Adrienne Hicks-Everett is a wife and mother. In 2014 she was crowned Ms. US Continental. A man-made crown or proclamation wasn’t necessary though because God had made her queen from the onset. To Him, she had always been a queen, but like many women, she had forgotten who she was. Being crowned Ms. US Continental, helped her rediscover who she was, it also opened doors for her to speak and teach youth about leadership, self-respect, confidence and focusing on their dreams. She believes that her life purpose is to impact the world by teaching the power of God through faith and trust in His plan for one’s life. She also believes that being transparent about her past hurts, failures, disappointments, mistakes, and defeats, helps to empower encourage and inspire others to keep moving forward.
She is the founder of Girls & Boys LIFE. LIFE is an acronym for Looking Inward For Excellence. It was founded to impact and change the lives of young people all over the world. G and B LIFE is passionate about encouraging, inspiring and empowering people to accomplish their dreams. Their goal is to help young people discover purpose by writing out their goals and by helping them find their identity. Adrienne believes that God has called each one of us for a purpose, that our dreams are possible and obtainable regardless of the disappointments in life and that with focus, determination and God’s guidance it shall come to pass. She is a phenomenal woman who is not afraid to show her scars as she believes that they make her human and give others the inspiration they need to move past their mistakes into the future, knowing that if God caused her mistakes to work for her good, He could cause their mistakes to work for their good. I read her book, Beyond the Crown, which she sent to me as a gift, and I was blown away by how her experiences reminded me of my experiences and how far God has brought me. If you are a woman who has made mistakes and you think God can no longer use you, then you want to read Adrienne’s interview, and a copy of her book. But don’t just stop there, get in touch with her using the contact details she has provided at the end of the interview. I can guarantee you that you will be inspired to move past the enemy’s lies into your purpose. God has a good plan for you.
Please tell us a little about yourself, Adrienne.
I am a daughter of Arthur Hicks and Vicky Hicks. I have two older brothers and an older sister. I am happily married to Laumon Everett for two years, three years this June. Together we have a total of six children; ages range from 26 to 16. They’re all in their respective places, either in college or in their different careers or finishing high school, or just continuing on in high school, so we’re definitely blessed.
I see that you are the founder of a non-profit, called Girls & Boys LIFE. Please tell us about this organisation, and how it came about. Was it something that you always wanted to do?
It wasn’t something that I always wanted to do. Definitely, it’s a purpose that God had intended for me to do and I want to do God’s will not mine. I have always worked with youth; the funny thing is that I told my mum that I was never having any children and I didn’t want anything to do with children because they were just horrible, and I ended up having three of my own. And so I became a youth leader and then a director and then found myself doing the Girls and Boys LIFE and the reason for Girls and Boys LIFE is because when I was a young girl I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and life happened, I got married, I made some bad choices and some bad decisions and I had children and I did kind of let that go away because I felt like it didn’t matter anymore I wasn’t going to be able to accomplish it because I am getting older and things were just happening, and then I realised, if you have a purpose, it doesn’t go away just because you get older or because things happen in life, it is still there, and it is still your reality, you just have to believe it and achieve it and so that’s how Girls and Boys LIFE came to be.
Awesome. So, what you’re trying to say is that despite what life throws at us, it is still possible for us to achieve our dreams?
Absolutely. Absolutely. Those things only come for resistance, for you to build muscles for the things that are coming, that are ahead of you, so that you can look back and say, if I made it through that, then I can definitely make it through this.
What impact has the organisation had so far? What results have you helped young people achieve?
Oh, my goodness! I had a young lady; I am going to tell you a little bit about her story. When I first met her, she was wearing all black, she had her hair in her face, she was a little overweight, and one day she tried to commit suicide, she was depressed and tried to commit suicide, and I asked the school if I could give her a call and I was able to tell her, thank God that you’re still here with us and I love you. And we went on this journey together, and I left the school because I had moved away and now I had come back to Texas, and this younger lady comes and stands before me, and I almost couldn’t recognise her, she had lost sixty to seventy pounds, and her hair was pulled back, you can see her beautiful face, and she wasn’t doing well in school now she is a senior and she’s got all the credits that she needs and she is graduating this year and I would like to say that I had a little part in that big transformation but I know that was God and I know that He used me for that little nugget, that little I love you, to push her into changing her mindset and really making most changes in her life, that is one of several but I just had to share that one with you because the impact that that young lady thinks that I had on her, she had a tremendous impact on me, and she reminded me that what it is that I am doing, is so worth it. It’s worth it.
Your organisation seems to focus on helping people find purpose and walk in it. So, how important is it for a person to find their purpose and walk in it?
