OUR FOCUS — To provide a network of loving support and resources that will help women in divorce crisis.
My Special Moment
Protection
Recently we visited San Francisco. We viewed the old bunkers and cannons used years ago for protection along the entrance of the San Francisco Bay. There is an old fort under the Golden Gate Bridge that is still standing, Fort Point. Some of the rusted metal bars are still intact in the narrow slit-like openings for guns. If only those walls could talk. It was a strong fortress that provided safety and cover from the enemy in case of attack. God is much more than a shelter or refuge. In Psalm 91:11, it tells us that he shall give his angels charge over us. What a promise!
Excerpted from The Worry Chair By: Donna Hogue Available at Pentecostal Publishing House pentecostalpublishing.com
A newsletter dedicated to the education and well-being of today’s caregiver to the elderly.
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; …honor to whom honor (Romans 13:7).
HOPE…Healing Our Painful Experiences 2008,
The national Ladies committee had long desired to begin a ministry for divorced or separated women, especially those in the ministry. In a Connections meeting the subject was discussed once again and with the help of the Lord we were soon ready to begin. Ruth Harvey submitted the name HOPE with the acronym above as our official title. Linda Gleason was chosen as the Director. She works with volunteer women who have expertise in the area of divorce and separation.
Have you experienced the pain of a failed marriage?
Do you feel rejected and abandoned
by your social circle?
Have you lost HOPE?
Welcome to HOPE, a ministry dedicated to Healing Our Painful Experiences. Divorce has rapidly escalated in our homes and churches. No one is exempt and many times a minister's wife finds herself caught in this tragedy. Much of the time her identity is lost, her security is snatched away, and her former place of ministry no longer exists, causing her to feel alienated from the Body of Christ.
If this is where you find yourself today, let us walk with you. Our desire is to provide resources that will strengthen and encourage you on this new path in your life. Here you will find articles and testimonies from others
who have faced similar struggles. Links to additional helpful Web sites are found below. You may also confidentially email us with your questions.
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance” (Psalm 42:5).
The Umbrella of HOPE
Following is Part 3 of a series in praying the Word through divorce situations. I trust this will be an encouragement and help to you in the difficult times.
Praying the Word - Part 3 Forgiveness
You may feel it is impossible for you to forgive your ex-spouse. You may be right. In your own power it may be impossible. With God, it is possible. You may be wondering, “Why do I need to forgive?” You may be the one who was left, abused, cruelly used or betrayed. You may want God to smite them for the pain and turmoil they have caused you and your children. Forgiveness does not absolve them of their responsibility. It releases you from being bitter. Judgment belongs to God. To walk in forgiveness is to walk in the power of God, in the power of His truth. He has forgiven us. We must forgive others.
Forgiveness denies the person who has wronged you the power to continue to hurt you again. Every time you think in your heart of the wrongs, the emotion, anger and bitterness are there again. It is like picking the scab off a wound and letting it bleed every day for years. You must let the old hurts heal – to let them go. Staying captive to the old hurts is a choice. It is your choice. Make the choice to no longer be victim to them. Experience the freedom of forgiveness!
(Note: This article is written to help a wife who may have been or is the victim of domestic abuse. It’s also written to help the church to become better educated in a God-view of how we need to be equipped to be healing helpers. Our churches need to be safe sanctuaries for hurting people.)
Some people in the Christian community have difficulty dealing with domestic abuse in the church. There can be a distorted understanding of scriptures of headship and submission in marriage. Ephesians the 5th chapter is the foundation for a strong healthy marriage relationally, spiritually and emotionally. Its main premise is built on the truth that the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and ‘gave himself for her.’
Do you have a friend who is facing the destructive fallout of infidelity, betrayal, emotional abuse, and divorce? If so, you will find the HOPE Kit a wonderful way to minister to her during this difficult time. You will receive two books by authors who have experience the pain of divorce and an inspirational bookmark packaged in an attractive bag with the HOPE logo. In addition, you will receive a booklet that offers helpful ways in which you can minister to those in need.
To order the HOPE Kit please call 314-837-7304 extension 412
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
Galations 6:2
Romans 15:1 "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak."
HOPE ministry offers strength and encouragement, help and healing to women who are going through the pain of separation and divorce
For help to guide you through traumatic times you may contact us confidentially by Email at lmhope@upci.org
God’s GPS
Need direction, encouragement, or hope? Does life feel out of control? You need a navigational tool…the Bible! It is God’s GPS (Global Positioning System) and has been around for thousands of years. His GPS is global and can be used in any town, state, or country. It is always available, never needs a battery, free of charge, and never fails!
Relax…God has it all under control. Get a good Concordance, which lists subjects in the Bible and shows where they are in Scripture. Just follow the navigational instructions and you can never lose your way!
It’s back to school time for the kids. Do you have a child close to the age of a single parent friend? How about getting together for a school clothes event – perhaps shopping the sales or even exchanging pieces of clothing to create new and fun outfits. It will probably help your friend through an otherwise perhaps overwhelming task in a world of too many responsibilities!
These two books are written in a heart-to-heart style by ordinary women who have triumphed over some of life’s toughest situations.
The biblical answers provided by these Spirit-filled women will offer you hope and encouragement as you, or someone close to you, face similar struggles.
HOPE Kit
The books within the HOPE Kit were written by ladies who have walked down the path of divorce. They have felt the pain, and their testimonies will provide strength and encouragement for those now walking that same path.
The booklet that accompanies the kit offers ideas and suggestions for helping someone who is in the painful experience of divorce. Walk with a friend through the healing process and bless them with your acts of kindness and words of strength.
The HOPE Kit (shown above) may be purchased by calling Ladies Ministries
at 314-837-7304 extension 412
