The Influencer Impact - Maria Armstrong AlongTheWay 45

I remember crying out to him like, what am I doing wrong? I couldn't figure it out. I almost felt like it was the same feeling I had before I knew him. I was like, where are you? And then I realized he didn't move. I was the one that wasn't being obedient to what he says, again, our pastor at our church always says, If you can't hear God's voice, go back to the last thing they just said to you. And so, Pastor Nick had said that at a church service, and I realized that it's because I wasn't being obedient is why he stopped speaking to me. So not only was I hearing his voice, but then I I also felt what it was like to not hear his voice again. And it was I was like, Yo, I don't this like, oh my gosh.

Welcome to along the way. I'm John Matarazzo. Your host and fellow traveler, thank you for joining me along my way as I try to become more like Jesus every day. I've had a Facebook account since 2008. I think I know my way around a few social media platforms, but I've always thought of it more as a tool to post pictures and keep in touch with friends. And this along the way conversation, I'm joined by a friend of mine from church, who also happens to be an influencer on Instagram. She has well over 50,000 followers on her account. But in the social media world that is often known for being fake and full of only people's highlights, she makes sure that she is always real, sharing her ups and downs. Even if there might be a fun filter every once in a while. I wanted to share Maria Armstrong's journey because she has been using her platform to be a positive influence in the lives of her online community. And I have even met some of the people whose lives have been positively affected because Maria was real and available online. I'll get to our conversation in just a moment. But I want to thank you for listening to along the way. I hope that you like what you hear and you subscribe. You can connect with me online as well. All of my socials and contact links are in the show notes. You can also check out all of my episodes at my website along the way dot media. I would love to hear from you and where you're listening from. And now here's my along the way conversation with Maria Armstrong. Maria Armstrong, welcome to along the way. Thank you for allowing me to talk with you and to hear your story of how God has met you along your way.

course it's an honor.

Yeah. Very cool. Well, Maria, you have been coming to the same church as me, which is now called bridge city church. It was word of worship. Several couple years ago, you didn't grow up in this church. I didn't I want to talk about how you came to church and what your life was like before that, but your your life personally has been radically changed through meeting Jesus. Yes, I'll let you kind of explain all that. But the reason that I really wanted to feature you on this along the way podcasts was because You are an influencer. Mm hmm. And when people think of influencers on Instagram and social media and stuff, people like Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian are coming, they come to mind, okay? Yes. And they're selling people's products and all kinds of other stuff. And you just kind of look at them. You think that's ridiculous, like, but you're using your influence, to help people's lives not just to sell things. You're using your influence for the kingdom of God. And you have some really cool stories that I want to talk about. And yeah, so Maria, would you just please tell me a little bit about your life and how God brought you on on the journey that you're at right now?

Definitely. I would love to, um, I didn't grow up in the church. I grew up going to Catholic Church on Christmas and Easter. My grandparents are devout Catholics. And so I was my mom. It never really like spoke to me. I never really met God. I didn't know you could have a relationship with Jesus.

It was just something that you did.

Yeah, it was just tradition. We went here and there and growing up, I remember, I was probably eight, or nine. And the woman who was singing in the choir, I just remember how beautiful she was and how beautiful Her voice was. And I just remember thinking like, oh, wow, I want to do that. That would be cool. And so I approached a member of the Catholic Church that I attended when I was younger. And they basically told me like, that wasn't possible for me to do that. So I got I got hurt by the church a few times growing up. I don't want to blame the rest of my story and my rebellion on that. But I just didn't really relate, I guess, is the thing to anything that was inside of what I pictured as the church. Sure. So basically, growing up I just went on Christmas and Easter just to do it. Then it something happened in the church, that I will keep private, made me stop altogether. Going from there I tried to find purpose in substance abuse and relationships, media. Things like that. So I got super lost, I had a lot of toxic relationships, very, a large amount of toxic relationships. where, you know, I tried to fix people like you tried to give the men in my life the benefit of the doubt, and I just really, really, really lost myself. I really lost myself and I'm a recovering people pleaser, as well. So basically just did everything that everyone wanted me to do. I became someone who everyone wanted me to be basically, and I didn't know who I was. I didn't know why I was on this earth and, you know, that kind of spiraled me into more of substance abuse basically. Yeah, I was 19 I went to school for special effects makeup.

When you say special effects makeup. What does that mean?

So like movie makeup Exactly. sculpting mold, making blood gore effects all that so

like horror movie horror

movies. Yeah. Essentially, Tom savini was Tom savini school during that I wasn't aware of spirits or I hadn't had I have no relationship with God whatsoever. I mean, it was the darkest time of my life. I was surrounding myself with horror and demonic things. It was I lived in the basement of a mortuary. That's where me and my roommate lived. There was no windows. There was a drain and yeah, floor and it went like this. You know, right. So it's a very dark time in my life. And while I was in school, I you know, there was one night we had a party the night before I was, then you know, where my phone was, I was very, you know, I was drunk and messed up on a lot of things. And my aunt came and banged on the door, didn't know why I opened the doors, my aunt, and you know, there's drugs all over the place and stuff and she was like, your dad is having a stroke, like, we need to go. So that was like when my life changed forever. He's alive and he's okay. He has mobility and speech issues. But that's basically when my life And I didn't know it was like

a reality check that huh?

