Allison LeAnn (with a capital “A”) Ross

Yes, I use my middle name and there’s an uppercase letter where it doesn’t belong. I have my mother to thank for all the explaining I’ve done over the years. Eventually you just answer to the first name and grumble about it later! Here I am, the gal who always thinks of the perfect reply two hours or two days later, writing about a fitting reply.

“Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” Proverbs 15:23

Why do this?

• Because I am a writer at heart! An ancient proverb says, “Thoughts disentangle themselves when passing over the lips and through fingertips.” (Jerry Bridges comments on The 17:18 Series Journible through Psalm 119)
• Because putting pen to paper is a deliberate attempt to make sense of what’s running free inside my head.
• Because I am a steward of the Word of Life since the Holy Spirit took up residence in my heart. My words are powerful but His Word is living and active!

I remember a day when I was maybe 12, sitting on top of the picnic table at my grandparents house staring off into the woods imagining myself writing fiction. I’ve written in fits and starts all my life, but over the past five years, I’ve attended writers’ workshops and taken courses to simply garner the courage to begin!

• Barnabas, known as “son of encouragement” for his defense of the apostle Paul, is my hero. He defended young John Mark when Paul accused him of deserting. He championed the underdog with compassionate love! I long to encourage others with my words.
• I value one-on-one conversations and still write long-hand letters.
• I believe deep personal connections are what we are created for, beginning with our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Lucky for me, I have an incredibly talented son who held my hand through creating this platform, a beautifully gracious daughter who holds my hand when life is hard, and a tenaciously loving younger son who takes my hand and holds on tight, and a lovingly devoted husband who holds me in his strong arms and urges me toward my dreams! I am richly blessed and I write out of the overflow of my heart.

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”

Psalms 37:4 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/psa.37.4.nlt

I now have the six children I’ve always dreamed of- three boys and three girls- my own Brady Bunch by marriage; not mine but my children’s! Each of my three is doing life with their best friend, married to their own sweethearts. Empty nesters for the first time in our 30 years of marriage, I have time to invest outside my own nest. Pandemic has limited my opportunities but not my reach as my great God has thrown the door open wide!

“There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.”

1 Corinthians 16:9 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/1co.16.9.nlt

The apostle Paul found constant opposition to the gospel message, but still he showed up day after day, writing much of what we call the New Testament from prison. Quarantine cannot silence the living Word!

In this season of Covid-19, I have needed to take extra precautions as I was diagnosed with cancer last fall. In my confinement, I found my voice, along with an urgency that comes in any health crisis.

Writing is healing for me. As my thoughts converge on the page, I realize I am moved by a higher power. His voice permeates my thoughts day and night. The psalmist says, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”

Psalms 139:17-18 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/psa.139.17-18.nlt

God’s thoughts are not just about me. His thoughts are for me and for you! He thinks all day long about His children and His creation, all subjected to the wiles of the enemy for a time. He created our human minds specifically to know Him, to commune with Him, to experience life with Him through His lens of love! He is a great Father who delights in His children, same as you and I do when they’re with us. And he tells us to trust Him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”

Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/pro.3.5-8.nlt

Healing and strength are just what I need right now so I pray constantly! Out of this conversation, I write.