Oct 3, 2022
Kimberly Hobbs
Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host,
Kimberly Hobbs. And we are so happy that you decided to join us
today. I'm so excited to welcome our guest today, which is Kayla
Follin. Kayla, welcome.
Kayla Follin
Hello. It's so wonderful to be here.
Kimberly Hobbs
And we're so glad you are here. Ladies, we're in for a treat from
this young lady from Liberty college. And we just cannot wait to
get into today's content. But first, we want to tell you why we are
here. Empowering lives with purpose is here to encourage you,
inspire you on your walk with Jesus. And we know that God is going
to make an impact in some significant way if he has led you today
to listen in and join us. So Ephesians 210 says that we are God's
masterpiece. We are created a new in Christ Jesus to do the good
things that he planned for us long ago. And so ladies, we believe
that each and every one of us have a purpose and a plan. And God
knows what that plan is. And he's working daily to talk to us about
that to guide us and direct us to walk in that plan that he has
executed over our life. So this is exciting to hear about Kayla and
how amazing God is using her in this ministry and women world
leaders and I'm going to share a little bit right now about who she
is. Kayla is a brilliant student who is studying at Liberty
University right now in Lynchburg, Virginia. And her current
studies are studio and digital arts with a focus in graphic design.
That's so interesting. And you are going to see ladies how this
unfolds today. And Kayla is a woman world leader and she is
currently serving on the leadership team now at women world leaders
and wow what what a blessing. She has been to this group of women
that serve on the leadership team. She's a joy and just a Pleasant,
Pleasant girl to be around. She is the graphic design artist for
voice of Truth magazine. And we could not do this without her and
we are just so grateful for her part in this magazine. So she loves
serving God with all her heart. And some of her loves include
photography, she she loves to do photography she loves to hike, and
her heart is just sold out to Jesus. So Kayla, today, Kayla and I
are going to talk and share a little bit about obedience and God's
perfect timing right because we have to be obedient to God. He's
called us to obedience and the life that we live through Jesus
Christ. And there is a verse I wanted to share before I asked
Kayla, the first question that we're going to ask her. And that
verse is as we dream about things in our lives, ladies, and may not
know what it is that God is going to bring us to and I know Kayla,
as a young student in college probably had those dreams and visions
of what is my life going to be like, you know, I'm going to
college. What am I going to do there? God says show me the right
path. Oh, Lord, point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by
your truth and teach me for you are the God who saves me. All day
long. I put my hope in you that Psalm 25, four and five. So Kayla,
God says show me the right path. Oh Lord, point out the road for me
to follow. And he did that. And he brought you to Liberty
University. Can you talk about how and what led you to go to you
Liberty University?
Kayla Follin
Yeah. Well, I am I always wanted to be a veterinarian and ever
since I was like eight years old. And so I knew I wanted to go
study something and so Finance, actually, and I loved science and
math, they were my best subjects. And chemistry was my favorite
class. And so going in, I was thinking about majors. And I always
knew I wanted to go to college and actually hadn't heard of liberty
until later on in my high school years. And I think I actually
found out about it from somebody at church, and they were a little
bit older than me. And they were going to be coming to Liberty that
next year.
Kimberly Hobbs
And Liberty, by the way, is a a Christian college.
Kayla Follin
Yes, yeah. And so, of course, when you're a junior in high school,
you do all of your your college tours, and I went to a few
different schools in Virginia. And it came down to liberty, or
Virginia Tech, and I finally came to visit and you walk on campus,
and you can feel the Holy Spirit here, you really can. And I
remember leaving thinking, wow, everybody was so friendly to me.
