Lori DeVillez will be presenting two workshops at the 2015 Heartbeat International Annual Conference, Building the Best YOU and Setting a Mark For Success. Below is a taste of each and a little bit about Lori. We are so excited to have her this year at the Annual Conference, and hope you will join us too! (Register here today!)
by Lori DeVillez, Executive Director at Austin Pregnancy Resource Center
Have you noticed that you don't have to look very far to find negativity in your world? It seems we live in a culture where everything has become very fast paced. We are rushing everywhere we go! Often times, because of the rush, people get irritated, tired, and frustrated.
I recently had someone very close to me pass on to Heaven. During this time I realized that there are many opportunities that we miss because of the important demands of the day – well, what we think are important demands.
By missing those opportunities, we ignore the most important characteristics of ourselves. Even in working on who we are, we, often times, want the quick fix. We want the easy route - the elevator instead of the stairs.
About 3 years ago, the Lord spoke to my heart that change was coming in my life. It was time to get my life in order. I began examining everything about myself and was amazed at how little I did. I was just letting life happen to me. I learned that I needed to take small baby steps but that it was time to work on me. As I began to work, I realized that there is so much potential within me that needs to come out to impact my world for Jesus. Each step I took began to build upon the next one. I'm so excited about where the Lord has brought me and where I'm headed.
As we lead the pregnancy resource center or maternity home or abortion recovery or whatever ministry the Lord has assigned us, we are impacting those around us and those that our ministry touches.
How can we make that impact if no one knows about our work though? We also have to Set a Mark for Success! In order for each of us to be the best that we can be it is important for us to have a strategy for setting goals and for achieving those goals. Goals are only as good as we make them come into reality. That doesn't mean that it all happens at once but it does mean that each new day we begin to build on the next to bring us to where we our heart desires to be.
I love basing everything I do upon the Word of God, which we are told is our sword. As we learn more of the Word of God and hide it deep in our hearts, we will then be prepared in season and out for all God calls us to. It seems so simple, and really is simple as we take one day at a time.
I am amazed when I ask people: what is your dream? What do you have hidden deep in your heart that you know needs to happen? Often times the reply is: "I don't know." Very sad. I believe that we allow things in our lives: our culture, people, and thoughts to dictate what happens to us. The Scriptures tell us that with a mustard seed of faith we can move those mountains. Let's link arms and move the mountains and Build a Culture of LIFE together in this New Day!
Lori DeVillez is Equipped with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology/social work from the University of Southern Indiana, and a background in social work, public administration, and missions, Lori DeVillez began her career path of serving pregnancy centers in 1992. From her first position which provided on-the-job medical training, to leadership of both a pregnancy center and a maternity home, Lori advanced to becoming President of The Heidi Group, an Austin, Texas based organization that assists women's pregnancy resource centers. Currently, she is the Executive Director at Austin Pregnancy Resource Center.
Lori resides in Round Rock, Texas, where there really is a round rock! She enjoys spending time with her beloved niece from Indiana and her dog Ariel.
To contact Lori DeVillez call 512-971-7999 or email Lori at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.