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AHW MINISTRIES NEWSLETTER
About His Work with Janet May 2015
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"Feed My Sheep" 20 Year Anniversary!  
Little did I know all the Lord had planned for me 20 years ago when I heard the call to, "Feed My Sheep." If you've heard me speak, read my Woman to Woman Mentoring Resources, or browsed my website, you know that's how God called me into full-time ministry. The exact day was April 25, 1995 in Portland, Oregon, while I was attending a Women in Ministry Leader's Conference trying to figure out what I would do when I finished seminary.
I know the exact date because I heard the Lord speak like I'd never heard Him before. I answered His Call, and it changed not only my life, but also thousands of women's lives around the world who have participated in Woman to Woman Mentoring at their churches. Every time I write or speak about that night and the following morning, my mind recreates the ballroom, the table I was sitting at and where I was sitting, how close the table was to the stage, and the piano music playing in the background as we waited for the keynote speaker, Jill Briscoe. I visualize the conference room the next morning as God confirmed that it was indeed Him talking to me the night before when the morning's speaker spoke from John 21:15:17 where Jesus tells Peter if you love me feed my sheep. Yes, those monumental moments I will never forget.
The Lord has orchestrated my ministry life since that day. He allowed me to celebrate the Feed My Sheep 20th Anniversary by speaking to the women at Circle Drive Church in Colorado Springs on the topic of their choice: "Reigniting the Titus 2 Woman." I've never needed my passion for mentoring reignited in the past 20 years, so it was a thrill to reignite theirs as they start their Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry. I'm as on fire today as I was when the Lord revealed to me that feeding meant mentoring and the sheep were women.
Then as if speaking about mentoring on my 20th Anniversary was not enough of a blessing, the next night Grace Baptist Church in Parachute, CO invited me to teach at their Kickoff Night Training! I hadn't been to a Kickoff Night in a number of years and what a joy to again teach from the Woman to Woman Mentoring Resources that I wrote to help other churches start their own Mentoring Ministries. Only God could have orchestrated such a perfect celebration weekend for me in remembrance of the night I said, "OK" to God. I had no idea what He had planned, but I willingly took the risk to leave the known behind and serve Him with every gift and talent He had given me.
There's no feeling that surpasses the joy of knowing and fulfilling your purpose in life. Accepting God's call to further His kingdom here on earth surpasses every other accomplishment in life.
God calls every believer and He has a plan for each of our lives, but He also gives us a choice to accept that purpose and plan or reject it by trying to muddle through on our own. I pray that each of you are listening for His voice, and when you hear "the Call," you'll say as the prophet Isaiah and I said, "Here I am Lord. Send me." I promise you'll never regret it. Nothing in this world matches the fulfillment of being About His Work.
Thank all of you who have been a part of the last twenty years of Woman to Woman Mentoring. Let's keep feeding sheep together for the next twenty plus years...if the Lord tarries that long!
About His Work,
Janet
PS: Read the latest blog posts:
Denzel Washington Tells New Grads: Put God First
Love Your Body - Don't Drink Alcohol
Keys to Overcome the Troubles of this World
What's Your Story? Please send me your story of being a Mentor, or Mentee.
Seeking Community During Infertility
PSS: I would love to hear your mentoring story as a mentor or mentee for possible use in my next book Biblical Mentoring for All Seasons. Please contact me for some helpful guidelines.
PSSS: Hope to see many of you at LifeWay's You Lead in Boise, ID in July. Register today.
PSSSS: Send us your church Mentoring Ministry Testimonies to include in future newsletters.
PSSSSS: Read the Author Interview with Dena Dyer and Tina Samples about their book,
Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Hope When Life Hurts,and a chance to win a free copy.
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FEATURED BOOK OF THE MONTH
A BOOK FOR WOMEN whose husbands are home for whatever reason-layoffs, out-of-work, retirement, home office, illness/disability, or military deployment. Except for military deployment, my husband and I have experienced-and survived-each of these scenarios.
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I Would Love to Speak at Your Event!
To contact Janet
about your event
call or email to discuss availability.
Janet speaking in Colorado Springs, CO last month
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now exclusively available and personalized from our website shop. TALK TO US
 Share what's happening in your ministry.
