Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Holbrook.
Patricia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started the ministry in 2010, writing a blog with devotionals and also speaking at women’s events. I felt led to encourage women to “soar above life’s circumstances” with God’s help, and help them through Bible teaching to find the tools they need to overcome fear, past traumas, and disappointments, anxiety, etc.
In 2012 my writing caught the eye of an editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, after I submitted a column on for Mother’s Day. The name of the column was “Setting Mom Free.” It was my personal testimony of forgiveness and restoration of my relationship with my mom. I continued submitting columns for the Faith & Values section and they were published every 2-3 weeks. In January of 2014, the AJC made me an official columnist. I write every other weekend for the paper.
In the meantime, I received a book proposal at the end of 2014 and my first book, “Twelve Inches – Bridging the Gap Between what you Know about God and How You Feel” was released in July 2015.
In 2016, I started an annual women’s conference “She Soars.” It took place in North Atlanta in 2016 and last year, we took it to South Atlanta. We partner with churches and bring the conference to their community. We had 7 speakers last year.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not always.
I’ve had many valleys since I started my ministry. I had 3 major surgeries, cancer, and it was not easy to keep focused when you hurt. But God has used all these valleys to write a story in my life, and I have been able to share my story with countless women and help them to stay focused and keep their faith through life’s hard spots. That is my life goal.
Also, writing is a lonely profession. And when you write to encourage others, sometimes you wonder whether what you do is making any difference. I have to constantly remind myself that the growth belongs to God and He is the One who hits the targets. I do my part, and trust Him to do His.
Soaring with Him Ministries – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At an age when Christian bloggers are often blending with pure motivational speaking blogs and speakers, I go the extra mile to center my writing in biblical principles, not in opinions. On my AJC writing, I write for a wider audience, so I quote a variety of writers, secular and religious, but I always use biblical principles in the themes I write about. On my blog, I can be more laser focused, quoting the Bible and using the principles in God’s Word to teach and encourage. I know I am by any means the only blogger who does that, but, there are not too many of us out there anymore.
My objective is to always point my readers to the source of all my comfort and joy: my Savior Jesus Christ. He’s the one who called me to do what I do, and who opened all the doors so far, so I am committed to honor Him in what I do.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Last September, it was my pastor Dr. Charles Stanley’s 85th birthday, and I wrote a column to honor his life and ministry. This man’s ministry impacted my life deeply. I was a young Christian when I joined his church, and his teaching is what inspired me to dig deeper and know God in a more intimate way.
My most unforgettable moment was to hear from one of his best friends that he had never seen Dr. Stanley react to something written about him as he did when he read my column. Later that week, during his birthday gala, Dr. Stanley himself told me how much the column blessed him. That meant the world to me, not because I wanted a part in the back, but because my prayer was that the column would truly honor and bless him.
That moment was priceless to me. I think it was my “proudest” moment if I could choose one.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4514 Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd #279 Atlanta, GA 30338
- Website: http://soaringwithhim.com/
- Phone: 4044320497
- Email: pholbrook@soaringwithHim.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patricia_holbrook/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoaringwithHimMinistries
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatHolbrook
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-holbrook-63372115/
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