Because as a freshman in college, usually it's like, you've kind of
the young one, and everybody kind of picks on you, and especially
upperclassmen. And professors are always kind of mean, and you just
have this idea that college isn't going to be a warm and fuzzy
place, it's going to be like fend for yourself. And I remember
coming on campus, and everybody was just talking and talking about
their gods stories, and how God brought them here, and what he had
done in their lives. And I was like, Okay, Lord, like this place is
different. And this is where I want to be. And I have that peace
moving forward. Like, if I have the chance to go to a school that's
gonna support me in my walk with Christ, then why would I not like,
and and yes, maybe another school would have brought different
opportunities. I mean, of course it would. But the chance to be
surrounded by Christians that are like minded and support one
another and have this amazing community of young people who are
just passionate about God, it that's what sold me. And
Kimberly Hobbs
that is so good, Kayla, because there are I'm sure some that are
listening that may be younger than you that are now contemplating
college. And, and that's a scary thing, when like you said, you are
used to having to fend for yourself in the real world and you know,
in schools and things like that. But being able to go to a
Christian college is different because the focus is different.
Correct?
Kayla Follin
Definitely, um, our school's motto is Training Champions for
Christ. And I think I think that sentence in itself just shines
because every professor here, no matter what you're studying, is
going to tie it back to your face, and how are you going to use
your career to share the gospel? And how, how does science combined
with creation? And it's not that they don't like teach things like
evolution and, and teach World theories, but we take it down to the
core level and say, Well, how does this compare to what God's Word
says and what he's done? And how can we take the knowledge and then
take it out into the world to to share that with, with people?
Yeah, so it's a great place to be. And I think college is hard, and
you become who you're going to be most of the time. And it shapes a
lot of how you think. And if you can choose to go to a Christian
Christian College, then that just is it's setting you up for
continuing in your faith and growing in your faith and not feeling
so alone and, and having to search for that community.
Kimberly Hobbs
Oh, that's such a good point. And I just I love that you already
had that desire to follow after God's heart, you know, as a young
lady, and you were really seeking and God protected you and leading
you to a Christian college in you know, he put a whole hedge of
protection around you from your emotions and your feelings and
everything in the moment that you got there. So it's important,
it's so important to really look to God and ask Him, anybody out
there that is, you know, listening in and making a big decision
about choosing a college. And again, this today, we're talking
about obedience and God's perfect timing. You know, when you look
to Him, and you really trust him to direct each step, you know, he
will, he's going to direct you and Kayla, you were exactly where
God wanted you to Be at Liberty college walking in that door. And
you knew that you may not have known what it was that you were
going to take. But that's all part of the story, right? Because you
said, you started in you were going there thinking you wanted to be
a veterinary or veterinary assistant. And let's talk about that
here for a minute. Yeah. started to talk to you a little bit
more.
Kayla Follin
Yeah, he made it very clear where he wanted me. And very clear,
that's very clear. And but yeah, I wanted to be a vet my entire
life, I loved animals, I was riding horses and wanted to kind of go
into that realm of things. And then I think my senior year of high
school, before coming into college, I realized, well, maybe four
years of grad school isn't going to be my thing and started looking
a little bit more into human medicine. And one that really stood
out to me was to be a physician's assistant. And you practically
get to work as a doctor under under a doctor's supervision, but you
get to do everything they would without the paperwork. So I was
like, Okay, two years of grad school versus four, that sounds good.
So I, I switched over to being a physician's assistant and came
into Liberty studying biomedical sciences. And I think, as you
heard earlier, can really said that is not what I'm studying right
now studying studio and digital arts. So that was a big switch.
And, and God really took me on a journey to make that switch.
Kimberly Hobbs
Can you talk about that a little bit, Kayla, because that's like,
pretty incredible how that happened.
