Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 5/13/2012
The orphans don't need you,
They don't need your sympathy.
The widows don't need you,
They don't need your pity.
They don't need that look in your eye.
They don't need your good intentions.
If the Holy Spirit lives in you then there is hope.
If the Holy Spirit lives in you then there is love.
There is love in your veins and in your voice.
Your flesh isn't love.
Your flesh isn't hope.
Your flesh is you and the world doesn't need you.
God doesn't need you.
The world needs Him.
God needs more of himself in you.
God needs you to use your voice.
God needs you to give up your voice
so that HIS voice can be heard.
You are just another voice in a sea of voices wanting to be heard.
But His voice in you is a raging storm demanding to be heard.
So be silent when you need to be silent
and
Be loud when you need to be loud.
And...
just do it.
Whatever it is.
Listen to the Spirit and...
Follow
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 4/4/2012
I'm feeling extra honest today with a dash of sass. Uh oh! If you know me then you know this is a dangerous combination.
Everything inside of me has been screaming "GO!" What am I doing working in an office? Don't get me wrong, I love working for Adventures in Missions but I want to be out there like saving people and stufffffff. Ya know what I'm saying? I want to be in Thailand fighting sex trafficking and declaring worth and value over women. I want to be on the front line of the battle field! So why am I here? Ah, that question has been haunting me lately. I mean I get it, I know why I'm here. So why? I'm scared to say it or uhhh type it out because that means I am held accountable. Darn, acountability. I'm here because...drum roll...
I need my character developed. Yep. I said it. The truth is out ladies and gentlemen, I'm not perfect. But really, God has been showing me more and more lately just how flawed my character is. Ouch. Fun stuff, I'm talking Six FREAKING Flags...NOT. But I want it. Honestly, I do. I want my character to be developed because I want HIM. I want all of Him. I don't want to look like me anymore, I want to look like Him. "If Jesus is in you then the Kingdom is near...If Jesus is in you then THE KINGDOM IS NEAR." Georgia, Texas, Thailand...it doesn't matter. I want to bring the Kingdom. It doesn't matter where I am. It doesn't matter that I am working in an office doing logistical stuff (funny, huh?) because I am bringing the freaking Kingdom! Every morning I have to declare stuff over myself. Its actually pretty funny sometimes. Sometimes its just me declaring that "It's going to be a fantastic day!" but other times its me fighting for my voice, I mean FIGHTING for my voice. I have felt the enemy trying to silence me like crazy lately but I know that if he is silencing me then he is silencing the voice of the Father inside of me and there is no way I am going to let that happen.
So I find comfort in knowing that although I may not be exactly where I want to be (key word-I), I am exactly where the Lord wants me. So bring it on, bring on the character development and bring on the Kingdom.
"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:30
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 3/29/2012
Life has been crazy and when I say crazy I mean CRAZY. You know you are ridiculously busy when you have to schedule a phone conversation in your planner. Next thing you know, I will be planning out when I can pee. That's a joke.
What have I been doing since I moved to Georgia?
The question is, what haven't I been doing? This is what my weeks look like here in Gainesville, Georgia:
Monday- Work at 9:00 am where we have about an hour long worship/message time. After that I go to my apprentice time with the other apprentices. Lunch from 12:00 AM-1:00 PM. After lunch I head up to admissions from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM where I work with the Ambassador Trips. What is an Ambassador Trip? - "Join 7-12 other high-school students (ages 14 - 18) for a mission trip to some of the most exotic places on earth. Trips vary from two week to a month. Whether it's hugging orphans in Uganda, a prayer walk in a Guatemalan volcano, or earthquake relief in Haiti, it will be an adventure you will never forget." I attend The Gathering: http://www.thegathering-gainesville.org/ at 7:00 PM where we fellowship and worship together.
Tuesday- Work at 9:00 AM where I work in Kingdom Dreams. This is Kingdom Dreams: http://kingdom-dreams.org
Right now we are working hard to plan Project Searchlight for World Racers in July (We are doing four Project Searchlight events from July-September...YIKES!. This is Project Searchlight: http://www.kingdom-dreams.org/project-searchlight/
Lunch from 12:00 AM to 1:00 PM and then up to Admissions again until 5:00 PM. After work all the apprentices head to Bill and Katie Swan's house to have apprentice dinner and fellowship time.
