Grace Given: Heroines Volume III (Andi Hale and Erica Lovingood)

Andi:

A native Texan, Andi Hale moved to Nashville a year and a half ago. She now works as administrator for Fellowship School of Dance and is heavily involved with the My Local college ministry, started by Erica and Trevor Lovingood.

Erica:

Erica Lovingood resides in Nashville with her husband, Trevor, and oversees college and young adult ministry, My Local. She is a stay-at-home mom with her daughter, Londyn.

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“. . . They went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus.”

Luke 5:19, MSG

We have all experienced paralyzing moments—when we learn of a friend who has overdosed, when we witness a marriage of several decades disintegrate, when we encounter the kind of racism we believed only existed in history books. A God-authored friend walks with us through those seasons and places us at the feet of Jesus when we are paralyzed. When we don’t have the strength, they will fight our battles with us, take up our cause and shield us with prayer. 

It is our calling as God-authored heroines to bring one another to the feet of Jesus.

“Without a moment’s hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way.”

Luke 5:25, MSG

At His feet, we experience victorious moments—when we learn of the new life inside us, when we witness friends come to eternal salvation, when we encounter God-dreams we didn’t know we could possess. In unity, we celebrate these miracles. We are empowered to move through both the beautiful and the crushing parts of life with grace. Not a delicate, soft grace. Fierce, enduring grace that pushes us through the seasons of unimaginable heartbreak and pain. Grace that moves through us and forges a path before us.

“My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives…”
James 5:19-20, MSG

God-authored friendships are grace-giving. We are not called to be hoarders of this grace but to actively seek ways to give it away. As sisters unified in Christ, we look for the best in each other but are also willing to point out areas that threaten to compromise God-dreams. An authentic friend is one who will have tough conversations with the hope we can begin to run in freedom, not fear. These vulnerable discussions start with us. When we open the door to our own fears and struggles, we allow them to go there as well.

“Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in.”

Ecclesiastes 11:9, NLT

As God-authored friends, we get to take it all in. Friendships are meant to be enjoyed, celebrated. Relationships are a gift, given to us so we can be freed up to enjoy the journey together.

Our journey began in an old warehouse in Franklin, Tennessee. We were both new to Nashville and in desperate need of community. In that moment, the Lord answered our prayers and brought us together. Since that day, we have been through many trials. Each battle was hard fought and won through prayer. We have spent a good portion of our friendship on our knees, calling out to the Lord on our sister’s behalf. In His perfectly authored story, we have also experienced some of the most rewarding moments of joy together. Every Sunday at lunch, we celebrate these victories the only way we know how: tacos and queso.

Our friendship has been built on a firm foundation of prayer and queso.

Praise God.

Our prayer for you is that you would find grace-giving relationships that bring you to the feet of Jesus . . .

Friendships that carry you through paralyzing seasons and to the victories on the other side.

We, The Authored Volume I

Motivation to write stems from various needs. One may begin to type or scribble words as a way to relieve inward tension, escape reality, tell stories to entertain and teach, explore realms of thought. Whatever one’s reason to begin, writing soon becomes an extension of body and soul, a proclaiming voice to eager minds.

The tenacious surge required to become an author is a result of a different need, a desire to flaunt the love and devotion poured into our stories, showcase carefully crafted characters and spread our message, once an exclusive exchange, to the world.

What gives us the need to express? Why do each of us carry a desire within us to speak and be heard, explore and discover, grow close to our own creations?

Since I was a platinum-haired child with a single ponytail on the top of my scalp, I’ve adored stories. They’ve been my teachers and friends, the captains of voyages to places not found on any map. They’ve been mirrors and open doors. Overall, stories have rooted themselves within me. I read and write them to grow, bud, flourish.

Again, I ask the questions: What gives us the need to express? Why do each of us carry a desire within us to speak and be heard, explore and discover, grow close to our own creations?

Children reflect their parents, thus creation reflects its Creator.

We radiate with the artistic splendor of our Alpha and Omega Author.

God has our beginning and end, indented the first paragraph and reserved a final period to conclude the epic novel of our lives. He’s brainstormed, outlined. He has crafted us with precision because we, the authored, are His protagonists.

To float in the peace of His orchestration, all we have to do is surrender ourselves to the scandalous, all-consuming plotline mapped out before the dawn of time, constructed from His sovereign desire to have an intimate connection with us. We are His expression.