Big time. Yeah, big time for him as well. So yeah, when I was in school and everything I wasn't aware, I didn't have a relationship with God or anything. And then that happened. So after my dad had his stroke, I was what I did. Picture being God. I was mad at him. Yeah. I How could you do this to someone. So my dad is just the best man ever. He's such a man of God. And he's just such a good guy. So I was really mad. And I was very, very angry with whatever I pictured God being at the time. So basically, my dad had a stroke and all that happened. We can jump forward a couple years because I was just so lost. I didn't know who I was. I had no faith in anything. I mean, my dad had a stroke and I had to watch him recover from that, and everything and I just was really, really, really lost. So I moved back in with my parents to help out and then once he got back on back on his feet and everything a couple years later, I moved back out on my own again, living alone this time because this was the first time I actually was living alone before I when I moved out I was with roommates. But this time when I was living alone, this was another like immensely dark place in my life. It was horrible. It was absolutely horrible. Going back there in my mind is makes me

makes you grateful for where you are today. grateful.

Man. So basically, I was lost. I didn't know who I was, didn't know anything about where I wanted to go. I lost my job. I broke out with a very toxic relationship. I broke up with the man that I was dating, and I lost my job within the same week. And it was the winter time so it was just dark and gloomy and it was just terrible. So that's when December rolls around Christmas time 2015 I'll never forget it. My two friends. Wendy and Vinny Candler invited me to bridge city church. I went and experienced the candlelight service. I was never the same again. I just remember the way I felt. I remember Jesus just like knocking out my heart door. And I didn't accept him into my life that time. But I definitely went back. I was like, I have this church like, this is awesome. This is what you guys do. There was people worshipping their hands for a raise. People were crying people were there for each other people were praying for each other. And I had just never seen anything like that before. Yeah. And it was so I mean, at first, I was like, a little weird. I was like, Why are these people? Yeah, but it was still really cool and moving to me. And all these people are worshipping God, like, I like this. So it's no different God than I do. Yeah, they must. And you know, I was so at my bottom. So I went back the next week. And then I went back the next week after that, and the third time that I attended church, I respond to the gospel and gave my life to Christ. And I remember we went into the cafe of church. After that, and I was praying the salvation prayer. And I actually like, felt it was like the first time I'd experienced God. I had felt and saw with my own eyes, demonic spirits like coming off of me. I felt like they were just holding me and like squeezing me and I felt that I felt them leave. When I was accepting Christ in my heart. I'll never forget that I was crying hysterically. Looking back on it a little embarrassing, but no, that's actually Oh, yeah, it's so real. I couldn't control it. It was so and my life has radically changed. I will never be the same. And I've been growing in my walk with Christ since then. Yes. I'm very grateful for for Lindy and Vinny and for their faithfulness for inviting

me. Can you tell me about what was going through your mind when you got that invitation to come to church?

So I originally said no, I was like, yeah, church. I'm gonna go to church. I was like, I haven't been to church. Because again, like I said, I grew up going on Christmas. But prior to that after being hurt from the from the Catholic Church, I hadn't been in years I hadn't been going in years. So when they said we're going to church on Christmas Eve, I was like, Oh, I'm good. I'm good on that on I definitely don't. And then they bribed me with Well, we're going to go to dinner afterwards. And we're, you know, a lot of our friends are going to church and then we might go to dinner after and I was like, Oh, all right. Well, if everyone's going and you guys are gonna go to dinner outcome.

So the peer pressure church,

they tricked me. And it was the best thing ever. I'm just really happy that they they chose to do that because it got me there.

You were friends with Lindy? How before

I grew up with Wendy Actually, I've known Vinnie longer since we were five. Okay.

So they they've seen you kind of through your really dark times tire time. Yeah. And it just took them to say, hey, come to church with us.

Yeah. Once they asked me one time and I said no first, but the Again brought to me

in a good way. I'm not I'm not gonna condone bribery, but are they struggling with it? Yeah, yeah. So you basically haven't stopped coming to church since then.

Yeah. Yeah. Very involved. I love it very much.

Yeah. So when did you realize that this was not just a feeling that you had a one service but this is something that you wanted to carry with you for the rest of your life?

The moment that I gave my life? Yeah, definitely. I hadn't felt anything like that. Before I was saved. Another way that I found my like, what I thought was spirituality at the time was through nature. So I wanted to leave and move to Rocky Mountains, Colorado, it just in Colorado, Denver, wherever because I thought that would like cure my home my problems. At first I did compare the feeling because again, I was clueless the feeling of salvation and meeting God and knowing that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I can Peridot two, I hadn't felt anything like that, other than actually seeing and being at the top of the Rocky Mountains and seeing the mountains with my own eyes. And that's what it felt like but that kind of like, intertwined in that moment of salvation and understood like, oh, wow, God made that. Yeah, what else can he do? You know, I mean, that was that definitely the moment that I realized this is what I want to do for us my life. I want to serve God. Yeah, so

I haven't been to the Colorado Rockies, but I've seen the Canadian Rockies in person. And it is an overwhelming Oh, God. And that's what you're using to describe this feeling that you had, but on a personal level as well. So it was this overwhelming beauty that you were just hit with in the heart. That's really cool. So how did your life change after that and how to like family and friends. Hey, Maria, you're different now.

