Episode 53: Jennifer Allison

Jennifer Allison joins me for Episode 53. She is a user experience designer for UPS by day and an author and artist by night. And she is a self-proclaimed Rambunctious Kid. As we talk you will understand why she calls herself just that.

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We talk about her story--a story about God allowed her to experience a lot of hardship--both self-inflicted and at the hand of others. Yet, through it all, she's learned that God loves her and that He is for her. She learned the hard way what believing lies about her identity can do and in a beautiful way, how believing truth can truly set her free. So pull up a chair to my kitchen table and join the conversation.

I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Jennifer. Like most of you, I've been watching the show This Is Us. And on the Christmas episode, Randal's biological father had a monologue about his life. And he said in reference to getting to spend time with his son even though he will be dying soon, "@@I had to open myself to the pain of it to experience the joy of it@@" He was talking about grace. @@To experience grace, sometimes you experience pain@@. And more often than not, joy comes because of the pain. That there reminds me of Jennifer's story. I hate that she experiences such pain--having the sensory processing disorder, being abused as a young girl, accused of being gay, raped, and drug abuse. Yet, I bet she would agree that the pain allowed her to experience grace and joy in a deeper way.

Links:

(amazon affiliate links used)

Survival Kit:

  • Being ready for the opportunities that God presents. Just say yes and you will see God show off.
  • Drawing is her coping mechanism now.

Connect with Jennifer: website // Instagram // Facebook // twitter // Pinterest

Takeaways From Our Conversation:

  • @@God is bigger than we can imagine@@.
  • @@God can take impossible scenarios and use the most unlikely someone@@.
  • The power of our words. @@What words shaped your identity?@@ What words are shaping the identity of those you influence? 
  • God isn't asking you to clean up your mess. He stands with a bucket and mop in hand ready to clean it up for you. He already loves you and fully accepts you.
  • She desperately wanted God to take away the sensory processing disorder, yet she has realized that God wired her this way--on purpose. God made no mistake on her. It's easy to assume that if someone is different or something is awkward about them that there is a flaw but that person is God's masterpiece.
  • What advice would you give to a mother in helping them establish a truth-filled identity in their kids? Pay close attention to the words we use. When you get frustrated with your kids, ask yourself why you are frustrated. Do a self-check. And then, help your children know who they are and how they are gifted and what purpose is for them. Most importantly, fill them up with truth. 

What did you enjoy about this episode? What was your takeaway. Let's continue the conversation  on Instagram or Twitter or you can send me an email here. 

I wanted to remind you that you can purchase a copy of my book Body. Beauty. Boys. The Truth About Girls and How We See Ourselves at SurvivingSarah.com Its a resource for any adolescent girl in your life designed to help her discover how God sees her and how to learn to be content and satisfied with exactly who she is.

Thank you for following along life with me. I love being apart of your day. And as always, I hope this show helps you survive a little easier.

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