Stephanie came to Cedar Crest Baptist Church to speak at our 4th annual Ladies’ Night. We had 300 ladies in attendance that night and there was not one who left there untouched by Stephanie’s words! Not only did Stephanie relate to every single lady in attendance regardless of their background, social or marital status; she also conveyed a genuine concern for others in a way that captured the hearts of everyone! Talk about hanging on every word; everyone in the room was glued to her humor, honesty and humility the entire time! Our community is still talking about the refreshing effect Stephanie’s words had on them… and that was 3 months ago! Priscilla Shirer & Beth Moore, watch out…here comes Stephanie Payne!
Melissa Shackelford, Cedar Crest Women’s Ministry Leader
When preparing for our 2nd annual Women’s Day of Worship (WDOW), the Holy Spirit grabbed my hand and led me to Stephanie’s blog. I already knew the story of her precious Savannah and as a fellow grieving mother; I could not wait for Stephanie to accept my invitation to speak to our retreatants. Stephanie joined me and my leadership team the day before our retreat and we felt like we had known her forever.
Stephanie used humor (ask her about Mojeaux) and bold statements to deliver her message of hope, love and compassion to our group. I have no doubt that she stirred the audience to a deeper relationship with our God. Everyone in attendance was in awe of her – she is real. I believe that God has revealed that special purpose for which Stephanie has been created. In sum, it is my pleasure to give Stephanie my highest recommendation as a life coach, speaker, and author. I am especially honored to be able to call her my Sister in Christ.
Juanita Gooding, Creator/Organizer of Women’s Day of Worship
Stephanie came and met with the team at my office. We are all stressed out school employees and she reminded us that we can do more than just “survive”, but we can “thrive” on this journey we call life! She taught us to remember to “breathe” through it all, and we discussed the many personality types that make up our office giving us an appreciation for each other’s unique idiosyncrasies. I would definitely recommend bringing her into the workplace to meet with your employees. She is transparent and sincere and offers practical ideas for how to manage stress at home and at work.
Becky Stutzman, LCSW, BACS, C-SSWS, School Social Worker/Pupil Appraisal Coordinator Lincoln Parish Schools
Stephanie is a very engaging and personable lady who has had tragedy strike an otherwise perfect existence, but she has allowed God to use her as a messenger of what is truly important in life. While Stephanie’s speaking ability pulls you in and leads you to feel as though you are reliving the tragedy with her, she also leads you to reflect on how you would handle a similar situation in your life.
Rosalyn Simon, Vermillion Parish Farm Bureau Women’s Committee Chairman
Wow! Wow! Wow! Those are the words that best describe Stephanie Payne’s beautiful heart! Within the first minute of hearing her testify, you will relate to her as if she were your best friend. Her testimony is one of the most engaging and inspirational talks I have ever had the honor of hearing. Stephanie has the gift of captivating her audience by delivering her story of the unimaginable heartbreak of losing a child mixed with the unique skill and flair for wit found only in rich, deep-south storytelling. Stephanie speaks from her heart and brings the intimate and painful details of her darkest season in life alive with a warmheartedness that keeps you enthralled; one minute you are on the edge of your seat laughing, the next crying like a baby as she inspires hope and enlightens all to the faithfulness and goodness of Christ. If you ever have the opportunity to hear her speak, you should move quickly. I promise you, God has anointed this woman and she is a force to be reckoned with! She will bless your socks off!
Polly Spence, Poiema Missions
There’s something inside of us all that desperately yearns for inspirational stories of courage, love, and hope. Savannah Payne’s perplexing journey is passionately told by her mother, Stephanie, as she tenderly captures the raw emotions of her audience. Never before have I sensed such listener anticipation as when she joyfully shared her spiritual perspective of her rocky road toward HOPE! Heartwarming and inspiring, Stephanie’s words reach to the depth of our soul and stir the common, complacent feelings we tend to harbor.
Shelby Ainsworth, Principal, West Monroe High School & Life Group Leader at First Baptist Church of West Monroe
Stephanie has the God given ability to share her family’s journey of faith in ways that have you laughing in one second and wiping a tear the next. Having watched Stephanie, her husband Tim, and their youngest daughter Isabella walk down a road no parent wants to consider in the tragic loss of their oldest daughter Savannah; I have been profoundly impacted by their faith and trust in God as our Shepherd. The congregation I have the privilege of serving have been blessed by Stephanie’s words of challenge and encouragement as she shared the journey Father God has led her family on and I believe your church would benefit from hosting her as well.
Justin Clark, Senior Pastor First Baptist Church of Lake Providence
Stephanie Payne is a wonderful speaker who encourages, challenges, and even uplifts her hearers. She spoke at our most recent beginning of school convocation for the Lincoln Parish School system (August 2017). Her presentation is still talked about 9 months later. Her passion for the process of uplifting all listeners is unequaled. All who hear her will be motivated to examine their lives related to proper perspective for how they live daily. Having her as a speaker will be one of the best decisions you make for your organization.
