I'm
excited to be sharing another interview with y'all today, this time
with my dear friend, Naomi! She is one of my closest friends, encourages
me in the things of the Lord, and shine's God's light wherever she is.
The joy of the Lord radiates through her beautiful smile. Naomi has been
studying to become a midwife and plans to work at a birthing clinic later this year!
I simply love her enthusiasm to 'catch babies' and encourage the new
mothers. I look forward to seeing how the Lord uses her in this desire.
(side note: Naomi is working on creating a blog right now. I will let you now when it is public!)
Meet Naomi:
(side note: Naomi is working on creating a blog right now. I will let you now when it is public!)
Meet Naomi:
In my spare time, I love playing the piano and learning more on the guitar, sewing new inspirations, reading challenging books, and of course, hanging out on Pinterest, Instagram or snapping my friends on Snapchat :) I love anything that has to do with elephants, moose, coffee, hunting, dark chocolate, or the color yellow. And I think that just about sums me up :)
Since you have the blessing of being in a large family, could you share some thoughts on how a daughter can encourage + serve her family? Oh wow. Definitely don't feel worthy to answer this question - I still have so much growing to do in this area.
I'd have to say the MOST important thing that a daughter can do for her family is serve IN LOVE. Without love, anything and everything you do - big or small - has no eternal value.
Another thing that I have been working on is taking time for individuality. Each of my family members (specifically my younger siblings) has INDIVIDUAL needs, concerns, and opinions. It is so easy to get caught up in just "doing it" and not taking a moment to make it personal.
Above all, just remember - it is not the clean floors or dusted surfaces that we will remember later in life, rather the spirit that was in the house - whether cheerful + in-the moment or stressed + hurried.
What are your plans after school? Well, I just recently contacted a midwife that I have known for a number of years; my sister used her for her last 2 babies. She told me that as soon as I graduate I was to give her a call and that we would figure something out to start my apprenticeship. I am beyond excited to see what doors God opens and what He has in store for me, even in the next few months as I finish high school.
Would this involve any schooling? I just recently decided that I would go with the apprenticeship-only route. There are options for online/distance learning schools, but with the knowledge the midwife that I will be apprenticing with has, my parents and I took her advice and I'll be doing an apprenticeship - probably for about 3 years.
What made you interested in midwifery? I actually have never been able to pinpoint the moment when I said "I want to be a midwife." It really has been like the song "The Call" by Regina Specktor, if you have never heard it you should look it up. I have always been utterly fascinated by the miracle of how God creates a baby and when my older sister had her first baby, and I met the midwife she used, I think that is when the thought first came that that might be something I'd do later in life. So, like in that song the feeling became a hope then a quiet thought to a quiet word...until finally this quiet thought is now a plan in motion!
Have you been to any births? I attended my very first entire labor + delivery on October 30th, when my newest niece was born. It was, without a doubt, one of the most amazing experiences yet so far in my life. As much as I hated seeing my sister in any sort of pain, the joy that flooded her face when she held Reagan for the first time was so overpowering. It was in that moment that I knew that my life would not be fulfilled till I was fulfilling God's call for me to "catch babies"!
How does your faith influence your plans for the future/your desire to become a midwife? God has laid heavily on my heart a burden for reaching out to pregnant + hurting teenage girls - to simply portray to them the love of Jesus. A lot of these girls don't know where to turn, and so they listen to whatever the abortion clinic tells them. If I were able to change just one heart of a girl considering an abortion - it would be worth it.
What tips would you share with young ladies who are desiring to dress in a way that is both modest, beautiful, and glorifying to their Savior? Sure - I'd love to! I totally believe that girls can dress in a cute + attractive way and yet still be entirely modest + classy. Modesty is not simply what we wear on the outside, it is an ATTITUDE. A woman can dress entirely modest, but if her attitude/demeanor is boisterous + loud, she might as well dress in skanky clothing. There is SO much more I could say on the subject of modesty - but I'm gonna keep it short n' sweet ;)
Here's a few random, practical tips for dressing modestly without being frumpy...
1. First of all, evaluate your attitude behind why you wear a certain piece of clothing that you think might be questionable. Is it because you really just love it? If so, maybe keep a look out for something similar that would fit to your conscience's satisfaction. Or is it because you think it subtly enhances your body? If so, it's time to reevaluate why we dress the way we do and throw it out! When your heart is right with Christ - your desires will be for genuine modesty.
2. Wear clothes that FIT you. Not tight or revealing by any means, but not hanging off your shoulders either. When clothes don't fit, it gives an impression of sloppy + unkept - not at all what Christ portrays!
2. Find out what colors look best with your natural skin complexion, eye color, and hair color. God created each of us with individual features + tones and it is truly such fun to discover what they are!
3. Wear clothes that you personally LIKE. When we wear items that we like, it makes it FUN to dress modestly!
What is something that the Lord has been teaching you recently? Is there a verse/s you’d like to share from God’s Word that has especially blessed you in the recent days? Something that the Lord has been laying on my heart recently is having a heart OPEN to His completing work. He promises in his Word that he will complete the work that he has started in me, I just need to be open and willing. My word for the year is c o m p l e t e. I want Him to complete me.
One verse that I absolutely love:
"Fear thou not, for I AM with you. Be not dismayed, for I AM thy God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. Yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness." {Isaiah 41:10}
What are five things that you are thankful for today? Let's see...
1. My oh-so-yummy mango tea latté this morning to get me through my first class *thumbs up emoji*
2. Amazing friends who never judge, instead encourage.
3. God's gift of the ability to think + process the *boatload* of information school entails ;)
4. My Mom - the end.
5. The opportunity to do this interview with my dear friend, Tashia. <3
Anything else you’d like to share? Above all else, remember that God loves you. This phrase can be used so often that it can become cliché and loose it's power. But I challenge you to just stop and think about those words for a second. God loved YOU so much that he left his glory on high to come to this earth in the most humbling way we can think of - as a helpless newborn - just so he could SAVE you. So no matter what lies the devil may throw your way - this truth has power; you just go ahead and throw this right back at him!
. . .
Thank you SO much for doing this interview, Na! I love you dearly. <3
. . .
Thank you SO much for doing this interview, Na! I love you dearly. <3
