It’s times like this when it does me good to remember the Lord.

“From the end of the earth will I cry to Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed:  lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”  Ps. 61:2

So, today, I am remembering.  Because I know if I can remember the goodness of the Lord in the past, I can deftly navigate the crazy of today with the knowledge that He is with me and His grace has run ahead of my busy and overwhelmed week.  It’s already there in the chaos to come, waiting for me at just the moment I need it.

Sometimes it helps me to recall a specific time in my life when I saw the Lord’s hand of faithfulness.  Can I share a story with you?

I have 3 of the most beautiful boys the Lord ever placed on the planet.  I mean it.  They are gorgeous.  But then, I’m their mom, so what else am I going to say.

Anyway, they all play baseball and have for years.  Not too many years ago, as we were preparing for baseball season, I realized that none of the boys had cleats that fit them anymore.  It’s hard to put into words the panic I felt with this realization.  I wanted to gather them all up in the car, run to the store and just pick out 3 pairs of cleats.  But I knew I couldn’t do that.  We just didn’t have the money.  God had supplied all of our needs, but I knew there was no way in the world I could afford to buy 3 pairs of cleats.

I was in the kitchen on a homeschooling day stewing on this and fighting for all was worth to not worry about this cleat situation.  When I suddenly remembered that I didn’t HAVE to worry about it.  And even more than that, I was commanded NOT to worry about it.  My sweet pastor hubs always says,

“If we need it, God will supply it.  If we don’t have it, it must not be a need.”

Not very profound, I know, but that statement has helped me out on more than one occasion.  However, very profound is this statement from my heavenly Father:

“Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”  Phil.  4:6-7

I made a decision.  I was NOT going to worry, I was going to OBEY. So, I gathered up my 3 boys and we sat down in a circle on the kitchen floor.  I said, “Guys, we need cleats, right?”  Big eyes, heads bobbing up and down.  “We don’t have the money to pay for cleats right now.”  Sad eyes, heads drooping.  “Is Jesus able to supply those cleats if He wants to?”  Excited eyes, heads nodding fiercely.  “Ok then.  We are not going to worry, we are going to pray and ask the Lord for cleats and thank Him for what He is going to do.”  Eyes closed and heads bowed.  It was a sacred moment.

They next day, I was with the boys in the car on the way to work.  I had a few extra minutes to spare and happened to see a garage sale sign.  Now, if you know me at all, you know I’m a garage sale, Goodwill, thrift shop beast!  So, of course, I stopped.  The boys all piled out of the car ahead of me and went running toward the merchandise.

One of my sons made a B-line to a plastic bin and started yelling, “Mom!  Look!”  I knew before I even got to him what was in that bin.  Cleats.  I ran to him and we started digging.  There were not 1, but 2 pairs in the right sizes for each son at the whopping price of $1 a pair.  I was overwhelmed.   As my son clutched a pair of cleats in his arms, he said with wonder, “Mom, look with God did!  We prayed for cleats and look what He did!”

With tears streaming down my face, I gathered up my boys and we stopped right there and thanked the Lord.  Then it hit me, the Holy Spirit is our Paraclete, our Helper who comes alongside.  And He sure had lived up to His name that day.  My Paraclete had provided the Pairs-A-Cleats.  Whew…

I hope you will be overwhelmed today with some remembrance of the Lord’s goodness.

“But my God shall supply all you need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Phil. 4:19

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She was, in a word, special.

And today, we were all there celebrating her home-going.  There was standing room only in the church.  Evidence of a life well-lived, yes, but it was so much more.  It was a life that was saturated with the glory of the Savior.  His glory shone so brightly in her earthly life. It flitted into that funeral service today and soothed every heart that had the privilege of knowing her.

She was not there.  No.  She was otherwise occupied worshiping Jesus face to face.  But the fragrance of Christ she left behind was still as poignant as ever.

She was, in another word, beautiful.

As I sat there today thinking of her, I kept crying for the loss we all felt, and then smiling for the joy that I knew she was experiencing at that very moment.

And there you have it. Mourning with hope.  I know, as good as I know my own name, that she is alive. That’s a fact, not a “hope so”.  II Corinthians 4:14 says:

Knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will

raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

 The void she leaves in the lives of those that were close to her will remain a tender wound for many years to come.  But because of II Corinthians 4:14, I know we will see her again.  I know it because this rock-solid truth has its footings set and cemented in the blood of Jesus Christ.  If He died and rose again, she rose again Saturday morning when she exhaled for the last time on this earth.

