As promised... my dear friend Kaylene:
Kaylene is a deep, close soul friend of mine. She was present at the very beginning of my soul care journey and has been witness to a lot within me.
Kaylene is energetic, powerful, bold, sensitive, and full of peace. She is an enneagram 8. In their brokenness, 8s could have the tendency to squish others, to kind of plow ahead, using others at will instead of appreciating the gifts God has given them.
Not so with Kaylene. Because...as you can guess, Kaylene has chosen to tackle her own dark side. In doing that, Kaylene has become a great leader who is inclusive. She gathers idea, thoughts, desires. She asks for advice and listens to those around her. And when it’s time to make a decision, it’s hard for anyone to remember whose idea it was to begin with -- because it was truly a collaborative effort. Kaylene would not, does not, push her own agenda simply because it is her agenda. She leads with the natural boldness gifted to her, and the gentleness learned from her own personal journey. She is able to do this because (once again I say) she was willing to stand face to face with her own brokenness.
Kaylene’s soul searching, well, her soul healing really... has led her on a journey where she has found herself to be the second generation leader of a large (in scope and depth) ministry. Second generation leaders have the “luxury” to dream big and the charge to bring those dreams to fruition. First generation leaders typically have no such luxury - they must simply make this work (whatever “this” is). They crunch numbers day after day, they must strive, plead, almost beg at times. They have no luxuries and a whole lot of charges on their shoulders: Create a program, develop outreach, find donors, find leaders, find support staff, don’t go bankrupt. The list goes on and on.
Quite naturally, first generation leaders must have laser focus. And also quite naturally, second generation leaders are able to dream big. First generation leaders have set the stage for that.
Joe was a first generation leader, setting the Soul Care Institute stage. He built all that is the Institute from the ground up - with sweat, tears and prayers. And then, when the time came, he welcomed Kaylene into her new role as leader.
And (let me say just one more time) both of these great leaders have been able to step into these roles because of the way they have been willing to come face to face with their brokenness.
Because they have down that, they (like Tara) are able to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven around and within them.