The John-Henry Westen Show - Special episode： LifeSite’s own pro-life beauty queen： A testimony of grace

00:00:00.000 Hello and welcome to this special episode of the John Henry Weston Show.

00:00:25.800 I'm your host, John Henry Weston, and let's start as we always do with the side of the cross.

00:00:30.220 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

00:00:35.060 This is indeed a special episode because it focuses actually on one of our own here at LifeSite News.

00:00:41.240 Someone who normally works behind the scenes, but it's not as if Lisa Stover is not used to being in the spotlight.

00:00:48.960 Lisa is the reigning Mrs. Virginia.

00:00:52.660 And Friday night in Las Vegas, Lisa will compete in the Mrs. America contest.

00:00:57.940 And she will be doing all this six months pregnant.

00:01:02.360 And you know, that's only part of Lisa's remarkable and inspiring story, which is full of joy and heartache,

00:01:10.360 and an unshakable faith and determination to touch the lives of others.

00:01:15.500 One of your lives is about to change dramatically.

00:01:21.640 Are you ready?

00:01:23.640 All right.

00:01:25.820 The first runner-up is Maria Teresa Duvall.

00:01:31.420 Your new Mrs. Virginia of 2019 is Lisa Stover.

00:01:36.180 Holding her arms out in prayer was the only way that Lisa Stover could respond to being crowned Mrs. Virginia.

00:01:45.120 It happened in the painful aftermath of suffering a miscarriage and the tragic death of her mother.

00:01:51.740 Six months later, Lisa is preparing to go on the national stage, visibly pregnant, 0.98

00:01:59.000 with a counter-cultural message of faith, hope, and love, and what it means to be a woman.

00:02:06.900 God just lines up different pieces of our life, and we don't always understand at the time why certain things are happening or why certain situations.

00:02:14.700 But I'm just really honored to be able to represent women and show them that true women's empowerment means understanding and living out our fertility as women

00:02:25.480 and understanding who we are and who God created us to be and being able to use that for His glory.

00:02:32.720 This last year has been one of profound suffering.

00:02:37.020 But anyone who meets Lisa quickly learns that her suffering has been redeemed by supernatural faith.

00:02:44.700 And the ultimate contest for her is to share that faith with other hurting souls.

00:02:52.580 I won Mrs. Virginia shortly after, about a month after having my miscarriage,

00:02:57.000 and then I lost my mom to breast cancer a week before I competed.

00:03:01.060 And so there were so many reasons for me not to compete.

00:03:05.200 And I just trusted God.

00:03:06.780 I just felt like there was something different about this year, and I knew I needed to do it.

00:03:10.660 And next thing I know, I won.

00:03:12.280 And so I just knew, okay, God, you have a bigger purpose for me with this than me just winning the crown.

00:03:18.380 You're going to make a difference through my story and through just using me how you want to use me.

00:03:23.560 And I just hope I can use my story to impact others.

00:03:27.700 And what, you may ask, is the key to Lisa's love for others?

00:03:32.360 Well, it all starts with Jesus through Mary.

00:03:35.940 For me, through this whole journey, I have found that I have just been able to, even though I lost my mother,

00:03:43.680 to rely and go to her as my mother because nobody else can give me that love and grace.

00:03:51.460 And it's really been so impactful for me because when I went to compete at Mrs. Virginia,

00:03:59.360 right after I lost my mother, I brought my rosary with me,

00:04:03.400 and I had some time in my hotel room just to relax.

00:04:05.880 And I prayed the rosary, and I just dedicated the whole weekend to God

00:04:10.860 and just gave it to our Blessed Mother and just said whatever's in store for me, I don't know.

00:04:15.240 And I don't know what the outcome is, but just gave it to God.

00:04:19.340 And when I was in the hospital room with my mom before she passed, I brought my rosary,

00:04:24.500 and I was just praying the rosary, and none of my siblings are Catholic,

00:04:28.120 but I was just silently praying it and holding the rosary the whole time I was holding her hand.

00:04:32.440 So there have been ways just throughout different situations that the rosary

00:04:37.540 and just really just dedicating myself to the Blessed Mother

00:04:44.380 and especially when things are hard when I need that.

00:04:47.520 That has really just been so powerful for me.

00:04:52.080 And so I even, with my oldest daughter, when I was in labor, when I was having contractions,

00:04:58.880 I brought my rosary, and while I was in labor, I was praying the rosary.

00:05:02.160 And so even though I didn't grow up around it, I'm not a cradle Catholic, 0.52

00:05:07.420 and I still don't understand everything because there's just so much to know,

00:05:11.520 and that's the beauty of our faith.

00:05:12.640 But I, even without growing up around it, I have just found those ways that especially I cling to her

00:05:20.220 because really in those situations, as a mother myself too,

00:05:24.440 I have just found that connection, that deep connection.

00:05:28.020 And so even with the pageant, I just, okay, you know what, I'm just going to take time,

00:05:32.840 and I'm going to pray the rosary and just give it to God

00:05:35.640 and just really, really set my focus right before I even begin,

00:05:39.060 and I plan to do that at Mrs. America, so.

The John-Henry Westen Show - August 22, 2019

Special episode： LifeSite’s own pro-life beauty queen： A testimony of grace

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