Episode 113: Why Your Name Matters with Esther Fleece Allen

Identity. Labels. Names. Who are you? God knows. No, not like, "Oh, only God knows," but like, He knows you. Knows us. Knows our true identity. Esther Fleece Allen, author of the new book, Your New Name: Saying Goodbye to Labels that Limit, is determined to help us know it, too. Her story is gripping, and her love for Jesus and people is palpable. Join us?   //: Highlights: “If I don’t know who I am and who God names me, I will inevitably be redefined and renamed by the culture.” --Esther Fleece Allen “I was thirteen ... I probably should have gone into the foster care system. I didn’t know how to ask for help. I didn’t know what lament was. These families just recognized that I had a need. They recognized something was off, and they pursued me in that. God showed himself to me in that. One family bought me a car. One family paid for my gas money. One family paid for my prom dress so I could go to prom. On family paid for me to apply for colleges. This is what the Body of Christ looks like.” --Esther Fleece Allen “[Our labels] can be like a self-fulfilling prophecy: ‘I was orphaned, so I’ll never be loved. My own parents didn’t want me, so I’m not lovable.’ We start putting these walls around our heart, and we start decorating the walls. Suddenly, our lack becomes our identity instead of asking God for something new.” --Esther Fleece Allen //: Question of the Week for Next Week: What snack do you love that you get super judged for liking? //: Do the Next Thing: Esther's gorgeous book that made me sob? Find it here. Find Esther's site here. Find us on the ol' IG here.