It all kind of just started to continue deteriorating. I feel Okay, in a good way, like it was like I was being pruned and the dead branches of my life were being removed. I lost a lot of friends. In which at the time, I was like, why I don't understand why you're not happy for me. I found God like, this is so cool. Like, why don't you understand? I didn't understand why they didn't understand. Because again, I knew nothing. So I lost a lot of friends because they were my party friends. Okay, no, I mean, I remember I continued partying for a little while after I was saved, because I didn't know how to like it wasn't like I was saved. And then I stopped everything. Gradually, God gradually took these people out of my life, and I'm not blaming them, but they weren't really looking out for my best interest. But God started to remove the negativity and all of like the substance from my life, slowly and again, I started losing friends, family members, some of them were super stoked for me and some of them were confused.

Sure, yeah. Anytime you make a big list Like decision like that, it's always going to be received with skepticism by people and some people it's going to be received with excitement. And but I think there's a lot of skeptics out there that are just like, okay, we'll see what's gonna happen or, or sometimes people are even trying to get you to change your mind again. Yeah, definitely. So, yeah. But God has a plan for your life. And you're still figuring out what that plan is in the long term, which I think we all are. If anybody has it all figured out, then I think you're in for a world of surprise when you realize that you don't. So yeah, God was bringing God was taking people away from your life, and also going and also bringing people into your life. And you didn't just get a church family that you got a different type of family as well. So tell me about this guy that you met.

So it's funny you were saying as well, like my family always said like, Oh, she met God because she met Jordan. Because Jordan grew up in the church and Jordan knew Jesus and everything, so it's funny because they still blame Jordan for the reason that I met God, but I met God before I met him.

But you met Jordan because you met God.

Yes. I met

all the glory to Him. He's a sweet angel, but Okay, sorry, God not joining.

So, all the glory to God about your husband joins

us sweet. Oh, there it is. Okay.

So I concur as well. He's a great guy. He's a good friend.

He is a wonderful, wonderful man. So basically, when Lindy and Vinnie invited me to church, they had already been going to church as well. And Vinny had met Jordan. And they were very good friends. And then

they're both graphic artists and doing

lots of similarities, lots of in the same industry, film photography, all that stuff. So Jordan started hanging around them and I continued to hang around them after I was saved and everything. So we kind of all just hung out. And I mean, I knew immediately that I loved him. I didn't I was wasn't really focused on him at the time, I was really focused on God. And I knew that God wanted me to be alone for a while before anything, so I did have that time of just me and God and him being the man in my life before I met anyone else and you know, pursued anything else. Yeah.

Because, as you said earlier, you you've had some rough relationships in the

past. Really, really terrible. Yeah, very, very terrible relationships.

And so God has brought a wonderful guy into your life that really champions who you are.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, you guys are adorable together, in a good way, not like a sickeningly sweet way for them. No, truly, they are adorable.

Sweet. I can't stand it but yeah, so we all started hanging out and then it was it Lindy and Benny's wedding. And then they got married. I was still partaking in alcohol I did. I did stop doing everything else. But I was still drinking because I didn't view drink. I literally my my dad was an alcoholic growing up. I didn't view drinking as a non normal thing like it was just a part of who I was at the time. And so I was very intoxicated at Lindy and vinnies wedding, when Jordan still saw the real me through that and what I was capable of and what God was capable of doing it through me. Basically, he asked me to hang out, like alone. So we went on a bike ride. I think it was a couple of days later we went on a bike ride and the bike ride can never ended. Yeah, I think we rode like 90 miles that day. 90 Yeah, cuz we never wanted to stop hanging.

We know we wrote

a very that's a long way

we wrote really, really far. We wrote for hours. And one it was a summer day we started early and we just kept going because we both didn't want to stop talking. Yeah, we just couldn't stop talking. It was uh, I couldn't walk for like three days.

Yeah, that's, that'll definitely, especially if you haven't built up to it. That's, that's a long, a long bike ride.

Yeah, but Jordan, the man of God that he is he saw what God was able to do through me what God was doing through me. And he saw me for who I was. And it was just something I wasn't used to the kindness, the understanding the gentleness. He prayed for me, he would do those things for me. I just never really, no one was ever that nice to me in any of my relationships, so I wasn't used to it. And he still is that way. And I know because we built our relationship solely on God. And I'm not afraid to say this, but we were not intimate until we were we were married. So I know that that's a huge topic for someone who's not familiar with living their life for God. But I do believe that that was a huge thing for us, too. We slowly build our relationship on honoring God and him being our number one and us being our number two to each other. Yeah, I don't know if I just that's,

no, that's, that's good. That's good. I wanted to talk about that because you coming to church has changed your life. Because somebody invited you, you met the Lord, you met your husband, you've found some calling and purpose, where you're using your musical guests. For the Lord, you're playing on the worship team, multiple times a month, you are helping, or you're helping with the youth you are you're very much influencing people for the kingdom of God. You're somebody that especially a lot of younger girls look up to, because you're adorable, and you're artsy, and you're fun and you find joy in life. And you and Jordan are like, couple goals or whatever about that hashtag is. And so being the fact that you work with youth, that kind of helps a lot. But that's not the only way that you influence people because you've got this thing that Most of us have a cell phone and on that there's this app called Instagram. You might have heard about it. And you've been very effective with your Instagram account. Yeah, I have an Instagram account. And I don't have nearly as many followers as you do. Because you're very effective with it, but you're using your influence for a positive change. Can you tell me about how you develop that influence but also what you've been able to do to use your influence to help other people.

