A personal journey of transformation through loss and pain, revealing how embracing development over despair led to discovering purpose in empowering children who learn differently.
Her Story
About Lisa
My Story: Turning Struggle Into Purpose
Throughout my life, I have experienced many kinds of loss—losing people I loved, facing eviction, going through broken relationships, losing jobs, and experiencing challenges in business. Every loss taught me something.
There were times when I cried my eyes out and wondered why I had to go through so much. But eventually, I realized I had a choice: I could allow what happened to me to define me, or I could learn from it and allow it to develop me.
I began surrounding myself with a healthier community and learning about the power of our thoughts. I learned that what we continually believe and speak about ourselves can influence the direction of our lives. But the greatest change came when I picked up the Word of Father and began studying what Father says about who I am.
That changed everything.
Instead of defining myself by what had happened to me, I began seeing myself through Father's eyes. As my thinking changed, the way I saw other people changed too. I began growing into the woman Father was calling me to become. I learned to lean on the strength, wisdom, and purpose Father had placed within me.
One of the greatest turning points in my life was losing my mother. My mother was my shelter. She was my help. Losing her caused me to look deeply at my life and ask, “There has to be more to my life than just this. What am I here for?”
Over time, part of that answer became clear through children.
I remembered what it was like to be the child who learned differently—the child who could be misunderstood because of ADHD, behavior challenges, or simply seeing the world differently. I began looking at our schools, childcare programs, and other systems and noticed that children who don't fit neatly into the traditional way of learning can sometimes be labeled by their behavior instead of understood for who they are.
I don't want another child to feel overlooked, rejected, or left behind because they learn differently.
That realization became part of the heart behind Kingdom Kids Empowerment Center.
My purpose isn't simply to watch children while their parents work. I want to help develop children during some of the most important years of their lives. I want to help them discover their abilities, develop independence, build character, learn how to express themselves, and understand that being different does not mean something is wrong with them.
A child with ADHD isn't a broken child. A highly active child isn't automatically a bad child. An artistic or creative child may simply process and understand the world differently. Sometimes children need someone patient enough to discover how they learn, rather than constantly telling them that the way they learn is wrong.
And sometimes families simply need support and balance.
That's where I believe Abba has called me to step in.
When I look back now, I can see that some of the experiences that once caused me the greatest pain also developed something inside of me: compassion, patience, perseverance, and a desire to protect and encourage children.
I cannot change everything that happened in my past, but I can decide how I build from it.
I am building a place where children can be themselves.
A place where they can be understood.
A place where their differences can become strengths.
A place where families can receive support.
And a place where children can begin discovering who Abba created them to be.
My struggle became my lesson.
My lesson became my growth.
My growth became my purpose.
And my purpose became Kingdom Kids.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lisa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to Father, perseverance, and my willingness to learn from every experience. Throughout my life, I have faced the loss of loved ones, eviction, broken relationships, job loss, and business challenges. Those experiences could have defined me, but I chose to let them develop me.
My greatest transformation began when I studied the Word of Father and learned to see myself through His eyes. As my thinking changed, I became more aware of the purpose Father placed within me. My pain developed compassion, patience, wisdom, and the strength to keep moving forward.
Losing my mother caused me to examine my life and ask what I was created to do. Part of that answer became clear through my work with children—especially children with ADHD, behavioral challenges, creative abilities, and different learning styles.
My success is not simply measured by owning Kingdom Kids Empowerment Center. It is measured by my ability to turn my struggles into a purpose that helps children and families. I am building a place where children are seen, understood, encouraged, and given the opportunity to discover who Father created them to be.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to always keep a teachable spirit. No matter how much experience or knowledge you gain, there is always something more to learn.
I’ve also learned the importance of being patient, kind, and long-suffering, especially when working with children and families. Everyone has a story, and you may not always know what someone is going through.
Most importantly, I believe in treating others the way I would want to be treated—with respect, compassion, understanding, and love. These principles have helped shape not only the way I lead Kingdom Kids Empowerment Center, but also the woman and leader I continue to become.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the childcare industry is to first understand that this work requires more than just loving children—it requires patience, compassion, consistency, and a teachable spirit.
Take the time to understand each child instead of quickly labeling them because of their behavior or the way they learn. Every child is different, and some children simply need someone who is willing to slow down, listen, and discover what works for them.
Also, learn to work alongside families rather than judge them. Parents come from different backgrounds and face different challenges. Sometimes they need encouragement and support just as much as their children do.
Continue educating yourself, remain open to correction, and never become so experienced that you believe you have nothing left to learn.
Most importantly, remember that you are helping shape a child's foundation. What you say, how you treat them, and how you make them feel can stay with them for a lifetime.
Lead with patience, teach with love, and always treat children and families the way you would want someone to treat your own.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in childcare right now is maintaining consistent enrollment, finding dependable teachers who truly have a heart for what they do, and having families consistently pay their tuition on time.
I often remind my families and staff that we are all helpers to one another. A childcare center is like a community, and when one part gets out of order, it creates a domino effect that impacts everyone.
If teachers don't show up, we may not have the staffing needed to safely care for the children. When that happens, families can be affected because they depend on us so they can go to work. At the same time, when tuition isn't paid on time, it affects my ability to pay teachers, maintain the center, and take care of the bills necessary to keep the doors open.
