By Bobbi-Sue Menard

HEIDI McLaughlin has been speaking at retreats and events for women through her ministry, Heart Connection, for several years now.  

In the spring of this year, McLaughlin’s first book, Beauty Unleashed: Transforming a Woman’s Soul was published – and is selling briskly across the country.  

A resident of the Okanagan for more than  a decade with a long history in the region, McLaughlin is using her life story to connect with women, and work toward her goal: “To teach, mentor and grow women up in the Lord.”

Born in Germany, raised in Prince George, encompassing moves to Vancouver, Penticton and Lethbridge, and then to Westbank in 1993, McLaughlin doesn’t define her life story by place – but by relationships. In both her book, and in conversation, McLaughlin defines her story in terms of the ones she loves.  

Her story includes tragedy and triumph. After building a happy, vibrant Christian life with her first husband, Dick, tragedy struck in December of 1994 – when Dick passed away suddenly on the floor during a basketball game. She was devastated by the loss

McLaughlin describes what happened next. “Dick’s death was a defining moment for me.  At that crossroad, there are so many decisions; grief really sifts and sorts. After you have been through the process, you can really accelerate – or not. I decided that I am going to give ‘this’ everything.”

Looking back over her life, McLaughlin can see the long progression of faith and day-to-day living that prepared her for the shift into ministry later in life.

“This started with little stuff. In the late 80s, I started working with divorced women – at a time when there really wasn’t very much for divorced women in the church. It began working from there.”

Building a life of ministry has not always been simple; the long process of refining and learning to trust God has not always been easy.

“I couldn’t see how this would all unfold, and from our perspective God can work so slowly.”  

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Slow and patient building is one of the major themes in McLaughlin’s ministry, and book. Each chapter of Beauty Unleashed ends with a section to stop and ponder lessons learned, and for readers to absorb the possibilities of the ideas in their own lives.

McLaughlin’s first steps into building a wider ministry came in stride with her joy in her new husband, Jack McLaughlin, a pastor on staff at Trinity Baptist Church in Kelowna. “God had been preparing Jack and I for a life together.”

Along with her husband, McLaughlin began speaking at retreats, building skills for her role as a sought after speaker today.  

Years of learning trust and patience are built into McLaughlin’s approach to her speaking engagements.

“When I first take on a conference to speak at, I start walking and praying through the vineyards and hills around my home. I spend a good month praying before I even begin to build an outline of what I will say.”

Beauty Unleashed is McLaughlin’s first book. “For three years I thought about the book, but I had no title for it.  I had drawers full of material, but no title.  I decided to wait until God gave me a title.  One night I woke up with ‘Beauty Unleashed’ resonating in my heart. I knew it was right. I try to see the beauty and potential in every situation.”

McLaughlin is willing to wait on God for direction; but she has little patience for useless words. “Beauty Unleashed had to make sense,” explained McLaughlin. “It is information overload today.  So there isn’t a lot of theory.  Women need something to work with directly.  The book is about, ‘What are we as women . . . how do we become more beautiful in areas of our lives?’ This is practical.”

Heart Connection functions as both a writing and speaking ministry. Speaking engagements are being booked into 2009, and she has ideas on writing a Beauty Unleashed book for families.  

In the short term McLaughlin is developing a study guide for her first book, and will be teaching through the guide at an evening study at Trinity Baptist Church in the spring of 2008.  

“When I share my story, it is gut level honest. It is a practical thing for women to learn to ask: ‘What can God do?’ You stop and observe what is happening, and tie it up in prayer.  

“Even when the pain and grief are huge, you can learn to trust God. You can learn to be still and know that he is God.”

December 2007