOW how to get things done. But it takes each of us, with a positive attitude, embracing teamwork and innovative thinking to motivate our communities to embrace change and lay out a plan and vision for the future.

Our Iowa Governor, Kim Reynolds, is a HUGE advocate of our rural Iowa communities and has made incredible investments in our state to make this happen.  Examples include the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, broadband/fiber internet connectivity initiative, Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative, Future Ready Iowa initiatives, Iowa Rural Development Council and more. Additional organizations such as Renew Rural Iowa, Travel Iowa, and numerous local and regional economic development organizations are also contributing to this success.

I had a chance to see many of these advancements first hand this week in conferences, workshops, tours and speakers. All of which keep showing me that our state is on the right path. First, I attended the Future Ready Iowa Summit in Des Moines, then the Roger Brooks Destination Development Summit put on by the Western Iowa Tourism Region in Carroll. Next up were tours of Templeton Rye, Puck Enterprises, Manning Hausbarn Heritage Park, Main Street Manning and BrickHaus Brews in Manning. Then I wrapped up the week with two days of economic development sessions in Carroll for Leadership Iowa.

Our fearless state civic leaders and advocates such as Debi Durham, Jeff Weld, Sandy Ehrig, Bill Menner, and many, many more are inspiring private and public leaders in all industries and are dedicated to the future of Iowa. Not to mention, the incredible business and community leaders in our communities who are making investments in workforce, infrastructure and technology so that businesses and Iowa are the best in their field.

So…how do we do it? How can rural communities be prepared for what’s to come? Sandy Ehrig with Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa program shared the following:

1. Evidence of community pride. (clean communities, branded signage, festivals)
2. Investment in the future. (take care of your infrastructure)
3. Participatory decision making. (that includes diverse perspectives from all ages, races and income levels)
4. Creatively develop new economic development opportunities. (think outside the box, but make sure to align with the unique selling proposition that sets apart your community)
5. Support local businesses. (buy local whenever possible)
6. Deliberate leadership transitions. (prepare for and plan strategic transitions among non-profit and service organizations as well as recruit for elected positions)
7. Strong support for education. (invest in schools financially and connect education with the workforce to prepare youth for a variety of career paths)
8. Strong presence of traditional institutions. (churches, service organizations, food pantries)
9. Seek outside expertise. (willing to know when it’s best to consult outside experts and pay for their services.)
10. Attitude, passion and positive energy are everything. (It takes a relentless champion to lead these transformative efforts, but also bring along those people who may not think the same way.)

I have no doubt in my mind that rural Iowa is going to turn a corner very soon (some are already experiencing it).  But is your community ready and prepared? I sure as heck hope so!!  It starts with one person, with the right attitude and drive, that can transform the future and tell a new story of growth and perseverance! Here’s to the future of rural Iowa!

I truly have never been a runner. In 6^th grade at the track and field day, I ran a relay race with three others and when the time came to pass the baton to me, I dropped the baton, tripped and fell right there on the track in front of EVERYONE. After many tears, I got up and finished the race by myself and I WAS SLOW!! NEVER AGAIN would I let myself face that embarrassment and defeat! Despite the constant encouragement from my best friend’s father (she was definitely a runner) to go out for cross country because I had the ‘determination and will to succeed’ I never did run in high school. I even avoided volleyball because I heard that they had to run many laps every day in practice!

My sisters were runners, though. They inspired me with every race they ran. Whether there was a blistering cold spring wind at a local track meet in Chariton, or it was a sweltering HOT day in May on the blue track in Des Moines, I loved watching them give it their all. That continued into adulthood and we would travel to watch them run half marathons and full marathons around the Midwest. We would map out the path and figure out how we could see them the most times along the route, encouraging them to keep on running. Nothing was more rewarding than seeing them cross the finish line, giving it their all and then nearly collapsing when they were done. It was inspiring! I’d love to feel that sense of accomplishment…but I’m NOT a runner…or was I?

