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GraceTouch
Facilitating global impact
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No matter how dark things seem, God sees the big picture. When we find His perspective, everything has a bright side.
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Daring to Hope
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By Melissa Spoelstra
I have always loved to write. I enjoyed the creative writing in English class that everyone else complained about, and wrote pages in my journal nightly in high school. When I married a pastor and became a mother, thoughts of writing got set on the back burner. While I still journaled my prayers often, I saw most of my hours gobbled up with very important tasks like making sure everyone had clean socks.
About seven years ago, when my youngest child was almost ready to enter school, I found myself coming up for air with a few spare moments to explore some of my personal passions. At the time my daily Scripture readings were in the book of Numbers. I was blown away at the truths God was teaching me about complaining, leadership, and wandering. God's Spirit spoke to my heart to write a six-week study from Numbers for the women in my local Bible study.
We did the study and then returned to published authors like Beth Moore for our curriculum. About four years later I felt a similar pull from the Holy Spirit to write a study when reading through Jeremiah. This time I resisted that still small voice with many excuses: "I'm not qualified," "It will take a lot of time, and I'm busy," "The women in my study don't want to do something I wrote when they can do 'real' authors."
Knowing that publishers don't take unsolicited manuscripts, and realizing that I was a nobody from Ohio, it seemed silly to even attempt to break into the Christian market. I knew it wasn't an easy road. It required a lot of work and marketing that I wasn't sure I was up for alongside the demands of marriage, parenting, and church planting. Yet God wouldn't let it go. It became a matter of obedience, and I could get no relief until I mailed a portion of Numbers off to a few Christian publishers (after googling to get addresses.) continue
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| It's a Match! |
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 We have a great opportunity to double our impact in the lives of women! An anonymous donor has offered to match gifts to the general fund of Women of Grace USA up to $2500. This matching gift offer ends January 15, 2015. Thank you for considering strengthening ministry to women through this offer. Give now
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| Pray for the Cambodia GO Team |
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The ministry team to Cambodia is busy preparing for their trip next month. Click here to find out more about the team and their ministry.
here
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| Mark your calendar |
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Opportunities coming up:
A number of Women's Leadership Studies classes are being planned in various regions in 2015. Check the dates below:
Women's Leadership Summit, October 17-19 More
Cambodia GO Team, November 11-24 More
WLS - Soul Care in Leadership, January 16-17, Winona Lake, IN
WLS - Spiritual Formation, January 23-24, Long Beach, CA
WLS - Women and Scripture, March 13-14, Frederick, MD Registration
WLS - Women and Scripture, April 24-25, Cedar Rapids, IA Registration
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| PrayerWatch |
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The October 1st blog post in "Released," reminded us of the God-given treasures we have in our seniors. At their senior family reunion, even though many were in declining health, the older siblings recited their favorite poetry, sang the old hymns together from memory, filling the room with laughter and the warmth of joy in the Lord, encouraging the younger people in the Lord.
The writer of "Have Thine Own Way," Adelaide, Pollard, believed she had been called to Africa, but was discouraged in her inability to raise support. At her weekly prayer meeting, an elderly woman lifted up her prayer to the Lord: "It's all right, Lord. It doesn't matter what You bring into our lives, just have Your own way with us." That night, Adelaide wrote the well-known hymn.[1]
This month, be on prayerful watch for the seniors around you. You might bring blessing to them through a visit or card or a lunch date out. And you will be strengthened as you pray and show love for those who have learned that our Lord is faithful and true.
Tell us about a senior saint who has spoken into your life by writing to Sharon. We can celebrate their lives in next month's Prayer Watch.
I am thanking the Lord for my 85 year-old friend and prayer partner, Bea Culton, who continues to radiate the joy of the Lord. She considers her retirement home her mission field and has recently begun teaching a Sunday School class to anyone interested.
[1] Courtesy of the Cyber Hymnal
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| Musings for Moms |
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Bloom Where You're Planted
by Jen Fretz
Have you ever heard that saying? I used to think that it was such a cheesy thing to say. I like some of those decorative signs that have inspirational sayings on them, but I never liked that one. I think it's because it just makes life sound so much easier than it really is-almost like no matter where life lands us, it's our simple choice to be happy, healthy and thrive. And while we do have a lot of say with how life goes for us, based on personal choices and responsibility, I don't believe that simply choosing to bloom is possible by our own strength. Maybe you don't interpret it that way, and hopefully I didn't just poo-poo your favorite saying, but for whatever reason I've just never appreciated it and what it implies (to me) until recently.
I live on a very busy road in a very busy town in a very busy suburb just north of Philadelphia. All of my life, up until we moved here five-ish years ago, I have lived in small towns and have always felt comfort in that. I like visiting the city around Christmas time and for special occasions, but I truly get anxiety driving there, muddling through the crowds of people, and trying to find my way around. And forget trying to figure out the public transportation system! To say this house and area we live in is not my dream home is an understatement. In fact, when we first moved here, I saw it as a temporary situation that would allow us to catch up on things from my husband's unemployment and allow us to very soon start saving money so we could buy our own home ASAP. Five years in we are nowhere close to saving money, and buying a home or moving at all is waaay in the distance, I'm afraid.
I was pretty sour about this for a few years. I never thought we would be living here as long as we have. Waking up every day in this tiny, old, drafty house that needs many updates had me on a daily pity party. (read more)
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| River of Times Series by Lisa T. Bergren |
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Review by Christy Carmean
Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.
Remaining means giving up all she's known and loved ... and leaving means forfeiting what she's come to know-and love itself.
Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. In Book One of the River of Time series, Gabi and Lia are stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, boring, and dusty archeological site ... until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Ital,. and worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.
And thus she comes to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father's castle-a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?
Okay, I admit it - sometimes I read young adult fiction. And I like it. However, I have come to believe that I am not the only one who is not en the Young Adult target age bracket who enjoys reading YA books. I am also positive that many of you have daughters, granddaughters, and other girls in your lives who are looking for some good books to read. This is a great series! It has a little bit of everything-romance, time travel, knights in shining armor, suspense, and family. ( more)
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| What's going on? |
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with Women of Grace USA
Check our Facebook page to see some of what God's been doing among women through Women of Grace USA.
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| Help a friend |
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