343. Empowering Lives with Purpose, Interview with Ellie McGraw

by julie 

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As we prepare to launch our newest book, Surrendered: Yielded With Purpose through Women World Leaders, join us to hear one of the powerful stories within the soon to be released book. Ellie McGraw from British Columbia shares how to Let Go and Let God.   Ellie McGraw received freedom from a painful past as she learned to surrender one by one, things that held her captive to her past.  She openly shares her God-given story to glorify God and inspire others. Ellie is using a pen name in order to protect people within her story.   *****

Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I’m your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women World Leaders. And we are so happy that you have joined in with us today for our podcast. And it’s always a pleasure to welcome our guests and today I’d like to welcome our guest, Ellie McGraw from British Columbia. Welcome, Ellie.

Ellie McGraw   Thank you. awesome to be here. It’s a privilege.

Kimberly Hobbs   And we’re glad to have you Thank you. Ladies, I’m, I’m really excited because in women, world leaders, as many of our followers know we have books that God has allowed us to put out. And every year, our books have gone to number one best sellers. In fact, our book, one of our books last year, victories and victories, claiming freedom in Christ went to number one best seller last year. And this year, God is giving us several books that are going to be put out through the Ministry of Women, world leaders, world published productions. And we are excited about these books. And we decided that we are going to share some of these stories with you some of the stories that are in these amazing books that God has allowed us to present. So this book, surrendered, yielded with purpose for 2022 is going to be launching in November. And God has brought forward some of the authors and writers in these books, to do some podcast interviews with us. So today, Ellie, as one of our guests, is one of the writers in the book surrendered, and you get to hear her story that she is sharing. And God tells us in His Word, and Revelation 1211, they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of their testimony, they overcame him Who is him, that is the devil, the enemy, and we overcome by sharing, sharing about what God has done in and through our hearts in some of the stories that he has given us in our life. And God has given Miss Mrs. Ellie McGraw wonderful story, and it’s one of healing and restoration, but she went through a journey to get through it. And we’re hoping that today this will inspire you and encourage you, as you are on your own journey through your walks of life, whatever it is that you are going through, but sometimes we can identify with other stories. And that is our hope today that you might be able to relate and to Ellie’s story that she’s going to share with you. So let me share a little bit about Ellie McGraw, Ellie is actually going under a pen name, to protect the identity of those that were written about in her past through her story. So she is from British Columbia. And again, we are just privileged to know her she is a wonderful woman of God loves the Lord with all of her heart. She is a dynamic, fiery, passionate, prophetic voice, who loves the presence of God in her life. And from a young age Ellie heard the voice of God. And because of the freedom she herself has received from the Lord, she loves to see the body of Christ set free. And I love that she loves to see them set free, healed and delivered. She has a passion for equipping leaders and raising up champions through giving sound biblical keys to the kingdom of God. Ali speaks at churches and various nations. And since 2000, she has a counseling healing and deliverance ministry called freedom to soar. She leads many groups including a 24 hour prayer line called the Canadian firewall. I love that. I love that because we at women, world leaders believe in the power of prayer and that is the only way this ministry is flourishing in the name of Jesus. So prayer is vital. And I love that you are doing a 24 hour prayer line in Canada. That’s amazing. She’s a mom, she’s a grandma. She’s living in British Columbia with her husband, and she’s a woman world leader. or soon to be published author in the book by women world leaders called surrendered, yielded with purpose. And that is what we’re talking about today is one of the stories in this book soon to be launched in November, end of November, beginning of December 2022. So, Holly, as we get started with your story, you have a story of surrendering brokenness to the Lord surrendering homelessness. In fact, you titled it, let go and let God and it’s a painful story. It started off that way. But we know it doesn’t end that way. And God says, Colin, to me, and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know Jeremiah 33, three. And when you are going through that pain, and that brokenness, God knew what was coming ahead. He says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight that that’s proverbs three, five and six. So as we start out, we’re gonna ask Ellie to share a little bit about that painful brokenness that she felt. Pat, take it away, Ellie.

