Janae Bower

No one has a job quite like Janae Bower’s. The 49-year-old mother of three, a member of St. Paul in Ham Lake, is a speaker, a retreat leader and a life coach. She’s launching an online school to help people discover their life purpose — as she guides her teenagers in their decision making. “Every time I learn something, I have this desire to teach it,” she said. “That’s just my natural bent.”

Q You have three sons – two teens and a preteen – plus a teenage exchange student. Are you constantly buying food?

A I’m going a lot: Costco, Cub, Costco, Cub.

Q As a girl, your dad often told you that God had a special purpose for your life.

A Hearing that message at a young age was a driving force, and now I see that such a big part of my purpose is helping others find theirs. It planted that seed in my heart.

Q It’s been a winding road — with some starts and stops.

A A decade ago, I had a book and my FaithWalk retreats and another group I was working with — all these things ready to break through, and instead every one fell apart, and my heart got broken. I thought I would be out there more publicly, but God sent me home.

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be — or meant to be in that way. So, I’ve been more secluded and writing. I’m at peace, being here at home. I think God really needed to strengthen my heart and my inner life if I was ever going to have a public, outer life.

Q You help others with their creative projects — writing a book, designing a training program or a retreat, launching a ministry. Tell me more.

A I helped my son’s third-grade class put on a Kindness Fair, and we’re turning that into an e-book. One of my closest friends went through a three-year cancer journey with her mom, and I’m helping her shape a book manuscript. I felt divinely inspired to tell her, “You could write a book about this experience.”

Q Are people too close to see the value in sharing their experiences?

A Yes! I get that spark in my heart. It feels like the Holy Spirit. I feel called to be at the heart of things at the beginning. It can take a while to process, and sometimes it doesn’t result in what we first expected, but there’s a reason we are called together. I’ve learned to let God lead the way. Surrendering and trusting that he’s here. I’m open. I try not to be the one driving.

Q That takes humility.

A I’ve learned a lot of humility. Even stuff I’ve created — “Oh, OK, no one’s interested.” I developed a year-long transformational program called “Love Affair With God.” I was super close to getting a publisher 10 years ago, but it never happened. Later, I felt inspired to create little videos about it and put it online. One year, I’ll work so hard and I get five people to participate in the program. Other times it’ll be effortless. Last year, 15 people went through it!

I try to respect that divine timing and know it’ll all come together when it’s supposed to — or if it’s supposed to. I tell God, “If you want me to do more, then show me. If not, I’ll let it rest.”

Q How do you pick yourself up when something you put out there fizzles?

A It’s trying to go back to living. Going to prayer. Then, just having acceptance. Give yourself permission to put things aside. This year, I have a (high school) senior for the first time. I knew it would be a big year, and a year when I would put some work on hold and be OK with that.

I’d remind myself: In three months, my son is graduating. I’m going to be there either way. Am I going to get stressed or choose to enjoy it and honor him?

I feel like it’s a celebration for me too: I made it for 18 years with one!

Q Do you applaud yourself for finishing a project, even if it doesn’t get noticed?

A Sometimes, it’s a huge victory to just have completed something. My friend wanted a big book launch. Instead, it was just an email. But you have to trust — you got it done. Then, other people will step up and share. It’ll be what it is now. You can feel grateful and celebrate.

God doesn’t call us to be successful. He calls us to be faithful. I put a lot of work into my Inspired Living Blueprint. It sums up everything I’ve been teaching. Maybe the purpose of my creating that was that I had clarity on it to be able to share it with my sons so they can be the Joshuas and bring it to the promised land and take these foundational things I’ve been faithful in creating, maybe not successful in sharing.

Q How can we tap into our imagination?

A We have to choose to be creators versus consumers. When we’re looking at everybody else’s stuff, we’re not keeping any space for our own stuff.

Be around inspired people. Read inspiring books. Have inspiring conversations. Have quiet time with God. If we’re never quiet or alone, then we won’t hear those whispers of inspiration.

Q How have you guided your sons to find their purpose?

A I’ve coached each of them at Destination Imagination (STEAM programs). I try to tap into their hearts. At the beginning of the year, they each have a vision board or a dream board: What’s really important to you?

My oldest showed a natural talent in math, then got really into investing. He’s now 18 and he has his own investment portfolio. He wants to go into that. My middle son is great with names and relationships, so I’ve introduced him to the field of human resources. He also loves animals, so he’s volunteering at a veterinarian’s hospital. My youngest has 10 passions and started a YouTube channel.

Q You’ve created some unique products, like your IT Tribute keepsake, which is available on your website, janaebower.com.

A I created that in honor of my mother when she was turning 60 and retiring. I thought, “What’s the coolest gift I could give her?” I wrote this poem on how you make a difference and then a friend of mine who’s an artist created the images inside for me. The idea is she could open a book and see how each page was a page in her life on how she made a difference. You can buy the book and fill it out for someone.

Q How do you see the link between creativity and faith?

A With God being the creator, creativity is just an extension of how he’s created us — so unique and beautiful.

Q What do you know for sure?

A That we are loved and we are meant to be loved — and be love.