So I've always loved helping people. And I found it very easy to communicate with people and and to help people through social media. I really feel like God has has created my heart to be like very vulnerable. I don't want to say I always I that I care what people think, but I like really never really superduper cared what people thought of me. It's different in the people pleasing aspect. Like if I upset someone, if there's something that I did Upset someone then I would be like wrecked. But when it came to like what I was wearing, what I was doing my tattoos stuff like that I never really cared what anyone thought because I wanted to be everyone's friend. So if you didn't like me then I'm really sorry, but we could have been friends but you don't like me. So I always felt like I always had a vulnerable heart and I Instagram when it came about kind of provided a platform to do that. And I really think that that is the reason that I grew so much, because I spent a lot of time interacting with friends on there that I'm still friends with, because people essentially just want to feel they want to feel something. And I really think that I just provided a place for them to do that safely and vulnerable and they can be vulnerable and not be made fun of and not be judged. Because essentially the goal of social media, the secret sauce, I guess with social media, isn't to like always be gaining followers. It's to keep the followers that you've already have So if they're not, if they're coming to your platform, and they're not getting anything out of it, then they're probably gonna like they're going to leave. So I wanted to make sure that they were getting not just like cute clothes or where to buy new shoes or where to get makeup or whatever I wanted them to be able to feel and to feel safe and to know that they're not alone.

You're using Instagram for more than just posting a cute picture here.

Even though it is very fun to do that. It is it is but yeah, definitely Yeah.

And Instagram has a kind of a reputation or it's known for people putting just their their perfect day pictures up there. How do you maintain your realness your authenticity in a place where most people just put their highlight reel.

I honestly just try and be myself and be who God created me to be. Because it is scary. It is also very scary, having a larger audience and talking about God so much because I have gotten A lot of hate as well. And a lot of I don't want to say threats but threats as well. But I would say just like not hiding who I am and not hiding when I'm having a bad day, and not hiding behind the screen. If I don't have makeup on, when I'm talking in my videos on my stories, then I don't have makeup on. And I'm going to continue to let my acne show through. And everything because you know, we're, we're just human, and we all have flaws and insecurities and stuff. And I, as Pastor Nick always says the pastor of our church, he always says he, I believe that vulnerability builds others up. Well, the first time I ever heard him say that I that really, really stuck with me. And I try to bring that into my platform.

Yeah, as much as possible people who've actually responded to the gospel, because of what you've posted. And I think that is so cool.

Yeah, wrecks me every time. Yeah.

Yeah. Do you mind telling me a little bit about some of those conversations and how People, I mean, people who started coming to church and their lives have been changed because of something you you posted.

That really, really cracks me to think about. I just try to, you know, people again, like I said, I was just trying to feel something. And I've had people messaged me and say, like, you seem so happy, you seem so you know, content and everything. And I, you know, I tell them about joy. It's, there's a difference between happiness and joy. And I tell them about Jesus. And you know, I've had people respond negatively, and I've had people be like, oh, wow, even people that don't live around here, say like, Okay, well, I'm going to try and find a similar church. And I've looked into some churches in their area and helped them like, get to a wall, a church near them. And I've even gone to the extent of reaching out to the church and said, like, hey, there's someone who's going to be coming on Sunday. Yeah, I've done it a few times. Those people don't know so sorry.

It just really shows that you really care, too. I mean, being able, I mean, it's one thing to just say, Hey, I can go check this church out. It's another thing completely to say to that church. Hey, be looking and be ready for this person. I'm sorry that I can't physically be there. But you being there, you can represent Jesus and represent me there. That's really cool. I mean, you just took that extra step of caring rather than just Oh, go to this church. That's awesome. For

each time that I've done that thank you each time that I've done that it has been God telling me to do that because I remember my hand shaking reaching out to the church, and like asking, like are telling them letting them know that that was happening, but each time that has been God directed? Yeah, so for the glory, give Him the glory for that on me. But yeah, I've met a lot of girls through Instagram. Who are I don't want to say it but I feel closer to through being sisters in Christ. Then, you know, friends, I have I've had on my life. It's social media and Instagram has such a negative name for itself because of the highlight reel and the likes and the numbers and all that. But when you choose to use it for for God, yeah, it's different.

Yeah, absolutely. I'm not sure if you've asked any of these people if you could share their stories, but can you be vague enough or whatever? Can you share a little bit about people?

Yeah, she won't mind. She's amazing. So January of last year, I had a girl named Jessica, reach out to me. And she actually it's funny knowing her now, because she actually emailed me instead of DM me. Okay. She started the email where

she started an email as opposed to sending a message through the app.

Yes, she Yes. She just chosen email versus direct messaging through the app. And it's the beginning of the email she started with, sorry, the direct message wouldn't have been able to hold everything that I have to tell you. It was paragraphs of paragraphs of an email, basically reaching out to me saying that she grew up in the church, but she's from Pittsburgh where I'm from. And she grew up in the church. And she had this boyfriend and she really wanted to come back to God and she was really feeling pulled to reach out to me. And tell me her story, and talk to me and figure out like, what the her next step was, and she was really looking for someone to pray for her as well. And we kept talking and talking and then I invited her to church, her and her boyfriend, Nick had come to church. And

it's funny. It wasn't the first time you guys actually met in person. It was never met in person.

Yeah, that was the first time and I remember it just being really cool. Nick didn't know God and just did but ran. And they're not going to care for me. Cena just ran from God and Yeah, so we just had our friend niversary in January. And I mean, next on the worship team, she's, wait, wait, wait,

wait. Okay, so you guys met a year ago, or she sent you the email year ago. Okay. So she sent me this email. She comes to church with her boyfriend. He gets saved. He was not a Christian before. No, not at all. Not at all. Not at all committed her life to the Lord.