Shortly after moving to DeWitt in 2013, I became very active in a bootcamp group, No Limit Fitness. I had never been one to work out on a regular basis, or even care about my health and wellness, besides the few months working up to my wedding day! That first 5am class on June 12^th (the day after I turned 31) I felt like I was going to die. We did a 300 that day…25 pushups, 25 situps, 50 kettlebell swings, 50 kettlebell arm raises, 50 mountain climbers, 50 burpees, and 50 jumping jacks. I ABOUT DIED!!!

3 ½ years later, I was still at it. I loved bootcamp, and everyone who knew me asked about my crazy bootcamp adventures! Not only did I love the exercise and challenge, but I loved the camaraderie and friendships I gained. Not many people look forward to getting up at 4:30am three days a week for 3 ½ years! But I did, and I will forever cherish the fond memories I have of those classes.

After I had my third child, I was on a family vacation in the Ozarks with my sisters. They were going out for a run one morning and I thought…’Hey, I could probably join them!’ I had continued bootcamp until I was 29 weeks pregnant and now I was 5 weeks post-partum so I figured I could keep up with them, right? Ha! It was the Ozarks! Hill after hill after hill! But I did it. We ran 4 miles that day and I decided it was my time. I was up for a race. My sisters invited me to join them for a race in Clinton, IA on September 10, 2014. This was three short months after Easton was born, but I was up for it. A 10K as my first race…not too shabby. I ran it in 1:01 and I was so happy just to finish!

My sisters had often talked about wanting to run another race together and I didn’t say a whole lot. I figured they can plan all they want, but I doubt I’ll ever run more than a 10K. So when they invited me to run a half marathon in Peoria in October 2016, I was reluctant at first. “Really? They think I could actually run 13.1 miles?” I knew there would be a lot going on that Fall. It was 9 months away, I had time. If I wasn’t ready, I could just not sign up, right? Well, needless to say, I began training, and although I was preparing to run a race, those runs were the outlet I needed to let my mind wander, to think clearly about my future, and to open my mind to the opportunities that were ahead of me.

My race training was less than consistent. I could go out and run 3-4 miles here and there, no problem. So when June and July came around I started to get more serious. I would run 6 miles here and there, but still nothing consistent. I ran 8 miles one time in Geneva, IL with a co-worker’s wife. She had run several half-marathons and our route that day was FLAT! She encouraged me the whole way and I did it. I had a glimmer of hope…’maybe I CAN do this!’ I thought!

I continued to run 6 miles here and there, but the summer and fall started to get the best of me. The details of the upcoming move started to become overwhelming. I was starting my new business, wrapping up loose ends from my current employment, transferring the duties of the many volunteer organizations I was part of, preparing my children to move, fixing up the 1910 farmhouse and acreage we’d be moving to, preparing to sell our existing house, and more.

As October approached, I realized I needed to get serious, but there was no time. I’d just sign up for the 10K. I had done that before, I could do that in my sleep, right? Nope. I got on the race website to sign up…no 10k was offered. There was a 5K (too easy), a half and a full. Wow! A guess a half it is! I signed up! I established in my mind that I had a lot going on. I could use every excuse in the book and everyone would understand. I hadn’t been training like I should have. Worst case scenario, I’d just run/walk it and I’d make it through. I’d finish, and if my sisters ever asked me again…I BETTER learn how to say NO!!!

Not so fast…two weeks prior to the race, I hardly ran at all. 2 days before the race, I ran 3 miles, but that was tough! So what did I do? All I knew how to do when times got tough. I prayed. Every day I would pray that God would give me the strength to get through it all. I had no idea how I had made it this far, but if this was His plan for me, I would trust in Him that I could do it. And so I did.

6am on Sunday, October 16^th, my sisters and I got ready at the Embassy Suites in Peoria and then made our way downtown. I realized that I probably should have gotten new shoes a month or so earlier, as my shoes were nearly worn through the bottom. My stomach was flip-flopping and I didn’t feel so good. I wasn’t ready. I had so many other things I should be doing besides running a race. Excuses, excuses, excuses. I didn’t have time for excuses. What I did have? Strength, determination and the will to succeed.