Kayla Follin
Yeah. Yeah, it was, it was a, it was crazy. It was only through
God. And my first year, here, I was just not happy. I mean, I was I
was happy with the school, I love the school. But when it came to
my classes, and what I was studying, I didn't have a passion for
it. And like my whole life, I've been good at science and math. So
it was like, You need to use that and go in the medical field. And
that's what people who are good at science do. And I really did
love it. But the passion wasn't there. And I realized that very
quickly into my classes, and I kind of had a heart check with God,
like, Am I doing this out of my own pride because I, I want people
to know that I am smart. And I am able to do these things. And it
was always what I led with when I met people like Oh, I'm studying
biomedical sciences. And I really do think it was a thing of pride
for me to, to leave that major and say that, you know, maybe I'm
not good enough for it. It was a big claim for me to make, and it
was a big step. But in that unsatisfied heart of mine, and not
being secure, and what I was studying the Lord led me through some
dark times. And I had to really claim to him and say, Well, what it
felt like everything was spinning around me like, What is going on
right now. I, I thought this is what I wanted to do. I thought this
is what I'm passionate about. But I'm so unhappy. And one night, I
was just laying in my bed in my dorm room and 2am and I couldn't
sleep. And I was like, Okay, well, let me just scroll through the
list of majors on Liberty's website. And so I'm scrolling through
and I'm just reading them and nothing was standing out. And I got
to the bottom and it said, studio and digital arts graphic design.
And I saw graphic design. Wow, what like, what is that I didn't
even know what it was. But it was when I say it was as if every
other word on the page was blurred out. I'm not exaggerating that
it was like there was a shining light on studio and digital arts
graphic design. And I have
Kimberly Hobbs
And I have goosebumps. Goosebumps, like this is incrediblie
Kayla Follin
It's crazy. I was just too am and I was bursting with energy. Like,
what is this floor? Like? Why do you want me to do with this? I
don't even know what graphic design is. And so on over the next few
days, I started learning more about it and talking with friends who
are a little bit older than me at school and saying, Well, what is
graphic design? Like do you know anybody who's studying it? And so
through a chain of people, I got connected with some upperclassmen
that were studying and had meetings with them and it was felt like
a huge decision for me to make this change to a different major. So
I was really trying to educate myself as much as I could, but I
knew that that That's where the Lord wanted me and I had that peace
about it. And so the middle of my spring semester, I made the
switch to from a science major to an art major.
Kimberly Hobbs
Wow, that you believed God. And you believe that he had a good plan
for your future? You know, you trusted him. You didn't understand
what was going on in that moment. But you started to sense that
something because you said everything else was blurred. that stood
out on the page, you were bursting with excitement, right? Ladies,
these are all signs as God speaks to us all in different ways.
Kayla was knowing something unique and different was going on in
that moment, right, Kayla? Yeah. And then look at how he just took
you. Some are proverbs 20 says that the Lord directs our steps,
right? We literally took you by the hand directing those steps.
Kayla Follin
Yeah. And he was preparing my heart for that change. Because I, I
needed to kind of rely on him. And it took that unsettled feeling.
And that just, and I don't know, I just wasn't happy, you know, and
I didn't have peace about it. And when you don't have the peace of
God, like, there's something missing there. And it I needed to kind
of cling to him and what he had, and he revealed it to me after
much prayer and, and struggle, he revealed it to me. So..
Kimberly Hobbs
I love that I love that. Psalm 139 says, God goes before us, and
follows us. So he not only goes before us in in the plans that He
has for us, but he says in Psalms 139 Five that he follows after us
to, you know, that is so comforting, right? And this story that
Kayla is walking us through, is quite remarkable, because how she
started out in college with one thing on her mind, God changed
those directions put that desire and fuel in her heart for
something he was preparing her to do, which is global, which is
major. And it's all God's timing, and acts of obedience, because we
have to follow and be obedient to what God is saying and speaking
into her heart. And Kayla, you had a vision while you're at school,
you started to visualize Wow, can I really see myself doing this
line of that you started to study in and graphic design. So there's
another scripture I wanted to share, which is, this vision is for a
future time. Listen to this verse. Ladies, this is so exciting.
This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will
be fulfilled. God says it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow and
coming wait patiently for it will surely take place. Ladies, how
many of us think about things dream about things. God has a plan.