No one can love us more than the Author of our story.

The classic verse, Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

What beautiful, miraculous hope we have in Christ Jesus! If the end of our stories have already been written, what do we have to fear? If the Love of our lives is composing our every moment, why should we be overcome with anxiety, crushed by the weight of MAYBE?

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.’” Jeremiah 30:2

For the longest time, I didn’t understand why God placed me in a waiting room, kept from the blessings I could see in the distance. I couldn’t figure out why my Father allowed me to experience deep hurt, sink into trials before pulling me up to stand on top of them. Through writing, He revealed His intentions in a bursting epiphany.

A wonderful story isn’t captivating unless the main character is confronted with obstacles.

I have spent many afternoons crying over my computer (while sitting in coffeehouses) as I placed my characters in painful situations. I wept when they wept. I rejoiced when they rejoiced.

God does the same with us. Through muck and mire, darkness and anguish, happiness, progress, He walks with us; He grows closer to us while proclaiming His presence to the world.

But the great thing about obstacles is this: They can be conquered. They have already been overcome by salvation’s grace. They will subside, and our stories will be better because of them.

Waiting seems to be the overarching theme of the publishing industry. I wait to hear news regarding my books. I wait for progress, opportunities to present themselves. I wait for personal desires such as relationships, direction, etc.

Life is a state of constant expectance, yet we must be sure to not passively wait but place our hope and faith in the Author’s hands. 2 Peter 3:9a says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.” His timing is without fault. He knows our stories backward-and-forward, has crafted extravagant plotlines for us.

Blessings given too soon become burdens so by allowing us to wait in His care, He is aging us like fine wine kept in a cellar, preparing us to experience the fullness of His plan.

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Hebrews 10:36

Over the past few years, I have learned God wants nothing more than to have a close relationship with us. He values the righteous desires of our hearts because He placed them there. That said, He often makes Himself known in situations to verify we are in His will, yet refrains from fully manifesting an opportunity. We can become restless and believe a certain schedule is best for our lives. However, His plot for our stories exceeds our expectations. He holds us in a rising action until the perfect moment, when the climactic roar of fulfillment rushes onto our metaphorical pages and an average story transforms into an epic novel written for His glory.

You are a beloved character.

I am a beloved character.

We have been given a spirit of power.

And with endurance and faithful expectancy, we can successfully climb our plot graphs as protagonists in a God-authored saga.

I’m humbled and honored to be an anointed ambassador, a radiating creation of my Creator. He gives teaching through typed words on a screen. He shows me the worth I do not see and gives me dreams I have no right to dream.

A Gifted Note: Pursuing Music as His Steward (SAMPLE)

Purpose is an innate desire within us and inflicts more questions than any other element of human nature. It drives us to ask, “Why am I here? Does my life matter? What are my talents? How can I be used by God?”

First and foremost, purpose is found in Jesus Christ alone, but as children of God, we have been entrusted with gifts to use in His name, to glorify and project Him to the world. These gifts, when developed with the right intentions, have the power to transform culture, society and ultimately, be tools of evangelism. Jesus expounded on the importance of being good stewards of God-given gifts in the Parable of the Talents, found in Matthew 25.

Gifts can be any physical or emotional actions expressed with above-average ability—this broad definition includes music and art talent, a desire to serve others, an intimate connection with God through prayer, etc. Recognizing your gifts is the first step to becoming a good steward of God’s talents and taking ownership of the power, the unfair favor willed to you through salvation.

Like a flame hidden behind a bushel, a gift not applied is useless. Galatians 6:4-5 says, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”

Writing is the gift God has handed to me, and I strive each day to use it as a tool to magnify His light and love. However, music has established itself within my life as a limitless beacon. I live in Nashville, work as a publicist for a recording artist and compose songs with friends from My Local, a young adult ministry organization. Music absorbs my God-given gift and shines it in a different format, a revised medium.

To those with a passion for music, take heart. There are countless ways to serve God with your talent. Music is universal. It affects anyone with the ability to hear. In contrast, if you feel God leading you to pursue music as a career, you have an extensive journey before you. The music industry is a congested business. To reach an audience and generate a sustaining income, one must have determination, a “thick skin,” networking ability and the Lord’s blessing.

Nothing is impossible with God.