Ellie McGraw   Well, thank you so much. I, it’s you know, it’s an honor to share about the pain and the brokenness, because it’s in that place, where we begin to see a glimpse of God that we never would have imagined. But it’s my story starts out with my husband, who was in a rage, which seemed to be quite often, in fact, it it got to be more and more all the time. But he was in a rage, and he began to choke me from behind. While he was doing this, there was so many lies that I began to, you know, that were going in my head, like, see, you deserve this, you don’t have any value, you’re unworthy, you don’t measure up, you’re nothing, all those things began to just go round and round in my head. See, it’s your fault. And I, I was trying to sort through as you’re fighting for your life, you know, and, of course, as I’m doing that, I’m covered in shame. It’s like, it’s like a blanket that just sort of goes over top of you to snuff the life out of you. And the whole world was literally closing in on me. I struggled. I struggled, you know, with the hands i but because he had come from behind, it was very hard for me to to get those hands away. And of course, as he’s doing this, there was a lot of cussing that that was deafening to my ears. And I just kept ripping away at those fingers. While this was all happening, my four and five year old little girls, they I remember looking over and I and I saw them. And I was like, Oh my gosh, my kids are seeing this you know, and it was like they were like shocked they were just staring there. Their eyes were huge because they couldn’t even believe what was going on. They had heard some of this kind of stuff before but not to this extent. And so when when I felt like I was going down, you know for the sort of the last time and as I was trying to rip away I just thought God I’m not gonna make it i i don’t know what to do. And I looked at the one and she was just like staring or she was just like huge hurt. She has big brown eyes anyways, but they were just huge. And then the other one all of a sudden she looked at me right at the point where I thought okay, this is it. I’m passing out I’m I don’t know what else to do. And it was almost at that very second that she screamed. And it was like this pierce it was like, you know, I mean I can’t even explain what it sounded like but it was like stop your she actually said You’re killing mommy. And when she said that the group it was almost like that shock stopped the the fight and he loosened and as soon as I felt the loosening course i i was Coming to again. And I remember, I was sputtering and like, oh God, and I’m gasping, and I’m coughing and then trying to strangle up to my feet. And as I do it, my, I’m thinking, I’ve got to get the kids, I gotta get them out of here. So I’m, I’m sort of doing that. And he’s still, I think, in shock from the screen. And so I grabbed them, and I grabbed the dog, and we go running into the night, and just I shoved them in the car, and I just kept praying, you know, God, I pray this car works, because it wasn’t the newest car, you know, but and that’s playing for your life. I was and I did not know where to go what to do, who to call, it was late. And I’m thinking well, now what? So, but I knew a woman and her husband that had always sort of been been like, a grandma and grandpa almost to the children. And they had always said, you know, if ever anything happens, you just know, you can come here. So we died. We did. That’s where I went. And, and as I went there, and I remember laying on the bed, and I just cried and cried. This was after the police came and they took pictures of me because I was a mess. And all of that. And then I laid on the bed and I just cried. I cried and cried and cried. And I as I was sobbing, I was wondering, you know, like God, I thought I was supposed to be the bride of Christ. Like, what kind of what kind of bride of Christ is this? I’m a mess. I’m confused. I’m wounded and broken. I’m literally like grieving. But he just was silent at that point. He just was quiet and sort of comforting me with peace. And I was in a ball curled on the bed and he just kept saying it’s okay. So I thought, Okay, well, God. Now what do I do? What do I do? I’m homeless. I don’t have a home. I don’t have which we had a beautiful home. Like we had a swimming pool, we had a boat, we had all the nice thing. They’ve done a river. Not a river, a bank in the mountain. And so we didn’t have anybody behind us. It was nice place. But God kept saying, you know, his sheep follow him. For they know His voice and the voice of a stranger they will not follow. So I began to pray. Okay, God, I need your voice. I need you to speak and I need to know that it’s your voice and no other voice. Because you say a voice of a stranger. I won’t follow. So it’s like, Okay, God, shut off all the other voices. I just want you.

