Jenny Carter

#GodsBeloved

<p><em>Executive Director of Pure Life Mission and <br /> Founder of A Head Over Heels Retreat</em><br /> <br /> Jenny has a passion for girls to have a healthy self-image. Originally from Michigan, Jenny earned her B.S. degree in Public &amp; Nonprofit Administration at Grand Valley State University in 2007 with an American Humanics nonrprofit certificate. She has worked for United Way, Oasis Center and Hands On Nashville. In 2008, she lived in New Orleans as a Mission Year participant, building community in the inner city and volunteering as a Community Development laison with an affiliated church and as a teacher aid in K.I.P.P. school system. She got married and moved to Los Angeles in 2010. Since then she has joined One Church International and started Pure Life Mission. </p> <h1 style="color: #755d7c;">Note from Jenny</h1> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">I want to tell you a little about my life. It is the ups and downs that shaped the person I am today.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">I grew up as an only child. I have a half brother, my dad's son, but I didn't know him very well when I was young and only saw him a couple times a year. My mom and dad were together, but he became addicted to drugs and it scared my mom to have him living with us. So they divorced when I was about five years old and it was just my mom and I after that. She was such a strong, protective and amazing mom. She had a really hard childhood and didn't want me to grow up the same way so she loved me with all she had. When I was young I remember my mom was very sad and cried a lot. I grew up feeling like I had to make her happy and support her emotionally, which developed an interesting mother-daughter relationship, where I felt like I was the mom sometimes. She has always been an incredible mom though - I honor and love her very much!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">I saw my dad again when I was about ten years old. He had been away struggling with his addiction and came back clean. I would see my dad on the weekends during my awkward middle school years and we would have a lot of fun together. One day he told me he learned how to get to heaven by saying this prayer: "Lord, I am a sinner. Please forgive me, in Jesus name, Amen." Without thinking much of it I said the prayer too. One day I was listening to a Christian radio station and all of a sudden the presence of God surrounded me and I was blown away by it! It was amazing and ever since then I have been trying to get to know God more - He is the BEST!!!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">When I was in the 9th grade my mom got a call that my dad had died of a heart attack from a drug overdose. It didn't seem real at first; it was like a hazy cloud of sadness and confusion all around. All I remember doing was praying, reading the Bible and crying all the time. As hard as it was to lose my dad, it's gotten easier, and I'm able to see the good things that have happened because of it. Most importantly, I became closer to God and experienced His love and power to heal my pain. His death also brought me closer to my mom and half-brother. I understand what it's like to go through a lot of pain, and I am more compassionate because of it.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">On top of all that, I am a FEMALE! To be a female means you have the pressure to be the prettiest and the skinniest, and you are expected look and act a certain way. Females are often never completely comfortable in their own skin, and spend their lives trying to fit in and get attention from people to verify their beauty. Looking at magazines and the T.V. doesn't help either! I've struggled a lot with my self-image and insecurities - thinking I'm fat, not pretty enough, worthless, not good enough. It's really hard to deal with the pressures of being a female, but the more I understand how unique and truly beautiful God made me, the more I accept and love myself.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">My desire is for all of us to know just how special we are, to know the One who created us, and to learn how to truly love ourselves and others.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Xoxo, Jenny :)</p>

About Me

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