The Dreamer - Kayla
The Dreamers, is a collection of interviews from our Horacio Printing family. These interviews highlight dreamers who have recorded bold dreams in their “The Best is Yet to Come” planners and have trusted and co-labored with God to make it happen. We hope these testimonies will inspire you to dream BIG and grow in faith. We love you.
Meet Kayla Matykunas
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Kayla.
“I am an Elementary Education major at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida and attend Colonial Church. I have a huge passion for teaching and photography. I am dating the most incredible man who is pursuing his desire to become a pastor, and I could not be more proud of him. I love living at the beach, pretending to be a master chef, painting, napping, cuddling with my two puppies, reading, and writing to-do lists (and re-writing them over and over!).”
What Dreams did you put on your bucket list this year that have come to life?
“On New Year’s Eve 2015, I wrote down and prayed over my number one desire: to get a new job. I had never created a bucket list until I received my planner, but it was so great to sit down and write down what I believed my heart and life cried for.”
“I was not happy at my current job, and that unhappiness transferred into other areas of my life. I absolutely had faith that God could do this. The next day, January 1st 2016, I got a call with a job offer that I was over the moon to accept. Just like that, an answered prayer, I had a job that I would soon call home, a job that brought me so much joy.“
That is amazing! Are you still at this job?
“No, the story gets better. A few months later, the business I loved so much closed due to unforeseen circumstances. The loss of my job absolutely crushed me. But I trusted the Lord that He had His hands wrapped around my heart, carrying me through this time. Not a day later did I get another phone call about another job. God was so good, providing me with two wonderful jobs, at the perfect time. I think it is so beautiful to look back at my planner and see the tear stained pages that I spent precious time praying over through the pain and then through the joy.”
Wow! Was it so hard to trust again when you lost your job? How did you deal with this season of confusion?
“So I think that sometimes people can go their entire life not knowing the reason behind something bad happening in their life. When I lost my job, I had no idea why this would happen, I was so happy, so at home. But I am so excited to look back and see the perfect reason why this bad thing happened in my life. At my job earlier this year, I worked a lot. I loved it, but it did stop me from going to a church I was very interested in. I longed to be involved in a church and that was not available to me at that time. When I lost my job, and started my new job, I then had the opportunity to go to the church I had been wanting to attend. When I did, my heart was made so happy! Easily, this is the best thing that has happened in my life this year. This church has been a huge blessing, I wouldn't want it any other way. It felt incredible knowing a reason why this had happened in my life- to experience a church home that I would not have experienced otherwise. I am so thankful to be walking through life alongside the most amazing brothers and sisters in Christ at a Colonial Church I am so happy to call home.”
How has the HP planner helped you in your journey of seeing this dream come to life?
“I think that anxiety is something that is so common for people to struggle with these days, myself included. My anxiety, fear, and worry gets the best of me often. I am an over-planner, a list maker, a list re-marker.. over and over, and an over-thinker. However, my beautiful HP planner is a daily reminder of my security in Christ. The bible verses, praise reports, and weekly intentions are a few of the aspects of my planner that help me focus on what is important- that the Lord has woven my life so uniquely, with such intention, that He has my dreams and passions held tightly to His heart. I'm reminded that my dreams I have prayed over align with God’s heart, and there is nothing more beautiful than knowing I am pursuing passions God breathed into my life. It makes those fears of not knowing what will happen in life disappear.”
How do you stay connected to God in our busy society?
“Constant prayer! Driving to work, at work, cooking dinner, always praying.”
What is God teaching you in this season of life?
“God is teaching me that it is okay to not be okay. It is okay when things are not perfect, when they aren't going exactly as planned. He is teaching me the importance of fellowship and community. But, He is also teaching me the importance of time alone. I am not a big fan of being alone, of being left to just me and my thoughts, for that is when my anxiety and fear creeps in. And I have had some rough times alone, but the Lord has shown me some beautiful times not alone at all, but with Him. My entire life has been a testimony that God can do immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine. He is teaching me to trust, to serve, to give, and to love.”
We are very proud of Kayla, and so encouraged by her trust in the Lord! If you have a story of reaching a goal on your bucket list, we would love to hear it! Click here to share your story!