Kimberly Hobbs   Wow. I can’t even imagine living through that trauma or living through that pain. And you you had nothing nobody. But you had God to cry out to. And that is what you did. And your first surrender as you share in your chapter in the book surrendered is brokenness. You surrendered and you let go and you let God and then the second surrender was your home you were homeless, you had no place else to go and use had to surrender that beautiful home that you had back to the Lord. And now this is going to be very tragic ladies. But she incurred another horrific painful experience in her life was she lost her father to a massive heart attack. God cares, Lady about ladies about every detail we go through. And he saw that that was coming and again, she would have to endure that pain, more pain. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me Your mercy oh lord endures forever. Psalm 138 Eight, and you began embracing God, le by reading the scriptures. You surrendered your homelessness you let go of pride to reach out for assistance to God. God says whether you turn to the left or to the right, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way walk in it. That’s Isaiah 3021. So can you now share with the ladies after your father has this massive heart attack? How did you find strength now to let go and let God

Ellie McGraw   Well, more than ever, it was the word. I just kept running into the Word and going okay God, I’m going to begin to speak it out and declare it because there’s power when we say make out the word especially. And the breath of God comes out of us. You know, and it’s not just dead religion of just saying a bunch of words. It’s like, Okay, God, I want your breath to speak through me. And I began to speak those very words, you know, your word is a lamp unto my feet. Your word is a light unto my path. Okay, God, you’re going to show me I don’t know where to put my feet, but you’re going to show me and another one in in Psalm 91. You know, the Lord is my shepherd, I will not want. Well, I, I wanted to argue there was a part of me that wanted to argue, oh, yeah, you know, I’m wanting Lord. But you say I won’t want. So I will not lack Okay, God, I’m going to take you at your word. And you know, His Word will perform what it’s meant to do, as we decree it. As we speak it out as we pray it. It’s like, it’s like, something comes underneath us and then begins to carry us in his arms. Your word says, you know, in in Isaiah 30, it says, Your ears shall hear the word behind you. This is the way walk a walk in it. Yes.

Kimberly Hobbs   I love that scripture. That is one of my scriptures, too. Oh, my goodness. And ladies that are listening. You may be able to identify with Ellie and in something horrific in your life that you’ve gone to and where does that assistance come from? Our our help comes from the Lord, we just call out to Him. We read the scriptures. And God’s gonna provide a way when there seems to be no way. And Ally, as we continue on. God gave you strength. He gave you grace, He gave you faith. And he gave you wisdom when you needed it. And ladies, again, I love to share the Scripture wisdom. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God and he will give it to you generously to any of us who asked. That’s James one five. Holly was praying, God, give me your wisdom. Ladies, pray that to the Lord. Lord, give me your wisdom and whatever it is right now that you’re going through that may allow you to identify here with what Ellie’s going through, or went through. Pray for that wisdom. God brought you grandma Gerda le and you were able to surrender your control to God. You also had that was the third thing you had to surrender to Him. And when grammar Gerda came into your life, can you explain how you learned about forgiveness and the ability to forgive as Jesus forgave you?

