Praise Up - Mary Kay Olson  Motivational Speaker from Rogers, MN

Hello! My name is Mary Kay Olson and for the past 23 years my world has been in the education field. I have taught 2nd grade, 6th grade, earned my master's degree in gifted education and most recently served as an instructional assistant and behavior coach. But, one day I felt a call to go in a different direction. I felt like God wanted me to speak about the trials I've experienced in my life and the lessons God has taught me. My prayer is that the hope I have found will encourage you and give you hope on your journey. Let me tell you about my life. I feel like it has two parts: Part One is before I got married and Part Two is after. Part One is filled with blessings like family, friends and growing up in an amazing small town. These blessings, great as they were, were often over shadowed by major trials such as sexual abuse, depression, and losing my dad to cancer. Part Two started when I met my amazing husband, Brad. He is the greatest blessing in my life. After we got married, we were blessed with two beautiful children and made our home in Rogers, Minnesota. But here's the kicker...we found out that both of our children, have different types of special needs. Our daughter was born with a rare genetic disorder that has resulted in nine surgeries, countless procedures and many hospital stays. Our son was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at the age of six and struggles immensely with friendships, school and home life. When I am in the midst of trials such as these, it is so easy for me to make that my focus. The trial can overcome me. And, if I'm not careful, I lose site of the blessings around me, and only see the battle before me. Over the years, the battle became too much. Too overwhelming. And, one day everything suddenly stopped. Literally. I couldn't function. I could barely move. I was done. I had reached my emotional rock bottom and had nowhere to look but up. And that's when things started to change. That's when I started to see the blessings. I started to praise God for the trials because I knew there was a reason for them. I didn't know why the trials were there, but understanding wasn't my job. My job was to be still, listen and trust God. He knew the plan. He knew the way. And as a family, we slowly started to find our hope and we started to "Praise Up." Whatever you are going through, there is hope. God never left my side and He'll never leave yours. We all have different "truths" in our lives. Most of the time, that truth is the hardest to talk about, but in many ways, the most important. When we speak our truth freely, even though it's scary, it lets people in. It lets them see we aren't perfect and they don't have to be either. It's truly freeing. The fear of, "What will people think," wants to creep in, but it's really what God thinks that's most important. When God prompts me to open up to someone about my truth, I want it to glorify Him. My truth isn't about me. It's about God. Period. I have learned many lessons from God. Every one of those lessons has impacted my life, but one in particular has given me incredible freedom. And that lesson is that I am enough. Just as I am. Me. I am enough and so are you. I can't stress enough that it's okay to be you. The real you. That's the best version! It's exhausting pretending to be someone we aren't, isn't it? Let's take off the masks and show our true selves. It ends up being much better than we think. The bottom line is that we are all on this journey together, trying to do the best we can with what we've been given. So, let's do this! Whether you are at your rock bottom, or just trying to get through each day, there is hope. I know you have a lot on your plate. Your life is crazy. But, believe me...if I found hope, I know you can too. So, let's come together, encourage each other and strive to, Praise Up…no matter what. What are people saying? "Mary Kay has a rare and unique ability to be completely authentic, vulnerable, and honest, while at the same time heartwarming, encouraging, and witty. I was forever impacted by her story of faith, survival, and hope and I've revisited those themes several times as I've experienced challenges of my own. Her story is one rooted in a deep trust of God and a desire to glorify Him despite life's circumstances." - Allison H. "Some speak from knowledge and some speak from experience. Mary Kay Olson speaks from an unique blend of both. Combining her experience as an educator, mother of kids with special needs, overcomer of abuse and person of faith, she brings wisdom and hope to bear on the most difficult situations of life in an accessible way. You will not only be encouraged for your journey you will be equipped to encourage others." - Pastor Ben M. "Mary Kay created an atmosphere that was so welcoming. Her "realness" gave me permission to be real as well." -Anonymous