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GraceTouch
Facilitating global impact
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When life throws something unexpected our way, we have a great opportunity to be a strong witness for Christ. How are we preparing to make a difference?
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Caught in a Media Controversy
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by Viki Rife
What do you do when you get a message from MSNBC that they want to do a live phone interview with you in two hours? What if, through circumstances beyond your control, you are suddenly propelled into an intensely emotional national controversy?
Lexi Oliver Fretz of the Calvary GBC in Hagerstown, Maryland, had a chance to find out last month. "At least I had enough time to get home, find a babysitter, and gather my wits a bit," she comments. She admits that the request for an interview, coming out of the blue, was a real stretch for "an introvert like me."
How did Lexi end up on the national news? It all started two years ago as she tried to deal with her grief after her son was born at 19 weeks gestation. Lexi's husband Joshua captured most of the first moments. They named the baby Walter after Joshua's grandfather, former director of Grace Brethren Investment Foundation. Little Walter did not live long. Lexi, a photographer, did not want any photos at first. She didn't want to remember the horrific pain.
Later, however, as she journeyed through the grieving process, she began to think, "This is my son, I'm going to show him." She posted the photos on her Facebook page, and to her surprise, they went viral. ( continue)
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| Share the Power
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 Our God has power that overcomes all impossibilities. Have you seen evidence of that? We would love to hear your story! The next issue of Women's Spectrum will focus on "Power that Overcomes." Click here to see the writer's guidelines. If you have a story but prefer to have someone else write it for you, let us know and one of our writers will help you share it. We can bless and encourage each other tremendously as we share our stories of God at work.
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| 2016 Mission Trip to Haiti |
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Do you like to sew or work with children? If so, we have an opportunity for you! Women of Grace USA is sending a team to Haiti June 22-28, 2016. The team, comprised of twelve ladies, will teach single moms how to sew (providing them with a means of supporting their families), assist with children's ministries and experience life in another culture. The estimated cost per team member is $2,000. Applications will soon be available on our website.
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| Prayer Watch |
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Thank you for your faithful intercession for the Charis meetings in Bangkok. Praise God for all that He accomplished. Please continue to pray for next steps as the delegates return home, so we can together be effective in our mission to reach every nation until He comes.
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| Thankful with Pat Ashcraft |
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THANKFUL! Yes, we are thankful people. Or at least, we should be. God has given us so much! We have an abundance of food, clothing, possessions, medicine, education, just to name a few things. We have to remember that everything comes from God. Sometimes we can get puffed up and think that all we have is by our own efforts. But if you ever get ill or lose a job, you can find out quickly how little control you have in your life. And during those difficult times, you can see God work and provide in ways you never dreamed, which gives us even more for which to be thankful.
At WGUSA, we are thankful for each woman who has attended our Leadership Summits and Leadership Studies, purchased our Women's Spectrum magazine, and used our Bible study. We thank God for those who have chosen to support WGUSA on a monthly basis. It makes it possible to do the things mentioned above and more. Can we add you to our list of people we are thankful for? To give monthly, go to our website and become a Trellis member. By doing so, you will make it possible for this ministry to continue and to bless many women.
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| You Are Loved |
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You Are Loved
by Jen Fretz
A few months back I opened up about the "funk" I've been in and how I've searched to figure out why I'm going though it and what I can do to "fix" it. I've battled bouts of depression, minor health concerns, and the overall stress of running two businesses, church ministry, and trying to be a good wife and mother! Yeah, about that...
Lately I have felt like a terrible mother. My kids have never been shuffled off to family or watched so much TV in their lives, as I've tried to maintain all my responsibilities and just deal with...well, myself! My patience has never been so thin, and I think that I literally have horns that grow out of my head when I've had to politely redirect many times, and by the 5th time I'm on to screaming! We don't have much of an evening life because most nights my husband bathes and beds the kids since I'm working-either in my office or out of the house. I kiss them, tell them I'll see them in the morning, and head out to my meetings/Pampered Chef parties/the café I work with/whatever else is on the agenda for the evening.
My family never complains. Mommy has to work, just like daddy, only different times of day. I am home with them during the day, most of the time. I do well at keeping up with the house, the laundry, the cooking, the garden, school stuff. But I don't play with my kids much. I don't read to them a lot anymore, we don't go out and do a lot of fun stuff, I don't do birthday parties (not extravagant ones, anyway). I do the bare minimum to celebrate holidays ...and there's always that devil on my shoulder whispering to me that I'm a bad mom. "No mom should be this involved, no mom should be as busy as you, no mom should be out in the evenings as much as you are, you should've done that better, You should've made a hot breakfast this morning, You should've taken them to _____. You're a bad mom". And maybe I am! I believe it most of the time, anyway!
A few weeks ago I found this gem lying on the kitchen table when I came down to start my morning French Press-my 7-year-old daughter's list of why she loves me! continue reading
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| Spanish WLS Class |
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The first Women's Leadership Studies class in Spanish will be offered in Winona Lake, Indiana, November 20-21. The same class is also planned for Tampa, Florida, February 26-27. Please pray for this ministry and for the team of Hispanic women leaders that is forming to determine direction for ministering to our Hispanic sisters.
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| WGUSA Welcomes New Board Member |
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During our recent board meetings, WGUSA appointed Cindy Shuler to the position of Director of Operations. Cindy has served with us for the past two and a half years as the Administrative Assistant.
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| Mark your Calendar |
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Haiti Mission Trip, June 22-28
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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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If you enjoy GraceTouch, why not share it with your friends? It's as easy as clicking Forward email at the bottom of this page, or forwarding it through your email program. And it's free! |
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