The first - completely hidden in most English translations - shows Jesus' breathtaking tenderness. Before speaking the Name to his disciples, before announcing it to the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus identifies himself to a broken, discarded Samaritan woman.

"The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah' (called Christ) ‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.'" Jesus responded (literal translation): "I AM who speak to you" (John 4:25-26).

The woman, who had been quite talkative up to this point, said not one more word. Stunned, she left her waterpot behind, ran back to her village and boldly, exuberantly invited the folks there to come see who she had met.

(Excerpt: "I AM," Key truths, Open gates e-column, Deborah Brunt, August 2006)

Laurie Lunsford: moving forward with hope

It seemed Laurie had everything anyone could want - three healthy sons, a successful husband highly respected in the community, a big beautiful house on a golf course and much more. From the time she was a little girl, Laurie loved God. Her dream was simple: Live happily ever after with her husband and enjoy her grandchildren. Then, after 28 years of marriage, Laurie experienced divorce.

As she grieved, writing poetry helped her process painful emotions into hope. One night, alone and in deep pain, she started drawing pictures to symbolize some of the poetry she had written. From those pictures, she designed 10 rings. Now she markets these "Transition Rings," each of which is handcrafted by a master jeweler. She wants each ring to be "a sign of hope every single time it is worn."

Laurie has also created a new percussion instrument, called Dancing Hands^TM Hand Taps, which she's marketing to music educators, therapists and nursing homes. She's particularly excited about the creative outlet these hand taps offer to the elderly.

As Laurie has expressed her own pain and hope, exercised her creativity and reached out to help others, she has experienced growth in knowing Jesus more intimately than ever before. I AM speaks to her. Her personal philosophy is summed up in one of the statements on her website: "Moving forward step by step with patience, day by day with hope."

Learn more about Transition Rings.

Learn more about Dancing Hands^TM Hand Taps. 

Pamela Rosewell Moore: Surrender is key

One spring evening at a youth retreat in her home country of England, Pam made a prayer that changed her life.

She says, "Although I had received the Lord Jesus as my Savior as a young child, he had never been my Lord. I had avoided placing my full trust in God because that would mean obeying him and seeking his will. What if his will included things I could never do? Leave my home country, for example, speak in public, remain single perhaps? I had never dared to trust him with the future. My main pursuit was my own comfort and safety. For some reason, I thought that God's will may mean the opposite, that life would not be comfortable and that my future work might take me to dangerous places. Yet I had always been strangely and gladly aware that God was pursuing me, never allowing me to forget him."

That March evening in 1965, at the age of 21, Pam gave God all her life.  He immediately replaced her desire to follow a self-determined path with passion for him and trust that, whatever happened in the future, his way for her was best and safest. 

The decades that followed have included working with Bible smuggler Brother Andrew and with Corrie ten Boom, experiencing singleness and marriage, traveling widely and being still. In every adventure, every season, I AM has spoken to Pam.

Eager to encourage others in the passionate pursuit of God, she has written five books, counsels many individuals and speaks to audiences of all ages. Telling compelling stories about all the way the Lord has led her, Pam urges, "Surrender is key."

Learn more about Pamela Rosewell Moore.

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