[Testimony] Filling the hole in my heart
I am only 15. I attended Shine this year with my sister. When I first agreed to come, it was just an excuse to get out of the house. After the weekend was over, I wished I could do it all again! It was amazing!
You see, I have a bad past. I know what you’re thinking, she doesn’t have a bad past, she is only 15. Well, by the age of 15, I had already slept with over 100 men. Some of them even 25 years old when I was 12. My mom’s boyfriend sexually, physically, emotionally and verbally abused me until I was 13.
I lost my virginity at the age of 10. And I was very big into drugs, smoking and drinking.
By coming to Shine, I learned that I can not fill the hole in my heart with anything but God. And it’s true! God can do miracles.
I am trying to stop doing those thing. Please keep me in your prayers and I love you. God is amazing!
[Testimony] It ain’t about money
I am a member of the worship team so I didn’t have to pay to go to Shine. This was a blessing because my husband just lost his job and my income alone doesn’t cover our bills.
There is a lady who lives in my apartment complex that I have been inviting to Celebration for almost a year now but she never came. Sunday before Shine, God told me to invite her. I answered God and said, “Good idea. I’ll call the church and get her a scholarship and it’ll be great…”
God said, “YOU pay for her. Those scholarships are for people who don’t have ANY other way of paying. She can afford it because she has you.”
Surely I had heard God wrong.
Did God forget that I am presently the only one working? I need God to help me right now. And besides, what if she doesn’t go? She never went all the other times I invited her. Only this time I’d be out $60 that could have gone toward paying a bill. But like Ayiesha Woods said, “What matters the most now shouldn’t matter at all. You forgot who was holding you up, and he won’t let me fall. Who’s in control of my life and knows better than I ever will.”
I realized even if she didn’t go, I would just be planting a financial seed in fertile soil because I KNOW God uses Celebration to reap a harvest.
So I invited her and she agreed to go. The second night of Shine she brought her 7 year old daughter. During praise and worship, I looked over at her daughter and I saw a child (who barely even knew who Jesus was) with both hands raised in worship, eyes closed, and a smile that only God could have put on her face. WOW!!
I realized at that moment how much that woman’s salvation meant. It meant life or death for that beautiful child who would not have been able to experience Gods presence had it not been for my measly little $60.
She drew a picture for me during the service that said “jesis” with a heart around it. And what’s even more profound is the mother liked Shine so much, she brought her husband and all three children to church the Sunday after Shine and her husband had an encounter with God too. They immediately went to Orientation after the service and now are members.
Who would have known that God could have taken my $60 and do THAT with it. If anything, I got a deal. I would have paid way more for those results. Can you really put a price tag on that?
Thanks so much and God Bless….
[Testimony] I am a Daughter of Zion
This was my 3rd year attending SHINE. The past 2 years were great, but this year was truly different. The first night of SHINE, I was so inspired by Deborah Cobrae’s message of loving the unlovable. My mother was with me this year and we both laughed afterward at how our problem wasn’t with unlovable strangers, but rather unlovable people we were in relationship with.
For me it is not only family, but people at work, and sometimes church. I felt like God was speaking to me to bring this before Him. The next morning we arrived early and while in line, I felt the tug so strong to go to the Prayer Room and bring this before the Throne.
Once in the room, I found someone I knew and asked her to pray with me. After briefly sharing my problem, she looked at me and said that she felt the Holy Spirit telling her that I have deep rejection issues. This is sooo true! I have been rejected so many times in my life! The Holy Spirit impressed on her that I needed a healing from memories. Again, this was sooo true!
We began praying and she asked the Holy Spirit to begin revealing the memory that first brought the rejection into my life. Although many scenes flashed in my head, I kept stopping on one.
I was 16 and had just realized that my father wasn’t going to write anymore. He had rejected me for a second time. The first was when I was 3 years old.
As I began to sob, God granted me a beautiful vision:
I was standing there weeping and Jesus appeared (His face hidden) and scooped me into His arms as He called me “Daughter of Zion.” Next, I saw His footprints in the sand and knew He was carrying me. That poem has long since been an inspiration in my life.
