Women Entrepreneur Feature - Mary Krause

Good Morning friends! Oh my! Today's interview is absolutely packed full of encouragement and inspiration. I'm always so incredibly excited to share with you each interview because the power of someone sharing their story is amazing. It speaks right to our hearts and reminds us to walk by faith and not sight.  Our interview for today, is with a very dear friend of mine who has encouraged me so greatly.  I'm constantly moved by her story and faith and always leave her Instagram feed feeling so inspired and reminded to turn over the reigns of this life to my Heavenly Father. She is an absolutely gem and I'm so thankful for having her in my life. May I introduce, Mary Krause! 

1. How did you come to realize your gift/talent for creating hand stamped items?

I have to admit that I have not always been a very confident, risk taking person, so starting an online etsy shop was quite the stretch for me to do alone, but my daughters, Eleanor and Madelyn both played a big part in encouraging me to do so.  I knew that the Lord had blessed us with certain gifts in our creativity and that HE had also planted those desires in our hearts to share those talents with others.  We sought to open HOPEhomemade as a faith based shop, with our main focus being to honor the Lord in all we did and to encourage others in their faith as well.  I knew that it would also be a wonderful learning experience for my daughters... a way for us to connect as a family, and an opportunity to teach them how to run a shop and do things to the absolutely best of your ability, because that's what the Lord expects of us all.  I'm so glad we did, because the Lord took my fears and turned it into faith as HE blessed us with sales and customers that were so kind and life giving in their words.

2. Where do you gather inspiration?

I gather inspiration, first and foremost, from the Scriptures.  You just can't go wrong!  There are so many Truths tucked away in the Bible and I love reading a passage from my devotions and being inspired by it.  I can then, in turn, encourage others in that same lesson that God has taught me, which has been phenomenal to watch unfold!  I believe that we are here on this earth to share the Gospel with everyone we meet, and also to encourage fellow believers in their faith walk.  The fact that God can minister through this weak vessel is just astounding.  I definitely feel unworthy and you know what? I am.  BUT! Christ IN ME, the hope of glory, is able to turn my many failures and shortcomings into His beautiful story, woven one day at a time, by His grace, for His glory!  I am also GREATLY inspired by hymns of old.  The stories of hope and redemption, from days gone by, have often times been written out of times of great loss and tragedy.  Their faith strengthens mine and the encouragement and depth of substance that they carry inspires me every time I hear them.

3. If you had one piece of advice to share with women entrepreneurs, what would it be?

Well, I certainly do not feel qualified to give out any advice to women entrepreneurs, but the one things that I would say is to seek God in everything and when you know that He has called you to do something, BE BRAVE in it!  This is something that I struggled with my whole life, but when God used my girls to push me out of my comfort zone, He blessed in ways I couldn't have imagined.  If I had stayed in my comfortable little bubble, I would have missed out on some of the greatest blessings!  I am learning that we are called to be bold ambassadors for Christ and when He calls us to a certain task, because of a certain gifting, He will finish that work that HE started in our hearts if we just simply trust HIM.  Remember, self focus = INSECURITY, but Christ focus and fixing your gaze on HIM = ULTIMATE CONFIDENCE!

Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HOPEhomemade
Instagram: mary.krause

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Mary!  Friends, please go and check out Mary's shop and especially her instagram feed! Your life will be changed.