But we give up way too soon, because things aren't happening in our
timing. It's not our timing. It's God's timing. And Kayla was in
school already studying something she wasn't even sure about. She
thought that's what she wanted to do. But God says wait patiently
for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed because it's
God's timing. That's Habakkuk 2:3. So
Kayla Follin
I love that verse, especially because to jump forward in the story
even more. I you know, was getting settled in my new classes. And
then God ignited this dream and my heart of working for a
publication and a nonprofit women's ministry. Oh my goodness. I
knew in my heart, I was like, this is definitely something I want
to do. But in my mind, it was like, Okay, maybe when I'm like 30 or
40. And I have, you know, my career setup, and it can be something
that I start up on the side. Well, little did I know that he would
bring this opportunity, my senior year of college. So I didn't know
you were going to talk a little bit more about the process of how I
got here, but
Kimberly Hobbs
I'm just covered here in goosebumps too, because, again, I'm
finding all these little details out about UK law. And you know,
even though Kayla and I are privileged to work together in this
ministry, I'm still learning about Kayla. And so this interview is
exciting to me too, and just knowing that God put that desire in
her to work for a ministry to work for a publication. And it just
goes to show that your obedient heart honey that God was honoring
that and he was blessing you by opening doors. So this is really
exciting ladies I've got to share this with you. So that you can
see that this truly is a god story of how he led this young lady to
this women's ministry and this publication. So follow this, okay,
because it took literally two and a half years as Kayla was in
school, all of God, God's doings were in the making. And it took
eight other people that had to take steps of obedience for Kayla to
be here today. And so I just, I'm gonna go through them quickly.
But I just want you to see how God was working all the way through
this to bring Kayla to where and what she is doing right now, which
is the amazing graphic artists, this entire publication voice of
truth. All right, so it started out two and a half years ago, with
actually our stepson, we were up in Ohio visiting him, and he
wanted us to go to church. It was around Christmas time. And in
honestly, sometimes, you know, you you step away on vacation, and
it was like it wasn't the first thing that that we were going to
do. But Jonathan wanted us to, you know, go to church with him and
see the church he was going to so we again, Jonathan step of
obedience to go to church. We went to church with him. And then we
get to church. All right, that's two people involved. Then we're
walking through the the hallway, and we meet a little boy, seven
years old, eight years old, comes up to us, and greets us. And he
particularly says a very beautiful compliment to me, which all
right, that's the fourth person I looked down at him. I'm just
amazed at, you know, how kind of this little boy was doesn't know
me from Adam. I look up and I see his mom standing there. And I
said, Wow, you raise such an amazing son, you know, to just to be
so kind and loving to a stranger. And, and so we had a few words.
And then we went into for the message. And afterwards, this woman,
there's a lot more to the story. But this woman seeks me out. To
pray with me after she felt led. God led her to pray with me,
because she was going through cancer. And she was a young woman.
She had two small children, obviously one of them that contacted
me, and, and so I prayed with her there in the in the entrance of
that church. And then I felt compelled to tell her about women,
world leaders. As the story continues on, she gets involved in
women world leaders. And she has a sister that was also battling
cancer, who lived in England, and she felt burdened. This was about
six months later, she felt burdened, and asked if women world
leaders would put together a zoom prayer meeting because this was
during the beginning of COVID. So nobody was able to go out
anywhere. So we pulled together this Zoom meeting, and I meet this
woman who is this lady sister, and we meet her over zoom. Well, we
had opened it up to other women to come in to pray for her. And in
the prayer Zoom Room was another woman by the name of Connie, who
was praying for Liz in England. Connie hears about this women's
ministry women world leaders and reaches out to us separately, and
says she would love to talk about possibly writing or doing
something with her writings for women, world leaders. Well, women
were a leaders had been praying about starting voice of Truth
magazine. So we looked at her writings, and we were like, wow, we
can use this woman in as a contributor to voice of Truth magazine.