Suddenly the vision changed and I saw a reflection of me to my left. I was dressed in black and my face was horribly disfigured. A bright light appeared to my right and when I turned I saw the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She was dressed in a long, white robe and she was golden and flowed as if in a breeze. Light radiated from every pore of her body.
Suddenly Jesus was before me and he pointed to my left and said, “This is how you see yourself, but this” pointing to my right, “is how I see you. You’ll never be able to love the unlovable in your life until you learn how to finally see and love yourself the way I do.”
Precious daughters of the Most High King, if this is your story too, share in the vision He gave me and know that we are more than what we allow ourselves to see!
The next time you look in the mirror and think low of yourself, cling to the vision of our Father truly sees us! Be blessed.
Thank you Pastor Kerri for your passion, heart, faithfulness and obedience.
[Testimony] Run on Love
When I woke up Sunday morning after the conference was officially over I thought I have been truly changed. I knew that I had been in the presence of Jesus. He was there! He heard all of our cries, received all of our worship and accepted our praise. We all had been met by Jesus.
I was thinking that the conference was run so professionally, but my spirit said no that’s not it. Then I thought it was run like a well oiled engine, and my spirit said no that’s not it. Then my spirit said it was run on love and I said that is it!
Thank you so much for pouring yourselves into this conference and making it an experience I will never forget because my dreams have been resurrected!!!!
[Testimony] Greater is He
This was my fourth conference. Each year I receive a fresh anointing from God that draws me closer to his presence and power. This year, I have been touched with his wisdom.
I am faced with a decision that I didn’t know was so powerful until after the Shine Conference.
My husband and I have had a very rocky marriage of four years. We were separated for about six months of the last year and recently came together to give it another try. After only six weeks, we decided to end our marriage.
It wasn’t going to work.
During Friday morning’s session, Lisa Bevere gave away some of her reading material. I was hand picked to get a free copy of her book “Out of Control and Loving It”.
The following morning, Pastor Stovall spoke on not letting your dream die and had an altar call after his message. The spirit of the Lord was so present. It was overwhelming. A seed was planted in me when I left that three-day conference.
All of the speakers, Deborah, Pastor Kerri, Lisa and Pastor Stovall had an awesome word from God that left an impression on my soul.
I immediately started reading Lisa’s book, which prompted me to reference the Bible (uncommon for me). The Lord has been speaking to me ever since.
As I was getting ready for work this morning, this question came to mind. Are women primarily the initiators of divorce? I thought about it. To my knowledge they are. Why is that? I asked my husband. He agreed. His thoughts were that women look at the situation as long term, don’t see any change in sight, and decide that they don’t want to be burdened with it.
He was right, for me anyway.
Shortly after arriving to work, I hear the Lord saying “Greater is he who is in me, than he who is in the world.” Now, I knew there was a scripture that said something like that, but me being someone who doesn’t reference the Bible, I had to verify the wording. So, I Googled it.
The wording I found was this: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4.
All I can say is, I can’t see what tomorrow holds, and yesterday is through, but God knows the plans He has for me!
[Testimony] Sitting Behind Emily
Shine 2008 was so incredible! Thank you so much for the many hours upon hours of prayer, hard work and love that went into it.
I had a true God experience at Shine this year.
The first night of Shine my friends and I sat behind a girl, who in conversation, we found out was pregnant with twins (as is one of my friends I was sitting with).
I talked with Emily for a while discovering we had many similarities. We both have three young boys all very close in age to each other. We also live fairly close to each other, something that isn’t always common when you meet someone at Celebration Church. I also mentioned how I had a son before my oldest who passed away while I was pregnant with him (this is something I normally don’t mention to ladies who are pregnant but it was appropriate with our conversation).
Emily said she was going the following morning to have an ultrasound that should tell her the gender of her twins.
At the end of the evening, we exchanged phone numbers.
The next morning I kept my eye out for Emily as she planned on coming to Shine after her doctors appointment. I didn’t see her but thought I had just missed her.
