Stepping Out - God's Writing A Real Page Turner

April 2018 Newsletter

" God used the Battle for the Heart and relationships with other women....to free me from my prison of shame."

-Susan Powell

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“So I wrote a novel,” Holly sheepishly said in 2013 during her first Battle for the Heart team meeting. At that time this admission seemed small to those in the group, but for Holly Mackle it marked the lifting of a weight and blow to the enemy who had kept her silent for years. You see, God made her to be a writer. All her life words called out to her begging to be put together the way only she could. She had written a novel, but only her husband knew. Evil kept telling her that writing was for others: the smarter, wittier, more engaging. How dare she think of herself as any of those things. Shame told her that she had nothing to say, no role to play, and that writing was a waste of time. That voice shouted condemnation, telling her she was a phony and imposter – and the only way to keep from being exposed as such was to keep her voice quiet.

But she knew going into Battle meant she had to be “all in,” and keeping her secret wasn’t an option. So she took the risk and let it out. And the first domino fell. At the Battle for Women’s Hearts, Holly heard that she had a part to play that is hers and hers alone. Only she has what it takes to be mom to her two girls and wife to her husband Dave. This knowledge allowed her to step into this part with energy and confidence, knowing God had equipped her for the calls He had placed in her life.

Holly had a greater part to play. In the weeks that followed, she recognized God wooing her to own her deep desires for impact, contribution and beauty. He wasn’t just asking her to own them, but also to reveal them to the fellowship. He was calling her to worship Him publically with her words. It was time for the writer to write…and let it be seen. She had the courage to step out and do a little project for her church – a collaborative project called “Engaging Motherhood.” This was a project with her community and only for her community. Little did she know that God had other plans. A friend shared the idea with someone at a leadership conference and that little project wound up getting published by the PCA.

"When someone writes something for me and then it goes on to impact others- that is where I feel my glory. "

- Holly Mackl e

“So I wrote a novel.” Those 5 words that started the windfall have so far led to 3 published books, 2 blogs, and many other contributions to the PCA, Joegardener.com and other sites all across the world wide web. But it has gone beyond writing. These days Holly would consider herself more of a curator than a writer. “I feel very specifically called to lift up the voices, stories and talents of other women. When someone writes something for me and then it goes on to impact others - that is where I feel my glory. I relish being that connecting piece. That is my place.”

"She encouraged me to write boldly, using my unique voice to have impact on others and to step out faithfully into a new chapter of my part of God’s larger story. ”

- Carrie Brock

For Holly, writing isn’t about producing a product. It is about returning her love to God by stepping into her story. Through her part as curator, Holly invites (sometimes nudges, occasionally shoves) other women to connect with their own hearts and with God - to grieve, to celebrate, and to have a voice that in turn leads others to do the same.

“I had never thought of myself as a writer,” said Carrie Brock. “With Holly’s inspiring guidance, I faced my fears of feeling awkward and inadequate. She encouraged me to write boldly, using my unique voice to have impact on others and to step out faithfully into a new chapter of my part of God’s larger story.”

As a ministry, Wellspring Group longs to see men and women step courageously into the glory of who God created them to be, into their part of the Story. Holly's journey is just one of the many stories of overflowing transformation that we are seeing unfold as she continues to call others into their glory and engages their stories with a bit more courage.