SOAR Interview: Pointers on the Pursuit of Purpose with Life Coach Leslie Denman
Interview by Julene Fleurmond, Editor of DreaminSoul.com and SOAR
Society sometimes sets aside “teenhood” and the early twenties as those fun, carefree years – but what better opportunity to discover who you are and explore what you were made for when you don’t yet have responsibilities like paying rent. Everyone has purpose and we as young people can serve God right where we are, impacting our friends, using our gifts and serving others in our corner of the world. Many leaders throughout history and in the Bible started walking into their purpose in their teen years, so like 1 Timothy 4:12 says:
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”
Leslie Denman is passionate about young people and helping them to find and pursue their purpose while they are young. She is a certified Life Purpose and Teen Empowerment Coach (in other words when it comes to purpose, she knows her stuff;) and the founder of the organization Girls Living Life On Purpose, Inc. based in Dallas, TX. In this Interview Coach Leslie gives pointers on pursuing God and purpose boldly right where you are…
Dream in Soul: Hi, can you tell us a little about you and what do you do?
Coach Leslie Denman: I am a believer passionate about empowering people for purpose. As a Christian Life Coach, I am a Missionary of Hope to the countless women and girls that God assigns to me. I partner with the Holy Spirit to bring about transformation to the lives of people through coaching, speaking and training. I have a wonderful husband of fourteen years and two beautiful daughters and my most recent accomplishment that brings me so much joy is answering the call to ministry as a licensed minister.
DS: What inspired you to work with teens, especially young women? What were your own teen years like and how did you get grounded in God into your own purpose?
Leslie Denman: My inspiration to work with teen girls and young women started with my own search for significance and purpose. The last thing I thought my calling was – was to work with teens especially girls. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 29 and I asked God to reveal His purpose for my life. I declared to God that if He spared my life and revealed my purpose, I would spend the rest of my life fulfilling that purpose. I am happy to say that I am still here.
This journey has been remarkable. Looking back over my life and growing up in Omaha, TX, I remember standing in the mirror of my room hearing this small voice telling me that I was going to be great. I had no idea what I would be doing or how it was going to happen but I believed that voice. I carefully and secretly tucked that belief away in my heart. I had great parents and our life was pretty normal that is until I found myself pregnant at the tender age of fourteen and even then, I felt God’s hands of grace and mercy upon me. My parents made sure we were active in church and grew up hearing the word of God. God used that experience in my life to draw me closer to Him.
I remember going to church and watching people sing, shout and praise God and I would think “What is that all about.” I was a young girl with a heavy burden and I wanted to feel what those people were feeling. I wanted to be free. I would ask God in my own lil’ way to help me know Him like that. Soon I would find myself angry and frustrated for many years to come. At the time I did not know that God was answering my prayer.
DS: What is the first thing you would say to someone about pursuing their purpose? How does s/he discern what it is and move forward to pursuing it?
Leslie Denman: Great question. The first thing I would say is “WHY? Why are you pursuing your purpose?” May seem like a simple question, even strange to some but it is the answering of this question, you hear the heart and motive of the individual. Luke 6:45 says “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Discovering your purpose is just the tip of the iceberg. Walking it out is like an award-winning drama complete with plots, schemes and twists. An individual clear about their WHY will not only discover their purpose but they will walk it out in a spirit of excellence. Discerning one’s purpose can be both exciting and yet frustrating. It’s exciting in that you will discover that you are gifted and passionate about so many things; frustrating in that you don’t know what to pursue…
SOAR Interview: Pointers on the Pursuit of Purpose with Life Coach Leslie Denman
Interview by Julene Fleurmond, Editor of DreaminSoul.com and SOAR
Society sometimes sets aside “teenhood” and the early twenties as those fun, carefree years – but what better opportunity to discover who you are and explore what you were made for when you don’t yet have responsibilities like paying rent. Everyone has purpose and we as young people can serve God right where we are, impacting our friends, using our gifts and serving others in our corner of the world. Many leaders throughout history and in the Bible started walking into their purpose in their teen years, so like 1 Timothy 4:12 says:
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”
Leslie Denman is passionate about young people and helping them to find and pursue their purpose while they are young. She is a certified Life Purpose and Teen Empowerment Coach (in other words when it comes to purpose, she knows her stuff;) and the founder of the organization Girls Living Life On Purpose, Inc. based in Dallas, TX. In this Interview Coach Leslie gives pointers on pursuing God and purpose boldly right where you are…
SOAR Updates: Music Picks from Group 1 Crew, Jamie Grace, Britt Nicole and More
1. Music Pick: Group 1 Crew – “Wait” from the Album Outta Space Love
Relating back to the theme of love and waiting for the real thing here is one of my favorites, “Wait” from Group 1 Crew’s latest album OuttaSpace Love… Read More
2. Music Picks: Hold Me – Jamie Grace feat. tobyMac, & Holding On
It’s awesome to see new young artists coming to the music scene and using their talents for His glory (though you might have heard of this one already since she’s been posting videos on Youtube for years!) Gotee Records and tobyMac recently announced the signing of their newest artist Jamie Grace… Read More
3. Video Pick & Inspiration: Headphones from Britt Nicole & Update From the Revolve Tour in TX
Britt Nicole sings about the ups and downs of life, and reminds us that God’s love is always in reach in this colorful, inspiring and playful video for her song “Headphones”…
… Read More
4. Music Pick: Love Song, Canton Jones & New Album Dominionaire
Canton Jones sings “Love Song” (from the album Access Granted: The Password) on the show Check the Sound, reminding us that we can’t sing about love without first remembering the One who created it…
5. Hear Their Stories: Testimonies From Young Believer’s Broadcast
If you are looking for something on TV both intriguing to watch and that portrays truth, the Young Believer’s Broadcast is the show for you…
SOAR Updates: What Does Love Mean to You?
