I have never really shared the story about how Isaiah 61 was born, or came into being. So, I think it’s time to honour what was put in my heart back in 2004. If you can bear with me, read on….

My name is Deborah Paul and I ‘officially’ started Isaiah in the summer of 2006. I had worked as a photographer for about 12 years and after starting  our family – I knew that I didn’t want to go back into that lifestyle. I suppose I fell into that rut that a lot of mothers do – the kids are getting a bit older, I’ve changed enough nappies for a lifetime, wiped noses, kissed cuts, walked to school …and then one day you wake up and say to yourself ‘Is this it?’ Don’t get me wrong, as every mother would say, I love my kids. LOVE LOVE LOVE. They mean the world to me but I know that I can’t justify my existence through them.

So, I was searching. I was looking for a something to do, something that had meaning and a purpose. Something that would honour God.

I was having lunch one day in the Wagamama behind Selfridges (I live in London, in case you don’t know!) with my best friend Maria. We were talking about ideas and what I could do with the time I had ( plus the kids, plus the husband, plus the house – you know all the ‘pluses’ that life brings ‘oh and you want meaning too?!…”). One of the ideas bounced around that day was t shirts, how cool it would be to make up some great slogans that reflected what I believed in (GOD) but in a fashionable way. I left Wagamama and my beloved M, turned onto Oxford Street and the Lord spoke to me.

I didn’t hear a loud booming voice, there was no major fanfare about it, it was just a knowing that it was Him and not me. And this is what He said.

‘I want you to start a t shirt company that will take my word out onto the streets. My children are not coming into churches anymore, my church is on the street. I want you to market me and brand me. Make me recognisable like French Connection (this is an important point to me as I was standing outside of French Connection at the time and they had just launched their FCUK Campaign. I found that campaign pretty offensive – so many kids walking around with negative statements on their t shirts, speaking negative words over their lives…it saddened me – I wanted to do something that would counter-balance that, counter attack it if you may…).

So, as I was saying…’Make me recognisable, but with messages that will make a difference in the world and speak life into peoples’ lives’. You see, I believe that God puts dreams and visions into our hearts and then, at the right moment, speaks them into life in your being – you come into agreement with what He is saying and He starts to use you.

He said, ‘I want you to call the company Isaiah 61 and I want you to put a small cross on the right hand shoulder, to remind yourself of who you are and what you have to carry.’ You always know when something is truly divinely inspired, that little cross on the back of our t shirts has made such an impact on people who have bought the products. It always amazes me that the simplest ideas are often the most profound.

He was very clear with me about how the t shirts were to look – fashionable! Sell to the same French Connection (and others) customer, but I struggled with the ‘Brand Me’ bit. I thought (and said to him!!) ‘How can I brand You? You’re God!’ Two years later, He showed me and confirmed what He had said – that can come perhaps in Chapter Two of this story!

It’s been quite a journey these past five years, one that I have often wanted to walk away from. One that has brought me so much happiness, but also so many dark nights of the soul. I want to use this blog to tell you the story of Isaiah and me. Together. Oh, yes and perhaps more importantly, of my relationship with Him (I love Him so much…his patience with me simply astounds me…). At this moment in time, I have no idea what the future holds for us. Isaiah has become like my third child and he is growing up and needs a lot of care and attention. But one thing I do know with all of the certainty in my heart, is that while I have no idea what is going on, He does. He is in control and I trust Him. I know He only wants the best for Isaiah and for me. if you can bear to, read the next installement in our little history soon.

Much love and God bless,

Deborah x