That's why I believe communication, accountability, consistency, and respect have to work both ways between the childcare provider, teachers, and families.
I also see this challenge as an opportunity. We have an opportunity to build stronger childcare communities where parents, teachers, and providers understand that we need one another. When everyone does their part, we create stability for the center, support working families, and most importantly, provide children with the consistent and loving environment they deserve.
It takes all of us working together to make childcare work.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My values are rooted in Scripture. Two scriptures that guide me are “Let the little children come” and “Train up a child in the way they should go.”
To me, the foundation of both of those scriptures is love.
Love is at the center of how I try to live, lead, and care for children. True love looks beyond a person's faults and doesn't define someone by their mistakes. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is long-suffering. Love gives of itself without always expecting something in return.
I believe whatever we consistently pour into others has the ability to reproduce itself in them. When we give children patience, they learn patience. When we show them kindness, they learn kindness. When we give them encouragement, they begin believing in themselves. And when children experience genuine love, they learn how to give love to others.
That's especially important to me in childcare because we aren't just teaching children their ABCs and numbers—we are helping shape character.
I want every child who comes through Kingdom Kids Empowerment Center to experience love, patience, compassion, guidance, and grace. My hope is that what we pour into them today will become part of what they pour into the world tomorrow.
Love is what we give, and when it is planted in others, love has the power to reproduce itself.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Lisa
When Pain Becomes Purpose
From Loss to Purpose: How My Struggles Became the Foundation for Serving Children
Throughout my life, I have experienced many kinds of loss. I have lost people I loved, faced eviction, gone through broken relationships, lost jobs, and experienced challenges in business. Every loss hurt, but every loss also taught me something.
There were times when I cried and wondered why I had to experience so much. Eventually, I realized I had a choice: I could allow what happened to me to define me, or I could learn from it and allow it to develop me.
I chose development.
Changing the Way I Saw Myself
One important step in my growth was surrounding myself with a healthier community. I also began learning how our thoughts, beliefs, and words can influence the direction of our lives.
The greatest transformation came when I began examining myself. I realized that I could allow history to repeat itself and continue living according to familiar patterns, or I could challenge myself and pursue the destiny Abba says is mine.
That changed everything.
Instead of defining myself by my losses, failures, or painful experiences, I began seeing myself through Abba's eyes. As my thinking changed, the way I viewed other people also changed.
I began becoming the woman Abba was calling me to be. I learned to depend on the strength, wisdom, compassion, and purpose He had already placed within me.
The Loss That Made Me Search for Purpose
One of the greatest turning points in my life was losing my mother.
My mother was my shelter and my help. After losing her, I had to look deeply at my life and ask myself, "There has to be more to my life than this. What am I here for?"
Over time, part of the answer became clear through children.
I remembered what it felt like to be a child who learned differently. Children with ADHD, behavioral challenges, artistic abilities, or different learning styles can sometimes be misunderstood.
When children do not fit neatly into traditional learning environments, adults may focus on their behavior without taking the time to understand what the behavior is communicating.
A child may be labeled difficult when that child is overwhelmed. A highly active child may be called bad when that child needs movement and direction. A creative child may appear distracted when that child processes information differently.
I do not want another child to feel rejected, overlooked, or left behind simply because they learn differently.
The Purpose Behind Kingdom Kids
That realization became part of the heart behind Kingdom Kids Empowerment Center.
My purpose is not simply to watch children while their parents work. I want to help develop children during some of the most important years of their lives.
I want children to discover their abilities, develop independence, build character, learn to express themselves, and understand that being different does not mean something is wrong with them.
A child with ADHD is not a broken child. A highly active child is not automatically a bad child. An artistic or creative child may simply understand and experience the world differently.
Sometimes children need someone patient enough to discover how they learn instead of constantly telling them that the way they learn is wrong.
Families also need support. Parents may be balancing work, finances, family responsibilities, and the needs of a child who requires additional patience or understanding. Childcare providers should work alongside families rather than make them feel judged or alone.
That is where I believe Father has called me to serve.
What Our Children Need From Us
Working with children has taught me that leadership in early childhood education begins with relationships.
Before we can properly guide a child, we must take time to understand that child. We must look beyond behavior and ask questions:
- What is this child trying to communicate?
- How does this child learn?
- What makes this child feel safe?
- What strengths are hidden behind the behavior?
Children need structure, but they also need patience. They need correction, but they also need encouragement. They need adults who can see their potential before they are able to see it for themselves.
When we identify and build upon a child's strengths, differences that once appeared to be weaknesses can become powerful abilities.
Building Something From the Pain
When I look back, I can see that some of the experiences that caused me the greatest pain also developed something within me.
- Loss developed compassion.
- Hardship developed perseverance.
- Rejection taught me the importance of helping others feel accepted.
- Being misunderstood helped me recognize children who are also misunderstood.
I cannot change everything that happened in my past, but I can decide what I build from it.
- I am building a place where children can be seen and understood.
- I am building a place where differences can become strengths.
- I am building a place where families can receive support.
- Most importantly, I am building a place where children can begin discovering who Father created them to be.
My struggle became my lesson.
My lesson became my growth.
My growth became my purpose.
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