IT'S OFFICIAL!!! I'm Thinking Pink!

Dear Friends and Family,
Is this not the MOST BEAUTIFUL cosmetic case you have EVER seen!!!
Well, I can't believe it, but I am actually a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant! And I don't even REALLY wear make up! = ) I'm sure you're saying, "Man, she must have lost her mind!" = )
Let me share...= )

About two months ago Bill and I realized that I was going to need to figure out a way to bring funds into the home. The criteria would have to be being able to be home for the kids. After the Mizero Tour, realizing that I had some pretty substantial gifts that could be used to make money, if the opportunity arose. One day I was at McDonald's with the kids and as I was driving through the parking lot I saw a car with a Mary Kay sticker on the back. We've all seen them, right? Well, it was the first time I had NOTICED one in years! It was one of those moments where you know the Lord has you linger on something for a reason.

About two days later, Caela and I were out together and my dear friend, Jenny Kumnick, called me from Northern VA. We email eachother occasionally, but haven't seen or talked on the phone in about 3 years. She began telling me that the Lord was doing some discipline work in her life in the area of finances. I was interested, obviously. = ) Then she shared about her sister who had owned a restraunt and that the restraunt fell under and she had to get a full time job to support her family with two small children. Jenny's sister, Stephanie, was devastated. She had been crying out to God to provide a way to support her family without having to work 6-6 everyday. At a Bible Study she ended up weeping when a woman asked her how she was. The woman was a Mary Kay director of 13 years named Lisa Hall. Lisa asked the Lord if she should share this with Stephanie and was released to do so. Stephanie heard her story and got a confirmation from the Lord and started with Mary Kay. It has been about 2+ months and apparently she is half way to being able to leave her job! Jenny prayed about supporting her sister when approached and it was confirmed, so she said she called me knowing my need to help support the family and shared the possiblity with me. I, of course, having grown up with Mary Kay, felt inside..." PLEASE JENNY don't ask me!" but as she was my friend I told her, I wasn't interested in being a Mary Kay consultant, but that I wanted to help her in any way I could.

WELL! She asked me if I would go on a call to help her train, I said, " SURE!!" The day that I was to go on this call the kids and I were at the Mall and as we stepped out of the car I turned around and what should I see behind me, but a GORGEOUS 2008 Black Saturn SUV with a Mary Kay sticker on the back. I thought, "This has to be the new 'pink cadillac'" = ) So that night I asked Lisa, who was on the call, and she said, "Yep! That's what I have. " After talking with Lisa on the call, I was given a lot of info I did not know. It got me thinking, "Maybe...MAYBE this is what the Lord is laying at my feet to do? He works in mysterious ways, and leads us to things we wouldn't necessarily have chosen for ourselves." So I prayed and said, " Lord, if this is what you want for me, You have to confirm this, because this is not something I see myself doing." I told Lisa and Jenny that the first confirmation would be that Bill would need to support this because I made the HUGE mistake of NOT getting his support with MIZERO and ended up fighting him and being alone the whole time.

The next day I got the courage to talk to Bill about it. He was HUGELY supportive! He told me that with MIZERO it took me completely away from the family, and there was no return. But if I were to use my gifts to bring funds into the family, he said he could definitely sacrifice for that! Confirmation #1 down!

The very next day I received a package in the mail from my Father in law and Step-Mother in law. It was a belated Mother's Day gift. In it ...a GORGEOUS cosmetic bag that you see above! ARE YOÜ KIDDING?!!! NO WAY!!! = ) Have you ever received a gift or bought something that you just feel so loved! Like Jesus sent it just for you! I ended up calling my parent's in law and asking how they picked THAT gift. I was told that it had me written all over it! Confirmation #2 down!

After that I started asking for prayers for discernment that you have received. I was chatting with a friend from DCA who has been looking for a lucrative homebased business and telling her my journey and she said, "This is very intriging." = ) She got on a call with me and said she was very interested, but needed to talk to her husband and wanted to talk to someone at her church who she knew just started Mary Kay this year. Later that day she called me and said, "Cheryl, my husband is very supportive and I talked to my friend at church and she has been doing Mary Kay since January because she and her husband are going into mission work. She loves the business and has been doing very well financially since she started AND she has my personality, so if SHE can do it, I CAN do it! I am doing it even if you don't do it, SO ....are you doing it?" YIKES!!! PRESSURE!!! = )

I asked her if she could give me until the next morning. That night I went to my Care Group and asked everyone to pray for me. After we prayed a friend came up to me and told me her mother sold Mary Kay and loved it! That she had to stop because she already had a full time job, but now needed to care for her elderly parent. I thought, WOW! encouragement AND an advocate at The River! Confirmation #3 down!

Lastly, I had sent out a fleece. "Lord, if you want me to do this, provide $100 from some outside source." Well, I was thinking it would be a check in the mail from some anonymous person, or extra credit from some bill, but it was my friend, Michelle, paying for her welcome packet...which is $100! The first investment in MY TEAM!!! Michelle is my FIRST TEAM MEMBER = ) Confirmation #4 down!

SO!!! I am sufficiently convinced that this is the Lord's leading and as I have been imagining myself doing this business is the joy I anticipate in working with and encouraging women to be able to help support their families and still be home with their kids, to be able to incoorporate my love of TEATIME (TeaThyme) into my parties...which I hope will be my signature...that the word will get around that when you have a Mary Kay party with Cheryl McCarthy, expect to be pampered with a special teacup, tea, flowers, beauty and laughter, bathed in prayer! Some of you have experienced my "Tea Parties" I'm sure they would be a gift of refreshment! I look forward to, hopefully, being able to support DCA, MIZERO and first and foremost, the joys of my children...Karate for Daniel, Swimming for Caela, and Ballet for Gracie! I look forward to organizing, coordinating and encouraging...all precious gifts I am honored to have been given my my King Jesus! = ) Bill and I are praying about Sponsoring Olivier, one of the Mizero boys. I am planning on giving a percentage of all I sell to the children of Rwanda! I am anticipating building my initial 5 member Team and praying for those the Lord would call to join me in this adventure! Michelle and I are already enjoying what that looks like!

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME as I walk this business out! It is SUCH a gift to know when you are being led in His path, even when you wouldn't have gone down that road on your own. His ways are perfect and He delights in us! Again, I hope you will be blessed by an invitation to TEA and Pampering from me as I get my business rolling. If you want, visit my Mary Kay website... www.marykay.com/cherylmccarthy . It's packed with all kinds of things and gives you the option to order products or book a "Tea and Pampering" Party online!

Please, also pray for the DCA Board meeting Monday night where we will be discussing the possibility of me being paid part time for overseeing fundraising. If the answer is yes, with Mary Kay I can do as little or as much as I want...if I know I am getting compensated with DCA I can press in at DCA more if not I will have to give more time to Mary Kay. Please pray for God's direction on this.

I will keep you posted on my progress and so appreciate your incredible kindness in seeking the Lord for our family's provision! THANK YOU!!! = )

"...with the sweetest affection." (1Peter 1:22),
Bill, Cheryl, Caela, Isabella, Daniel, Gracie, and Liliana