So we started to put together through that year magazine meetings
and prayer meetings and everything to put together this publication
that was going to come out in January of 2021. But we needed a
graphic artist, and we didn't know where this graphic artist would
come from. But we knew that God had a plan. We couldn't do this
without a graphic artist. So we went to prayer. And in one of the
meetings, the magazine meetings which Connie had sat in on again
she was on staff at Liberty University. Connie has an amazing idea
to contact one of the teachers that had students in the graphic
artists department and see if one of them would be interested in
doing an internship. Oh, my goodness. Kayla comes forward. And as
you see ladies this took, how many acts of obedience? How many
years of time in God's perfect timing, that person after person did
what they were called to do walked in the steps of obedience, eight
people, two and a half years later. And here we have Kayla fallin,
who is now the graphic artist for women, world leaders. And through
her talents and what she has done. Over 16,000 viewers have been
looking at voice of truth magazine, have been receiving this
incredible publication. I mean, this is something only God can do.
We have over 60 contributors in this magazine. And Kayla is the
graphic artist who is putting all of this together from day one. So
God's perfect timing, Kayla, I'm going to ask you just God will
accomplish His plan in your life. You just need to take the steps
to do it. Right. Jeremiah 2911 says, I know the plans I have for
you, says the Lord. Kayla, what do you like best about this
ministry?
Kayla Follin
I will. The community I think every single person I've met here has
is so on fire for the Lord. And it's unlike anything I've seen
before. It's like you took every person who is just the most
passionate out of so many churches across the world, and you
combine them into one group. And that has been what's so inspiring
for me is because I've never had a strong community of people, you
know, a little bit older than me who can pour into me from their
life experiences and, and show how passionate they are about their
faith. And when I remember the first meeting that I had with you
guys, and I was listening to the way you prayed. And I was like,
specifically you can really because you you and Carrie would just
pour out so much faith or you had so much faith in that God was
going to do what he said he was going to do. And I had this take a
step back afterwards. I was like, do I do I believe like they do
like in my passionate enough that God is going to do what he says
he's going to do. And you guys just constantly push me in the best
way God uses you to push me to trust him more. And to believe big
God dreams and have those things ignite in your heart that only he
can do and know that he will do them if it's if it's meant in his
will. So that's what I love about you guys.
Kimberly Hobbs
Amen. Well, and there is that verse that we have for women, world
leaders unto him who's able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all
we can ask or imagine according to the power that's at work within
us. So if we're each of us, exuding that power that's at work
within us. God is going to do the rest of the exceedingly
abundantly beyond. And so we were all just doing our part. And then
as God brought you in, Kayla, now you are doing your part honey.
And this whole world is being impacted because of everybody steps
of obedience, to execute a mission that God put on our hearts to
do. And that's our purpose here ladies with Kayla and I here
talking is just to encourage you into your steps of obedience
encourage you into knowing that God's timing is the right timing.
And so Kayla, I just want to ask you, how do you think this
ministry could affect young women? Like as we're talking right now,
what would you say to maybe the mom out there that has a daughter
that is ready to take that step and go to college? What would you
say to that mom? Encouraging her daughter?
Kayla Follin
Yeah, I think you know it It is just encouragement. And it's, it's
being there and being vulnerable about the lessons that you've
learned through your life, and how that can be a testimony to her.
Because I think the greatest encouragement that people have poured
out on me is, you know, sharing in the same struggles that, you
know, they might have already been through, and they are on the
other side of it, but I might be in the midst of it. And when you
have faith to be vulnerable with people and share those deep
struggles and what impacted you and what you learned, and maybe
even your faults and what you should have done better, that's where
I think true encouragement comes from. And it develops a sense of
trust to you know, like, I can trust what you're saying and your
advice because you are being open with me. So specifically for
college like I would say, just encourage them to chase after the
Lord because if they're chasing after the Lord, their heart is
going to want to be where he is. And, and that's the best place to
be.
Kimberly Hobbs
I love that Kayla. So transparency ladies, be transparent with your
children be transparent with your your nieces and nephews are those
that are facing you know, these life decisions that they're making.
Share your, like Kayla said, Be vulnerable and open up. It's so
important when they're making their decisions. They know that they
need to know the realities of life and what you have been through
and that you are pointing them in the right direction. So that
they'll trust you. And Kayla, I'm so what would you speak into the
student you're talking to? That person graduating from from high
school right now? Or or somebody that may have been wandering out
of high school and not in college yet or going into a future? What
would you recommend to them?