Later that afternoon, Emily called me and I excitedly asked her how the appointment went. She said not well and through tears, she said she had lost both babies at 17 weeks which was only two days before.
Completely unprepared for this news, I was shocked and so heavy hearted at the same time.
Emily had called to ask me what it was like to lose a baby and what she was going to go through. She had never met anyone else who had gone through this. I was able to share with her what I went through, what helped me and what I wished I had done…things no mother should ever have to think about. I was able to tell her things I wished someone had told me six years ago when my world was rocked and my precious baby boy, Wesley, was stillborn.
Through this devastating situation, I am amazed and in awe of God’s hand in all of it.
First the fact that I was at Shine and that I was sitting right behind Emily. Then that we engaged in a conversation of more than, “Hi, my name is Robyn…” I told Emily about my stillbirth even though I almost never mention it to a woman who is pregnant. We exchanged phone numbers and she had mine plugged into her cell phone. The day after us meeting for the first time, Emily called ME for advice and information for what she was going through! Wow, God had us both in the palm of His hands the whole time.
Six years ago, I was the one experiencing the raw emotions of carrying a baby in my womb that the doctors told me had passed away. I felt the agony of thinking my body had somehow let me down and I would never hear my firstborn’s cry. I was the one who went through a 24 hour labor only to deliver a perfect baby boy who never had a need to cry…a baby I only got to hold for five precious minutes on Earth.
Now, three beautiful boys later, I am a mom so full of love and in awe of God’s creation. I have grown so much as a person and in my relationship with God and I can see how good has come out of a heart wrenching situation. I can see how God wanted to take me beyond my pain to a point where I can reach out to others who receive the unexpected news. I can see how God planted me at Shine right behind Emily…Emily who was about to have her world rocked the very next morning.
Thank you so much to Pastor Katie who has reached out to me and Emily through prayer and support. I know having a spiritual leader will help Emily to transition through these next few months.
Pastor Katie prayed such an amazing prayer for Emily in the prayer room at Shine…I wish I could have recorded it so Emily could hear it over and over again and know she is loved and protected by our most high God.
Thank you Kerri for being obedient to God in orchestrating Shine and allowing God moments to happen. Thank you for teaching us and being our spiritual mother.
[Testimony] Too Old to Change
I have had an incredible 3-day conference. It has changed my life.
I was so very fortunate to be a part of what happened in the sanctuary on Friday night during Lisa Bevere’s session. God was there. We all felt his love and the outpouring, the joining of strength from each other.
I spoke with Lisa after the session was over. She hugged me. She prayed over me and I felt, literally felt, the anointing of God come pouring out. It was an incredible experience and as I write this, I cannot find the right words for what happened. I cried because I felt the release of what I had been, what I had felt, how worthless I felt I had become.
Just when I thought I was too old for it to change. I felt it all change.
Before Shine, I had been telling myself that it didn’t matter. What mattered was my children and seeing that they had a better life than I had had. I was giving up without knowing I was giving up. Lisa’s prayer over me brought me back to life. I feel the power of God in my life today more strongly than ever. Maybe I didn’t even know what it was before, because it was absolutely incredible.
On the final day of Shine, I took that step out of my seat, not worrying what others might think or say, not worrying that I was too broken for Jesus to accept me and moved to the altar when Deborah made the call.
As Deborah had mentioned, if I couldn’t do it there, how could I possibly expect to do it outside the sanctuary. How could I expect to be the woman that God intends me to be? The woman who can and will make a difference? The woman who is worthy and who does matter?
I know all of these things now.
Thank God for the opportunity that was afforded me this week. I feel as if I am breathing real air again. I am awake and alive and I matter. I will make a difference.
During one of the sessions, it was said that it didn’t matter if you had not had a mentor, but that God may want you to BE a mentor. That simple statement touched the core of my soul and made me realize what God is calling me to do. God is calling me to be a leader and I intend to answer that call in my own way. I will help others who are following after me so that maybe I can save them from making my same mistakes. Maybe I can save them some of that pain and maybe I can save some other woman, some other mother from believing that she is unworthy of the good things that God, in this life and the next, has to offer.