Yep, they both got saved. They both got saved.

I saw them both get baptized, too. That was really cool on a New Year's Eve actually. They've gotten married now do so in just one year. A lot of a lot of Okay, I just want to make sure we're on the same page here. So tell me about what that what that what happened

with them. Yeah, we all just basically became best friends. I mean, Nick and Jordan are very close. Me and Jess are very close. And they just they radically met Jesus. This this Same thing that happened to me. They both responded to the gospel in their own time. They were in church during it. And both of them had beautiful, radical experiences with Christ and their lives have been changed. I know that their lives are still changing, because it is still very fresh for them. But I am just so proud and so honored to be a part of their lives and to serve the kingdom with them. They're both amazing people, and their marriage is going to change lives. So it's really cool to be a part of their story. Oh, yeah. God is just so cool. It really is.

That is really cool. That is really cool. And you did the eat of the makeup for her wedding. Yes.

I didn't do her makeup to do her makeup. I did others. I do everyone else's basically. Yeah. She has a friend who they had already agreed. Gotcha.

Yeah, but yeah, one of those lifelong package. Deal,

which I honor obviously, obviously.

Yeah, definitely. That's so cool. Maria, that your obedience to be vulnerable and to be real on a platform. That is not known for being real opened up your life to somebody who needed a friend who more importantly needed needed Jesus. Yeah, I'm blown away that that can happen like that. Me too. Because Yeah, you're thinking of the conversations that people have in comment sections of Yes, of Facebook and Instagram. Most of the time it's bickering and arguing, can you you're able to use this for the glory of God, which is super cool. And you're still trying to figure out, you just had a major change in your life that you were very vulnerable about something that God was telling you to do. Or actually rather to not do any more. I don't know if you have any, if you have like the long term thing figured out or whatever. But would you mind just sharing a little bit about that and just what being vulnerable in front of other people has, has led to

definitely, as I told you, in the beginning of this, I went to school for makeup, and special effects makeup and I kind of walked away from special effects. I wasn't really passionate about it. It was just something to do, because I don't even know how I graduated high school. I didn't apply myself whatsoever. I was more concerned with just being friends with people than school. But that led me to cosmetic makeup. So since I was 1819 years old, I've been a makeup artist. And I chose that career without God. I chose that for myself. I think that he honored it. He used it for His glory for the time that was needed, because now I've been listening to his voice. And I've heard the word from him for about a year and a half, almost two years now that I need to stop doing that and stop being a makeup artist. And it's definitely one of the hardest things I've ever done to walk away from a passion to walk away from something that I've known since I'm 29 now, so for 10 years and

years and years of being professionally that's

Yeah, definitely not an amateur in it not to toot my own horn but I've but God has definitely blessed me in that Yeah, he's bust my hands. He's bust my creativity in it. I've definitely

I've seen your work. You actually worked at, worked at TV station with me for a little bit right before you guys got married. And so I know firsthand that you do very good work. Thank

you so much. So, yeah, so

you're not tooting your own horn by saying that at all.

Thank you. I just, I really feel like he's calling me to something else. And I feel like my purpose in him and my purpose of serving the kingdom lives in not just one career for me, I think it lies on a bunch of different things and I'm willing to do whatever he wants me to do. I will I want to be obedient to whatever he wants. And right now he wants me to stop being a makeup artist. I've heard his voice very clearly. Very, very, very clearly. More than I've heard. Yeah, he's he's actually like whispered into my ear, and I've heard his voice. Wow. And I know that doesn't happen. And often but I was I would actually love to tell that story. If I can. Yeah,

please do it. I've actually that was gonna be kind of my next. My next question is about hearing God, you were just talking about hearing God speak to you or whisper to you. I want to hear more about that. But what was the first thing that you remember God speaking to you? And how did that change your life?

The first thing I've ever heard him say, because I believe I truly believe and God has shown me this, that you can hear God in many different ways. Absolutely. No, you can hear him through, you know, music and everything like that. But I also think with our senses, we can hear him differently. people that write really well that no God say that they write down on pages and they pull back and they know what they just wrote. And I can sometimes I hear him in my heart. I hear him in my head. I hear him in my hands. I hear him in different ways. And the first time I ever heard him say anything to me, I remember. I'll never forget it. I heard him say Your mind and it was in a time where I was struggling with temptation and thinking like okay what I have just been abusing substance my whole life. So it was a time of doubt it was a time of because you know, we all have those to like, but God pulled me back from it and said your mind and he stopped me from doing something I shouldn't have after I was saved. And it was beautiful. It was really beautiful. So,

so that's definitely something that stands out to you

never forget it. Never Forget it.

But that's not the last time that God has spoken to you. And he's spoken to you many times since then. But you just mentioned about God whispering to you. That it's time to not be a makeup artist anymore. Yes. What was that? Like? How did you hear God with that? What did that whisper sound like, I guess? or How did you know that? That whisper was God. And how did you confer that?