Kayla Follin
Yeah, I would say the most important thing you can do right now is
to seek after God's heart. And He reveals so much about yourself,
and so much of the plans that He has for you when you just take
time to rest and, and who he is and focus on developing that
relationship above all. And a verse that comes to mind, I think
it's Psalm 46, five, and it's God is within her, she will not fall,
something like that, that might be a good paraphrase. But I
actually had that on a poster above my, above my bed in my dorm
room. So it's funny that that is just coming up right now. But it's
true. When we're walking with Christ. He protects us from anything,
and we are covered by him. And he, he's closer than our very
breath. So we can we can trust him. And when we're near with him,
he gives us those urges in our heart and this, you know, pray for
our passions to align with his passions were like, Lord, what do
you want for me to do? Would you ignite that in me? So being open
and ready for whatever he's got, and, and don't think that just
because you're young, that you can't, you can't be impactful in a
ministry. Because you you maybe don't have as many life
experiences. But God uses us in every stage of life. We don't have
to wait until we're grown adults to share what he's doing.
Kimberly Hobbs
Amen. And you your life. Kayla, to this point is a prime example of
that, you know that God will accomplish what he's going to
accomplish through you. If you are willing, if you're willing,
ladies, and you young women just hold that tight, God is going to
accomplish it through you. It's not what you're gonna do on your
own. You just need to be obedient. I have another verse I have to
share. God says, oh, Lord, I will honor and praise your name. For
you are my God. You do such wonderful things. You planned them long
ago, and now you have accomplished them. Isaiah 25 One. So ladies,
he's the one that plan this long ago in your life. He's the one
who's going to accomplish it. You don't need to worry or fret about
what it's going to be you need just need to follow in the Acts of
obedience and just walk it out. Have that peace in your heart that
you know that you're walking in the right direction. Just like
Kayla got that peace. It came after she went to college when she
wasn't sure of what she was going to do in her one area focus of
study, and she changed it. And then she said, Everything blurred
out around those words. And graphic design just popped out like a
bright light. And immediately she got excited. And she knew in her
heart because there was that burst of joy, that this is what she's
supposed to do. And two years later, how God has opened the door
now to what she is doing. So we need to close and I just want to
say thank you, Kayla, thank you for sharing your heart. Thank you
for sharing your time in this ministry and women world leaders.
There is a place for everybody here ladies, and we are in so
encouraging you to step out in faith, whatever it is that you do.
As you saw, it took eight people in steps of obedience to get
Kayla, to women, world leaders and doing the graphic design for
voice of Truth magazine. So ladies, we don't know what it is that
you do you have giftings your giftings are welcome here in this
ministry, and we're asking you to come forward with them. So if you
want to receive your free copy of this publication, and we said
free, we just asked you to go to info at women world leaders.com
You can email us there info at women world leaders.com. And leave
us your name, your address. And be sure to leave us your email
address if you are outside of the United States, because we will
send it to you digitally and those that are inside the United
States will get their free printed copy. And we are working on
printing copies outside the United States. And it's all in God's
timing things are coming together. So just walk with us and know
that God has a plan a perfect plan for all of us. So as we close
today, I just again want to say thank yous precious Kayla. And
please go to our website at women world leaders.com where you can
catch us every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for other podcasts. We
have teaching podcasts on Wednesdays we have grace podcasts on
Friday. And of course the interviews come out on Monday. So we're
on five different platforms. We asked you to search us out and you
can pray with us. If you have a prayer request. We asked you to
share it on our prayer wall at women world leaders.com Where we
have prayer warriors that are so happy to pray for you. And if you
are a prayer warrior and you want to pray for some women and women,
world leaders and just look for us and our prayer wall tell us you
want to come in and be a prayer partner love to have you. So ladies
from his heart to yours. We are women we're a leaders. All content
is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written
consent. God bless you all. Thank you, Kayla. Thank you. Have a
beautiful and blessed day.