Mrs. South Dakota International 2007
The Mrs. International System is an organization developed to promote today’s
married women, their accomplishments, and commitment to family and marriage. The
Mrs. International System’s mission is “To Make A Difference” in
the lives of married women by giving them the opportunity to work with
their husbands and families as positive role models. The Mrs. International
Pageant was held at the North shore Performing Arts Center in Chicago, Illinois
July 16th thru the 21st. This was a wonderful and exciting experience
for me as I met so many beautiful women.
Each woman has their own reason for being a part of this pageant system….to be a part of something, by working together, to make a difference in the lives of others.
The world’s system may dictate that there is but one winner, decided
by a select group.
Let me continue by sharing a bit of my post-pageant time with you.
It is Sunday, the day after the pageant ended. I am tired. I am hungry. I am disappointed. A clear reminder that I am human. You see, I did not win the title of Mrs. International 2007…I did not even make the top ten. I tried to rationalize the disappointment in my mind, as the old cliché’s would ring in my head; “it just wasn’t meant to be”; “maybe next time”; “we’re all winners”. (I must interject at this point…I felt the leading and peace of God throughout the entire week of the contest, and I believed that I had the ability to win). I tried to set the thoughts of the pageant and the outcome of it aside in my mind as my husband and I decided to catch a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
I sat
next to my husband; so loving and patient, in allowing me to ‘work’ through
this quietly in my heart. He did not say a word, but his love and
concern clearly displayed by the gentle, reassuring touch of his hand
on mine. He shared in my disappointment – his love for me. I
reminded myself that God had a purpose in this. I tried to enjoy the
game, visit with those around me….but my mind kept going back to
thoughts of the pageant. I went through a time of questioning…‘What
did I do wrong? What could I have done differently?; Why wasn’t I
good enough?’
As I reviewed the personal judging interview
process over and over in my mind; and rehearsing my presence on stage,
I began to doubt myself. I began to question my abilities, my appearance,
even my age…and not winning or even placing in the top ten took a
stab at my self-esteem; and it started to slide. This debate in my
mind went on for about an hour or two. I was 
feeling very low in my
spirit when I turned to God in prayer. It was at that time when the
voice of God spoke to me and said… “Why do you look to
man for approval?” I knew this to be true. I am reminded
that as a Christian, I am in the world but not of the world. It is
hard to be in the world but not of it, isn’t it? We can find
ourselves caught up in worldly thinking, and before we know it….it
slips in. My identity is in Christ Jesus. I am an heir to the throne
of God, a princess, holy and acceptable to God through Christ Jesus,
his Son. I asked God to forgive me for my worldly thinking. It
was then that I heard the voice of God speak to me again; he said…. “I
never intended for you to win; I sent you to minister and that you did,
joyfully!” WOW!I was reminded of the call in my life…a
call by God to minister to the hearts of women.
The opportunity to participate in this pageant system is a gift in many
aspects.
- I had the opportunity to meet 53 beautiful women from around the
United States and the world. Each one brought to this pageant for
reasons known only to them in their hearts.
- I was given the opportunity through this pageant system to pray
for many. (This does not happen in all pageant systems).
- I have many new friendships founded in Christ.
- I walked away changed.
I am reminded of my identity….in Christ Jesus! 
I must offer my heartfelt congratulations to Rebekah Negrete, Mrs.
International 2007! What an incredible, spirit-led woman and my life is blessed
by having met and been given the privilege to pray with this lovely woman. My
prayer for her is that God will continue to work in and through her as she
brings glory to him in all she does.
I believe I was led by the hand of God to participate in this pageant system for a couple of reasons. First, to make a difference in the hearts and the lives of those women God placed in my path. Oh, to be so blessed by God, to have a “front row seat” to his blessing by being available for Him. I consider every day, every opportunity to minister, a blessing. I was ‘blessed to be a blessing’ as these women ministered to me as well…I will forever remember those women and the times we shared…times of fun, laughter, joy, and prayer for one another.