Wednesday and Thursday look a lot like Tuesday...how boring, huh!? I think I need to work in a third department... Wednesday night we have community house dinner and family time at 7:00 PM. This is a time for our house to be in intentional community with one another. We discuss how we are and how we can be praying for one another as well as well just spending time getting to know each other.
Friday- I work in Kingdom Dreams from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and then after lunch we have apprentice time until 5:00 PM. Apprentice time consists of discussion over different passages in the bible, as well as a book that we are reading at the time. Right now we are reading "Culture of Honor" by Danny Silk. SO GOOD!
My weekends look a lot like this:
Kayaking. Sleeping. Kayaking. Bonfires. Hanging out. Kayaking. Watching Movies. Laughing. Sleeping.
So life has been BUSY but its been good, real good. Also, I am currently being discipled and living in a community house with five other girls. Yay!
How can you help a sister out?
Obviously I need lots of prayer; I mean lots. I have been really attacked in my sleep since I've been in Georgia. I can sleep ten hours a night and wake up feeling like I only slept two hours. I'm going to be vulnerable for a minute-I have also been dealing with hardcore feelings of inadequacy so if you could pray against that then that would be rad! I raise support for a living so you can come along side me and pray that God would provide for me financially. I still need over $7,000 for my apprenticeship. If you feel compelled to give then you can send a check payable to (make sure to specify that it is for Alison Franklin):
Adventures in Missions
6000 Wellspring Trail
I also LOVE encouraging letters! If you get a word from God for me then bring it on (love letters are good too...tehehe. just kidding)! My address is:
5743 Bogus Rd.
Gainesville, GA
30506
Thank you for all your support! I love you sweet family and friends!
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 2/29/2012
I'm sitting here enjoying my chai tea at Inman Perk Coffee in Gainesville, Georgia. I am actually here and I am starting the apprenticeship four days from today! Let me just tell y'all all about God's crazy awesome provision!
At Searchlight (a convention put on by AIM for World Racers) a little over a month ago God told me to move to Gainesville. My plans were to live at home and get a job and work as much as possible to save up some money because well...I am a world racer and flat broke. I mean the practical thing would be to get a job and start saving up money right? I actually didn't even really want to go to Searchlight because I felt like it was just prolonging the inevitable but I went.
I got home from Searchlight and to say that I was completely overwhelmed would be an understatement. Shortly after arriving home I decided to apply for an apprenticeship with AIM in Kingdom Dreams (the department that put on Searchlight actually). I knew that if I wanted to get to Georgia then I was going to have to do everything in my ability to get there. So I applied at a temp agency and the very next day a lady called me with the agency and then three days later they found me a job! This was just the beginning of God's provision.
I started at the temp agency and working there was just another little season in my life. I ended up working there for three weeks and I was able to build some relationships just in that amount of time. It was a pretty sweet little season, like a sudden rain storm on a clear day. A few days before Searchlight they found another spot on my Mom's hip so we were still dealing with the cancer stuff. I was apprehensive about moving to Georgia. The same day that I found out I was accepted to do a split apprenticeship with Kingdom Dreams/Admissions, I also found out that my Mom was cancer free...once again. The cancer stuff started on the race (in June) and has continued on but God keeps knocking the ball out of the ball park! I don't know why I felt like that was an appropriate analogy for God healing my Mom but I'm sticking with it.
Thats a lot of information, lets reflect on it. So God told me to move to Georgia at Searchlight. I came home and applied for an apprenticeship. I was hired on through a temp agency for three weeks at a company and while working there I found out I was accepted to do a split apprenticeship with Kingdom Dreams/Admissions and that my Mom was cancer free. The significance of finding out about my Mom's healing the same day that I was accepted for the apprenticeship was that God was confirming my call to Georgia and He was releasing me to go.
I had decided that I was defenitely going to move to Georgia at the end of February but I wasn't too sure about starting the apprenticeship on March 5th because well...fund raising was not going well. I needed $3,000 to start the apprenticeship and I had $195 in my support account. The past couple of weeks at home was a constant roller coaster. I went from walking on the water to falling face down in the water. I went from leaping with joy to crying my eyes out. Every day was a constant fight against the enemy and his lies.
