We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Bearden. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.
Alright, Amy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
We were all born to be the light of Jesus in this ever growing dark world.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”. Matthew 5:16
I want to show love and encouragement to those I meet and to let them know there is nothing they have ever done that will change God’s love for them. The world condemns but we are meant to love no matter what. People need it.
“Love covers a multitude of sins”. 1 Peter 4:8
I want them to know that their true identity is in who God says they are and not what others say or think. That if they were ever rejected by others that they are always welcome to sit at my table.
I would hope that I have made them feel loved, accepted and that I always point them to Christ and remind them just how special they are to Him.
Amy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
For this child I prayed,……..my mother prayed for a blond haired, blue eyed baby girl. Even after being told their son was born and having to wait two days to pick me up due to being circumcised, I was adopted and raised in a small, rural town in West Texas. I have always had a calling, even as a young child and at that time I wasn’t aware what that even was. I never fit in, always was an outsider. I always had an awareness of greater things. I was a dreamer at an early age. I had the gift of writing as a kid, even had my own newspaper column in high school. I wasn’t raised in church, I would go on occasion with my granny and during vacation bible school. I rededicated my life more than once but it was in 2019-2020 after the death of my granny, that I truly became dedicated. I was lost and unsure of what my purpose was, I didn’t have my granny to take care of anymore and I had no sense of direction. It was then that I started seeking God in a greater way. I have learned the difference between the spiritual and physical realms, something I always heard but never understood until I went through it.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”. Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
In 2022 while at a conference I had someone encourage me to write a devotional book and two days after returning home from the conference, in the middle of facing a really hard time and a battle, is when God gave me the name and the very first devotion. It took me less than a year to write a 454 page book with photos and with the consultation of a great woman of God I was able to publish it all on my own. All it takes is one person to believe in you and push you to your best potential. I want to be that type of person. Meeting JJ Fox Hatch truly has been a blessing and she has been one of those women for me. She has helped guide, inspire and encourage me to step out and do things I didn’t know I could even do. It was through her I have met some amazing powerhouse women of God who have truly changed my life. Not only am I an author of two books, and a yearly planner, but I am a photographer, speaker and business owner. I have shirts, prints of my photography, cups, caps, and many other items for sale. I was a speaker at the 2024 When Sisters Unite Conference and because of that have met some even more amazing people who I call family and an amazing apostle who has really taught me about identity. What sets me apart from others, I am not doing this to be impressive but impactful. It isn’t about a platform or whose platform, because I am my own. I am not looking for fame or fortune but lives who are changed. People are lost and lonely. There are so many people who just need one person to say you are going to be ok. We need more people pointing to Jesus in a world that is screaming the opposite. Time and life is getting faster and shorter. My books are to encourage others, to let them know they are not alone in their walks. To give that hope to a hopeless world.
The merchandise is just a perk and the creativity God gives me to be able to share with others. I don’t do it for me because I know that the things I have went through are not for me but to help someone else. The warfare I experienced, the battles I have fought, were not in vain. I have seen witchcraft firsthand, even though at the time I wasn’t aware and the Bible says people will perish from lack of knowledge and believe me it almost took me out! BUT GOD! I am just a small town country girl who loves Jesus and had to finally stand up, take the initiative and seek Him for myself and allow Him to transform my mind, heart and soul. No one else could nor would they do it for me. I could remain stuck in a place I was never meant to be or I could get up, get out and get moving. I learned I wasn’t alone. With God all things are possible and there is nothing He cannot do. I had to get that mindset and truly understand that He that is within me is greater than he that is in the world and knowing that, no devil in hell can ever take me down, unless I let him. I have the choice to complain about my circumstances, or I can get up, get dressed, get moving and go after all that He promised me. Because He wants to give us everything if we only ask, seek and knock for it! I learned to Worship in the Waiting and to Praise Him in the Pauses of life because that is where great things are birthed! It was in those moments, when the weight of the wait almost detoured me, that God came in and changed me and everything around me. I am not perfect and still have my faults. It is a daily renew. God had to completely strip me and remold me and it wasn’t easy because I had to be willing and obedient and that is the hardest thing. All He wants is your surrender but we often times don’t want to let go but I promise, once you do His glory will fall. Trust the process. Trust Him in all things.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I now know that not everyone who cheers for you is for you. Those so called “friends” are not always your friends or family for that matter. That the enemy operates by access and who you allow in your life and in your circle is important. Discernment is key and one of the most important things you need to pray for and when you are loyal to someone who is spiritually toxic is being disloyal to your divine destiny. I was such a trusting person and didn’t know some people will just not like you no matter how kind you are to them, and sometimes there is a hidden agenda behind their friendship to you. I allowed people to become so close to me that it ended up with me compromising so much of who I was and what I believed in. I told them things they used later to manipulate me and control me. I have learned to watch their fruits and their patterns. Being alone sometimes isn’t always a bad thing. I was being destroyed by people who I trusted because I refused to see them for who they really were.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I have always been people pleaser and I have finally learned that the only one I have to please is God. You don’t usually learn unless a lesson has been given and the teaching can be tough, but once learned you never forget it. I want to let others know that you don’t need validation from other people. If God says you are enough, then you are enough. Period. You don’t have to be friends with everyone and not everyone needs to know everything about you. Chosen people are set apart and are often misunderstood, fought and often times walk alone, but that is ok. To those who have ever felt abandoned, rejected, persecuted, or used, you are not being abandoned but aligned. You really aren’t alone you are surrounded and you are loved. If you are in a battle don’t let go of the hem of his robe, your miracle is right there. Keep pushing, keep reaching, keep fighting and keep believing. Sorrow may endure through the night but joy always comes in the morning! Remember that rejection is always God’s protection. Wolves roam in packs but eagles always fly alone. Let’s rise and let’s fly!
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 NLT
Isaiah 40:31 NLT
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amygbearden.com
- Instagram: amybearden
- Facebook: Amy G. Bearden
- Linkedin: Amy Bearden
- Youtube: @amybearden3
