No More Faking Fine: Ending the Pretending

A bestselling author, international speaker, and in-demand millennial expert, Esther Fleece Allen is certainly at the top of the list when it comes to the "who’s who" of this generation. USA Today calls her one of the "New Faces of Evangelicalism," and CNN named her one of the "Five Women to Watch" in recent years. She was the youngest speaker ever invited to attend the National Day of Prayer Summit and the only female to speak at the National Conference on Christian Apologetics when it launched. In recent years, she’s also been recognized as:

• One of Christianity Today's "Top Women You Should Know" in an article highlighting 50 females "most shaping church and culture"
• One of Outreach magazine’s "Top 30 Young Influencers"
• One of Catalyst’s "20 Women Leaders Under 40 You Should Know" and one of Catalyst’s "Young Influencers"

Esther was previously enlisted by Focus on the Family to pursue her demographic of millennials and to bring them into the ministry constituency during the significant leadership transition of Dr. James Dobson. Very quickly, Esther gained respect and recognition as a leader among her peers. Coined a "millennial czar" by president Jim Daly, Esther shared the speaking stage with Daly at events like the Values Voter Summit and the Conservative Political Action Committee in Washington, DC.

In the years since, Esther has continued to blaze a trail for millennials to be heard and respected. No matter what platform or organization she is a part of, she is widely known for building bridges for Christian leaders and organizations that cross generations and denominations.

Esther is a graduate of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and has a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Oakland University. She is currently at home learning from her greatest teachers: her husband and children.

'Esther Fleece exposes her personal pain to us in this book. She exposes what that pain did to distort her reality and shift her from truly trusting that God is near. Her pain forced her to the Scriptures, and the Scriptures exposed a way through the pain. This book is a gift to be led through the Word in this way--to be encouraged to give voice to our destructive thoughts and memories, to receive permission to let it all out to God. There is no judgment of our hurt or our painful experiences. All are worthy to be heard by God. Thank you, Esther, for sharing your story and teaching us to be free to lament.' -- Sarah and Matthew Hasselbeck, ESPN analyst and retired NFL quarterback

'Esther Fleece has always been a voice of encouragement and hope to me and many others. In No More Faking Fine, she brings hope by courageously pulling back the curtain on her life and guiding us through the valley of tears. The result is a recovery of lament as a form of praise and a pathway to hope. To lament is to bear witness to a God who sees and hears, heals and answers--a God who will one day wipe away every tear and make all things new.' -- Glenn Packiam, lead pastor of New Life Downtown, Colorado Springs

'Esther Fleece truly displays the courage of her biblical namesake in this book. Expressing grief, pain, and doubt can be dangerous in our current culture, even in the church. She brilliantly lays out the case for choosing vulnerability rather than inauthenticity and demonstrates how God's glory is revealed through every aspect of the human experience, including--maybe especially--lament.' -- Kirsten Haglund, political analyst and commentator, Miss America 2008

'Esther Fleece's powerful story encourages us to be honest to God and to each other. Life isn't easy in a world under the curse, nor does God intend it to be. The poison of prosperity theology has set up countless Christians for disillusionment because they've been told they're supposed to always be healthy, wealthy, successful, popular, and 'just fine.' As Esther demonstrates, we need the authenticity of David and the prophets and Paul and, above all, Jesus, recognizing that God will be with us when our hearts are broken. He can infuse us with joy even when we are suffering. One day, God's children will 'live happily ever after.' Until that day comes, let's give ourselves and each other permission to grieve and feel pain, loss, and discouragement. In other words, let's quit faking fine so we can gladly embrace together the comfort of Jesus.' -- Randy Alcorn, founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries and author of Heaven and Happiness

'For many of us, when someone asks how we're doing, our automatic response is 'fine'--even when we aren't. Esther Fleece transparently shares her story of 'faking fine' until she couldn't anymore--and how God has brought emotional healing as she learned to stop pretending. This is an encouraging and helpful book.' -- Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family

'How we grieve is directly related to how we heal. Esther Fleece introduces the language of lament and argues persuasively that this is a prayer God never ignores. No More Faking Fine is a book for anyone wrestling with the unavoidable tension created when the faithful suffer.' -- Andy Stanley, communicator, author, and pastor

'I have walked with Jesus my entire adult life and never read anything so powerful calling us to lament. Esther Fleece is the real deal. Her life is a genuine lament of brokenness and celebration of God's redemption.' -- Dr. Juli Slattery, president of Authentic Intimacy

'In a culture full of facades, Esther Fleece unpacks the vital and overlooked role of honest lament in our complete healing from life's harshest storms. No More Faking Fine leads us on a biblical yet scarcely traveled road, where God meets us in the midst of our deepest pain, in ways unlike any we could possibly experience in our greatest victories.' -- Benjamin Watson, National Football League tight end and author

'Many days, it just feels easier to fake being fine. Esther Fleece's powerful voice for lament, beautifully told through her splintered story, allures me into authenticity before God. She invites us to this ancient, yet out-of-fashion way and introduces another side of God to those of us who are hungry for more than those pat answers to what aches within our insides.' -- Sara Hagerty, author of Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet

'No More Faking Fine deepened and solidified my understanding of bringing God into every part of my life, especially when it comes to difficulties and grief. I know this will help heal, challenge, and encourage people wherever they are in life. This is such a needed book for our time!' -- Rachel Cruze, #1 New York Times bestselling author and personal finance expert