Good Afternoon Janet,
The kit arrived today and it is excellent! I am excited, and a bit nervous, too! It will take a lot of prayer and work to make it happen, but with your kit, I have peace it will be a blessing to our women and honor our Lord. Lord willing, our goal is to be prepared to start the ministry in the fall. My co-leader and I will be working on it during the summer, long distance. I will be in PA and she here in FL. so we ordered duplicates of everything.
In Christ,
Mary
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Mentoring Moment
"Put God first in everything you do!" Actor Denzel Washington speaking at a college commencement ceremony."
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Two About His Work
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"GRAMMIE'S CORNER"
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Grace is ready for a tea party.
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Caleb running the 2 mile event in the track meet.
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Jacob Swimming the Backstroke event in the Swim Meet
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Last month, while speaking in Colorado, my husband and I visited with our four Colorado grandchildren. We enjoyed watching swim practices and meets, cross-country running meets, and I had a special shopping afternoon with 8 year-old Grace. She and I also had a relaxing pedicure with mommy.
We played rounds of card games like Go Fish, Garbage, War and tried to figure out who-done -it in Clue, even with parts of the game missing.
We usually only see these grandkids once a year, although this year will be twice, and they're growing up so fast. The oldest will graduate from High School next year and it seems like yesterday my husband was asking, "How do I be a grandpa?"
With our quiver full of eleven grandkids spread all over the USA, we love them like crazy when we're with them, and pray for them faithfully when we're away from them and ask God to grow each one into a godly man or woman. Our grandchildren need our prayers because they are going to face a world that is quickly losing its moral compass and we can help parents set that Compass towards God.
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Meet An Author
Where did the idea for the book come from?
God literally woke up Tina, my co-author and dear friend, in the middle of the night with the idea several years ago. For over a decade, we had been praying for a project we could work on together--since we both speak, sing and write--and God nudged Tina to call me and ask me to come alongside her. I was thrilled and apprehensive...God always teaches me so much about whatever subject I'm working on, and this book was no exception.
What was the process you used as co-writers?
At the time we wrote the manuscript and proposal,Tina lived in Colorado and I resided in Texas, so we wrote our halves of each chapter separately and then combined them. We worked completely long-distance. Thank God for technology! Our communication happened via emails, phone calls and much prayer. From idea to completion took about three years. It was a long, difficult process, because we completely laid bare many wounds God was (and is) healing us from.
Tell us a little bit about the book.
What do biblical women such as Hagar, Abigail, Martha, Bathsheba (among others) have in common with women today? They've all been wounded--by relationships, life's circumstances, or their own mistakes. In Wounded Women of the Bible, Tina and I share fresh spiritual insights gleaned from ancient women who faced the same emotions and questions as contemporary women. We also tell our own-and other women's--stories of healing after loss. We long for women (and men) to find hope and strength for their own journeys as they view life's wounds through the lens of God's grace.
What else about your book might pique a reader's interest?
First, there's a Bible study in the back of the book for personal or group use. Tina and I have also developed many free resources for each chapter/week of the study: original devotionals, share-able pictures with quotes, videos and more.
We know there are countless women who carry wounds from their past. However, many women feel isolated in their pain, believing that no one could possibly understand how they feel. It's our fervent desire that Wounded Women of the Bible would touch the hearts of those desperate to find freedom. As they read, we pray women will find a much-needed connection with biblical women, as well as with those who've shared their journeys to healing.
In addition, it's our prayer that readers of the book would come away changed-believing (maybe for the first time) that God is powerful, loves them personally, and longs to heal them.
We've been grateful for the responses we've received from those who've read the book and done the study. Many prisons, recovery and women's church groups are working through the book and have found comfort and hope as they've worked through WWOB.
Dena Dyer is an engaging, motivating and inspiring leader who points audiences toward healing by sharing bridge-building humor, compelling stories, and scriptural truth. Dena's publishing credits (and favorite speaking topics) include the books Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Help When Life Hurts, Let the Crows' Feet and Laugh Lines Come, Mothers of the Bible, and Grace for the Race: Meditations for Busy Moms. She currently serves as contributing editor with The High Calling. Learn more about Dena and her ministry.
If you would like to enter a drawing to win a copy of Dena and Tina's book, contact me.
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