I believe that the important reason why people need to seek out their purpose is it gives you the reason for your being, for you being here, because everybody has a reason for being here, and when you’re able to walk in your purpose, it is fulfilling, you feel complete. Because often times, we can get stuck in a job, and it’s our job, but it’s not our purpose, it’s our trade, but it’s not our purpose, so we find ourselves unfulfilled and always searching and looking for something because we feel, and we believe that there is something else, well, that’s your purpose. You’re looking for your purpose, and you’re looking for that fulfillment that you’re not able to get anywhere else. And the reason why you can’t get it anywhere else is that that’s not what you were designed to do, but God has a purpose for you so that you can be fulfilled.
Now back to people who have made mistakes, is it possible for a person to get to a place where they’ve made so many mistakes that make it impossible for them to walk in their purpose? What is your opinion about that?
There’s a number of individuals in the Bible that were on the wrong path, and they fulfilled their purpose, so there are definitely many examples in God’s word, but also there are examples here in the world. I believe our society has put a label on sin or a label on those things that we’ve done in life, and we tend to think that they are right. When God says that He is no respecter of persons and that He forgives us, He doesn’t put any label on anything, we as a society have put a label on what those things are and there’s no one who can say that because of what you’ve done you’re not able to fulfil the purpose that God had intended for you to fulfil because what God has said, no one can change it, no one can annul it, who can annul it? His word says that who can annul what God has said? No one, no man, can annul His purpose for anybody’s life, regardless of what you’ve done because whatever you’ve done, He will use it for His purpose because He says, all things work together for the good of all those who love the Lord. He said, all things, He didn’t say some things, He said, all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, so even in our indiscretions and in our sins, and what have you, He uses those for His purpose, and you come out smelling like the rose.
So, you use your mistakes and hurts to empower and encourage others. How has being transparent about your past hurts, mistakes and defeats helped to empower and encourage others to keep moving forward?
Because they see that I am a real person. When you can touch and feel people, that’s when you’re actually able to have the most impact and when you’re able to inspire and empower them. Why? Because we think that we’re the only person that is going through a struggle or that has a struggle or that has been in a struggle but when you find individuals that are willing to say, hey, look I am human just like you’re human, I’ve done these things and I’ve been hurt and I made mistakes, and the longer I live I am going to continue to make those mistakes but thank God for His mercy and His grace and for His guiding, and when people can actually touch and feel another individual that gives them hope that encourages them that lets them know that they’re not alone, that if she can do it, then I can do it too, and if God did it for her then He can do it for me too and that’s why it’s so important to be transparent because you never know who may be going through the same thing you’ve gone through, or may be going through something and they can draw strength from what it is that you’re doing, I mean the strength that they need to continue to go on in their journey, regardless of whatever it may be. And I think the beauty of it is that when I am able to be transparent, they can see that I am still here that I’m still living, breathing, smiling, and what they see today, is what they wouldn’t have seen years ago, but what they see today is God’s glory and He cleaned me up to make me who I am right now, so that’s the beauty, it’s like oh my gosh, she went through all of that, but she’s still here (She laughs).
Exactly. So, what is the most rewarding project you have worked on and why was it rewarding?
I would say all of the projects that I’ve worked on are all rewarding, anything that has to do with giving back to someone, taking care of someone, having compassion for someone, encouraging someone, anything that is selfless, that is giving to someone else, that is helping them in their current situation, in their past situation, any project that has anything to do with just caring for another person, is rewarding. All those projects are rewarding. Because there’s always something that you’re gleaning from it, that God is showing you, so they’re all definitely rewarding in some shape or form.
In 2014, you were crowned, Ms. US Continental, please tell us what impact this had on you as an individual and on your ministry, G and B LIFE?
You know God, He does things strategically, and you may not understand it, but you find yourself on this journey with God where as long as you just continue to trust Him and just hold on to His hands, He’s not going to fail you, He going to blow your mind and I am led down this pageant journey where I would have never got to, I was a tomboy and this is nothing that I envisioned or dreamed of and I had no idea what I was doing, I was doing all of the wrong things, I didn’t have on enough makeup, everything that I wasn’t supposed to do I was doing and everything that I was supposed to do I wasn’t doing. And it wasn’t until I got to the questions, and they asked me my purpose, and I was able to give it to them, and I go backstage, and I am still wondering, God, I don’t understand why I am here, I don’t understand any of this, but I’ll do, and I’ll say and I’ll go wherever you tell me to go but I cannot just understand what it is here. And He simply said to me, that you are a queen, this is who I see you as, but you forgot, you forgot that you are a queen because of all your mistakes and your sins, but I ‘ve always seen you as a queen. And that’s who you’re supposed to walk in, and that is the impact on my ministry that is the impact on Girls and Boys LIFE that is the impact it had on my life. I could have cared less about a crown or about a title, those things are so insignificant, man’s stage is so insignificant, but God’s stage is the world, and it is the impact I’ve had on as many young people as I can, women, men, to let them know that there is a God and He sits on the throne, and He loves you, and He sees you more than the way that you see yourself. You’ve just got to believe it, and so that is the impact of Ms. US Continental.
