Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angalina McClinton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Angalina, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Purpose was tough to discover. In his book, “In Pursuit of Purpose” and in several speeches, Dr. Myles Munroe can be quoted saying, “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.” No truer words had ever been spoken. I was all over the place. From retail to banking, barbering to insurance, teaching to Ubering, I was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I truly had no idea which direction I needed to be moving in nor what gifts and talents I possessed to help me get there.
Like most people who find themselves on the other side of 30 and still feeling unaccomplished, I began a quest to discover my purpose. I read articles and books and listened to podcasts. I spent so much time and money, searching in all of the wrong places.
Uncovering purpose is often a challenging task because we fail to consult the creator. The creator knows why he created what he created, right? He knows the inner workings of his creation, its abilities and special features. Therefore, it is only the Creator who can assign purpose to his creation. After all of the article and book reading and podcast listening, it wasn’t until I turned to God that I uncovered my purpose. I finally understood why I had been given the gift of writing and the gift of teaching. I knew I had a “way with words”; and while I hadn’t always used them in constructive ways, finding my purpose helped me realize that my words were meant to comfort others, encourage others, and teach truth. I now understood why I had an abundance of patience and a sincere desire to be generous.
Yes! I am an educator by trade and have been for over 10 years. I write lesson plans and teach children how to read critically, write clearly, and speak confidently. Teaching requires patience and causes me to give when I physically and emotionally have nothing left. Being a public-school educator is my trade, but my purpose is not to simply teach children reading, writing, and speaking. I was created to use my words to help people see God. I am His image bearer. I am a comforter. I am an encourager. I am a Child of God. So, every word I write in my upcoming memoir, every word I speak on the “Book Chapter and Converse” podcast, every word of encouragement I give to the ladies of Hagar’s Village is to provide comfort, encouragement, and truth.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a single mother of three children, the oldest being 19. I have always had an abundance of support from my village; but over the years, after being connected with different mothers in different seasons of life, I came to realize that not all single mothers had the same support system that I have been blessed to have. Many mothers have shared their stories with me. Of course, we aired out our grievances, but nothing changed afterwards. I am not someone who enjoys discussing problems without providing solutions. That’s simply griping. The only way to make change is to acknowledge the issues, and then do something about it. Words of encouragement only go so far. Mentoring and good advice only go so far. Actions have to be taken, which is why I created Hagar’s Village.
Hagar’s Village is an evolving ministry that was given to me back in January of 2021 after spending a considerable amount of time supporting a young lady who was about to be a mother for the first time to not only one child but two. God began giving me visions of a place where single mothers could go to get everything they needed. The visions He gave me were grand! I saw so many resources: childcare, counseling, healthcare, education (finances, parenting, career training); but more importantly, the women were growing in God. They were getting stronger and becoming disciples, being able to lead others to Christ, as well. They were operating in their gifts and working to build the Kingdom!
Of course, I saw all of that and was like, “Wow, God! Now that would be amazing!”… until I realized he wanted me to create it. The idea of doing so was literally too much. I had no clue regarding how to start the process of moving Hagar’s Village from a vision to something that single mothers could actually benefit from. I had no idea how to create the finished product. As a matter of fact, all God gave me was the finished product. No instruction, just “Hey! This is what you’re about to do.” After accepting that I had to start somewhere, I began small— meeting monthly to begin building the community that so many mothers expressed they needed.
When I am not meeting with the ladies of Hagar’s Village, I am hosting Bible classes in my home, recording for my podcast, working on my book, as well as a collaborative book that will be coming out in January of 2024; and of course, running behind the twins while keeping up with my son who is attending college at the University of Houston.
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?
Listening. And when I say listening, I mean listening with the intent to learn. All too often, we listen to respond, especially when we are receiving feedback. We tend to become defensive instead of taking the time to absorb what is being said. We need to hear it, though! We have to be told how we can be better… how we can improve, even if it hurts. That’s one of the ways you grow.
Another way to grow and improve is to read! We have to seek out information. I am a reader; but I get it, people don’t like to read or sometimes feel that they don’t have time to read. But thanks to technology, we have audiobooks, podcasts, and YouTube University. Of course, we can’t believe everything we read on the internet or what we hear on YouTube, but my point is: we don’t have an excuse not to know something. There are too many avenues to gather information. I tell my students all the time that “Readers are leaders!” Without knowledge, we suffer.
And lastly, but certainly not least, because there are so many qualities and skills that are valuable to one’s journey, you have to learn to set boundaries. Boundaries are a form of protection that guard you from danger. In the book Beyond Boundaries, John Townsend discusses two types of boundaries, defining and protective boundaries. Defining boundaries are important because “they are the values that establish who you are and who you are not”. As you go through life, it is important to hold true to your values. They help guide your decisions. The values don’t change because of an opportunity, a person, or an event that happens in life, which prevents us from compromising.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, I pray. It is literally that simple for me. I ask God to reveal to me what I can’t see… to reveal the issue. Usually, when I start to feel overwhelmed, it is because I have either taken on too much or because too many things have “hit” me at one time, and I haven’t had time to process any of it. I will attempt to handle things on my own and not seek support, or I don’t say “no” to things that I probably should have said “no” to, which causes my “plate” to become full. I don’t see it coming, but I always feel it. When I feel it, I pray. I haven’t always done that, but I have learned to do that. And it works! God works, and I let Him.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: iam_angalinamcclinton
- Facebook: Angalina McClinton
- Twitter: @Listen_2_Angea
- Youtube: Book, Chapter, and Converse (@BookChapterConverse)
- Other: TikTok: @listen2agea
Image Credits
Nathan McClinton
