SHE HEARD: CARMEN MILLER OF WHOLE MAGAZINE

CARMEN MILLER OF WHOLE MAGAZINE WANTED TO BE REAL IN HER WRITING AND OFFER WOMEN HOPE TO BE WHOLE.

Carmen Miller is a woman who knows what it is to be broken. Her testimony includes teen pregnancy, domestic violence, and infidelity. Her heart is to lead other women to wholeness through Christ. She does this via Whole Magazine, a women's ministry she founded.

Carmen had been blogging on her own personal blog for about two years. Although it was a Christ-centered blog, she felt it was missing more; more realness, more pain, more rawness. She began to pray and ask God how that would look. She wanted to share things that she'd endured; trials she'd overcome, and how God’s grace had brought her through all the messiness of life. More importantly, she wanted to share with other women that her life is still messy at times.

She was a writer, but also an avid blog reader. She remembers reading many posts and thinking, “Wow, what’s wrong with me? What am I doing wrong, 'cause this woman’s life seems perfect!” Obviously, she knew deep down that wasn’t the case, but she realized that so many of these blogs lacked that real-life story. Yes, we love Jesus. Yes, we are Christians, but we still have messy, broken, and crazy lives.  She began reading Matthew 9:20-22:

"Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, 'If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.' Jesus turned and saw her. 'Take heart, daughter,' he said, 'your faith has made you whole.' And the woman was made whole at that moment."

She thought about how the rest of the day went for this woman. Life wasn’t going to be easy for her; not as a woman living during those times, but she had something she hadn’t had in twelve years: She had hope. She was healed. 

Carmen wanted to give the hope that, although we are not perfect, we serve The Perfect One. After continued prayer, God gave Carmen the vision almost immediately, including who she would reach out to and ask to write. Whole Magazine officially launched in the fall of 2012 with over 40 writers from all over the world. 

Carmen responded quickly to the Lord and His calling. She began to write the vision and make it plain (Hab 2:2). He began to pour ideas, even so far as to how the website would look. Carmen shares that it was wonderful and scary all at the same time. 

When asked what lessons the Lord has taught her through this, Carmen shares that there are so many lessons and she is still learning! The biggest lesson she learned early on was that her ministry wasn’t her readers, but her writers. These were women who were sharing their lives daily- sharing their hurts, pains, and joys. Some of them had experience writing and others never had written, but had such an immense passion to share what God had done in their lives. So they began a writers group where amazing Christian authors provide writing tips and more to help them get better at writing.

Carmen also learned that she couldn’t do it all on her own. She tried for months to juggle writing, editing, publishing, managing social media, promoting, etc and she got burned out. Whole was like her baby, but God told her that she had to recruit help and delegate tasks. So many women were excited to help. 

When asked what advice she would offer to other women in HEARING the Lord's calling, she offered: "

"Saturate everything in prayer. What sounds like a good plan, may not always be God’s plan for you. If it is His will, He will provide the people, tools, and resources you need. Pray, and let Him make it happen. Then listen. He will speak through His Word, or through others. We all have a calling and a purpose and the more we sit at the feet of Jesus and remain in His presence, His plan will be revealed." ~ Carmen Miller, Whole Magazine

You can support Whole by sharing articles on social media, download their FREE mobile devotional app. Also, they are not a 501(c)3 and all of their costs for the website, app, and design software comes out of Carmen's pocket. Carmen and her team also ask for prayer. And, if you feel led to sow, you can do so here. Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook.

Along with Whole Magazine, carmen also fronts another ministry that she co-founded with her husband: God Over Porn.  Together they are working to address the very real issue of pornography and the damaging and tragic effects it has. 

Carmen is one of many examples we've shared during the SHE HEARD Devotional Series here on Deliberate Women of women who have stepped forward boldly to answer the call God placed on their lives. Carmen, like the others, simply made herself available to the Lord and responded in obedience where He led. 

​All of us can do that. 

We are all called to be women who HEAR the Lord and obey. May we recognize the Lord's voice, may we follow Him without delay, and may we trust Him to multiply our efforts as only He can for His glory. 

Do you have a story of your own (or someone else's) obedience and of HEARING the Lord that you'd like to share? Contact us HERE.