I DID IT!!!!! 2 hours and 26 minutes later, I crossed that finish line. I DID WHAT I THOUGHT I COULDN’T DO! I overcame my fear of running, I overcame the excuses in my head. I trusted God that all would be okay. I now have a constant reminder that no matter what challenges lie ahead, we must have faith in God that if He brings us to it, He will bring us through it. It starts with our attitude and succeeds with a strong faith and trust in God.

My story begins on a warm summer day in June, although, as I reflect on life, I have quickly come to realize that this has been God’s plan all along. June 2^nd, 2016, our 9^th wedding anniversary, to be exact, I started my day with an early morning run, probably not more than 3-4 miles. I went on my usual path along the Skeffington Trail in DeWitt. It was a great morning to be out, fresh air, birds chirping, dew on the grass and the sun already heating up the day. As I ran that morning, I kept having this saying, “For I have greater plans for you says the Lord,” run through my head. Over, and over, and over again!

So I begin talking to myself (because that’s what you do when you’re out for a morning run, sans all technology, and clearing your mind for another day). And I say, “Lord…seriously…what are the plans that you have plans for me? I have already committed to running a half-marathon with my sisters, what more do you want out of me? I’m NOT a runner, nor have I ever been. I will never run a full marathon. My sisters are runners, they’re my inspiration and I think pushing myself to run a half marathon is quite the achievement in the first place. I promise I’ll follow through with this commitment! But seriously, if you think I’m up for anything more than that, you’ve got to be kidding me!”

I head home, now with a clear mind and an optimistic outlook for the day, and get ready to start my day as usual. I shower and get dressed, and as I am putting on my make-up, John is brushing his teeth in the sun room of all places. He says, “Shelly, there’s a turtle in the backyard!” I roll my eyes of course and tell him that I’m sure it’s just a rock. Between our boys and the neighbor boys, they’re always finding rocks, sticks and other unique “weapons” and I’m sure they just left something in the backyard. Despite my disbelief, I go out with John to check it out…my hot pink pants, bright colored shirt and wet head were quite the sight to be seen in the neighbor’s backyard!

Sure enough…there was a HUGE snapping turtle. Probably about a foot in diameter. It was muddy and gross. Now where in the world did that come from?!? John and I head back to the house and he quietly says, “I think it’s an omen.” And with my sassy attitude I snap right back and say, “Oh what, like slow and steady wins the race?” He doesn’t respond. So I wait a few seconds and then snarkily say, “Or watch out or a snapper might bite ya!!” And as John’s positivity usually exudes, he says, “Oh, well, I was trying to be a little more positive than that!”

So we arrive back at the deck and he says, “Oh yeah, remember that song we always sing to you…’Shelly the Sea Turtle.’? Oh my….now you guys have to hear this song. It is the quirkiest, silliest song I have ever heard. If it doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will! Although the song DRIVES ME CRAZY, it also holds a special place in my heart!

So I go on about my day at work and I prepare for a 2pm phone call I have planned with a friend of mine, Samantha Boyd, who runs a successful marketing business in Ames. Now at this point, I had been considering starting my own business for several years, but I had every excuse in the book as to why the timing wasn’t right. But now, with an impending move to western Iowa (that no one outside of our family was aware of at this point in time), I had been brainstorming for the two weeks prior as to what I would talk to Sam about. I had decided I was going to see if she would consider going in to business together.

Sam and I had worked on projects here and there over the years, we were in the same industry, we worked closely together with the Young Professionals of Ames, and we spoke the same lingo! I loved her passion for marketing and her willingness to take the bold leap to start her own business. Sam and I had originally planned to talk about how she could work with more clients in the ag industry. However, I had these burning questions that I had to lay out there. And as I’m not one to sugarcoat things, I laid it right out there from the start. “Sam, I know we planned to talk about other things, but I have had a lot on my mind lately and I wanted to chat with you about some ideas I have had. It’s not public news yet, but my family will be moving to western Iowa at the end of this year. I have always wanted to start my own marketing/design business, however, it’s never been the right time. I’m not 100% sure, but I think it’s my time. I’m ready to take this leap of faith to start my own business. I have loved your passion for marketing, I’m inspired by you developing Zao 525 and the brand you stand for, and I want to know more about how you’ve done it. Would you ever consider going in to business together?”

