June 20, 2017
She Is Revolutionary

By: Oneka McClellan

 

revolution – a sudden, complete, or marked change

 

YOU ARE LOVED, VALUED AND BELIEVED IN. What if every single woman heard those words from her neighborhood to the furthest corners of the world? What if every woman understood their immense worth and value? What if from the playground to play groups; to high schools; colleges and board meetings; women were building each other up and instead of competing, they were speaking words of life into each other?

What if we stood up when we heard another woman being mistreated or bullied? What if we didn’t just cheer just for the boys, but the girls too? What if we took a stand for our sisters who have no voice and we became their voice? What if, as a company of women, we became a united force on mission to discover our value, and then we were mobilized to crown others with it?

Let’s GO to the highways and byways to tell and invite as many women as we can to be a part of a VALUE revolution. Let’s leave gossip and competition behind us. Let’s be builders of every woman we meet, speaking value and worth into her very soul. Think about Mary and Elizabeth, the mother of Jesus and John the Baptist. They spent time with each other and at the end of their visit – Mary, who started out shaky left Elizabeths house singing. And when they first greeted each other, Elizabeth said the baby leapt in her womb.

The truth that we have locked inside our hearts has to come out; the truth that we are ROYAL daughters; the truth that we have a Heavenly Father who is madly in love with us and who has a generous inheritance for us that will never end. This truth has to be told from one heart to the next.  Psalm 45 says, “ the royal daughter is glorious within.”

Let’s celebrate what HE made glorious.

Great is HIS love toward us and great is the One who has the power to bring change and to lift ceilings and limitations off of any situation or circumstance. We owe it to this next generation to flip the switch and push forth, in the spirit, a value revolution. It starts on our knees. It starts by following after the example of Jesus who throughout the Bible loved, lifted and affirmed all women.

Think about the woman caught in adultery. The crowd was ready to stone her. I can feel the tension of the angry crowd judging her with their eyes and their actions. But Jesus in that moment says, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Her accusers left and Jesus told her that He did not condemn her.

So often we cast stones with words that tear down each other. But as we follow in the example of Jesus, the ultimate value revolutionist, we should have the posture of kneeling down in the dirt just like Jesus and realizing we are all in this together. Surrendered, in need of a savior, and leaned into each other. We are on the same team. United, we can break down strongholds and weights that have tried to separate us as daughters.

The time is now, girls. The world is waiting. Your city is waiting for a tsunami, a tidal wave and to hear the ripple effect of the sound wave of value that originated from heaven to sweep over every single woman. This sound wave is coming to arrest her heart to experience the greatest lover of her soul. Then, because of that marked transformation and realization, she awakens to her freedom, her passion, and purpose. In-turn, she will ignite the hearts of everyone in her world. And so the revolution begins. All we need is you, darling, to say “Yes” to the call!  The invitation is this simple. Now, all you have to do is decide to GO!

Luke 14:23 Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.’ The table has been set by our King. Let’s go into all the world and reach as many women as we can with unbelievable love and value that comes from HIM.

 

Join us for She Rises Conference 2017! Get your tickets here.
June 15, 2017
She Is Entrusted

By: Donna Pisani

I would awaken to her tiny, sweet face staring at me, close enough that I could feel her panicked breath on my cheek. Then, like a record on repeat, I would hear that same little voice begin to spill out the terrors of the night, the things she imagined in the dark corners of her room.

Of course I knew there were no one-eyed, hairy monsters lurking under her bed. But because it was three o’clock in the morning and I was in the midst of sheer exhaustion from a very full life—four kids and a church to pastor—I would grab her tiny body, wrap my reassuring mama arms around her, and pull her into bed with me. Both of us were quickly engulfed in the warmth of blankets and pillows, as I tenderly prayed and quieted her fears until she dropped off to sleep.

This continued for weeks, until one night I realized all I was doing for this little one was soothing her fears, rather than showing her how to break this nightly routine of terror. All I had to do was remind her that she had a light switch in her room; that as tiny as she was, she had the power to switch the light on all by herself to expose the fear and silence her roaring imagination.

What about you?

