Dear Friends,

This past weekend I was up north and gave a talk on Saturday morning at The New England Prayer Center breakfast. I agreed to give this talk before I found out that the topic was “Heroes of Faith.” I never considered myself a hero in any realm, and I have to admit I was concerned about my story rising to “hero” status.  Plainly speaking, I was nervous. I resorted to praying that I could just stand there and let the Holy Spirit speak for me.

A few evenings before I was scheduled to fly out, I clicked on a Louie Giglio talk while I was making dinner. His talk was on depression and suicide, but his focus was on the importance of sharing our stories with others. He said that “there is someone who needs to hear about the miracle of God’s grace in your life, so they can know that they too, can have the miracle of God’s grace in their life.” That really caught my attention. And then he added that there are times, when we are shy, embarrassed, anxious, and just plain not OK with speaking. Those are the times we have to remember that Jesus. Is. Always. OK.

In Jesus we can rise above anything. Even the fear of speaking in front of a large group of people. And then Louie added, “So, open your mouth, and tell your story.” That was some powerful and divine encouragement for me. And, I did just that.

In all of this, I learned that each one of us can be a “hero of faith.” It just takes a willing heart that choose to accept and trust in Jesus Christ. Saturday morning was a abundantly blessed event. I felt welcomed and at home from the moment I arrived. It was a morning where the presence of the Spirit filled the air. There was heartfelt prayer and beautiful music of worship. I felt wonderful. I opened my mouth and I told my story. There were tears and sighs and laughter, but most of all praise for a faithful God.

Won’t you consider doing the same? Whether it’s to an audience of one or a hundred and one, there is somebody out there who needs to hear about the miracle of God’s grace in your life. So,

Sing to the Lord; praise His name. Each day proclaim the good news that He saves. Announce His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does. Great is the Lord. He is most worthy of praise. Psalm 96:2-4

Love & Blessings, Donna

(In this photo are four of my first cousins who were at the breakfast Saturday morning. From left to right: Nancy, Gina (the founder of TNPC with her husband, Dan), Sal, Madeline and yours truly.)