The first time I heard him speak to me. whisper it to me was when I was doing a live I was doing makeup on the bride. And I, I kind of felt him in my heart. I didn't hear his voice I i moreso like felt his voice in my heart and and that sounds really crazy. But something felt wrong. And doing makeup. Something is always felt right. It's been such it's just such an honor to do the bride's makeup on her wedding day. Yeah, when I was doing her makeup. I remember who it was. I mean, she was so sweet. She didn't do anything wrong. But it was something. It was God telling me like this is wrong. Like something feels wrong. A couple weddings after that, like every wedding I've done because I'm a wedding makeup artist, cosmetic wedding makeup artist. Every wedding after that kind of just felt the same. It was almost like I was losing passion. And then I heard him again and again and again and again. And I honestly kept ignoring it. I was like, This is me. It's not him. It's not it's not God. It's me because you know, we struggle with that as well deciphering if it's mine. voice or if it's God's voice, oh, yeah. And I ignored it for about a year. And then I, and then he just stopped speaking, he stopped speaking to me altogether. And it was a very, very confusing. I remember crying out to him like, what am I doing wrong? I couldn't figure it out. I almost felt like it was the same feeling I had before I knew him. I was like, where are you? And then I realized he didn't move. I was the one that wasn't being obedient to what he says. And again, our pastor at our church always says, If you can't hear God's voice, go back to the last thing they just said to you. And so, Pastor Nick had said that at a church service, and I realized that it's because I wasn't being obedient is why he stopped speaking to me. So not only was I hearing his voice, but then I I also felt what it was like to not hear his voice again. And it was I was like, Yo, I don't want this Like, oh my gosh. So then I started to pray and pray and pray. And it got really scary. But then I started talking about it, because this is also something I went through alone. I didn't tell anyone about I didn't even tell my husband about it. I just went through it alone, because I didn't want to face it. Because it's all I've ever known, you know?

How you make my money? Yeah,

exactly. It's how I support my family. It was really scary. But I started to talk to people about it. I started to talk to my husband about it, I started to talk to you know, my friends at church about it, my family about it, and it kind of all just started to make sense. I feel like God started to honor that. And then the experience that I had where because prior to that, again, I was just really confused. Is this my own voice is this my instincts is this God, very confused Of what? Because it's a really big life change and a life choice. This wasn't like,

this is not a I'm bored with this. I want to do something different.

This was you love There's very much this is all you ever known and I want you to give it up for me. And I just didn't know if that was really him or if it was me saying that. So I was at the overflow conference. It's the women's conference that our church holds every year. And I was only able to make it to one day of it, which is ironic because I couldn't make it to the second day because I had a wedding to do. So I made it to the Friday night part of it, and I was sitting there, and I was praying while worship was going and I had my knees on my hands. I'll never forget it. I heard I heard his voice like an actual It's so crazy to explain the inside my own head. I didn't hear my voice. Because you know, when you talk to yourself, inside your head, you it's your voice, right? It was a different voice inside of my head. And it wasn't something that I thought it wasn't a thought it was a voice in my head that spoke and he said you can do it. I know that sounds really like guidance counselor's a poster in high school like you can do it. Yeah. But I knew what he meant. And as soon as I heard him say that you like you can do this. And I think he meant like, you can do this for me. And then I was just reminded of Scripture, you know, I can do all things through what God wants us to do,

through Christ who strengthens me

exactly for what he wants us to do. Not all things that scriptures really

take out of context. Text a lot, but it looks great on it on a pillow that's been quilted. But there's gonna be a lot more to the context of that. Yeah,

exactly. Ever since I heard his voice. In that moment. I didn't look back and I announced that I was not going to be a makeup artist anymore. And I was giving it up and he has been moving in my life since then. Now I don't know the answer. I don't know what I'm gonna do to provide. I don't know it all. But to be honest, when I thought about that before I heard his voice right there. In that moment at overflow. I was scared and I was nervous and my faith was just not there. Yeah. And after I heard his voice, it's just now I'm excited. I'm excited to see what he wants me to do. I know he'll provide. I'm not worried. And I'm really, really, really excited for what he has next for me, because a career isn't, doesn't define me. And I think that is another reason why he's removing this from me because I defined myself as a makeup artist. That is who I was. That's what I was. And he said, No, you are a servant of God, you're not a makeup artist. Like that's just and it's so cool.

Yeah, it was just, that's not who you are. It's what you do, or it's what you did. Until if God tells you to do it. Again, I know you'll be obedient with that. But at least for this season, however long it might be, you're being obedient with what God has told you to not do, even though it's a good thing. I know wonderful makeup artists. They're very gifted and talented in that. And I know it's really hard to step away from something that make a good income doing that, more than just the income to working in TV and become and become variable. appreciative of makeup artists, because what they're doing, and I see the direct results of it on my TV show is that you're not just making somebody look pretty. You are helping paint the canvas that is that God put on their face. And you are accentuating what God has already put there to help them feel more like the person that God has best designed them to be. And we even did actually just this last week, we had Miss Pennsylvania on the on the program. And our makeup artist did some did some contour did some little thing that brought out her cheekbones, even another way. And she was so excited. And she saw herself in a different way. Yeah, they mean she's this gorgeous girl who's Miss Pennsylvania. Like really she was in the Miss America contest. One thing like that one thing like that. And you can do that on the the canvas that God has created on somebody's face. So it's Really appreciate all that. And for you to say, I'm gonna lay the money down. And I'm gonna lay down this experience because being obedient to what God has said, for me to do is more important than that. And being obedient in God, and being in God's presence is so much better than being disobedient, and having the things of this world Yes. 100 even if those things are good, yep, it's better to be obedient with that. I definitely appreciate makeup artists and in new ways.

I feel like most of makeup artists are overlooked in that area. Yeah.

Yeah. I think one of those things that you're you're very good about that with makeup is the fact that you see those things and other people that they don't see themselves. And you're able to kind of pull that out and now God's calling you to do that in a different way without a brush.