Ellie McGraw   Well, um, you know, there was one time when we were running because the police had come to my door and they’d said, Look, your husband’s out of jail and he is on the rampage. So flee your home. So we went we’ve we fled and she drama kurta picked us up, and we just were driving around. And as she’s driving around, she just finally she stops and she says to me, Holly, or Ellie, you have to let go of your girls. You’ve got to literally lay them on, on you know, just lay them down. Because she says if you don’t you’re going to be a mess. Always. You’re going to be worried you’re going to be fearful you won’t be able to you know get what he wants you to get. You can’t live at peace that way. And I let I remember I surrendered them. I just said okay, God here I give you my children. And that was the hardest thing. I just again cried and cried and cried and sobbed because it was breaking a stronghold that Okay, God, you, you might not do it. And then as she kept coaching us, it led us to forgiveness where I began to forgive. And I began to see this man almost separated from the power that was influencing him. And it’s that’s a very hard thing to say. But it’s the only way sometimes you can forgive is when you separate the person from the rage or the influence that is controlling them. Because if if you keep picturing them like that, that’s the thing that will you know, it’ll try to hold you but if you can say okay, that was him under the influence of wicked things, wicked spirits and rage. Now, he this here is actually a person who God you love. And you forgive. And you you cherish. And I had to I had to separate the two Do because sometimes that’s the only way we can forgive is if we separate the two. Yes. So that was one of the things that I had to do as I forgave. But of course, as I forgave, I had to also let go the trauma. And many times I pictured trauma and pain and losses and disappointments, just by saying here, Jesus, you drank a cup of suffering. Oh, and so I pour these into your cup of suffering. And you will, you’ve drank that cup, you’ve read me. So I don’t know, I don’t have to carry this any longer. That was another piece of my healing is that part where I can finally let it go in that cup, and watch him? Take it, there was much forgiveness that I had to do, I had to go through each each particular in incident that had happened in my life and begin to say, Okay, God, I give you this one. And I gave you this one. And I gave you this one. And then I had to ask forgiveness for carrying it has, sometimes when we carry things like that, it’s actually idolatry. And what it is saying is, Jesus, your death wasn’t enough. So I’m just going to carry this, I’m going to carry this unforgiveness and hatred all my days. But one wants is to say, hey, you need to tear that altar down. You don’t take it, I take it. And so, yeah, so that’s another part of the puzzle in forgiving, you know, we don’t forgive because of our own self, or because of that next person, we forgive because to free ourselves. And, you know, by forgiving, and by letting go, the amazing thing is, as I did all those things, God worked it out that we became friends. I mean, wow. You know, you know, celebrate, like the kids is birthdays and, and their weddings. And they’re, you know, we went through the grad and we went through the, the weddings. I mean, this was my ex husband, he obviously became my ex husband. Right, all those things, we just finished celebrating Thanksgiving together. My husband now and my x and all our kids and all our grandkids. So I think if I could end by saying, you know, it’s a bigger picture, we must see the legacy we’re leaving on the earth. Like, what is the legacy we’re leaving? Is it the trauma, the brokenness, the pain, the disappointments, the betrayals, the shame, the depression? Or if you know what, God you look bigger, you look into the generations, you look into the kids, you look into the grandkids, and so on, what can I leave them that will continue to ripple, and be in effect, forgive for Christ?

Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Good word, good word. It is something we all need to think about. What are you leaving for the children and the power of forgiveness when they see that in an example, such as they saw it in you, Ally, as an example to your children, is powerful. It’s powerful, because it’s not easy. We’re not saying forgiveness is easy. But we have the most beautiful example of Jesus and how he forgives us. Who are we we are sinners, saved by His grace. And we just thank you, Jesus, for your forgiveness. And when we can see ourselves as that sinner, and that God had to come and die for us. And we ask him for that for that forgiveness. That’s powerful, because he says, How much does he forgive us? As far as Easton is from West and he remembers those sins no more. And ladies, we’re not saying that we’re God. We’re not saying again, that this is easy, but we’re able to follow the example in Jesus because He loved us so much that he forgave. And how many times did he forgive us? He forgave it talks about forgiveness in the Bible. 70 times seven. Wow. So ladies, just practice the word surrender in your life and surrender those things that are holding you captive, that you can’t let go of that are holding Just like Ali said, they become idols. When you don’t release that to the Lord, you have to release it in full surrender to God and allow him to come over and take full control of your life. And then you’re going to start walking in those blessings and freedom with the power to forgive the power to overcome control, brokenness, homelessness, all of these things that the enemy just wants to take us out with. And allow us to wallow in that mire. And in brokenness, you want you there forever. But no, no. We have Jesus and His forgiveness. And just remember that ladies, that is what is gonna get you through is the power of forgiveness. It’s powerful. So ally in our clothes, can you just in one minute or less, just give that woman listening that identified with this story that has gone through tremendous heartache and brokenness, maybe it’s from a spouse, maybe it’s from another past abuser in her life, or I don’t know what kind of brokenness she’s going through, but, but just give her that word of encouragement that you would that would just give her hope to go on.