And about then, I swear you could hear a pin drop. ‘Was that a good thing? What was she thinking?’ Oh I was so nervous. Then she begins slowly, “Shelly, I just want you to know that I had no idea we’d be talking about this today and you’re going to be shocked when you hear what I’m about to say. Not even an hour ago I got off the phone with my business manager and we had been contemplating franchising Zao 525. I told her that it’s going to take finding the right person, with the right mindset and respect for our model, yet has a strong network, and who has their own drive and determination to start their own business to make this work. Now that’s a long shot! So what did Samantha do? She prayed. She prayed that God would send her the right individual who could make this dream become a reality. And not less than a half hour later she would be having a conversation with someone who had the very essence of what she was looking for.

MORE ON THAT STORY HERE

As our discussion continued on, I began to feel hope, I began to see the light…”For I have greater plans for you says the Lord.” Wow….could this be it? Is this God’s plan for my life? For the past year, I had struggled with the concept of uprooting my family and starting over once again. Was this the opportunity I had been praying for?

I got off the phone with Samantha and immediately went to her website. I remembered that her brand was built from the ‘spirit’ and that it had an incredible foundation, but I couldn’t remember exactly what the essence of it all was. Zao 525: Infusing the spirit into your brand. ‘I LOVE IT!’ This is what branding is all about.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks…”Walk in the spirit. For I have greater plans for you says the Lord. The random turtle in the backyard this morning?” Could this all be connected? Could this all have meaning and direction in my life? God…I’m listening…I’m here and I’m ready to do Your will!

That random turtle in the backyard that disappeared just as quickly as it appeared was indeed an omen. ‘I wonder what is the symbolic meaning of a turtle?’ I decided to Google it. What I read on that website that afternoon gave me the inspiration to move forward. The serendipitous meaning of the turtle provided me with the rock/cornerstone I needed as I faced the most difficult time of my life. It encouraged me to have trust and faith that I could be successful pursuing my dreams of being an entrepreneur. I finally had a clear vision, a purpose, and my passion would come to fruition. This was it! God was present in all of this and He is still here guiding my life today. I encourage all of you to discover what’s inside your shell. Find your purpose, and challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone, explore new opportunities, and trust that God and the turtle spirit are there to guide you through.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future full of hold.” ~Jeremiah 29:11

Many times I have seen variations of this verse on greeting cards for graduation, marriage, new jobs, etc. as it is very comforting in times of transition and doubt. Yet it is almost always quoted without context. Now passages don’t always need to be read in context, but it is helpful to first understand the context and then apply it outside of that context.

The context of Jeremiah 29:11 is very unique. The verse is in the midst of a prophetic letter, which Jeremiah sent from Israel to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. It is a first person prophecy wherein Jeremiah speaks on behalf of the LORD. The LORD is telling the exiles to build houses and have children and pray. They are to be faithful to Him in exile and then He promises to bring them back to Israel. The verse comes in the midst of His promise to bring them back to the Holy Land, where they will seek and find Him and pray to Him and call upon Him. He will gather them back into the land.

When I read the verse within its context, the application was a little bit different. It is not about future plans for something completely new, but future plans for the restoration of something lost. It is about bringing the people back to the Land. God promises His faithfulness to His people who seek Him “with all their hearts” (29:13). It is about God restoring His relationship with His people and them coming back to Him in faithful love. It not only calls for trust, but for prayer, love and worship. God not only promises to love His people and be faithful to them, but He asks them to be faithful to Him, to love Him, to draw near to Him. God does have plans for us – plans to restore and heal and prosper our relationships with Him, to bring us back from a land of sin and evil to a land of His bountiful goodness, His blessing, His life. Jeremiah 29:11 is not just about assuaging our anxieties about the future, but about the growth and restoration of our own relationships with God.

