Brenda Gay Shumaker is the founder and Executive Director of Designs for Living Ministries.
Her love for the Lord radiates from her as she encourages and motivates other women to a closer walk with the Savior. She is a speaker with joy and enthusiasm and a love for life. With over twenty five years experience as an interior designer, her colorful stories and insight help you visualize your potential as a Christian women in today’s fast-paced society.
Brenda Gay was born and raised in Arlington, Virginia. After college she became an interior designer in the Washington, D.C. area. After marrying and moving to Pennsylvania, she settled into her role of full-time wife and mother. When her youngest child went off to first grade, she started her own interior design firm called Heritage House Interiors. In 1995, Brenda Gay was asked to give her testimony at a Christian Women's Club, where she combined decorating themes with Christian topics. In 1996 she sold her business as she felt God was calling her full time to travel and speak.
A group of friends told Brenda Gay that they wanted to pray for her as she traveled and in November 1997 the first prayer luncheon was held at Brenda's house. These faithful friends would take the travel itinerary and pray for Brenda and for each meeting that God would work in the hearts of the women there.
Each year there were hundreds of women who would come to the banquet halls, country clubs and churches where Brenda spoke and with her humor and candor she would tell the story of her life and how God changed her. Using interior design to catch their attention, she used her profession as a designer as a bridge to reach women with the good news of Jesus Christ.
While on a speaking engagement in Virginia in June, 1998 Brenda fell in the parking lot and broke her leg. After some surgery and while recuperating in a wheel chair, God gave her the idea of decorating devotionals for radio. In May of 1999 the two-minute devotional program Designs for Joyful Living began airing on WGRC in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Since that time stations from coast to coast are airing the program in the U.S and it's all over the world on the Internet.
In 1999 Harvest House Publishers contacted Brenda about doing a book based on her decorating devotionals. This book, Decorating Your Heart and Home: God's Designs for Joyful Living was released in January 2001. She is currently working on her next book.
By January 2000 things were growing so fast and furiously that Brenda felt she needed the support and direction of a board of directors, so that month Designs for Living Ministries was born. With God's direction and through His power, this ministry has been able to touch thousands of women all over the U.S. In that same year, we were approached by USA radio network to develop a one-hour talk show on the home. This program is now being developed into a national TV program. Both radio programs can also be obtained directly from Designs for Living on CD.
With so much happening so fast, we would appreciate your prayers for this growing ministry. Our heart's desire is to reach as many as possible with the life-changing message of God's forgiveness and love.
