WOF - Lisa Harper

Onto the 4th speaker...

Wait - I've only talked about Sheila & Liz - so isn't the next one 3? 

No...

But yes - technically there was another speaker - Angela Thomas...

 - but I honestly didn't know she was speaking.  She came immediately right after Liz Curtis Higgs & I thought she was going to do one of those promo things talking about the books & studies & Bibles for sale... & I was so busy talking with Chasity about her hair....so I didn't take any notes... I probably couldn't have anyways.  Her story started so scattered & I wasn't sure where it was going.  In the end, she wrapped it up beautifully with a country bow on top... her accent is precious (I love a good southern accent) & I just enjoyed sitting back listening to her story telling.

In summary - her lesson was about a beautiful trade... taking ashes & changing them for beauty....being a light on the hill - shining for God - BE THE SUNSHINE... I think I've used that 3 word phrase at least a dozen times since I've been back...

We took a break & then Lisa Harper came to the stage...

Now I remember when Lisa first started speaking with Women of Faith... I loved her immediately.  She's got a way of inserting humor with some deep teaching of the Bible...

You gotta love a gal who starts off a session by saying, "Make a muscle... now reach over & pinch the hanging part of the lady next to you... & if they are over 40 & they don't have any hanging parts, then pinch them EXTRA HARD" ... YEAH!!! Preach sister! :)

& it was fun because on this day, it was her 50th birthday!!! How cool!  & girlfriend was pulling off leather skinny pants on her 50th birthday... that should be noted because I have never been able to pull off leather skinny pants..... ever....

Her momma (that's what she called her too) was in the audience & my goodness.  Talk about amazing genes?  Her momma is 76 (I believe she said) & her skin was beautiful... so smooth... I have more wrinkles...
But it was so cute because sitting up on the side, I could look down & see her momma watching Lisa as she spoke... talk about an attentive heart full shining some proud momma smiles!

Lisa spoke on JUMPING OUR BOUNDARIES... taking the lesson out of Exodus...
the good ole Charlton Heston - I mean Moses - story...

Let's look at the notes from this session

* Exodus 14:13-14
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid, STAND FIRM & you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  the Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you;  you need only to be still"

... so much in this scripture!! Do not be afraid - stand firm - never see again - be still....
How much encouragement right there for those who are journeying out onto a new path & afraid of what lies ahead

* Cloud by day - Fire by night
God's presence was always visible to the Israelites... another reminder that we had in the first session that God is always with us...

* Red Sea - Jordan River
Not only did the Israelites get to see the Red Sea parting & walking through on dry ground - they got to do it again with the Jordan River (Joshua 3:14-17)

Would it have been easier to do it this time since they saw God's faithfulness the first time?  Was the fear gone?  Did they come up to a body of water this time & think, "Oh yeah, God's got this!" with pure confidence?

When we see God working in our lives before, does it make it easier to see Him work again?

* Participation
The Jordan was at flood stage... imagine how high it was & the roaring of it.  & in Joshua 3:15 it says, "...& their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing."
It took participation this time... faith...
to go up & put feet into this flowing river

* The righteous are never forsaken... may have suffering... but NEVER FORSAKEN
I had to look up what forsaken meant...abandoned - disowned - cast off - rejected...
Tough times come but we're never cast off to handle them on our own

* ALL addictions are a disorder of worship

* Gonna get wet
The promise wasn't that the Israelites weren't going to get wet - they weren't going to get dirty ... the promise is they would not drown!!!

Lisa told the story of the process she is in right now with adopting.  She was going to adopt locally & at the last minute, it fell through.  And then, in the middle of hanging out with friends, they got a phone call of a little girl in a foreign country (I can't think of the name now... I just remember she said it was the hottest place on the face of the earth :) ) & they needed to find this child a home or she would die. Her mom died of AIDS & she was HIV positive & also has other health issues. 

Lisa said she didn't even have to think about it because she knew God has been preparing her for this the whole time....

So Lisa is waiting to adopt Missy & was expecting to have her home just this month... but paper work has stalled the process.  So the last visit down - the one where she thought she would be bringing Missy home, she discovered it wouldn't be until Christmas.

So Lisa had to take Missy back to the orphanage & leave her.  Missy knew immediately where Lisa was taking her as they walked the stairs down to this area that held the children.  Lisa described it to us & she said, "To the American mind, it would seem cruel to have children in this environment" but with few workers, cages are for their safety so the children won't harm themselves.

Missy paniced... was saying she was sorry... like it was a punishment to go back into this orphanage...
at this point - I think every woman in the arena was crying at the thought of taking a child back to this place.  I'm thinking, I woulda tucked her under my shirt & ran...

But Lisa said she refused to cry in front of Missy... & she kept repeating over & over to her

Jesus Loves you ... Jesus will never leave you... be brave...

over & over...

She wanted Missy to know that even though she had to leave her, there was someone who never would...

& as her heart broke, Lisa walked out ... & broke down.... & she said as she was gathering her things, going back to the US, devastated... in her heart she could feel God speak down to her those same words

Jesus Loves you... Jesus will never leave you... be brave...

times are tough... it takes faith... you are not alone... you will get wet
you won't drown

BE ALL IN!!!!

A video showing how awesome Lisa is....