And we will too.  Mourning with hope.

If you are a believer in Christ, I’m not saying anything you don’t already know. In fact, if I’m not careful, I realize I run the risk of sounding trite and over-spiritual in a painful situation.  I only hazard saying these things because I know my friend.  I know what she would say if I could call her and ask her about it right now.

I remember one distinct time when my heart was broken over loss of ministry, loss of friendship, loss of direction.  My heart had been broken one time too many, it seemed, and I was in the process of just giving up.  She didn’t even know I was going through any of that and just “randomly” reached out to me me in a text one day that went something like this:

“Hey sweet friend.  The Lord just had you on my heart today and I felt impressed to tell you to keep going.  You may not feel like it, but your ministry is glorifying to the Lord.  You have something to say for the Lord, girlfriend!  Don’t give up.”

So, you see, I only say these things about mourning with hope, not to be trite or “hyper-spiritual”.  I say them because my beautiful friend said, “You have something to say for the Lord, girlfriend!”  She’d tell me, in her endearing southern twang,

“Say it, Alison! Tell ’em!  Yes! I’m more alive than I have ever been, and there is hope! I have gained everything because Jesus paid it all! And tell ’em there’s hope for everyone if they’ll just give their lives to Jesus too!  Tell ’em!”

And then she’d tell me to back it up with Scripture just cause she was sassy that way 🙂

 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  I Thessalonians 4:13-14

I wrote this song a few years ago the night my grandmother died.  I got to thinking about what my granny would say to me from heaven if she could. I had the overwhelming honor of singing it today at the precious celebration honoring my extraordinary friend.  Maybe it will comfort you and give you some perspective if you are hurting over a great loss.

Yes, we mourn….so very deeply.  But, in Jesus, never ever without hope.

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One morning in January, as I sat in my prayer closet, searching God’s heart for the theme of our ministry’s conference this year, I heard one single word:

CHOSEN

As if often happens when the Holy Spirit speaks, I knew exactly what He meant, and where to find it.

1 Peter 2:9-10

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. (NASB)

And thus, the theme and verse for She Soars 2017 were established.

Since that day in January, God has confirmed His message for this conference and established the details in amazing ways:

The church that is partnering with us…the speakers… the testimonies… the ministries that have agreed to become part of the conference (CUFI and She Is Safe.)

God has been orchestrating this conference as a beautiful symphony, and I can’t wait to see what He will do on October 14^th.

But can I let you in on a secret about ministry?

When God calls you to do something that has the potential to set some of His people free…. When the task before you is bigger than what you can handle… When you need to stay focused and prepare your heart and life to minister to others…

The roaring lion that prowls around seeking to devour goes for his kill. (1 Peter 5:8)

That’s how, since God gave me this message, and lined up the details for this conference… There have been many a day when I have felt less like Royalty… and more like a Royal Mess. And I bet that the other speakers can relate to the fight.

But you know what that does to my heart?

It.Sets.Me.On.HOLY.FIRE !!!!

These past months have been challenging in many ways… but I know where the challenges are coming from:

They come from the enemy of our souls, who wants to destroy those whose territory bring glory to Jesus,

And they come from our God, who allows trouble to weaken our flesh, so we can relate to the pain and weakness that assail those we will minister to… and so He can be the only source of our strength, and the only One who can receive the glory for what will happen.

So, here’s the truth about being CHOSEN as His Royal Priesthood:

All Jesus’ girls go through valleys when they FEEL more like a royal mess than Royal Priesthood.

Every Jesus’ girl has moments when she feels unworthy to be called a Holy Nation.

But The Cross.

The Cross of Calvary is the seal. The seal that ensures me that it does not matter how I feel – I KNOW who I am in Christ.

For, as verse 10 on 1 Peter 2 says (in my own words): Yes, once I could not be considered His heiress, but the cross brought me into the fold… Once I did not receive His Mercy, but the cross made me a recipient of His endless mercy and grace. Halleluiah!

It’s only because of the Cross that I can shout to the world and rise up, fighting like David when he slayed the lion:

I am a CHOSEN Daughter of the Owner of the Universe.

I am His Possession.

And everything He possesses… all His promises… are Mine!

Oh – no question about it. There are days I don’t FEEL like so.

But I KNOW SO.

Hey! Jesus’ Girl… if you feel like a royal mess more than His Royal Priesthood, come join us on October 14^th, and learn how you can rise up to embrace, grasp, claim, and live on the truth that you are CHOSEN!