Second, it is not about any person or group of people awarding a title…for me, it goes deeper than any title ever could. It is about doing what I am called to do wherever I am. Whether I am at work, home, or with friends, I am called to love and to minister to others. I believe it is also important to see what it is, in going through the experience, we are to learn by having gone through it. I pray that it takes me to a deeper level of understanding of God’s love, mercy and grace…to make me a better person…to be changed. God never wastes an experience…so why should we!
My life will never be the same and I must thank God for this experience.
I in
vite you to visit my photo gallery…that I may introduce you to
some of the lovely women that blessed my life as I came to know them and share
my life.
I am honored to be chosen to represent the beautiful State of South Dakota in the Mrs. International Pageant. As Mrs. South Dakota International I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel across the state as well as neighboring states to share my story with thousands of men and women. Each contestant has the opportunity to share their platform….something that they have a passion for in their life.
Please allow me to share my story….
You see this beautiful young lady? This
is my daughter, Janessa. She is the reason for the passion I
have for 
my platform… the American Heart Association and Go Red For
Women.
Janessa has SVT (supraventricular-tachycardia). Janessa is 23 now, but at the age of 19 was diagnosed with SVT. Let me take you back to when her earliest symptoms appeared.
At the tender age of 8, Janessa began having trouble catching her breath
while playing at school and in physical ed
ucation. Her P.E. teacher
brought it to our attention. I took Janessa to our doctor in the rural
community where we lived at the time. The doctor told us that Janessa
had athletic induced asthma and was given an inhaler. Janessa was
born three weeks premature and was prone to upper respiratory infections
when she was a baby, so I accepted the athletic induced asthma diagnosis. When
Janessa would play, it seemed that she had trouble catching her breath. She
was forced to set out and rest before resuming play....she would use the
inhaler and cough continuously for several minutes after using it. Janessa
is a very active young lady and an incredible athlete. She always gives
100%...participating in softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball and track. Janessa
continued to use an inhaler through junior high school…always ending
with coughing.
At the age of 19, as Janessa was working in the Emergency Room at the hospital,
she felt clammy and felt her
heart beating quickly. She looked down
at her chest and could see her chest bounding with each of the fast beats. Her
pulse was 160 and an EKG was performed. Several hours later her heart
beat returned to normal. She was referred to a cardiologist. After
several tests they diagnosed her with SVT. Janessa had another episode
where her heart rate was over 250 (normal is 60-80). She was placed
on a beta blocker to reduce her heart rate and later, an electrophysiology
test was performed, but was unsuccessful. Janessa remains on a beta
blocker to control her heart rate.
A couple of years ago I went to my doctor for a routine exam and an EKG
in order for me to obtain a life insurance policy. I was surprised
when he told me that I had arrhythmias (abnormal heart rate) and then
to find out that I genetically may have passed this on to my daughter. I
had no idea that I had a heart problem. I, too, would get short of
breath when climbing stairs, running too fast…even sometimes while
just sitting still I could feel the irregular beats. The arrhythmias
didn’t happen all the time, so it was easy to dismiss the symptoms
for something else. I related them to thinking I needed more cardio
in my workouts or maybe I drank too much coffee. Tod
ay, I have moments
when I can feel my heart beat racing. Strenuous cardiac workouts,
steep inclines like climbing stairs, walking up hill, and stress can cause
my heart rate to become irregular.
Now…..I listen to my heart. I know my limitations. I was wrong back then, and had I listened to my heart and what it was telling me, I could have found out sooner that I had this problem…that this was genetic, and thereby would have had my daughter treated sooner. I have a beautiful granddaughter now, and I feel relieved that her parents know what to look for should she begin to show signs or symptoms of heart disease.
My prayer for you is this….Listen, listen to your heart!
(Please refer to “Heart Health ” section for additional information; such as: Am I living at risk? What are the warning signs of a heart attack?)
I must thank my sponsors: Dr. Jeff Loftus at Amazing Smiles, Whiting, Hagg and Hagg, and Brian Hagg. It is because of their generous support that I had the opportunity, not only to participate in the Mrs. International competition, but “to make a difference” as I share my story.