Meet Wendy Whittaker

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Wendy Whittaker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Wendy, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Growing up, I was overly critical of myself. Even in my childhood, I developed low self-esteem due to being teased at times about my looks or my clothes. The words, faces, and embarrassing situations began to take root as I rehearsed them repeatedly in my mind. I lived with a dominant and strong mother who taught me to be tough-skinned and not to allow anyone to see me sweat. As a result, I learned to mask my feelings but never really addressed them. As I entered adulthood, the internal struggle began to surface in my marriage and ministry. My husband and I pastor a church in Norfolk, VA, and have been doing so for several years. Even with much success, I still felt an emptiness inside, and I desired to be confident in myself and feel a sense of worth so I could begin to walk in the purpose God had planned for me.

I grew tired of comparing myself and never feeling like anything I did was good enough. So, I began this journey with God by asking Him to help me see myself through His eyes because I knew my perspective was not good enough. As God started to work on my heart, I became intentional about daily utilizing self-affirmations and identifying strengths I possessed to help me recognize the significant aspects of myself. I learned not to look for others’ validation but to seek this from God and focus on pleasing Him in all I did. I also became verbal about my internal fears, flaws, and personal goals I desired for myself with “safe people” that I trusted with this part of me. I learned not to fear failure because it is necessary for self-discovery. I love that I like and even love the person I am for the first time. Since then, I have learned the importance of loving myself and self-worth and embracing the truth that God loves every part of me, good or flawed. My confidence continues to develop more and more each day, and I live every day believing the sky is the limit to what I can be and do!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am an author, speaker and spiritual leader that loves to empower and encourage others to embrace their God-given purpose in the earth. My desire is to see people fearlessly and fruitfully thrive in the plans of God for their life. Using my spiritual gifts of prophecy and discernment, I lead an online community of seers and dreamers called “Dreamers Circle”. This community I lead helps believers interpret visions and dreams from God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, in order to provide meaning and understanding to the dreamer.

Furthermore, I am the author of the 21-Day devotional called Dear Pastor’s Wife which provides daily motivational messages that are transparent and relatable, scripture to study and uplifting prayers to help in this journey of being married to a pastor. I also lead a community of pastor’s wives called, “Dear Pastor’s Wife”, providing practical and spiritual ways for pastor’s wives to better lead in the home, community and body of Christ. I facilitate a gathering for local pastor’s wives called “Our Safe Space,” where we engage in fun activities, thought provoking discussions and usually dine over laughs and shared life experiences. I manage an Instagram Page “_Dearpastorswife where I provide encouraging and uplifting messages! My aim is to provide transformative impact in the lives of everyone I come into contact with.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three areas of knowledge that had the greatest impact on me were gaining a greater understanding of the Word of God, reading books or listening to podcasts that spoke to self-confidence and worth, and, lastly, learning my family history.

My advice to anyone struggling with self-confidence and self-worth is to first seek God’s thoughts concerning you by studying His Word. Secondly, I encourage you to gain more knowledge by reading about other’s experiences in their self-discovery journey. It encouraged and freed me in many ways, learning that I was not the only one. Lastly, I would recommend knowing your family history, which reveals much about our learned behaviors, family culture, genetics, and many reasons why we may struggle with our self-perception

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My husband has been most helpful in helping me overcome challenges throughout this journey. Although his tactics have often been blunt and forthcoming, they have helped me realize my potential and learn not to doubt myself, even in my failures. My husband is a passionate leader and has a brilliant mind, so he challenges me to always think bigger than I do. He pushes me to become the best version of myself from the inside out, and I would not have become who I am today without him.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wendywministries.com
• Instagram: _Dearpastorswife
• Facebook: Wendy Whittaker
• Other: Dreamers Circle private Facebook Group