BUT before we share this month's testimony, we need to announce our Registration Giveway winner!! Thanks to each of you who entered to win...and especially to those of you who listened to our interview on "Live the Promise with Susie Larson" on Faith 1090 in Waterloo last week. If you missed it, you can listen to the interview here. Wish we didn't have to pick just one winner! We hope to see each of you at Rise & Shine Woimen's Retreat on October 29th!
CONGRATULATIONS, CHRIS HARWOOD!!
You are the winner!! Hip Hip Hooray!!
(Expect to receive an e-mail from us with details shortly)
Now, on to Testimony Tuesday! This month Jill Beran offered to share a little about the "History of Rise & Shine". We believe you will enjoy reading how God started something so extraordinary, in the heart of one ordinary, yet extraordinarily loved by God, young woman.
Here is Jill Beran's testimony:
Rise and Shine began as an idea in my mind nearly 5 years ago; at the time the thought of organizing a women’s conference was way beyond me. Honestly the idea seemed a bit crazy, so I tucked it aside and life moved on. As time ticked away, God continued to work and speak.
He assured me I wasn’t alone…there were (and still are) women who needed the opportunity to be encouraged, refreshed and renewed. But most importantly the opportunity to hear and understand what a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was all about and for their faith to grow.
Before “Rise and Shine,” the event, even became a reality, God was calling me to live the truth of these words. Me, an ordinary girl, who married a farmer and was raising a family. Me, a women who had attended a few faith based conferences, but never played any part in organizing one. Me, a child of God, who’s faith was growing, but was still a major work in progress.
He was calling me to rise - to step out of my comfort zone, to trust Him to do what I never could and to listen closely as He revealed the next step. Now as I look back, I see it was through my rising that He was shining - my steps of faith and walk of obedience allowed His light to shine.
So nearly 2 and a half years after God first put this idea on my heart, He convinced me it was time - time to stop praying and wondering, or perhaps to stop worrying, it was time to move forward. So in Decemeber of 2008, I started sharing the idea with others and plans started to come together.
By January of 2009, my close friend/mentor and I had found a church eager to support the event, had contacted Renee Swope about the possibility of speaking in Iowa and began hearing answers to the prayers we’d been praying. In February, we had our first team meeting which consisted of 5 ordinary women of various ages, from different places and in different stages. God had brought Leanne Anderson, Rachel Beran, Julie Ulven, Judy Walsten and myself together to do something extraordinary.
One of the first things we did was name the event and God used what He’d already been doing in my life to do just that! After discussing many ideas, I was reminded of the song I daily use to wake my children to start the day - I will say, “Rise and Shine” and after my pause they reply, “Give God the glory, glory, children of the Lord.” It occurred to us this was our purpose - encourage women to do just what these words say!!
I believe that is exactly what God has done! On October 30, 2009, the first ever Rise and Shine Women’s Retreat was held at Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls, IA. Renee Swope from Proverbs 31 spoke and nearly 250 women were encouraged, refreshed and renewed. And most importantly God was glorified!
This past October, Rise and Shine was held again and God perfectly arranged the day! Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 shared her story and God touched the hearts and changed the lives of over 330 women.
The story doesn’t end there - plans are being made for Rise and Shine 2011! Susie Larson will bring the message and again we trust women will be encouraged, refreshed and renewed! We also hope one of the original prayers would continue to be answered - that Rise and Shine isn’t simply a one day event, but that it would become a way of life!
I know God hears and answers that prayer because He is doing just that in my life! This past January, He whispered something new to my heart, He asked me to step off a team I’d been afraid to begin. I’ll be honest I fought this step, almost as hard as I did the initial one, but He reminded me rising and shining isn’t always easy and it’s not just about the big, fun things in life either.
As I’ve stepped away from something I really believe in, have grown to love and truly enjoy God has shown me so much. Not only can God do something extraordinary through an ordinary women, daily He wants me to be extraordinary in my ordinary life. So as He has me cut back in every area outside the walls of my house, He is constantly asking me to Rise and Shine!
Friends, honestly sometimes that’s harder to accomplish in front of my husband and children than it was when I stood on a stage in front of you at Rise and Shine. The last few weeks I’ve found myself wondering why things have unfolded like they have and even this morning I asked God, “Why do you have me taking a break from ministry?”
I didn’t hear His voice, but He whispered to my heart, “It’s not a break, I’m building your ministry.” It’s true my number one ministry is growing, we’re weeks away from meeting baby number 5, but I believe He means more than that. When we find ourselves in a season we didn’t expect or a time we don’t understand, God doesn’t change - He still calls me, and you, to Rise and Shine!! As we obey, He builds our faith and strengthens us to “Rise” so we can “Shine” His light! Our ministry may not always look like we expect, but it’s all about His ministry not ours!!
Rise and Shine has made an eternal impact on my life and I pray the same is true for you!! I look forward to what extraordinary things God will do during this years ordinary event!
THANK YOU, Jill, for sharing your testimony with us today! It's so encouraging to know that God can use each of us ordinary girls to "Rise" up and "Shine" in extraordinary ways, if we will just trust Him and follow His lead...wherever He leads! To connect with Jill, visit her blog by clicking here.
We hope that each of you reading will join us at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat on October 29, 2011. Our theme this year is "Making an Ordinary Life Extraordinary" and we will be blessed to hear from Susie Larson, the Uncommon Woman herself. Believe us, you don't want to miss it!
Join us for our next Testimony Tuesday on August 2nd!
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Wow! Thank you for sharing about what God has been and is doing in your life. It's encouraging to hear that others struggle in much of the same ways with doubt and worries; but most importantly, it's a wonderful testimony to hear how God can take those confusing times in our lives and redeem them for HIS purposes! Thanks so much for saying "Yes!" to God - both in the big, life-changing decisions and in the little struggles of everyday life!!!
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