We asked Dream in Soul & SOAR readers to share what love means to them. Here’s the winning entry of the “Real Love” T-Shirt contest. Our winner E.A. said:
What does real love mean to you?
Sacrifice! Love is not a feeling. Real love is continous selfless actions towards others!
Why have you decided to wait?
I decided to wait because God’s will is perfect. Anything else outside of that is settling for nonsense! God’s will is worth waiting for.
Click here for more answers from other Dream in Soul readers
Why I’m Waiting – by Dream in Soul’s Founder & SOAR’s Editor Julene
For me waiting for love means being intentional with my time as a single and the plans God has for me now. It is also about trusting that God knows what’s best for me and that though it’s up to me to be open to what opportunities He brings, it is not for me to “chase” them relentlessly.
I made a post about “Real Love” on my Tumblr blog a few weeks and loved seeing how many young people responded and have a passion for waiting on a real love story written by God. 70 people reposted and liked the post, which shows that society isn’t necessarily right in portraying young people as the microwave generation – “those who don’t want to wait.”
I truly believe that God wants to use love on earth not only for our pleasure but to teach us lessons beyond what we can see, and to let us more fully understand God’s love for us and sacrifice on the cross. If we are worth it in the eyes of the God of the universe, then our hearts are worth the wait for true love that resembles His, and a love story written by Him. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
In His sacrifice we are washed, cleansed and showered in love. It is patient, it kind, it never fails. That’s the kind of love God lavishes upon us and that He wants us to wait for. Though unworthy as we feel and imperfect as we are on this Earth, He wants us to trust Him to shape that type of love in us and for us. Waiting for God’s direction, rather then settling for being “unequally yoked,” is worth it.
I shared this piece on SOAR last year but wanted to do so again in case you missed it and for new readers:
He loves me?
I guess it’s almost every girl’s dream, cliché as it seems, to have Prince Charming sweep them off of their feet. Then real life happens and they interact with guys their own age and the daydream of the prince quickly fades. That’s when settling comes in, lowering our standards just so we can experience “love” and be accepted by someone – anyone…
Sometimes experiencing what we call romance in this world leaves us wondering what love truly is. You feel that happy pounding and patter in your chest when he reveals a bouquet of roses, candy and tickets to “that thing you love”. Getting hurt though can peel away the layers of our hearts, like someone plucking the petals from a flower.
He loves me not…
When we’re young, and throughout our lives, we want to feel loved but sometimes we rush out too blindly looking for a person to fill us, and feel the eventual impact and pang of disappointment. I’ve been there and so have so many others – what we thought was sweet sometimes turns sour in the end. With our heart still tender we search for healing – looking for someone, something to mend the torn pieces back together. God is always there, before, now and always waiting for us to give Him our all. Before looking for that type of love from man He wants us to let Him satisfy our every need and want, to fall deeply in love with the One who knows us best…
SOAR Young Artist Snapshots: Interview With Lauren & Lucas
On SOAR we feature young people (from those beginning their ministries to those more established) who are using their talents to bring glory to God. Check out our interview with brother/sister music duo Lauren & Lucas Gandy who began by posting creative videos on Youtube showcasing both their musical and production skills and their love for Jesus. By creating acoustic covers of songs by Christian artists, from Lecrae to Kirk Franklin and Skillet, Lauren and Lucas’ videos show you can have fun while bringing glory to God…
SOAR Updates: Trip Lee on Christlikeness, Paige Armstrong & Blanca Reyes on Beauty & Video From Sho Baraka
Check out the latest updates from SOAR Youth:
1. Video: Blanca from Group 1 Crew Talks About “Beautiful”
Blanca Reyes talks about the meaning of the song “Beautiful” from Group 1 Crew’s new EP Spacebound… Read More
2. Video Pick: Oh Well – Sho Baraka
Check out Sho Baraka’s video “Oh Well” from his album Lions & Liars… Read More
3. Paige Armstrong On God’s Love & True Beauty
There are so many pressures to want to look a certain way today, and we as girls often scrutinize ourselves in the mirror and compare ourselves to others. Singer & speaker Paige Armstong talks about true beauty… Read More
4. Trip Lee on Christlikeness & His New Album Between Two Worlds
Trip Lee recently gave a teaching on the topic of “Christlikeness”… Read More
5. Ministry Event: America’s Best Praise Dance Showcase and Competition
Here’s a ministry event combining the creativity of dance and praise, submitted by a SOAR reader… Read More
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