The 61Exchange

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I have recently found myself jumping on board with this movement known as The 61 Exchange.  Started by my beautiful Southern Georgian friend Amy Boland, this incredible collective of real women with real stories is the most inspiring, vulnerable and hope fuelled group you will meet.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The name, The 61 Exchange, comes from Isaiah 61:3. That The Lord will give a crown of beauty for ashes and joy for mourning. We want to tell the stories of how Jesus has done this exchange in women’s lives and ultimately point people towards the greatest exchange, the Gospel.

I was blown away when Amy asked me to get involved, and even though we’re figuring out what that looks like with an ocean in between me and the team – I’m in!!!   I love the idea, the concept of sharing our stories to inspire others is something that I am uber passionate about.

I had the privilege this summer, sharing at one of their conferences in Cairo, GA. I had no idea what I was in for. I was meeting everyone on the team for the first time, and placing names and email addresses with faces.   Knowing that it was going to be a weekend of story sharing, I was prepped for talking overload. I knew some of the stories already from the social media posts and was well prepared with tissues close by.  As I listened to girls share their journey so far, I discovered something special about the power of our stories. They invite people into our lives.  They connect us in our humanity – real, honest, open lives for all to see.  And the amazing thing about Christian women, is seeing how beautifully our God meets us where we are and has the power to change our stories. His love and grace intertwines into people’s lives in a beautiful profound way.

In dark days, in horrific circumstances, in hopeless scenarios – there He was in all their journeys.

No story was the same,  because no life is the same.

The thing that I loved the most about so much story sharing, was how easy it was for every woman who attended that conference to identify with at least one other person on stage sharing.

So here’s what I’m asking…… would you join the journey?

Would you share your story? Have you ever sat and thought about the moments that are worth sharing?

Here is the truth – your story matters and somewhere in this world there is a girl who needs to be encouraged by what God has done for you. Because if God can do if for you, He can surely do it for her too.

So how can you join in?

  1. Follow us on Instagram
  2. Connect with us on Facebook
  3. Join the Mailing List and keep up to date with our Blog
  4. Share your Story

I would love you to connect in with what God is doing, but most importantly I would love for you as a daughter to be brave, open and vulnerable with your journey so it would spark hope in Him to someone else.

You can do it!

Graceful Performance

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GRACE…

It changes everything.

“One Way Love” by Tullian Tchividjian has fuelled the thoughts that follow.

I don’t think I will ever tire of learning to live in His inexhaustible Grace. In fact, I think there’s so many elements to grace that even if I tried, I don’t think I will ever fully comprehend it’s vastness – to everyone!

Grace is amazing – when it’s extended to us.

Grace is offensive – when it’s extended to the people we have a hard time with.

Grace is hard to get our heads round.

It’s hard to get our heads round, because the God view and idea of grace rarely plays out in real relationships. His idea is simple – show me your worst (whilst you were still sinners) and I will advance towards you (Christ died – offered all of himself to re-establish connection to the world).

Typically our experience outside of this type of grace is – show me your worst, I’ll try my best to love you in the mess, but when you hurt me and it gets personal, I’m outta here. As much as we want to understand and extend grace – heavens grace – our struggle will always be fully giving it without condition. Even if the condition is to bring a good change – it’s still a condition. It still has strings attached – I love you, but want you to ….. and the list can be endless.

The grace we often offer comes with conditions. It comes with an agenda. It comes with manipulative intentions.

Deep down – we struggle to believe that God’s love is extended to us because he is love and not because we are lovely. The sorriest among us can’t quite believe His love covers “everything” we have done.  It’s too good to be true, that everything is covered in this exchange.  The self-righteous amoung us (of which I can totally affilaiate with), can’t quite believe there is “nothing” we need to do to get this love. NOTHING.

In our state of “cant quite believing” – we can find ourselves accepting grace – but still working at behaving “right”. Grace with works – a total torture.

I am reminded today – a Sunday – a day of rest – that His grace is His grace, extended to mankind because He is full of grace not because of us, full of ourselves. Our right standing before God, is found in Christ and Christ alone before we do anything right.

I am reminded that Christ in me, full of grace – can offer such grace to the people around me.

To love the way He loves.

To love without conditon.

To love without prejudice.

To love beyond the expectations I place on people.

And thank God, there is grace in the learning.

You are loved – therefore go love.