Angels For Allison

Last week I had the unique pleasure to speak to more than 100 women over the course of two days in my hometown of Jacksonville, FL, to support an incredible organization, Angels for Allison. Angels for Allison was birthed after my dear friend Drew lost her 15-year old daughter, Allison, in a tragic car accident. Now, she is committed to allowing Allison’s joyful legacy to live on by providing funds to families who are unable to afford funerals for their deceased children. The organization raises money by selling and auctioning hand painted angel decorative ornaments. Vineyard Vines has also become a partner, selling a custom tie and bowtie to benefit the fundraising efforts. On Wednesday evening I shared about living life with a legacy in mind. My favorite thing to talk about is painting with a purpose, or even more broadly, LIVING with a purpose. For me that purpose is painting art in order to give back locally, nationally and internationally. We all have a purpose in life. Whether you are an artist, a mother, a lawyer, a nurse, a wife, God has uniquely equipped you to use your gifts and talents to give back and help others in need around you. When you seek those opportunities, He will always reveal the need to you. When we bow humble and genuine hearts to His master plan, He will open doors of purpose and calling before us. On Thursday, I shared a similar message but also felt moved to share a passage from Mark Batterson’s profound book The Circlemaker, in which he shared the story of Cornelius: “Scripture doesn’t record exactly when or where or how he prayed… It just says he prayed regularly. And when you pray to God regularly, irregular things happen on a regular basis. You never know when or where or how God will invade the routine of your life, but you can live in holy anticipation, knowing that God is orchestrating supernatural synchronicities. Life a grandmaster who strategically positions chess pieces on a chessboard, God is always preparing us and positioning us for divine appointments. And prayer is the way we discern the next move. The plans of God are only revealed in the presence of God. We don’t get marching orders until we get on our knees! But if we hit our knees, God will take us places we never imagined going by paths we didn’t know existed.” My journey has been just that. God directing each step with divine appointments along the way. Certainly, Drew never could have envisioned losing Allison, but when we are in a posture of submission to God’s will, He WILL lead, guide and shape our future into abundant richness. To me it is no coincidence that the Lord birthed these angels in my heart, just the way He called our beautiful Allison to become an angel watching over us. His word promises that every good and perfect gift is from above, and Allison was and will continue to be that perfect gift. Learn more about Angels for Allison.