How often does fear, the disappointment of an unmet expectation, or an out of control imagination scream at you, making you forget you have the power to turn on the light and expose it? Perhaps you’ve felt stuck in life and the longer you wait, the more the “Not Yet Zone” begins to define you. But what you may have forgotten is that God has an extraordinary plan for your life. Every single one of His promises has the power to silence any fear or disappointment.

It’s time to stop soothing your fear and turn on the light.

And what turns the light on is the truth that God has entrusted you with choice and leadership.  Making the choice to flip the switch is leadership and the first step to seeing all that God made possible in you.

In fact the choice you’ve been entrusted with determines whether you stay a victim of your circumstance or become the leader of change He’s knows you to be.

Just knowing what you rise above you have authority over is everything.

You’re entrusted my friend with the hard places, the stretch, the Not Yet Zone, that place you’re in right now.

God hasn’t entrusted you with potential and purpose in spite of your past failures and current imperfections, but because of.  Intricately woven into your story so your past doesn’t become someone else’s future.

Time to stop sitting in the dark doing autopsies on your fears and failures.

Time to flick the switch…the One who loves you the most is cheering you on and so am I.

For with God nothing is impossible
Luke 1:37

Excerpt from “The Power of Not Yet-Living a Life of Endless Possibilities by Donna Pisani

 

Join us for She Rises Conference 2017! Get your tickets here.
June 13, 2017
She Is Staying

By: Elyse Roberson

She is staying

Heroes don’t always wear a cape, sometimes just a smile. Superwoman doesn’t always chase the bad guys away, sometimes she just stays around the good ones. Champions don’t always get it right, sometimes they just decide to try again tomorrow.

Brave doesn’t always mean winning, sometimes it just means staying.

Ever had a friend call you randomly and give you an accidental reality check in the best way? One of my best friends did just that a few months ago. We grew up together in Sydney and she moved to South Africa at the same time I moved to Los Angeles. She is, like, a really good Christian, seriously way better at it than me. She’s the girl you call at 2am when he didn’t text you back. She’s the one who will sit on the kitchen floor with you to drink coffee and watch back-to-back Friends episodes on the laptop, even though there’s a perfectly good TV and couch right there.

She’s the friend that won’t let you forget your dream, even when life feels like a nightmare. Every girl needs one of those friends.

Not long after my friend moved overseas, she had every reason to quit. While I was trying to figure out how to drive on the other side of the road, she was trying to figure out how to drive 20 kids to youth group, with no car or money. While I was annoyed that I couldn’t go to Vegas for the weekend, she was annoyed that she couldn’t get more teenagers to camp. (I’m a baby, I know).

She was my weekly reality check.

And yet, through the tears and the disappointments, she stayed. Through the heartbreak and loneliness, she stayed. Through the false starts and delayed promises, she stayed.

It had been about a month since our let’s-change-the-world conversation, but a few months ago, out of the blue, my phone rang. I was getting ready to speak for a conservative Christian conference, and was stressing over whether red lipstick was acceptable to wear, or clear would be more appropriate. I went with the red, because YOLO.

I answered the call only to find my friend sitting in her car, crying more tears than an Undercover Boss episode.

“I have never…. been happier… for you to answer my call… than right now,” was all she could manage.

What’s happened now? Did she have another person tell her to give up? I’ll punch them in the face. Did the boy that had changed her life throw away her heart? I’ll kill him. Was someone eaten by a lion? Not really sure to do with that one.

“Elyse, I stayed. I stayed and God is so faithful…. The bus… With the kids… and I started crying… He’s so faithful. I stayed.”

I didn’t understand the bus or the kids at first, but there was no mention of a lion, so that was a relief. Once she breathed, she began to explain a little more. She had set a personal goal at the start of the year to see 163 students come to Jesus, a bus full. And because she stayed, that night, she finally saw it.

Like, what?! I’m the worst Christian ever! After feeling completely convicted and deeply disturbed that I had just been trying to figure out when I could fit an afternoon nap into my day, I began to feel every bit of pride for my friend. The things we talked about on the beach all those nights ago, with the stars as our witnesses, were actually happening. After cyber-hugging and squealing for a few minutes, we said goodbye. I hung up the phone smiling.

