Beach Time Courses has changed, but it didn’t change because I wanted it to. It changed because He wanted it to and I am following His lead. 

Background 

I lost my job on September 11, 2023. This was the day before I left for Ghana to marry my now-husband, Michael. When I returned three weeks later, I looked for work but was unable to find it. To make a very long story short, I couldn’t find work. I lost my home (and only got a fraction of what it was worth), almost got my car repo’ed  and my father died in June of 2024.  

My husband, who was still in Ghana asked me to come to Ghana and be with him. I jumped at the chance. I had already sold my house and most of my belongings. I sold the rest of them along with my car. When I left, I was thinking I was starting to a new life with my new husband in a new country on a new continent.  

Finding a job was next to impossible (we lived 90 minutes outside Accra). I tried to start two Shopify stores but when my IP address revealed I was in Africa, Shopify, Facebook and several other American based companies assumed I was a scammer, and I got nothing done. 

Since I am an instructional designer (professional course creator), I decided that instead of creating courses for other companies to go into business for myself creating courses. My courses would have been personal development courses for Gen X and Millennial women. 

I created The Golden Goals Method and Bucket List Basics for this audience. I used the last of my house money to advertise for my courses. Isn’t the beginning of the year the time that everyone sets goals. I knew I’d have sales. And ... I didn’t. Not even one! 

Even though Michael took care of expenses, I wanted to contribute, and I couldn’t. We were (and are) in the middle of trying to get a Visa for him in the States, so I decided to come back home. He gave me a little cash for my trip home. Then, ... 

I thought I found a roommate through Roommates.com. I sent her the security deposit and rent so I would have a place to stay when I got back Stateside. She also volunteered to pick me up from the airport. Well, she left me strained and took my security deposit and rent money. 

I spent the rest of the money Michael gave me on staying the rest of the month in a roach filled Motel 6. Through hustle and the kindness of friends, I found a room for me and Benji (my Yorkie) for $215 a week. And every week, I am scrambling to make that money. 

God During the Hard Times 

When I was still in Ghana, I had a lot of free time. Michael had a ‘good job’. They knew it was one of the few ‘good jobs’, so they work him to death. He works six to seven days a week and with long hours and his commute, he is gone 12-14 hours a day. Since we had one car between us, I was alone a lot. Well, not completely alone, Benji, my Yorkie, made the trip with me. 

I decided to spend more time in prayer and reading my devotional. And I actually heard from God. Before I left for Ghana, I had literally lost everything. And then, I lost my father. My question was simple, “Why?” And, then, I heard an answer. 

My answer didn’t come from me. I know my own voice. I know my own thoughts and my own ideas. This was not my voice and this voice was saying something I would never say.  

Lord: I sent you several jobs. You didn’t even bother applying. It wasn’t enough money for you. Get out your calculator. 

I got out my calculator. 

Lord: Take the hourly rate that wasn’t enough. How much would you have taken home every two weeks? 

I took the hourly wage, multiplied it by 80 to get the gross. Then I multiplied it by .7 to account for taxes.  

Lord: Was that enough to pay your last three car payment? 

Me: Yes 

Lord: What about your mortgage? 

Me: I could pay that and my car out of the same check. 

Lord: But you wouldn’t even apply. 

Me: I am good at what I do. I work hard. I’m worth at least what I was making. Heck, I deserved more, not less. 

Lord: Pride often looks like arrogance and overconfidence. How do you know what you deserve? 

Me: But less? That much less? 

Lord: How do you know I would have kept you there? How do you know that you wouldn’t have ended up making more than you expected? 

Me: Silence 

Lord: Exactly. Put your pride aside. Follow Me. Trust Me. 

And I started walking down this path. I’m still on it. It’s been dark and bumpy, but I am trusting Him. 

Where I Am Now 

I don’t have a house or even an apartment. Benji and I are renting the $215/week room. I have roommates. I don’t have a job. I don’t have a car. I do have a Chromebook that I use to create my courses, work on my websites and apply for jobs. I am relying on the kindness of friends and family to pay my rent. I hope I have a job soon. The ones I’m applying for now are a lot less than the low contract jobs I wasn’t considering before. 

I ask God about three things every day.  

1. I need help paying my rent 

1. I need a job 

1. Please direct me in the path I should take 

My New Business Direction 

I still need help with #1 and #2 but the other day, I got the answer for #3.  

My devotional plan has expanded. I read my devotional then I write my notes and thoughts in a journal. Then I listen to a praise song. I finish with a personal prayer and then my prayer list.  

I had just started reading my devotional and it referenced Psalms 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” And, I started thinking about sheep, how they have a low depth of field and poor eyesight and how they need to be led. They need the shepherd. All the sudden, I was thinking about how people could get so much more out of Bible reading if they understood more of the symbols, metaphors and parables. 

This is what I need to be creating courses about. I’m used to doing handouts and those handouts could be used by individuals or Bible study groups, in-person keynotes and workshops. Immediately, I started working to make changes to my website, my blog, and outlining my course. 

If God has given me a direction, I need to follow it. And follow it, I will!  

You are cordially invited to accompany me on my journey. I have fallen and right now, I’m down but I am climbing back up with faith and my God directing my path.