When I first met with my client to discuss her public relations plan, we went through several steps to establish who she was going to be as an artist and strategize ways to broaden her audience. The following steps will help you become a better steward of your gifts . . .

(Read more in the April 2017 digital issue of Pursue Magazine)

From Dawn to Dusk: A Writer’s Guide to Recognizing God’s Presence in the Wait

Time ticks on, yet the metaphorical doors leading to answered prayers remain closed, and the hallway between opportunities stretches as far as the eye can see. What else can be done but wait, hope and pray? How can God be actively at work within a place of stillness?

When I speak at schools and other venues, I often tell people my job is to be rejected. I give thousands of hours to a pixelated stack of white pages on an illuminated computer screen. I pour my heart and soul into each sentence, yet I spend as much time waiting for a YES from publishers and accepting countless NOs as I do composing a novel. I’m on a thousand-hour coffee date with possibilities that may or may not become my reality.

Life is a hallway of locked doors. No matter how much someone knocks, unless it is God’s will, the panels will stay sealed and act as protective barriers between the sovereign plan and one’s desires. Some doors never open; those that might have been concealed from sight or kept from consideration unlock at unpredictable moments.

Opportunities come in fleeting gasps, subtle whispers and screeches of celebration. They’re delivered in blinks and extensive spans. They come when we ache for them, when we least expect them.

Rejection is a large portion of my job, but God-glorified waiting is a lifestyle I have accepted, applied. God-glorified waiting is an attitude of surrender, a faith in His promise to open doors—it is a life of knocking and being content in whichever threshold becomes available.

Waiting is not a passive verb.

God is not bound by time.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Our lives are caged into a block of linear years. We exist in a timeline, but God surpasses chronology. He does not abide by the earthy rules that hold our bodies captive. He works beyond seconds, hours and days. If we have asked Him to be Lord of our lives, we have been adopted into His master plan where nothing can happen too early or too late.

The timelessness of God is a truth we can cling to as we wait for His doors to unlock.

God is not bound by dreams.

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Hebrews 10:36

God cares for the desires of our hearts. He does not toy with us, give dreams and not fulfill His promises. If we are divinely called to a destination, He will pave the path.

Our dreams cannot build parameters around God’s power. He has the ability to change our hearts, replace desires with burning passions. He can do immeasurably more with us when we walk the hallway of life, knock and ask for His guidance.

God is not bound by choices.

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

Salvation through Jesus Christ is the ultimate open door—it makes available to us God’s perfect plan. Grace declares victory over the choices we make, and God’s will prevails.

Waiting is a state of motion where God can reveal His truth and mold our hearts. We must be sure to recognize His voice in the perceived stillness, listen to Him above all else and dwell within the comfort of communication with Him.

Dreams can be fulfilled while walking down a hallway.

#Boss2017

Merry Christmas!

As 2016 draws to an end, I’d like to offer a brief reflection on two topics often involved in New Year’s resolutions: time management and entrepreneurship. Included below are some simple tips to help 2017 be your best year.

1.      Complete your work one step at a time.

When faced with a project, one often becomes overwhelmed and resorts to procrastination. To avoid time-wasting, divide the project into small tasks that can be completed in a short amount of time. The feeling of progress will keep you focused and motivated.

2.      Prioritize.

There will be times when you’re forced to juggle many tasks. Inspect your deadlines, see which job needs to be completed first and focus your complete attention on it. By prioritizing, you are less likely to experience last minute stress.

3.      Find what organizational tool works best for you.

My public relations friends have high-tech planners and complex organizational systems. I have a basic calendar and rely on my daily sticky note to-do list to keep myself on track. Although my method is unorthodox, it works for me. Figure out a way to organize your tasks without causing yourself panic.

Time management is an ever-going process. However, knowing how to manage your days opens the door to pursuing dreams and business ventures. To prepare yourself for such endeavors . . .

1.      Think about the future.

Write down your dreams, where you envision yourself in ten years.

2.      Make a plan.

People often dream about the future but refrain from creating a strategic plan to help them achieve their goals. Once you know where you want to go, make a map to get you there.

3.      Complete the plan one step at a time.

As you can see, time management goes hand-in-hand with entrepreneurship. Well managed time leads to broad possibilities.

Although my tips are simple, they revolutionize productivity.

Thank you for making 2016 a terrific year! I’m excited for all God has in store for 2017.