Today, I want to be that friend that reminds you of what your heart is whispering. Stay. Though the marriage feels hopeless. Stay. Though you’re not where you thought you would be. Stay. Though your boss didn’t give you the promotion you deserved. Stay. Though the doors keep closing. Stay. Though it would be easier to leave. Stay. Though your heart is broken. Stay. Though it hurts. Stay.

Because perhaps the bravest thing you can do today is stare fear in the face and let it know that this time you’re here to stay. Not run. Not give up. Not quit. Stay.

Stay little one. Just stay.

 

Join us for She Rises Conference 2017! Get your tickets here.
June 8, 2017
She Is Tenacious

By: Noemi Chavez

I like the word tenacious, it’s like a blend of perseverance and stubborn, and it is a gift to an unseen future.  Treading new oceans and bulldozing through the obstacles in personally uncharted territories requires a long commitment in the same direction.  I have walked with Jesus long enough (26 years) to conclude that if I am relentless in my pursuit of His will, the possibilities are exciting, challenging, unpredictable and never ever disappointing.

Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV)

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The scripture in Romans begins by saying that we glory in tribulations.  Who says that? I have never gone through a difficult time where I felt it was a glorious season. I guess those words can only be honestly declared when we have hung on to God long enough to experience answers, strength, and power that comes when we stay the course amidst the tribulations.  It is a tribulation if whatever the problem or difficulty we are facing tries to discourage our obedience and our commitment to following Jesus.  Here is where tenacity comes into the picture.  See, She is Tenacious when with inching crawls and fearful steps, she presses past opportunities to quit and by doing so, she perseveres.  It can be painful alright, because everything in our natural mind wants to defer to dealing with life in ways that are familiar to us, even if we know that our old patterns don’t produce the outcomes we truly desire.  Tenacity is the grit in our faith that carries the conviction that something supernatural will come to pass, something new is approaching our lane, God will answer, if we only press on in obedience in the same direction. When we do this we develop perseverance, and with this our character is formed.  Character building can only be the result of personally staying the course. Character isn’t shared, it cannot be given as a gift, it can only be developed. When we have come this far, we have personally experienced the true faithfulness of God, nobody can tell you any different because hope has found its residence at the root of your faith and hope in Jesus never disappoints. So having been through a number of tribulations in my life as woman, as a wife, as a pastor, as a daughter, I can attest to the glory part of those challenging seasons.  I glory in the tribulations I have persevered through, because every difficulty in my life has a point of triumph for my God.  I personally have come to know that He is still good, faithful and patient.  He is also all powerful, grace filled and I would not have known it unless I’d stuck to His plan.

 

Join us for She Rises Conference 2017! Get your tickets here.
June 6, 2017
She Is Patient

By: Meghan Robinson

She is patient, I am not!

I have a gift. Ask my husband. Anywhere I go, I have a gift of choosing the LONGEST line! If I am at the grocery store and I choose what appears to be the shortest line with only one person in front of me, it will inevitably become the longest line because I am in it! Something happens with the cashier or the person in front of me and I am forced to stand smiling, waiting, tapping my foot and watching while all of the lines around me move at a desired pace but mine is standing still! This happens in the school pick up lane, airport security, the mall, just about anywhere I go! I am convinced that God is trying to teach me something and apparently I am a very slow learner!

I am the kind of girl that likes to move fast. I walk fast, talk fast, drive fast and to be quite honest, I am always in a hurry to accomplish the next BIG thing! That, in and of itself, is not a bad trait. In fact I think it’s the way God created me! The problem comes when my timing doesn’t line up with God’s timing. This can produce disappointment, discouragement and frustration. I might find myself comparing “the line” I am in to the “fast paced line” of everyone else. Comparison is the root of all inferiority and when I am constantly watching others, I tend to miss what God is doing right in front of me!

I’ve heard it said that “God is never late, but he is never early! He is always right on time!” But, I must confess that often times I find myself staring at my proverbial watch wondering if God will ever show up and if I will ever accomplish all I dream of.

Maybe you can relate.

