We were lucky to catch up with Stacey Pardoe recently and have shared our conversation below.
Stacey , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of finding purpose in my life. As a teenager, I remember feeling overwhelmed by the cultural expectation to choose an undergraduate area of study in college. It seemed preposterous that I was supposed to know what I wanted to do with my entire life at such a young age.
Nevertheless, I considered the areas of my life that made me feel most alive and realized that I felt most purposeful when encouraging others as a captain of the track and volleyball teams at my high school. I decided to become a teacher with the hope of impacting the lives of my students.
After close to a decade as a classroom teacher, I sensed that my calling was changing. I was feeling burned out in teaching, and after realizing that my husband and I were expecting our first child, I sensed that my purpose was shifting and decided to become a full-time mom.
Throughout that transition, God taught me many lessons. The most life-changing lesson was that my purpose had never changed. He showed me that I was called to love him and love others by using my natural gifts to help them. It became clear to me that God was less concerned about what I was doing as a profession and more concerned about how I was doing it.
Since becoming a full-time mom, I’ve taken on many additional roles as well. I mentor younger women, lead Bible studies, coach track, and work as a writer. I’ve realized that in all of these areas, my purpose is to enjoy God and love others with his love.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am most passionate about encouraging others and helping them encounter God in ways that transform their lives. As a younger woman, I didn’t understand the difference between having religion and embracing a relationship. I am a woman of deep faith and spirituality, but I would not describe myself as religious. Instead, a dynamic relationship with Christ has forever transformed my life. I have been captivated by his love, and I live to help others experience him in this same way.
I share this love through my website, www.staceypardoe.com, where I offer dozens of free online devotionals and inspiring articles. I hope to inspire others and share the hope I have found in Christ. In addition to freelance writing for various organizations, I have also written two published books.
The first book, Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith, was coauthored with my then-11-year-old daughter, Bekah. This book has transformed thousands of lives. In it, we offer 60 daily devotions with conversation starters and even a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect while growing in faith.
In January 2024, I published a nonfiction Christian women’s book called Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free. This book shares 16 ways God wants to work in our lives to bring healing and freedom. It is based on the premise that God isn’t calling us to muster more willpower; instead, he wants to impart his grace, working in our lives to accomplish what we have been unable to do through willpower.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Tenacity, resilience, and passion have all served me well. I didn’t publish my first book until I’d been faithfully blogging and freelancing for close to seven years. During those seven years, I faced numerous rejections and painful setbacks. I often felt like giving up. However, because I was passionate about sharing the hope of Christ with others, I kept going. Looking back, I’m glad I kept going through the dark days.
I encourage others to be faithful to their callings, as well. Starting a new endeavor is exciting and fulfilling. Five years later, the luster wears off; however, this is also where transformation happens. God aligns our hearts with his heart of love for others. He also builds our characters to match our callings. I encourage others not to give up on their dreams. Keep the passion burning and don’t be afraid to step out in faith. You will probably fall down a few times, but get back up and keep pressing on!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I love collaborating with other inspirational writers. I’d love to connect with other faith-based or inspirational writers who have a passion for helping others. I often share books by such writers on my website, and I believe in supporting one another as we aim to make the world a more loving place. I can be reached by email at stacey@staceypardoe.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.staceypardoe.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceypardoe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncounteringGodintheOrdinary
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/StaceyPardoe
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/staceypardoe