That's why it's so exciting. Yeah,

so exciting. And you're still figuring out exactly how God's having you do that. And so you said you're 29 years old. You're married with a puppy. And but as you look back at your life to this point, where did you see it? Where do you see Jesus walking with you? And that burning in your heart that you didn't realize until you look back? Like right now you can look back and you say God was right there. I just wasn't aware of it.

There's so many different ways because I've analyzed this many ways. Yeah, there's so many different areas. I mean, was my father stroke was a huge, God was holding our hand through that, that whole time, through the decision of being a makeup artist, and using that as my career. I know he was in that and he used that after I was saved, like I told you before, after I was saved, he used that for him as well. I you know, I would ask a bride I've never met. If I could pray for her on her wedding day she's getting married. And hey, like, I just did your makeup and this might be weird, but like, Can I pray for you? I've had a few people like oh my gosh, like, Yeah, of course. And when I'm done praying, Holy Spirit move so much, I look up and they're crying and I'm like, stop crying, you're off. But he used that as well. He honored that he used that as an opportunity to pray for brides and pray for people and be a light in the world, you know, and use, like you were saying, my hands and my creativity to make them feel good. And make them feel beautiful, you know, not just look beautiful, but feel beautiful. Because there's something about that. So in many different ways, he's definitely shown up. I would say, I'd say the biggest one would be my father's story, though. My father's stroke, because, like, I was telling you, I was mad at God. And I look back on it and he saved my dad's life. He was like, also, um, he was a raging, raging alcoholic. And I asked my dad basically, I asked my dad recently, if you wouldn't have had your stroke, because He can't drink now. It was taken away from him. He can't hate us on so many medications. Right? There's an he's, like I said, a speech impediment. He has mobility issues. Because it was a massive, massive stroke. I asked my father recently, if you didn't have your stroke, do you think you would still be drinking? And he said, Yes. He drank for a really, really long time. And I don't think he would have been able to let Jesus into his heart. And because my dad is saved now and he comes to church with me, and he got baptized, and he actually for the first time, he kneeled down at the altar on Sunday, and, and kneeled there for like, 20 minutes, but during worship, he just came up and, and I just can't, and I looked at him, I was like, I can't believe that's my dad and where we are where we are. I was on stage playing guitar. It was so emotional, so emotional, but God was with me that whole step of the way every step. Even though I didn't see him. I didn't I didn't feel him because I wasn't choosing To you. No, it's not that he wasn't there. I wasn't open to him. And he was with me the whole time. Yeah, yeah. It's just the whole plan. It's just crazy to look back on it.

It's amazing how God has never left us. He's never left us in the past, and he's never going to leave us. And I love that that passage in the Bible that this that this podcast is based around the mass road story that disciples were walking with Jesus, and had no clue that it's him. And when they finally realized that it's Jesus, after he breaks the bread and blesses it, and he's gone, they turn to each other and say, what our hearts burning? We should have known. We should have known that this was Jesus the whole time, but we just didn't realize it. I love that Jesus is always there with us. One of the other questions I love asking is in your timeline and your 29 years that you've been walking on this earth and you've made 29 trips around the sun. If you could go back and visit yourself in the past. Maybe 14 year old Maria, what advice would you give yourself and what's going on in your life?

Honestly, I've considered this question before. I if I could tell myself one thing, I would probably tell myself about Jesus, to be honest, because I don't really think anyone ever did. And again, I'm not blaming that on anyone. But I didn't know you could have a relationship with Jesus. I didn't know this. And that's why it's so crucial to not say no for people whenever we're sharing the gospel. And that's why I feel so confident God's confidence in sharing on social media, even though I do receive a lot of hate, as well for sharing but because we can't say no for people, and I feel like that's why we like hold back from sharing the gospel. But I would probably if me now could go back to old Maria. I would be like, there's way more to life than this. And finding your identity and career and clothing and boys and substance abuse and all that stuff. I would probably tell myself about just about Jesus and who he was. And what I know now.

There's people that are listening that are in those shoes right now. Yeah. And there is somebody out there that needs to hear what 14 year old Maria needed to hear. You minister to a lot of those that age group right now and youth group. What is it that you most needed to hear at that point in your life?

The thing I most needed to hear was that I had a friend like a real friend, because God is our friend, Jesus is our friend, a friend that will never leave you or forsake you. Because trying to find purpose and trying to find love in people and relationships and clothing and my school grades and all that stuff. All that stuff runs dry. It's all temporary happiness when I tried to back And when we try to in general find purpose and love in the worldly things, they always let us down. When we try to find love within ourselves and our flesh. We're always let down but God doesn't run dry. He doesn't run out. And his love goes beyond our understanding. I would have really wanted to hear back then that, that God loves me that someone loves me. Because when I couldn't even love myself, or I couldn't even look in the mirror, or I couldn't stand myself or nothing I did was ever good enough for people and because you find acceptance, the moment you find acceptance, and man, again, is the moment that you're just let down. So finding my acceptance in Christ because you know, no matter what, he loves me, to have known that at a young age, and to believe that at a young age, and to be intimate with Christ and get in and serve at that young age. It really It just like catapults you into your relationship with God. Because I've only known God now for like, for four years now. And I really wonder what my life would have been like if I was obedient. And I know this is my story. But if I can, if I can tell someone that a young age like that about Jesus, the way that I didn't hear about it, I want to be able to provide that for them. It was with no fear, you know? Because back then I literally thought God and Jesus were two different people. Like, that's how much I didn't know anything. Yeah. So