There are lots of people working with young people, and they may not even be Christians. So, what effect does being a Christian have on G and B LIFE?
Oh, it encompasses everything, from integrity, character, to the strength to continue to go on and to do it, receiving from God because there are so many things that are out there, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual principalities and unfortunately our young people have a lot of strongholds that are on them and they have a lot of things that they are dealing with and so being a Christian you have to be able to discern those things so the Holy Spirit can tell you what you need to do and how to usher them in and build that relationship with them. And so, having that walk with God means He leads and guides you, He teaches you what you need, and it’s on the job training sometimes. Most of the time it is for me, and the Holy Spirit just leads and guides and the things He has me to say, I just walk out of there, and I think, wow, Lord where did that come from? But it wasn’t for me, it was for them, and I truly believe that if I did not have a foundation in God, I would not have the strength I would not have the courage I would not have the tenacity to do what it is that I do.
What are some of the challenges associated with your job?
Some of the challenges I would say would be working with individuals who promise and break those promises. Individuals who say they want to be part of but are not really willing to be a part of. Adults that say that they have a love or a passion for young people only to find out that they truly don’t, that it is a self-fulfilling thing that they wanted. So those are the challenges that I run into and it is mainly with the adults that I come in contact with, that are not really who they say that they are, and they are not really doing what they say that they are going to do and the impact that it can have on the young people is very damaging. So that’s where I find the struggle, it is with the adult that they may come in contact with. They may be principals, teachers, counsellors, whoever, it is the adults that really make it challenging at times. Not all, but some.
Let’s talk about your book. I see that you authored a book titled, Beyond the Crown. Please tell us a little about this book, what inspired you to write it and what impact has the book had?
I’ve always wanted to write a book, and so it’s been a book in the making for years. I’ve always written down my thoughts and said well, one day I’m going to do this. So after going in and winning Ms. US Continental , it was just a journey that God had me on and I felt, this needs to be shared with other women or young ladies regarding going beyond the crown because we as women, we are so much more than what people see and the book really talks about and gets intimate about my mistakes, very transparent about the things that I’ve done, some things that are not so good, that people may frown upon and say, oh gosh and look at me in a different way, but it’s not written for those people who are judgmental, it’s written for those women and young girls who are having struggles, and it gives them hope, and it encourages them to continue to move forward, and it helps with the mistakes and decisions that you probably made in the past or you may make in the future. Your past doesn’t define who you are, God defines who you are and He always has a way of escape for you. And that no matter what it is that you do, God is never surprised, He knew you were going to do it before you did He has a way about doing things, He’s strategic and all of the things that I have done, it was strategic for my purpose and for my plan and it was to have an impact on others and to let them know, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done and what has been done to you, there is a God that’s above, that sits on the throne, He’s high and He’s lifted up and He will turn your world upside down and inside out and He will make you a beautiful rose that you always have been and He loves you, no matter what. He just asks you to come to repentance and that you trust and that you believe in Him that whatever it is that you’ve done that He’s already forgiven you, you need to forgive yourself and let those things go because no matter how many times you replay it and think it, or you go back on it, it’s not going to change, it’s never going to change. But if you focus on God, those things that are behind you, they no longer matter. They’re just catalysts to get you closer to God. And that’s it.
How can people contact you if they would like to know more about what you do?
Oh, they can email me at adrienne@gblife.org I can be contacted by telephone, the number is 817-863-6609. They can either text me or email me or give me a call; I always have my phone attached to my hip so that I can be available.
(Laughter)
Adrienne, thank you so very much for talking with us today, do you have any final words that you would like to say to our readers?
Oh, absolutely, I would love to share my favourite scripture, it’s Jeremiah 29:11, it says, I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. He’s basically saying no matter what it is that you go through that He has a purpose for you, and it’s not to hurt you but it’s to get you to where you’re supposed to go. So, don’t focus on your past, focus on Christ, He’s leading, He’s guiding, trust Him, He’s teaching you, and it’s all for a greater reward.
