First and foremost, I want to give thanks to the Lord. None of us would be standing here today without His grace, His mercy, and His relentless love. Even in our wilderness seasons, God never left us. When we felt lost, He was still guiding us. When we were broken, He was still refining us. And when we thought our story might be over, He was still writing a story of redemption.
As it says in Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” I truly believe these last six weeks have been part of that new thing God is doing in each of our lives.
I also want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who came and poured into us during these past six weeks at Portraits of Hope. Each of you took time out of your busy lives to invest in women who are working to rebuild, grow, and step into a better future, and that means more than you probably realize.
First, I want to thank Mary German, who hand-picked each of us Lovelady graduates for this incredible opportunity. Mary, thank you for believing in us and seeing potential in us that maybe we didn’t always see in ourselves. Because you chose us, we were given the chance to sit in these rooms, learn, grow, and begin believing again that our futures can look different than our past.
Thank you to Beverly McNeil and Marne Wood for helping arrange this program and encouraging us every step of the way. The time and heart you put into making this opportunity possible means more than words can express. Your belief in us reminded us that our stories still matter and that our lives still carry purpose.
And I especially want to thank Carolyn Lankford. Carolyn faithfully sat with us each day and led us in devotion. We opened the Bible together and read about the stories of the wilderness, and we were reminded that sometimes the wilderness seasons of our lives are exactly where God is shaping us, strengthening us, and preparing us for what comes next. Carolyn, your boldness for the Lord and the way you poured into us day after day was truly inspiring.
Thank you to Pam Hodges for teaching us résumé writing and helping us see that our past does not define our future.
Thank you to Kate Eubanks for helping us build confidence in how we present ourselves and reminding us that we are worthy of walking into any room with confidence.
Thank you to John Steakley for sharing about grace and freedom and reminding us that we are not chained to where we’ve been.
Thank you to Ashley Chasse for teaching us about wardrobe and presentation and helping us see the confidence that can come from carrying ourselves with dignity.
Thank you to Zac Hicks for helping us discover our spiritual gifts and reminding us that every single one of us was created with purpose.
Thank you to Lindsey sinor for speaking on leadership and challenging us to see ourselves not just as survivors of hard stories, but as women who can lead and make a difference.
Thank you to Cindy Cade Pugh for teaching us professional etiquette and interview skills that will help open doors for our futures.
Thank you to Frances Faulconer for bringing creativity and joy through flower arranging and reminding us that beauty can grow from simple things.
And thank you to Ann Cade for teaching us about personal care, nutrition, and the importance of taking care of ourselves in healthy ways.
Also thank you to Ashley Perry and Kristy Gunter from Cadence Bank for investing your time in us and sharing wisdom about personal finance. Many of us were never taught these things before, and the knowledge you shared helps equip us to build stable futures.
A special thank you to Michael and Kathy for taking the time to teach me about framing terminology and allowing me to get hands-on experience working with framing artwork. That meant a lot to me personally. The patience you showed and the time you spent helping me learn something new made me feel capable and encouraged.
Every speaker who came here didn’t just give us information — you gave us encouragement, tools, and hope. For many of us, this program represents a turning point.
Because many of us walked into this season carrying heavy stories — stories filled with mistakes, pain, loss, and moments where we wondered if our lives could ever look different. Some of us came in still learning how to believe in ourselves again.
But through the love, encouragement, and wisdom that each of you poured into us, something began to change.
You didn’t just give us lessons.
You gave us hope.
You reminded us that our past does not get the final word. You reminded us that broken things can be rebuilt. And you reminded us that God still has a purpose for every single life standing here today.
Because of the seeds you planted in us during these six weeks, the women standing here today are not the same women who walked through those doors. We are stronger. We are hopeful. And we are walking forward knowing that our past may always be part of our story — but it will never again be the author of our future.
So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in us, for investing in us, and for reminding us that redemption is real.
And if there is one thing we hope you remember when you see us leave here today, it’s this: we may have walked in here as women carrying broken stories… but we are walking out as women carrying purpose, and God is not finished writing what comes next.
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