My name is Tara Lovdahl and I am excited to share all that the Lord has done in and through my life. I was born and raised in Duluth, MN where I attended Lakeview Covenant Church my entire childhood. Although I was raised in the church, I only had one believing parent who attended church with the family. After graduating from high school, I worked hard as a maid at a motel and eventually at 19 years old went on to Cosmetology School. During this time, I met Mark. We dated for 3 years, almost to the day before getting married on October 7, 1995. In October of 1995, approximately 3 weeks after we were married, Mark and I made our first big move together. We packed up and moved to Ann Arbor, MI. Approximately one year into marriage Mark and I had our first child, our son, Miles. Nineteen months later we had another child, our daughter, Alyssa.

Now let’s fast forward several years! Then, I owned a business in Ann Arbor and we had moved again to a home a half hour outside of Ann Arbor. Mark and I have been facing some new challenges during this time. He had learned he would soon be out of a job unless we moved to Connecticut for a new position. Meanwhile, I was very caught up in my career and pursuing the “American Dream”. But what I have not shared with anyone is that for one whole year then, God had been asking me to sell my business and go home to my family. On the inside, my heart and mind were so weighed down with guilt everyday as a wife and mother working many hours; of such that the weight was like a heavy pack that gets heavier and heavier everyday. Everyday I dropped my kids off at school, I would cry and wonder why I can’t be strong like the other mothers. So, here I am on my drive home one day from work. My mind, as usual, was occupied with the thought of driving kids to sports and laundry at home to be done. Then in a flash, God was audibly in my car with me and began speaking to me in an instant. That day he would not be ignored. That day, his words boomed through my car- “Tara, I am done asking you! You WILL sell your business! You WILL sell your home! You WILL give everything away and move to Connecticut! I am done asking you!” And so it was! That is exactly what we did and life has never been the same! Finally, I began putting my Lord first instead of giving him my leftovers! I got on my knees and devoted that first year in Connecticut to prayer for my children’s salvation. By God’s grace, they were both saved during that first year!

Our family's time on the east coast was full of many blessings but short. After only two years, we moved here to Plainwell, Michigan for my husband's continued employment with Pfizer. I admit it was a tough season. I was not excited to return to Michigan and I could not see God’s plans in it. But as we all know, God always has a plan! We eventually ended up at a church where we continued to grow and flourish as a family in our faith. Our children grew and matured in their faith and met their future spouses and were both married in July of 2018. Only a few short months later, the words nobody ever wants to hear surfaced. In the fall of 2018 my husband was diagnosed with cancer. Thus began his battle for his life and my battle to figure out what it looks like to be a bold witness for Jesus in the midst of that.

Together, Mark and I prayed and talked and ultimately decided that shutting the doors to our home and stopping all of our ministries is exactly what the devil would want. So, we continued to use our home as a refuge for the hurting. We continued leading small group bible studies in our home. We also continued to house christian interns during this time. We simply refused to back down on our work for the Kingdom of God! Early into Mark’s diagnosis, I heard God’s voice whisper “I am not taking him from you. Now I need you to trust me Tara!” So, I clung to His words day and night! I laid hands on Mark and prayed over him every night as he slept. Never easy! But just simply trusted my Lord who I know and love dearly! After seven long weeks of treatments and pain, it was healing time for Mark. He is now cancer free and he is on his way to almost 3 years since completing treatment. I have learned that none of our days are promised! But I have also learned that I don’t want to ever walk away from another individual again wishing I had shared the love and hope of Jesus with them!

Since these life changing experiences, things have never been the same. I could spend all day describing the many changes that occur when you suddenly open your eyes to the fact that all of those things in scripture really are true. You can chase after a million empty pursuits on this earth but it truly is all meaningless under the sun. Today my life looks like a lifestyle of regular fasting and prayer. I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for all that the Lord has done in my life and the lives all around me! As a young girl nobody ever taught me that you could hear the Lord speak to you. Now I can see he has been there all along guiding me and whispering in my ear. What a faithful God we serve!