If you’ve never heard of Jennie Allen or IF, I have a treasure for you today.  Jennie Allen has a wonderful Women’s Ministry called IF.  I discovered her by chance when searching for a Bible Study to do with my daughter and some of her friends.  We went through her study, Chase which looks at the life of David and how he spent his life chasing God.  Most people chase after things that will bring them success and happiness, but through the study we are called to action to chase after the only thing that will not leave us feeling empty.  We loved the study and as we researched more from Jennie Allen, IF kept coming up.  When I found her website, and started reading about the beginnings of IF, I was intrigued.  If God is real, then…what? If God is real, how should I live my life?  What does God really want from me?

The girls and I (I say girls – they are grown young women, most with families of their own) decided to do another of Jennie’s studies, Restless.  I loved the Chase study, but the Restless study really moved me to action. Restless explores this important question: “Do I matter?” And Jennie asks, “We live with lots of things, lots of people…but do we live for something?”  After going through the study with my daughter and her friends, I also facilitated the study online.  I began wanting more of God and wanting to give more of myself to Him and as a result of that to others.

Candace (my daughter) and I went to hear Jennie speak in October.  I think one thing I really like about her is how unpretentious she is. She’ll do Facetime Live videos with no makeup and sitting in her car waiting for one of her kids to get out of some practice.  She loves Jesus where ever she is and has a knack for making others want to live for Him more, too.

Ok, I’m at 336 words and still need to explain what IF is.  In a nutshell, it’s Jennie Allen’s ministry.  IF: Gathering is a weekend women’s conference that she holds in Austin.  It began in 2014.  The unique thing about it is that she offers the livestream at little cost. Churches around the world hold IF:Gatherings, but even more unique is that she encourages women to livestream it from their houses and invite neighbors and friends.  I watched the livestream from my house alone in February.  The speakers were wonderful and included: Lisa Terkeurst, Ann Voskamp, Rebekah Lyons, Jo Saxton, and a real treasure, 92 year old, Jill Briscoe.  During the final session, I sat alone in my gameroom with tears streaming down my face.  I knew I wanted to share this with others, so I spoke to a friend of mine, Angie and through a series of events that could only be God she and I and several of her friends were able to go to her friend’s cabin on Lake Texoma in April for an IF: Weekend. From that weekend, one of the ladies felt called to start a closed FB group, “Godly Women in Relationship”.  Her cover photo is a quote from Jill Briscoe, one of my favorite speakers from IF:Gathering.  God has used the FB group as a special place for women to pray for one another and hold each other up.  I love that from IF:Weekend, the FB group was birthed and has branched out and touched so many people.

I hope this hasn’t sounded too much like a commercial, and I hope you’ll check it out yourself.  Here’s the link to her website:  IF:Gathering Website  My heart is for you to chase after God more and see what He has in store for you.  I leave you with this:

1 John 1: 2  This is the one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him.  And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life.  He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.  We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us.

As my Chloe girl says,  “see you in a little bit,”

Elaine