Today I want to begin to introduce you to the team of women who design, create, implement, administrate, manage, and advise this blog we call He Speaks In The Silence. These are women who pray, asking God for wisdom, then use their gifts to craft beauty for all of us. And I think you need to know them!
So… for the next many weeks we’ll be posting a fun profile of who they are, what they do, what they love, who they love, how they live and lots more delicious details.
If you want to take a peak at the list of questions we all got to choose from, here it is.
I live in:
A townhouse community near Progress Ridge in Tigard.
I contribute to the blog by:
Helping brainstorm in our creative meetings, and will soon be heading up the social media team to help spread the word, and get more of you involved in the He Speaks community. We want this to be interactive and a place to cultivate real relationships.
This year, God is revealing Himself to me as:
My refuge. I’ve dealt with a decent amount of anxiety and depression the last few years, and have recently been learning that God has to be my FIRST refuge. I’m newly married and have had God remind me over and over that my husband is my helper and someone who points me to Jesus, but the ultimate peace and refuge I need comes from the SOURCE, Jesus. I’m slowly learning to run to Him before anyone or anything else to find my peace and security.
When I was young, I wanted to grow up and be:
Brace yourselves... my two career choices used to be either a librarian or a cheerleader. This pretty much sums up my personality and giftings, and I ironically did similar things in life as a grown up. A librarian gets to scan things, organize books, and wear glasses. I was all about office work and organization, and ironically ended up being an administrative assistant for Phil and Diane for 4 years! The cheerleader dream was because of my love for dancing, and the ability to be loud and encouraging. I like to believe God let me be a cheerleader by getting married. I am my husband’s biggest cheerleader and am always on the sidelines loudly cheering him on. Really though... I want to be a Mommy:)
One of my life scriptures is:
Matthew 5:16 which says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” I feel like this verse encapsulates the gospel and the great commission. My hope is that I would bring light everywhere I go. I’ve made it my goal to be light in dark places every opportunity I have. At cash registers, in restaurants, on my blog, and in my neighborhood. I want my face to shine like Moses’ did when he came down from the mountain! I even tattooed the word “light” on my foot as a reminder of my call.
My favorite Portland spots are:
Dinner: Our go to spot and FAVORITE restaurant is Dang’s Thai Kitchen in Lake Oswego just off 43. If you like Thai, this is seriously the best Thai we’ve ever had.
Lunch: Cha Cha Cha (usually the NW location) for a good selection of ala carte tacos. Also Lovejoy Bakers in the Pearl. Love the atmosphere and fresh & creative sandwiches.
Treats: Lately I’ve been into juice bars, and am desperately hoping for one to pop up in the burbs. So far I’ve tried Portland Juice Press, Greenleaf, Prasad, Kure and Local Choice Market. Our spontaneous dessert choice is usually a late night run for Burgerville shakes. Yum!
Where we go to dream: Schoolhouse Electric. We love to grab a warm drink at Ristretto and then dream up our perfect home as we walk through the staged living spaces.
Something I love to do every year is:
Go on tour with my husband. Nick plays guitar for the christian band Kutless, and so our lifestyle is anything but ordinary. Since we spend quite a bit of time apart, one of my favorite things is being able to go out on the bus with him. It’s such a privilege to be able to go to work with my husband, and travel all over the country. I love the adventure of waking up in a new place each morning, and discovering new towns and cultures. It is usually a refreshing time for me to get to see first hand what ministry I’m supporting when I say goodbye to my husband each week. I LOVE watching him play God inspired songs that he helped write, and seeing the way that people’s lives are impacted. It always helps fuel me for tour dates that I stay home.
What I really want every woman to know is:
“You are fearfully and wonderfully made...” (Psalm 139:14). God made no mistake when forming you. The latter half of that verse says, “wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” Learn to know it very well. Believe His promises to you, and find your worth in Him. I also want to remind you all that you aren’t alone. I think we all try to play off this facade that we’re perfect. We’re not:) We’re all struggling for security and we need each other! Be real and honest, and lift each other up.
If I could spend a year anywhere in the world, I would go to:
I would LOVE to spend a year exploring Europe. I’ve never been, and would love to take trains and planes all over until I saw it all. I think I’d start with London, then to the English countryside, maybe a little Paris, Germany, Scotland, and of COURSE hop over to Italy and Greece. I’d probably spend most of my time eating, but would just love to learn new cultures and explore historic cities with my husband.
Where to find me:
Website: www.lifeofdepartee.com
Twitter: @allydepartee
Instagram: @allydepartee