I was starting my last week at my temp job when I started to really analize and question if God was really in the decisions that I was making. I started praying for more confirmation and direction. I was getting confirmation from all kinds of sources and I really felt like God was telling me to move to Gainesville and to live in the community house and apprentice with AIM started in March and to NOT get a job to sustain myself. Okay God....do you not see my support account!? I decided to call Bill Swan, the head dude for the apprenticeship program and ask him if I could start the apprenticeship even though I didn't have enough in my support account. I couldn't get ahold of him though. On Saturday February 18th, exactly a week from when I was suppose to leave to come to Georgia I logged onto my support account and don't you know that I had a $5,000 dollar donation from a complete stranger!!!!!! Goodness. God is so good and faithful! When you walk in obedience and in the things that He calls you to then He is going to provide, it might not be in the timing you expect or want but He will provide. Ya gotta believe dat yo!
God keeps bringing me back to this verse:
"Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him then they are?" Matthew 6:26
Don't you believe that you are far more valuable to the Lord then the birds of the sky? I mean he did reach down in the dirt with His own hands to create man!
Just keep walking in obedience!
It's gonna be good if its full of Him.
I still need $8,142 (the apprenticeship is $13,500 total) for the apprenticeship so if you want to come along on this wild journey with me then c'mon! You can send a check to AIM (specifying that it is for Alison Franklin) at:
Adventures in Missions
6000 Wellspring Trail
Gainesville, GA
30506
or you can click the Support Me! button on the left hand side of my blog to donate.
The Community House that I will be living in with five other women:
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 2/5/2012
"When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." Mark 10:14-15
I love this passage for so many reasons. First, I love that Jesus is calling the disciples out for telling the children's parents (verse 13) that they were bothering him by asking him to touch and bless their children. I just imagine the disciples being like, "oh crap, we are about the be struck by lightening." Second, I love Jesus's heart for the children. "Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them" (verse 16). Does this make anyone else weep like a little baby? I just see this image of Jesus of Nazareth stopping everything and scooping up each child one by one and placing his beautiful, rough, carpenter hands on each child with so much ease and grace. Just his touch could calm a storm and heal the blind. What did his touch feel like? Was it like an electric shock or was it like being kissed for the first time? I wonder if the children felt an overwhelming feeling of love rush over them. I wonder if it was almost too much to handle, the weight of all that love and grace exchanged through a simple touch.
I think this passage means so much too me because this is pretty much the epitome of my relationship with the Lord lately. "Don't stop her world! Let her come to me! Climb up in your Pappa's lap Alison. I'll wipe away your tears and play with your hair until you fall asleep. I'll be there when you wake up and I promise that I won't leave. Don't worry if you aren't strong enough to walk on your own today, I'll carry you."
Its just so beautiful. His voice. His touch. Everything about Him. He's just so beautiful. All I can do is cry because words can't do Him justice. I just want to crawl up in His lap. I just want to kiss His feet and be in His presence.
Beautiful children around the world
The Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Peru
Nicaragua
El Salvador
Kenya
Uganda
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 1/27/2012
Sometimes we allow ourselves to become so consumed with our needs and our wants and we don't take time to thank the Lord for what we have. I am guilty of this, especially lately.
Thank you Lord for providing me with a temporary job!
Thank you Lord for healing my Mamma and for the wonderful news that we got today. She had a spot cut off her hip yesterday that looked like it may be melanoma and we found out it is cancer free!
Thank you for providing me with food and water and hot water and bubble baths!
Thank you Lord for loving me so well and for always treasuring me. Goodness, His love for us is like a wild rushing wave; crashing down on us and completely saturating us.
I choose to live a life of praise instead of a life of complaining. How can you not praise the Lord when there is so much goodness all around us?
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 1/21/2012
So I can of had a freak out earlier today about leaving again (I'm just going to Georgia!) and about not going to college. I mean, I don't want to go to college but people have been telling me that I need a college degree to be successful so I started freaking out! I don't even really care about success honestly, I mean I want to be a hard worker and what not but ultimately I just want to further the Kingdom. I want to see HEAVEN invade earth. So I was thinkin' and prayin' and chillin' today and God gave me this:
Leprosy of the mind, soul, and body...before you know it you are numb, desensitized. Blind. Society, media tells you who to be and how to live. What about the orphans, widows, prostitutes, drug addicts, and desolate? I'm talking about here and beyond the borders we call home. So look around and look beyond before leprosy of the mind, soul, and body spreads...to you.