Mike Milstead, Superintendent, Lincoln Parish Schools
I have seen Stephanie lead speaking engagements that left the crowd energized and ready to take on challenges. She also led a team building activity for our team, and her caring and engaging facilitation skills helped us discover the best ways to interact with our work and with each other. I could not recommend Stephanie more!
Julie D. Riley, M.Ed., BCBA, Louisiana Autism Spectrum and Related Disabilities (LASARD) Project Coordinator, LSUHSC Human Development Center
Stephanie came and spoke to our Ladies “Naomi Luncheon” in 2017. Stephanie is an amazing, dynamic, inspirational speaker. She delivers her heart of passion for God and family to you and leaves you feeling much more uplifted and inspired than when you first came. She has a way of keeping you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about her next adventure with God and Life. You will be doing yourself and your group a tremendous favor and blessing to have Stephanie come and speak at your next gathering.
Mary Ann Copeland, The Pentecostals of the Twin Cities
Love painted through words. Stephanie’s heart is able to reach out and paint for you an expressive and emotionally rich picture. She’s able to bring a fluid motion to all the various joys, trials and even some of the radically raw elements of life and cast a vivid look into this messy, beautiful life. God is at work and His strokes are sometimes deep grooves and sometimes gentle touches but through it all God is putting on display for us to see all He has done, all He is doing and asking us to expectantly await all He will do…we’ve just got to be bold enough to share it….and that she does.
Shawn Cooper, FBC Calhoun Heartfelt Women’s Ministry
I would like to recommend to you a very special lady, Stephanie Payne. I have known Stephanie and her family for a number of years now, and they are wonderful people.
Sadly, a few years ago, Tim and Stephanie’s oldest daughter Savannah died after a very sad, and strange twist of medical problems. It was heart wrenching, and very tough on Savannah’s friends, and especially on her dear family. But throughout it all, the Payne’s have stayed true to Christ.
Not long after Savannah’s death, we had Stephanie come and share her testimony at both of our Sunday morning services. Like most pastors, I am very particular about who speaks for me at anytime, but especially on Sunday morning.
Let me tell you Stephanie hit a home run! God spoke through her humble, yet bold story about Savannah’s life and tragic death. It was a very sad morning, because Savannah had been a member of my church, but it was a very beautiful morning because Jesus and His wonderful love and grace were lifted up.
If you can have Stephanie come to speak to your group, or at your worship services, I highly recommend her. She loves Jesus, is a gifted speaker, and has a great story that needs to be shared. And please feel free to contact me at chris@fbcruston.org anytime if I can be of any help in regards to Stephanie. Bring her in, you will be blessed, and lives will be changed!
Dr. Chris Craig, Senior Pastor, First Baptist, Ruston, LA
I asked Stephanie Payne to speak to our Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI) organization and Kappa Epsilon (KE) fraternity about the strength and valuable insights she gained during Savannah’s journey. I would just like to preface my endorsement of her by saying this was without a doubt the most moving testimony that I have personally ever heard, and her presentation was the highlight of every presentation we as students have had the pleasure of listening to while in pharmacy school. She presented her astounding journey with grace and poise, and as pharmacy students who are constantly derailed by negative thoughts from school and homework, it was truly a blessing to be lifted up by her words.
Mrs. Stephanie has an astounding gift of presenting her testimony to others. She depicts her story in such a moving manner that you feel like you are experiencing every single emotion that she felt while partaking in Savannah’s journey. The lessons of strength, perseverance, and dedication to our Lord through the most difficult of times were flowing through every word she spoke. She was able to lift all of the audience up in hope and optimism, even when detailing the hardships that we face in life. She included an excellent slideshow with her presentation that gave images of the beautiful life she had both before and after Savannah. She also included brochures that detailed her mission of sharing her testimony to others. Everything she included was perfect and flowed exquisitely. Even when she moved us to tears explaining the hardships Savannah faced in her last days on Earth, she picked our spirits right back up with the positive and uplifting encounters she experienced with Savannah and all those who were involved during Savannah’s journey. Her presentation was truly a blessing from beginning to end.
The audience was, of course, enraptured with every word from Mrs. Stephanie. It was so easy for us to smile and laugh at the good and funny moments Mrs. Stephanie would share; however, it was also just as easy to shed a few (and in some cases, several) tears about the unbelievably moving and touching story that was Savannah’s journey. After the presentation, Mrs. Stephanie was beyond eager to speak to all the members of her audience. She spoke to each person as if she personally knew them and exuded nothing but love and care. Her presentation was beautiful from start to finish, and it was truly a gift from God to listen to her. Mrs. Stephanie is always welcome back to the ULM College of Pharmacy, and we hope the opportunity presents for her to speak to our pharmacy students several more times in the future.
Savannah Parker, pharmacy student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) College of Pharmacy, Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI) organization and Kappa Epsilon (KE) Fraternity