When I was single, I could not wait to be married.
When I was married, I could not wait to be pregnant.
When I was pregnant, I couldn’t wait to have the baby.
When I had that baby, I couldn’t wait for that baby to be independent.
When I was working, I couldn’t wait to be a stay at home mom.
When I became a stay at home mom, I couldn’t wait to get back to work! 🙂

etc….

I found myself in one season constantly looking and striving for the next rather than enjoying the moment that I was in! This is not for a lack of advice. Every wise woman in my life could say “I told you so.” Everyone encouraged me to embrace and enjoy the season I was in but to me it always felt like a line at the grocery store! I just wanted to “check out” sooner and get to the next place on my list!

This year, in a very impatient moment, I heard God reminding me:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine” Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

Delay is not denial. Whatever you have been dreaming for, praying for, believing for, God hears you! He has good plans for you. 1 Peter reminds us that God is not slow as some count slowness, but PATIENT! I hate that word but God loves it! It’s one of the most challenging fruits of the spirit. If it took physical form it would be slimy, sour and hard to swallow. No one loves patience.

However, God’s thoughts and plans are far greater than anything you or I could imagine. While you are ready for the next season, God might still be doing something in this one (in you and through you!)

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised!” Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)

If I could encourage you in one thing it would be to stop looking for what’s next and embrace what is now! Ask God to illuminate what character traits he is trying to work on in you during this season, you will need them for the next! Take your eyes off everyone else’s lane and see the people that are in your own. Practice an attitude of gratitude for all that God has done, it will fill your heart with hope for all that is to come! Then, before you know, you will hear the word NEXT and it will be time to move forward into a new season and practice patience all over again!

 

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ABOUT MEGHAN ROBINSON

Meghan and her husband Carey pastor The Movement Church in Orange County California! Meghan is a wife, mom to two beautiful girls, church planter, pastor, speaker, friend, and big dreamer! Her greatest passion is helping women identify the God dream inside of them and awaken to their greater purpose! She also loves seeing women in ministry connected, equipped and inspired and is a part of our She Leads team!

IG: Divapastor | Twitter: MeghanLRobinson

Join us for She Rises Conference 2017! Get your tickets here.
May 31, 2017
She Is Without Rival

By: Lisa Bevere

Our Father God stands alone without rival, so we shouldn’t be surprised that in His eyes we are daughters without rival, which eliminates every reason that we should ever compete with one another.

You are the only example of you!

You are the beginning and the end of you. There is not a designer sample scheduled for mass production. In His lineage there are no copies, or same, and no equal. There is no rival for the way you express His love to others or for how He expresses His love to you. No one can do you like you!

God uniquely created your DNA and knit your frame in secret so He could surprise the world. He authored how your heart expresses itself; He was the architect of your smile and the melody of your voice; He made all of your features with the fondest thoughts of only you in mind. He celebrated along with your parents your first smile and watched with affection your first steps.

Because of this tender, intentional care, there are multiple facets of your life that express and reflect His love uniquely. He wove all these exceptional aspects and specific talents into the package of you, His daughter. He knew each attribute would be expressed best through your feminine form.

He knew you would represent and relate to Him best as a daughter. This is the very reason He chose female for your gender. There is a very tender bond between fathers and daughters.

He didn’t have another daughter in mind when He fashioned you…you are His delight.

This means you wouldn’t do it better if you were taller, shorter, blacker, or whiter. This also means you would not be a better carrier of the love He has entrusted to you if you were a male. God does not love sons more and daughters less. Nor does He love each gender equally. He loves male and female uniquely. Perhaps as you grew up you heard whispers, or even shouts, that your father or mother wished you’d been born a son. Maybe there was a time you wished you’d been born a male too. But know this…God never did.

Our Father rejoiced when you drew your first breath, and as the years unfolded, the angels of heaven rejoiced with Him when you were reborn as His Spirit-quickened daughter.

Marvelously loved one, there is absolutely nothing accidental about you.

So what does all this mean? It means there is more than enough immeasurable, inexhaustible love for us all. You don’t have to fight for your place at the table or win His love. No one can take you out or replace you…you have no rival.