I have met other women in the Church this weekend. They spoke to me and we talked. How overjoyed I was! I have been attending Celebration for so long and spent my time wondering why I had no friends there, only saying “hello” and “God Bless” in passing in the halls or in our seats.
It is because I was not taking the time to reach out to the others around me. I am an introvert and this was so difficult for me! I know after this conference that I can do it, that God will always help me and for the first time in a long time, I am smiling. There is so much joy in my heart that I am part of this army of women, these warriors who will make a difference. I feel like dancing (and I can’t even dance). *LOL* Praise God!
Thank you Jesus for the women who make a difference, for the women who share their stories, step outside their comfort zones, and come into the greatness that God has planned for them.
I cry as I write this. But this time they are tears of joy and strength. One day, I will hear God say to me “Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done!”
Thank you, Pastor Kerri and all the staff for making this conference possible.
Thank you for saving my life.
Meet Your After Party Organizer
Are you ready to partay!?!
I don’t know about you, but at last year’s SHINE After Party we had girls and women of all ages get out on the dance floor and party like it was 1999! If you recall, our very own Pastor Stovall hit the dance floor to busta-a-move! Maybe this year, we can get our very own Pastor Kerri up on stage to bust a groove too. 
This year’s After Party will include a tattoo and photo booth, so you can get a Love Revolution tattoo, hop on over to the next booth to pose for a pic with all your girlfriends and then hit the dance floor to cut a rug!
We’ll have the After Party dance team leading the way in songs and I’ve heard a rumor that there might be some special appearances by Billy Idol and Michael Jackson, so have your cameras ready!
My name is Debbie Heald and I get the awesome privilege to throw the SHINE After Party. . . I’ll see you on the dance floor!
Meet a Member of the Host Team
Hey Ladies!
Are you ready to start a Love Revolution?! I know God is going to do amazing things in our hearts at this year’s conference that will permeate into our churches and overflow to the city! I love the idea of a Love Revolution because I believe that is the very essence of what Christ did here on earth, and it is now our job to continue the work of spreading His love.
At SHINE, this spirit of love will be nothing short of tangible as the doors open to the great team of volunteers who are ready to love and accept those God sends.
I am so excited about being a part of the host team. My name is Ashley Brooks, and I will be a host in the Network Lounge.
The Network Lounge is an environment designed especially for Christian leaders and pastor’s wives where they can relax before and after sessions. It is our desire that you connect and form relationships with other like-minded people, and we feel confident you will make a new friend and find your time in the Network Lounge very beneficial. Light refreshments will also be available for your enjoyment.
Pastor Kerri will be dropping by - so get ready to be inspired and look forward to her words of wisdom.
If you are going to be one of our honored guests this year, I can’t wait to meet you! You are going to be so blessed and refreshed by this year’s speakers. This year’s SHINE will be the best ever!!!!
See you there!
Ashley Brooks
Will Call Available This Weekend!
Hey Ladies!SHINE ‘08 is almost here! Six days and counting; I hope everyone is as excited as we are!!!
I just wanted to remind you that if you haven’t registered to please do so. We really want to make sure that you get a spot because you don’t want to miss out on this!
For those of you that registered before April 11th, you should have received your WRISTBANDS in the mail. If you haven’t, there will be a “Will Call booth” at our Mid-Town location this weekend. For those of you that have registered after the 11th, we didn’t mail out your wristbands, but you can stop by the will call booth and pick them up so that you don’t have to wait in any lines when you arrive at SHINE! I will also be there to answer any questions that you might have.
If you dont attend the Mid Town weekend services or are coming for out of town please dont worry we will have Will Call at the conference and you can pick them up then OR you can drop by the church offices at MT anytime this week to pick them up.
Please feel free to contact me if you need anything else in regards to your registration. Can’t wait to see you there!
Love,
Krista Bryant
SHINE Registrations Coordinator