Adapted from http://catholicbiblestudent.com/2007/05/context-for-jeremiah-2911-for-i-know.html

Wow! In that year prior to our anniversary on June 2, 2016, when I knew we would be moving, I became very negative and wondered why God would do this to me. While we were in DeWitt, I had been building my reputation, giving of my skills and talents, and building the foundation for my dream of being an entrepreneur.

Back in college, I had done an internship at the Graphic Edge in Carroll. My mom was originally from Breda and thus I was able to live with my Grandma that summer. I LOVED the Carroll area. I felt like I was home. The people I met, I felt like I had known them for years.

So when I first met John a year or so later, and found out he was from the Carroll area, I knew it was fate. We were meant to be together and after graduation we would move back to western Iowa, back to a place I felt at home. However, God had different plans for our lives. Upon graduation from vet school, we moved to Eastern Iowa. At first I struggled with moving. It wasn’t until God slapped me in the face with some very strong messages that I was finally able to see the plans He had for me. I had gotten distracted in life, and needed to refocus my sights on Him. In my new role, I would be able to refocus my life on living not for this earthly life, but on serving God’s will.

Zao 525: Infusing the spirit into your brand. Check out the opening video on their website. ‘I LOVE IT!’ This company has inspired me from their very beginnings.  Just hearing the name, I wanted to know more!

Zao means to live, breathe and be among the living, to enjoy real life, to be fresh, bold and efficient. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

525 represents Galatians 5:25 which says, “If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit.” Hmmmm….now that one got me. I agree with living in the spirit, but I run! I don’t walk in the spirit, I run. I’m fast. I speed through this crazy life. I get things done. People count on me. People need me. I take care of business and solve problems. I inspire change. I believe we should ALL be the change we wish to see in the world. I don’t walk…

“But wait, Shelly!” I told myself, “What are your most memorable moments? What do you cherish in life? How does God want you to live? How do you want others to remember you?”

I have often raced through life, running from one project to another, from high school to graduation to college to my first job and then my second, finding myself, meeting my significant other, getting married, having kids, attending kids’ sporting events one after another. Then eventually the kids will graduate, we will retire and then we finally have time explore the world, enjoy our grandkids, and then what?? I often get so caught up in the outward living of my life that I forget to tend to the flame that’s burning inside.

Let’s think about the few times along the way that we slow down long enough to stop and ‘smell the roses.’ When we look around and realize all that we have to be grateful for, we are often reminded that if we speed through life we may be missing opportunities. When it comes to a brand, I want that experience or memory of the brand to last. Taking the time to define and develop a brand and then being purposeful to live out that identity is the key to success.

The most memorable times for me are when we are simply enjoying a fresh drink on the patio during a hot summer day, the crackle of an evening campfire, the coos and giggles from a happy baby, the excitement from a child the first time they ride their bike without training wheels, or those breathtaking moments when we first see the vast mountains or canyons. These are the moments when we are walking in the spirit. They are the memories that will last a lifetime. Seasoned parents have often told me, “enjoy your kids,” “they grow up so fast,” “make memories,” “cherish these times.” God is calling us to cherish these moments more often.

The same is true of a brand. When we take the time to discover and define who we really are, it becomes much easier to live out that brand and infuse that spirit in all we do. Too often I have seen people getting caught up in the minutia of building their business and going about their busy lives without refocusing on what is most important. What is their driving passion? The people, businesses and organizations who spend time traveling within their souls and digging deep to uncover their purpose find it much easier to live their life and build a business serving a greater cause.

I am reminded today and every day that I must be there for those who mean the most to me. Take the time to meet new people. Talk to them on the street, care for them and offer my skills to them. And even if I don’t recognize how my strengths can contribute to a particular situation, I ask my friends and family. They are able to provide insight as to what they see from the outside looking in. As I have taken that journey within my soul, I have found my purpose and the passion that creates my drive and I enjoy sharing that passion with others.

For Samantha, her personality is her strength. People are attracted to her kind spirit and even show up at her door because she exudes energy, passion and God’s love and care for others. She truly walks in the spirit of God, helping others find their way and uncovering the potential for their business. I am so grateful for our friendship and the inspiration she has given me to discover my true passion and purpose. Thanks Sam!