Ellie McGraw   I think what I would say of course, is let go and let God like, until she lets go. She’s going to strangle herself in a stronghold of hatred and anger and unbelief and all kinds of things. But when she just like full surrenders, like Okay, God, here I am. And it’s almost like, Here I am, I lay on your and I always picture it as a hammock. I lay back in the hammock of God. And I just say, God, I do not know what we’re going to do. But I’m trusting in you. I can trust in you, you know, we T is faithful, why? His word is faithful. Amen. We can take that word. We can take that word, because it’s faithful. It’s true. And that’s all we got. We got everything. You know, Jesus, well, right. He’s faithful. He won’t disappoint us, we think, oh, you know, but No, he won’t disappoint. So as we let go, we can trust God to carry us and He will bring us through. I even think of these days now, when we’re almost like in a boat, and all the waves are tossing and turning. And we’re like, God, what’s happening in the world and what’s happening everywhere, like everything’s out of whack. And meanwhile, we’re just like, there’s one onslaught after another after another, the only place of freedom is to let go and let God

Kimberly Hobbs   Praise God, praise God. Ladies, I hope that you heard that final word, let go and like God, and know that he’s going to carry you he is going to carry you in. That’s what faith is. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen, we can’t see what God’s gonna do. But ladies, he knows the beginning to the end. So we need to trust him. Trust that he loves you ladies, that he’s got you. And he’s not letting go of you. So voice that to him, Lord, I know, I know you have me, I trust you. I can’t see what’s coming. But I trust you. And you hold on to that faith, ladies. And you go and you go with God, and you let that word strengthen your heart. It’s going to strengthen you there is power in the Word. So our encouragement, Ellie, and I’s encouragement to you is stay grounded in the Word of God, ladies. And that, again, is one of these purposes of these books that we put out by women, world leaders and the book coming out surrendered, yielded with purpose is going to be fantastic. I can’t even tell you, and we ask you to get this book, be part of it. And then read this book for yourself and then pass it on to whoever God speaks to you and puts on your heart and you be part of this team that is going to help spread the word of God into the world because these books contain the word of God every chapter contains the powerful word of God and how these amazing women of God used that word in in our Bibles to show glory to God of how he used those scriptures to get them through a horrible time. And so again, ladies we just encourage you to look for this book surrendered, yielded with Purpose, it’s coming late fall, November of 2022. So I’m not sure when you’re going to listen to this podcast. But even if you hear it in 2023, you know, this book will have already launched out into the world and prayerfully, it will become a number one best seller, as our past books have. And ladies, you can be part of that to helping us achieve number one bestseller with this book, because that just means more people in the world are going to hear these stories. And that’s what’s so important, ladies, and let’s do this as a team effort from women, world leaders and make sure these books get out into the world. So I just want to thank you, Ellie macdon. And you can look for her story and surrendered yielded with purpose. And she’s also given permission for you to reach out to her at Freedom to soar.me. Write me Oh at me, freedom to soar@me.com Thank you for that correction. And as we close again, I want to thank you, Ellie McGraw for being our guest today and speaking to the hearts of the women that are listening, and ladies, and we love you. And we appreciate you every week faithfully coming to listen to empowering lives with purpose. And we invite you to go to our website where we have the shop, and you can look at the different tools that God has allowed us to put on there the books that we have produced through women, world leaders, and you can also join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday for more podcasts from women, world leaders. And also we have voice of truth magazine that goes out into the world 1000s of women digitally it is reaching and we are so so just blessed by all of those that are reading and growing and becoming part of women, world leaders through reaching out to us. So we encourage you to reach out to us too. If you are moved and inspired to do so or maybe you want to share your story. We give you the ability to do that through women world leaders. So God bless you all have a wonderful day. And remember from his heart to yours, we are women world leaders all content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent.