MIDLAND, Texas (Nexstar) — From the break of dawn to the light of day, Carla Smith touches the lives of many Midlanders and Odessans. Not only is Smith a wife and mother, but she is also the First Lady and Administrative Assistant of True-Lite Christian Fellowship. Smith is dedicated to changing the lives of anyone through ministry.

“I’ve had people say I just don’t know how you can do all that, and I’m like what else would I be doing,” Smith said. “This is the most wonderful thing because he picked me out to be this He could’ve used anybody but he chose me.”

Carla says everything that she is is because of God.

“[I] had a little rough start early on in life, but my life turned around accepting Christ of course ,” says Smith. “My whole outlook on why I live and why I was allowed to breathe his air became crystal clear.”

First Lady Smith has roots in teen ministry.

Since then, she has been impacting the community she grew up in.

“That drive to pour back into the community was from the very beginning,” Smith shared. “Outside of the church, outside of being married to a preacher, outside of any of that, it was what I knew I was called to do was to be involved,” Smith recounted.

Smith has worked with several non-profits in the community. She has worked at a women’s center and teen court. She’s also spent time with the Midland-Odessa Symphony and Coral United Way, as well as the Chamber of Commerce.

Smith also discussed her time volunteering at a jail.

“I did it for five straight years every Thursday night for a long time; there’s a huge population that you’re speaking to when you’re doing this every Thursday night,” Smith said. “Because, there’s a rotating door and to talk to all those women hundreds [sic] and see you impacting one and I literally [sic] mean maybe one, or two, maybe three, that I can think, of that it impacted them,” she added.

Smith calls the service to the community refreshing and rewarding because she is able to change at least one person’s life.’

Family is also close to her heart, and she is grateful for the one she was about to create.

“To shape and form a family unit that knows how to love each other,” says Smith. “I love my family; I love that we kiss each other every time we see each other,” she added. “We kiss each other, hello, we kiss each other goodbye, we hug, we’re affectionate people, and I just love that about the family that God has allowed me to be the matron of.”

She is humble about her family and the woman she is.

She does not allow opinions from others to get in her way.

“So, what you see is a heart of gratitude that he allows me to share joy,” says Smith. Community, and hope, and happiness, and comfort; he’s allowed me to be able to share that gift, and so that’s what you see when you see me sing…”

Her last piece of advice is to be yourself.

“If you are inspired by anything that I do, don’t follow me — follow Christ,” said Smith. “Any principles, any good that I am, any good that you see in me came from principles that he set forth, be yourself. Don’t be me, be you and him, and I guarantee you’ll be the greatest you that there is.”