yeah. What I'm hearing is that you just needed to know God's love in a real way. Yes. You needed to know God. Yeah, his unconditional love, but you needed to know God in a personal way in that relationship. And I don't know who's out there listening to this episode right now. And you can have that same relationship with Jesus that Maria and I have been talking about. You can know the love of the Father. He's the father to the fatherless. He's the friend to the friendless. He loves us with an unending love. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He's the one that's gonna pick you up. Whenever you're falling down, he's going to, he doesn't want to wait for you to clean yourself off. Before he accepts you, he's going to accept you at your lowest at your worst, wherever it is that you might be. He knows right where you are. And he's just waiting for you to say, help. I can't do it on my own. And when you say I can't do it on my own, and I'm not going to fight you anymore, Jesus reaches down, he picks you up. He embraces you. And when we say, Jesus, forgive me of all of my sins. I have I've rejected you, but I am receiving you right now. See if your love and your grace and your forgiveness, and I am going to live for you from now on, I am going to follow you let you be the leader of my life, then he will restore your identity that he has designed the identity that he wants you have, which is your true identity, not the fake things that we've that we've tried to hold on to the fake things that we've looked for our purpose and God has put a purpose and a destiny in each person listening, actually, whether you're listening or not, God has that for you. And you just need to receive that love. And I Marie, I love what you were just talking about. And to see the change in your life. I've only known you, you know, since you started coming to the church, and most of the time, you know, kind of from a distance because we go to different campuses. But I've seen how the love of Jesus, the love of Christ is all over you and how you show that to other people. How you You represent Jesus through your social media, but also through your daily interactions with real people. And oftentimes those people from social media become real people in your life. They're not just a screen. They're not just pictures on a screen. Yep, that's such a cool thing. Oh, cool. It really is. Maria, what is a life verse for you? That's kind of like an anchor that you just hold on to, and the tough times

Philippians 410 through 13. But how I praise the Lord, that you're concerned about me again, I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty or with plenty or little fur. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Amen. And you're in a place right now where you're trying to figure out what that next Season of life is tough, but you're enjoying the journey. And, Maria, when I look at you, I don't see a woman that is afraid of her future. Thank you, I see somebody that I believe it's in Proverbs 31, the woman that looks at the future and is able to smile or laugh, because you you have the confidence that God is leading your steps. Maria, thank you so much for allowing me to join you along your

way. Thank you so much. It's an honor, and to honor and it's an honor to serve with you.

Maria was in a very dark place in her life surrounded by negative influences and bad decisions. But God didn't leave her there. All it took to start that turnaround was a simple invite to church from a friend. As she mentioned, we shouldn't say no for other people. Too often we project onto others that they don't want to be bothered or that they would probably say no anyway, but we need to at least ask or invite people into our Our lives and let them be the ones to make their own decisions. Maria's friends invited her to church and that made all the difference in her life. They didn't have to have all the answers or a doctorate level degree in theology. They just simply said, Hey, come with us, and we're going out to eat later. I know I need to get better at this as well. What does it hurt to invite someone into our lives, especially if they could have the opportunity to meet Jesus? What's the worst that could happen? They say no think that you might be weird for a few moments. But what's the worst that could happen if we don't invite them to come with us and say no for them? A life away from God. And that's not something that I want for my friends. When Marian that Jesus she started to discover her true identity and her true worth. I hope you find that in your life too. I've been working as a TV producer for a while and I have even worn makeup a number of times when I've needed to be on camera. My opinion of makeup has really changed. changed over these years, because I see what it can do for a person. I used to think that makeup was, well, a silly thing. But I've seen what it can do for the person who wears it. Many times I have watched as the makeup artists that I work with look at a guest face and see something there that the person doesn't see themselves. When it's done, right, the natural highlights and features of a face are accentuated in a positive way. And that results in confidence. That's fun to see. It's not about wearing a mask, but sometimes a little makeup done in the right way can make the real confidence of a person shine. I know there are totally times that makeup is used to cover up flaws, imperfections and even create an appearance that isn't real. But that's not what I'm talking about here. Jesus sees the real you and He wants you to see yourself the way that he sees you too. Sometimes he likes to highlight a few things that we don't see ourselves, but they just need a little bit of his help to pop. When you accept his identity for yourself and who God made you to be can shine through as well. I'm so encouraged by Maria's story and how she is a positive influence and a friend to many people online. The fact that people have come to know Jesus because she has talked about her relationship with God, and how much her church family has made a difference in her life is amazing. The Bible says in the book of Revelation that they overcame the evil one by the blood of the Lamb, or the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and the word of their testimony. Our testimony is powerful and as you share it with others, it is incredible what can happen. Be real, be open, and be ready for God to use your story too. If you'd like to connect with Maria, I'll let her share how

on Instagram I'm Maria dot leaton la y t o n There's my middle name. And that's basically all that I have I have any other social media platforms, I really can't stand Facebook. I don't have Twitter or anything like that. But I'm also open open the emails related makeup@gmail.com which I will be changing as well with, with all of that, but I'm open to any emails. It can start friendships as we've, we've talked about. So

thank you for listening to along the way. If you've enjoyed joining me along my way, please share this episode with a friend who you think will be encouraged by this podcast. Also, please rate and review along the way on iTunes that will help more people discover along the way and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcast. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and at my website along the way dot media. I hope that you've enjoyed this part of my journey and may you realize when Jesus is walking with you along your way.