Get behind me satan! You have no authority here to steal and throw lies at me. GET BEHIND ME SATAN! I am moving to Georgia and I am going to live in community and I am going to Apprentice with AIM and I AM GOING TO FURTHER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Society, media, friends, family...no one will dictate what I should do and WHO I should be. My allegiance is to the Lord. I will be obedient to the Lord above all and I will let my hair blow in His crazy, wild, furious wind! I will look reckless and irresponsible to the world but I will be chasing wildly and without hestitation after my Lord and I will please HIM. I will not ignore His voice, His call. I will sacrifice my voice so HIS voice can be heard.
I will go and keep going until he tells me to stay.
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 1/18/2012
Hello to all! I am selling hand knit beanies made by ME! to raise money so if you would like one then send me an email! alisonhfranklin@yahoo.com
They are $15 without shipping and $20 to ship anywhere in the United States.
We can negotiate color. (:
With "pom-pom"
Without "pom-pom"
Love Love Love!
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 1/16/2012
I'm gonna be... ...a Georgia peach!!
I just got back from Project Searchlight in Gainesville, Georgia which was a week long event put on by AIM (Adventures in Missions) to continue the momentum of the World Race by helping us focus our passions, examine our interests and gifts, and then move into the next stage of our kingdom dream.
What did I get out of Searchlight? God told me to move to Georgia and to do an Apprenticeship with AIM. I will be moving there at the end of February. Let's just say that I was freaking out a little big about leaving again and support raising. I woke up day four of Searchlight completely overwhelmed and went to scripture for encouragement and this is what I got:
"The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. And in this place, I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!" Haggai 2:9
WAH BAM! Basically what I got out of the scripture is that the World Race was awesome and glorious but God has so much more in store for me and walking in obedience is walking into more glory. I am going to be obedient to the Lord because I love Him so stinkin' much and I trust him to make something beautiful out of my life! The Apprenticeship is basically like being a missionary...except in the United States and I don't know about you but I want to see God's Kingdom come in this country! I will spend 15-20 hours a week specifically focused on discipleship and personal development and 20-25 hours a week working alongside AIM staff in one of their departments. This will give me the privilege of serving the greater vision of AIM and mobilizing my generation. The Apprenticeship is an eight month program and the money that I raise goes towards my housing, groceries, living expenses, and books for my classes. The Apprenticeship is $10,500 and I have to have $3,000 by March 1. $3,000 is chump change for the Lord! If you want to be a part of what God is doing through me then come on the journey with me! You can support me through prayer and financially. Click Support Me! On the left hand side to give a donation.
Remember that walking in obedience is walking into Glory!!
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Posted in Post!!!! by Alison franklin on 11/16/2011
I will be home three days from today. Yes, there is so much going on in my head. Yes, I have cried a ton. Actually, yesterday when Allie and I were in line for ice cream I had a sudden flood of emotions punch me in the face and I started crying out of no where. That was interesting. Its a really awesome feeling not having any control over your emotions and when you are going to burst into tears. NOT.
Oh my goodness, I don't even know where to begin. First of all, I would like to say THANK YOU to you all. Thank you for the prayers and financial support and just all the LOVE! What a wonderful feeling it is to know that you have people who believe in you, even when you don't believe in yourself. Seriously, I cannot express to you my gratitude. I love y'all immensely.
Second, thank you Lord for this past year. I cried, I laughed...I cried so hard I laughed and laughed so hard that I peed my pants (More than once!). This year changed my life. This year changed my perspective. This past year was the best year of my life and the hardest. I will give you some highlights:
Best day on the race: Dancing in the rain with Allie and Char in Ecuador -experiencing the Holy Spirit and the freedom he brings in ways that I have never experienced!
Most beautiful place: The mountains in Peru aka "The Shire".
Worst day on the race: When I found out that my Mom has cancer in Thailand, Month 6.
Greatest epiphany: The I can't/don't have to earn God's love...that his love is unconditional and it is NEVER conditional to my actions.
Worst food: Ram stomach in Peru.
Best food: Pizza at Duke's in Thailand (a special thanks goes out to the Mallawongs)!
I could go on forever, honestly.
I cherish these memories, the good and the bad. I don't know what's next. Do we every really know? Actually, I don't want to know.
I'm just a leaf blowing in God's glorious wind. I'm getting completely lost in His wind. I'm okay with never being found.
Yours Truly,
Alison Hope Franklin
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