Episode 13: A Look Back

Sep 1

Olive Us turns One!

It’s fun to Reminisce!

For our ONE YEAR anniversary we invited our “Olive Us” Sisters back to reflect & encourage! We hope you enjoyed their two part interview. Check out our IGTV page to view both videos.

We asked a few of our Season One Sisters to answer the following question:

“After watching my Olive Us episode, I was encouraged to remember…”

Here’s what they said:

Episode 1: Minnie Lee

“ God gave me a renewed sense of courage to share my weakness with the world, so that His strength and goodness will be known and those who are suffering will be encouraged.

Episode 2: Brittany Williams

“Him. He didn’t just give me another person, no. He gave me, and all of his children, a Savior. In such a time as this, with a global pandemic running rampant on our planet, with so much social pain and suffering, so much of the enemy, it’s evident we need saving. Many of us are craving it! Calling out, “God come quickly!” I’m reminded that He is Emmanuel. God with us. Romans 8:38-39 NLT reads, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I needed this reflection. To be reminded that God is with us as we feel we are in the fire of hell. His love surrounds you and I and “nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.” Not a pandemic, not social distancing, not a military move, not even death. The most supreme conclusion the human experience can know. But even that, cannot separate us from everlasting love and peace. In my Olive Us episode, I concluded by saying, “God is powerful, wonderful and He doesn’t make any mistakes.” And that is still true in this moment. Praise be to God!”

Episode 3: Cari Trotter

“Here for It really isn't about an “it” at all, it's about a person. I think sometimes in our attempt to be faithful we miss being present...being “Here for Him” is being present with the person of Jesus...the mentality to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind cannot be as a result of my circumstances. The global pandemic was not a part of our reality when we filmed in November and never could we have imagined what the mentality of loving God and being loved by God would be inside the result of such unprecedented circumstances. As I have continued to study and learn more about the specific text in Deut 6:5 it is actually laying out the Threshold Covenant. Meaning each time we walk THROUGH a threshold we are encountering the covenant of God. We could attempt to walk around or under or try to sidestep each circumstance, but it is only when we walk THROUGH the thresholds before us that we truly experience the goodness of loving and being loved by God with our mind, heart and strength. Walking through each threshold gives way to greater expressions of covenant. I was encouraged again to keep stepping and trusting and knowing the covenant love of God is always before me.”

Episode 4: Frances Mulcahy

“That God loves us too much to leave us exactly the way we are. God is continuing to refine me and prune me. The more I lean into how much God loves us, the more I realize how much I need Him to work in me. I love how we talked about restoration and how you pointed out that "God doesn't only restore us in our original state but He restores and He gives abundance". Watching my episode has reminded me of that truth! I am truly living out of the overflow of God's grace. He is faithful to restore but I am in a season where I am beginning to experience what co-creating with Jesus means. It's hard but it feels light. My life is so radically different from what it was and my hope is that it points people to God's redeeming love.”

Episode 6: Praise Santos

“What God is calling me to do may not be what I think it may look like. God gives me the grace to do what I am called to do”

Episode 9: Hannah McCord

“My identity is not shaped by the circumstances I am in. My identity does not change after all the cancellations and changes; it does not change moving from Portland to San Francisco. That is because my identity is rooted in Christ, not my circumstances. During this uncertain time, I am reminded that God has a plan and trusting Him is vital in this season.”

Episode 10: Cheryl Luke

“That there is a strengthening in waiting on the Lord. Trusting God – having confidence, a reliance or the resting of the mind on God’s divine ability to see the end from the beginning. Doesn’t mean the journey will be easy or short. He is in it with me. Guiding me beside still waters. Restoring my soul. Empowering me on the journey. Leading, guiding, and keeping me along the way.”

Episode 12: Jenn Jett Barrett

“Choose Obedience Over Outcome. Between the time when this episode was recorded and the time it aired, I had just walked a year of hard faithful obedience and it came crashing down all around me. The outcome was painful and disorienting. I was reminded that the messy & broken outcome had no bearing on the faithful obedience...the obedience was not in vain. I was also reminded we cannot find our value in our obedience either. It is one thing to say obedience over outcome, it is another to not pride ourselves in our obedience. Because when the outcome is less than desirable we are left to ask..”do I believe God is who He says he is, his word is what it says it is and I am who He says I am?” I was reminded God gave me His son Jesus to put ALL of my faith, hope and security in. Nothing else will satisfy.”