This article was adapted from Lisa’s new book, Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Confusion and Comparison (Revell, 2016).

About Lisa Bevere

Lisa Bevere is a minister and best-selling author. Her books and studies portray her passion for empowering the local church and encouraging women. Lisa and her husband John co-founded Messenger International. Her family calls Colorado home where they enjoy laughter and food.

May 31, 2017
Coffee with Holly Wagner & Lisa Bevere

So Lisa and I have been friends for like 1,000 years ….and we recently had time to catch up through the bumpy streets of Downtown LA – so join us in our random, “private”, and we think…funny conversation.

I am beyond grateful for friends like Lisa! Friends that have been on the journey for a long time; and most of all I absolutely love that Lisa will be with us at She Rises!!

Join me, Lisa Bevere, Sara Jakes-Roberts, and Judah & Chelsea Smith along with musical guests Mosaic MSC and Oasis Church LA at the Dolby Theatre on June 23 & 24th for an atmosphere that will refresh and energize your soul Be sure to get your tickets today!

Can’t wait to see your face!!

xoxo

Holly

May 25, 2017
She Is Freedom

By: Sarah Jakes Roberts

There she was standing there watching as life passed her by. It wasn’t that she didn’t desire to move forward, but simply that she didn’t believe she could anymore. It didn’t happen all at once. No. It began slowly, but little by little she began to deteriorate from the person she once hoped she could be. It started with school not going as planned and then friendships falling apart . Everything she thought added value to her eventually left. Her worth was destroyed and her pride left her grasping for whatever would stay. The problem was that the only people who were willing to stay were the ones who were stagnant themselves. It didn’t take long before she started cozying up to the reality something was better than nothing and her life could be worse. Just when she decided to settle and adjust a voice whispered from the innermost part of her soul.

 

She spent months trying to drown it out. To be truthful there were times when she was even successful at ignoring it, but fully dissipate it never did. The voice followed her as she walked throughout the store. It chased her to her car and found it’s way to her desk. No matter where she went the voice came with her. It spoke above her fears and was louder than her insecurities.

 

The voice did not care how well she was holding her life together. The only thing that mattered to the voice was the message she needed to receive.

 

The voice whispered softly at first. It simply said, “live.”  She closed her eyes as the volume increased and dared to challenge her façade.  The voice said, “Don’t be afraid to admit you want more.” The voice demanded her to confess that she deserved more than the shell of a life she was settling for. She spent years trying to silence the voice of her hopes and dreams. She spent decades trying to pretend the voice had no power, but all of that changed the moment that voice went from living in her head to coming out of her mouth.

 

The words came out sharp, direct, and strong like bullets shooting through the box she had learned to live in.  She never realized that the only thing standing in the way of her and the joy, peace, and love she always wanted was admitting that she still wanted it. Suddenly she was free. She was no longer controlled by the memories.

 

Each time a thought tried to war against her liberty she declared that she would be free. She was alive. She was inhaling the promises of God and exhaling the fears of her past. The sun kissed her skin and her soul leaped within. She could feel.

 

The breeze raced through her hair, sent shivers down her spine, and added wind to her wings. She was rising. She was rising far above who she used to be and into a dimension she thought she’d never be able to access. Everyone who thought she’d never do it sat back in amazement as they watched her rise. She didn’t stop to pay them any attention or to check to see if they were comfortable with her ascension. She was on a mission and there was no time to waste. If you wanted any chance at finding her you’d have to discover your own path of unlimited faith. Her feet were made to walk on water and only those who could withstand the waves could be in her space.

 

That she was Ruth, that she was the woman with the issue of blood, that she was Mary, Martha, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, and any other woman who decided the sky was the limit and the possibilities are endless. That she was me…That she is you… That she is unstoppable with God and nothing can stand in her way.

 

April 13, 2017
So friends… meet Sarah!!

Have you met my amazing friend Sarah?!!!

She’s pretty amazing! She’s Real. She’s Funny. She loves coffee. And she’ll be with us at conference!!

Sarah and I recently spent some time together…and well…we thought it would be fun for you to join us on our coffee run!

So friends… meet Sarah!!

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