Ali Holston
2.4K posts

Ali Holston
@AliHolston
Currently @ACLJ | @FoxNews & @CNN veteran

I took this picture on April 5, 2015, the last time my birthday fell on Easter. It was not a great day for me. I fought back tears at church, and not in the overwhelmed-by God's-great-mercy way. Little did I know at the time, my year was going to take much worse turns. But I was newly pregnant with my second child, and though very sick and feeling pretty sorry for myself that Easter morning, I knew I was blessed with this new life and a Savior who loves me. I took this photo because it was a reminder of new life and bread of life, and the light of the world. Later that year, I would lose my husband while 7 months pregnant. He died in September. My daughter was born in November. A lot of people wonder, and have asked me, how does one keep her faith through those dark days. I always wondered, how could I have made it through without it? I was angry and scared and so, so thankful I had met Jesus before that moment. I met Him while reading one of those 90s teen study bibles with neon graphics, in my childhood bedroom. In my sad, grey adult bedroom, I woke up panicking in the night, but He was always with me. I prayed Jeremiah 29:11 to calm myself down: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.'" I prayed it even though I didn't really believe it at the time. It's not that Jesus solved all my problems in this fallen world or fixed my immediate pain right up. But I was in it with Him and with His promises. And he put the kind of brother in my life who would move in with me to help raise the kids for six months. He put parents in my life who showed up every weekend. He put a neighbor in my life who mowed my lawn every week and another who was a SEAL wife and understood grief like few do, and a best friend who could work out my paperwork (death is so much paperwork) when I couldn't. "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world," C.S. Lewis writes in "The Problem of Pain." I learned a lot while I was being shouted at. I think about Jeremiah 29:11 and 11 years ago today. I think about how my little girl who was not yet born then baked my birthday cake today. I think about how she has three siblings now and the most amazing dad— I remarried in 2020 and he adopted the girls. He took all four of our kids to the store to pick out something for my birthday and then let them each choose a walkout song on the karaoke machine as he gave them a Bruce Buffer announcement call when they came down the stairs to present them to me. I think about how they've gained grandparents and cousins and love and faith. (Our first holiday with Steve's family was Easter, and I took it as a good sign.) I pray they've watched our lives and gained trust in their Lord. I think about how my patience was tested by them several times today, as the patience of a parent always is, and how infinite my Father in heaven's patience for me must be. I think about how much I love each of them, and how much my heart grew when each was born just to fit it all in, and how much greater still is my Father's love for me. I think about how much I have to learn and how my faith is still not as mature as it should be at this point (occasionally illustrated on this app). Today in the car, my kids requested "No Fear" by @jonreddick , "Your Way's Better," by @forestfrank , and "Jesus Is Alive, It's a Happy Day" — that one came with sign language by the 3- and 4-year-old, which I recommend for making your heart soar on a Sunday. They listen to secular music, too, but those are their favorites. One time, reading the Christmas story with my kids, I read "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people," and my eldest (about 5 at the time) said, "Mom, the angel always says that!" She's right, the angel always says that! It is so hard not to be afraid, but we have a Good Shepherd. Our lives were touched by death, but He has conquered it. My kids like new worship songs, but I love the classics, and today as on every Easter, I sang "Blessed Assurance," because Jesus is mine. And in the darkest times, He is new life and bread of life, and the light of the world. I am remembering to rejoice in that every day.





Defense Secretary Hegseth: "We were able to destroy nuclear capabilities. And OUR BOYS in those bombers are on their way home right now." Fox News has learned that at least one of the B2 pilots who took part in the Iran mission was female. @FoxNews


The Hitchhiker’s Guide To Stefanik’s Withdrawal as UN Ambassador Nominee The decision by President Trump to withdraw the nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as UN Ambassador is about the math… In so many ways. Yes. There has been a tight House GOP majority all Congress. And that was a factor. But not the only one. In November, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he “begged and pleaded” with Mr. Trump not to recruit any more House members for his administration after Mr. Trump drafted National Security Advisor and former Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) former Attorney General nominee and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Stefanik to serve in his administration. It was believed that the Senate was poised in the next week or two to confirm Stefanik as UN Ambassador. She would have resigned from the House immediately. But this would come as the GOP feared losing one if not two of those special elections to succeed Gaetz and Waltz. Plus, if Stefanik resigned, it would take about three months for a special election to hit in upstate New York to fill her seat. And – because of splintering in the New York GOP – there is concern that Republicans could lose that seat in a special election. But Fox is told that the problem wasn’t so much the potential of losing the special election in upstate New York – but when the VACANCY for that seat would come. The House is trying right now pass President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) backed off the idea of advancing the bill before Easter. It frankly will take weeks if not a few more months to pass that bill. Here’s the other problem: Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) just announced this week she is pregnant and due in August. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is now sparring with Johnson over her plan to go over his head and compel the House to allow for remote voting for expectant or new mothers. Luna and the co-sponsor of her resolution, Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), have spoken at length about how tough it is to travel and make votes late in a pregnancy. One source told Fox that Republicans could be worried about losing ANOTHER GOP member if Cammack is unavailable for votes ahead of giving birth – as the House attempts to pass the “big, beautiful bill.” That, of course, presumes that Luna and Pettersen aren’t successful with their initiative to allow for remote voting. Here’s another issue: The President also indicated that Stefanik would return to the House GOP leadership table – although how is unclear. Stefanik previously served as the House Republican Conference Chairwoman. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) now holds that position. Multiple senior House Republican sources told Fox all day before the withdrawal that they weren’t aware of anything going on. “I hope not,” replied one member of the House GOP brain trust when asked about a potential withdrawal. And yet now President Trump is shoehorning Stefanik back into the GOP leadership when House Republican leaders appeared to have no clue that the President was about to yank Stefanik’s nomination. Now, here’s something which will cook your noodle. This is completely hypothetical. But worth exploring. The House is currently comprised of 431 members. There are 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats. There are four vacancies. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) did not take office. Former Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) resigned. Late Reps. Sylvester Turner (D-TX) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) died. Let’s just say Republicans – although unlikely – loses the two House special elections in Florida. With Democratic victories, the House would then have 433 members with 218 Republicans and 215 Democrats. Still two vacancies with the deaths of Turner and Grijalva. But if the Senate confirmed Stefanik, and she resigned, the House would be 217 Republicans and 215 Democrats with three vacancies: Stefanik, Turner and Grijalva. However… Had Turner and Grijalva lived, DEMOCRATS would have control of the House at 218-217 under that scenario. And notably, the House has never flipped in the middle of a Congress. This is why last Johnson pleaded last November for Mr. Trump not to poach any other Republicans from the House.


















