Founder, Kimberly Crayton Corley
.. He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2Cor 12:9)
As I shared in my first post on this blog, starting a business has been an interesting journey, full of twists and turns, highs and lows. Like most entrepreneurs I started off believing my idea for Cake And A Prayer was a great one and would make millions. My confidence was not only based on my belief that I had the right product, the right skills and the right people to make it work, but more importantly, it was based on my belief that this was God’s will for my life. As my pastor always said, “The safest place to be is inside the will of God”. Well I can tell you that safe doesn’t always mean easy.
As it turns out, I had some of the right skills, some of the right people, and some of the right products. And let me not forget to mention, only some of the money that would be required to make this business a success. But then God asked me, if I had all instead of some, why would I need Him? If He gave me everything I needed at the outset, how could He use me to inspire others who are stuck at the starting gate because they don’t think they have everything they need?
When I first started Cake And A Prayer, my husband of a few months asked, “at what point will you say it’s time to move on”. Translation: “How long before you start making money or before you decide to call it quits?” A very reasonable question from a very reasonable man. My response was not so reasonable. “Until we have no more savings, have sold the house, and are sleeping in the car with only the clothes on our backs” was my reply. I didn’t mean it literally. I just wanted him (and God) to know that I was in it to win it. I would not stop until God said stop. Now I remember well the scripture “The power of life and death is in the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), and I pray God won’t hold me to it. Arrrrgh! Me and my big mouth!
Someone once told me that God does not give us starting grace, He gives us grace along the way. Recently I asked God if I was still operating inside of His will for my life and for this company, especially since we are not yet generating the profits I had hoped for. God laughed and reminded me that I still have a roof over my head and am not yet sleeping in the car. And just in case I needed a little extra assurance that I was on the right track:
… He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2Cor 12:9)
Don’t wait or hesitate to walk in your God-given purpose. You have everything you need. His grace is sufficient for you too!
Tags: christian gifts, christian inspiration, gift delivery, religious gift
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I am so very blessed by ur story, so very glad one of my FB friends referred me your site. Just what I need at this time, to keep pushing toward the call God has on my life. Stay encouraged, u r helping people who have an ear to hear. Thank u!
God Bless You Kimberly, you have truly been blessed and you are a major blessing to others by sharing this story. There are many people out there; including myself who want to start their own business and are afraid to. I have been wanting to start my own house cleaning business for the longest. You have just inspired me to stop helping other people’s cleaning business bloom and start my own. I am going to put a Cake and a Prayer on my facebook and share it. I’m already following you on twitter. God Bless You Again! Continue to write blogs and continue to grow your business! To God Be The Glory!
@Debra – Thank you for your kind note. I pray you will not be limited by what your eyes can see and that you will think bigger than you have ever thought before. God will do great things in your life if you will let Him. Take the first step (which includes lots of prayer) and stand back and watch God do His thing! I am excited about your future.
@Natalie – As an entrepreneur that works around the clock , doesn’t have a lot of excess cash at the moment, and always looking to find a better balance between work and life, I still have my house cleaned once a month. If I didn’t, my husband might start looking for another place to live (smile). Home-based cleaning businesses are one of the fastest growing franchises. Not only should you start one, but you should start it with the goal of expanding it via licensing or franchising. The service I use has 50-100 employees (and are often booked). The only difference between you and them is that they took the first step. My prayer is that you will not stop at 50 employees, but have 50 franchises (that have 50 employees each). And … all of this within the next 5 years. In Jesus’ name. AMEN!
Wow…what a testiment and encouragement for all of those of us trying to Work the Business even when it appears the Business is NOT Working for Us. I appreciate your words of advice and hope, most of all I appreciate your keepin it real message regarding “Standing in Grace ” even in the midst of uncertainty.
I know the word promises, he will never leave or forsake us… so I am inspired to keep on keepin on. Thanks for this this powerful message which I intend to share with all of those seeking the courage to walk or those wavering if they should even continue the Journey. This article will truly be a treasure for all of us who have received “The Call” to ACT…Grace and Focus will be our Guide. Blessings.
Thank you so much Kimberly, your post was so encouraging! Starting a business is not easy but ,God gives us what we need to press forward so that his Glory can be revealed.
I read your blog today. I was inspired to write today because in reading your blog it appears to me… It is all about the journey.
You write: “Recently I asked God if I was still operating inside of His will for my life and for this company, especially since we are not yet generating the profits I had hoped for.” To that I say, perhaps you are becoming the “prophet” He had hoped for!
We never know what God has in store for our lives, allow Him to continue to guide you through this journey and wait and see what the end will be. Your profit or His prophet?
Keep inspiring others through His word! I am excited about your future!