Chosen to receive His supernatural peace.

Chosen to have your deepest wounds healed.

Chosen to proclaim the “excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness… and into His marvelous LIGHT.”

Click below to visit the Conference Page, where you will find information about speakers, workshops, worship, scholarships, vendor and advertising opportunities. NEW for 2017: One Workshop in Spanish.

Registrations are now open:

SHE SOARS 2017 INFO

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Every good testimony has 3 components:

1. What your life was like before. Either before salvation or the events leading up to your trial
2. What your experience was. Either salvation or the actual trial.
3. What happened after or how your life has changed since. Either since your salvation or post trial.

If you have never written out your personal testimony of salvation, you should totally try this. Maybe these 3 points will be helpful. And, with a little tweaking, you can even use them to journal a specific time of trial or even joy you experienced with the Lord. It’s an awesome exercise!

And it is right and good to tell of the greatness of the Lord! He’s a worthy muse!

Psalms 89:1 says, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.  With my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.”

So, go on, girl. Tell that testimony with  joy and with all the umph you can muster.

Write it down so you can turn it over and over again in your hand like a priceless jewel. Marvel at the beauty of its multi-faceted grace. Let it be a reminder of your amazing Savior and how intimately involved He is in the details of your life for your good, yes!

But, ah, much more importantly, for HIS glory! (Romans 8:28)

But sometimes……sometimes that 3rd point of a testimony is as allusive as a long hot bath.

Something happened to me one day while I was speaking at a ladies retreat.

I was teaching about all the attributes of God.  Omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, immutability.  All the big hitters.

When I got to the attribute of faithfulness, I began to tell my own testimony. I began with great gusto. Recounting the ways the Lord had been faithful in my life. But as I spoke, right there in front of those beautiful, wide-eyed women, I started to flounder.

I suddenly realized that my testimony did not have a 3rd point! There was only a long, skinned-up story that had bled all over the pages and turned into ragged books that seemed to limp along into raw sequels that never ended.

No 3rd point. No book end.

God had been so faithful to me through the years, but it suddenly occurred to me that I was still in the wilderness, still in the fire.

Many books. No book end.

In that moment, it felt like all the air had been sucked out of that room.

I so much wanted to say, “Oh, ladies! It was so hard, so painful! My journey was rocky and steep! Look at all these tattered books! But here I am on the other side….victorious and grateful for all the Lord taught me! And look at my shiny bedazzled book end! Ta-Dah! It’s over! So hang on in your trial! He will come through for you like He did for me!”

But I couldn’t say that. And as the tears filled my eyes and weariness of the burden set in, I felt so discouraged.

As I finished my Bible study with a fizzle and went back to my room, I cried out, “Lord! When will this be over? Please don’t add any more books to my shelf! I need a book end this time!”

Gently, and in His Abba way, He led me to this passage. Verse 26 is crazy-awesome, so I just threw it in there as frosting.

Wonder what God, “riding through the heavens to my help” looks like. Fierce. Another day, another blog. But my main focus is verse 27.

Deuteronomy 33:26-27a

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

I’ve read it a thousand times. One of my heroines of the faith, Elisabeth  Elliot, used to quote verse 27 on her radio broadcast every day.

But this time the word “underneath” caught my rapt attention. Here I had been begging God for a book end, when He had been my unfaltering shelf  “underneath” supporting me all along.

With everlasting arms, He had held true and strong through every chapter in every book of my life.  I had been focusing on the wrong thing. That pesky 3rd point.

That drooled-over book end.

But is that really the goal? To have the end of our trial? Or is it our suffering Savior’s plan, if He should so desire it, that we suffer sometimes?

In His infinite mind, does He know this secret: that the pain, suffering, and long waiting will serve us extravagantly in our quest to be like Him as it drives us to focus on His strength, His presence, His provision, and His everlasting arms underneath us?

But that’s a whole nuther Bible Study.

Our lives rarely meander gently down the flowery path we hoped for.  And sometimes we are called to live for Jesus in the painful waiting with no book end in sight.

If that’s where you find yourself today……pain, confusion, and ohhhh, the waiting……like 1995 internet dial–up,  I would call you to refocus.

It’s not the book end you’re after, but rather the strong shelf underneath it all that will never fail.  Through your long waiting pain, find your peace and joy knowing that “underneath are the everlasting arms“.

Make no mistake. He is faithful and He will bring an end to the pain we experience. I’m merely nudging you in love…..to covet the Shelf  more than the book end.

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