| AHW MINISTRIES NEWSLETTER About His Work with Janet September 2019  |
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Teens Need Mentoring Too!
Recently, God used a young teenager to remind me how important it is to include these girls in our mentoring of the next generation. The seasons I wrote about in
Mentoring for All Seasons
include tweens to twilight years, and we must never forget our vital role as spiritually "older women" in younger women's lives. I know this. I teach this. But like others, I sometimes underestimate teenage girls readiness and eagerness for growing in their faith. We must be ready and eager to share our time, and yes, our spiritual wisdom with them.
Lexie is my 13 year-old granddaughter's BFF. Lexie has spent a week with us a number of times with granddaughter Katelyn as they first attended our churches VBS and then served on the VBS helper team. The girls also attend together our local drama camp every summer. Lexie considers us her extended Grammie and Grampa and we love her as our "adopted granddaughter."
I'm Instagram friends with both the girls, so Lexie saw my posts and pictures about my new book
Everyday Brave
. One Saturday after the girls' soccer game, Lexie came running across the parking lot to give me a hug and sweetly announced, "I want a copy of your new book!" I was surprised and elated. I had copies of the book in the car, so I signed one for her. My heart swelled watching her big smile as she hugged the book to her chest and thanked me for it.
A few days later, I received a text from Lexie, "I'm loving Everyday Brave!! Great job!"
Wow! Through tears I texted back how much that meant to me. It also awakened in me the realization that
Everyday Brave
is not just for adult women. God instilled courageous bravery that needs nurturing in all His children. Our tweens, teens, and young women need to know how they can live bravely and courageously as fearless faithful believers who can stand up against peer pressure and worldly temptations.
We need to share with them God's encouragement and directions for life from His Word, which speaks to them just as it does to us.
"This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the
Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 NLT
So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord! Ps. 31:24 NLT
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Cor. 16:13
Everyday Brave
has discussion questions at the end of each chapter intended for use in group study or mentoring relationships. Thanks to Lexie, I now see this will also be a good read for youth groups.
I hope your churches are awakened to the desperate need for mentoring the younger generations. I spoke last weekend at a women's retreat on the topic they picked, "You're Braver Than You Know!" I was thrilled to see mothers attending with their teenage daughters and the teenagers participating in the small groups after each session. If you're not including this precious and impressionable group of young women in your church women's activities, I hope you'll pray over Ephesians 3:20-21,
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
(NLT)
*Lexie is having fun at Grammie and Grampa "camp" in the opening picture.
No, that's not our horse.
PSSSS:
Please
share
with us a story from your mentoring ministry to encourage other churches.
PSSSSS: Read the
Author Interview
with Wendi Lou Lee
about her book,
A Prairie Devotional,
and a chance to win a free copy.
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FEATURED RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
Mentoring For All Seasons
Sharing Life Experiences and God's Faithfulness
Mentoring for All Seasons helps answer questions like these:
- What is mentoring?
- How do I find a mentor? How do I mentor?
- Why does God want us to mentor one another?
- What are the blessings of mentoring?
Through true stories from mentors and mentees in life seasons from tween through death-along with the author's personal experiences, helpful tips, Scriptures to study together, and biblical mentoring relationship examples-Mentoring for All Seasons encourages women to be intentional about sharing their life experiences and God's faithfulness with other women.
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I Would Love to Speak at Your Event!
about your event
to discuss availability.
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 Woman To Woman Mentoring
TALK TO US
Share your Mentoring Ministry story with us!
Hi Janet,
This will be our 17th Coffee... and our 10 year anniversary!! Thank you so much for envisioning and sharing this model for women's mentoring... It has been a huge blessing to the women in our church. I attended your training at a conference in Green Bay Wisconsin 10 years ago.
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"GRAMMIE'S CORNER"
Grampa and I took three of our grandchildren ages 10-14 to see the outstanding movie Overcomer. The Kendrick brothers who also made the movie War Room produced Overcomer. Like all their movies, it is a professional film with superb acting and an inspirational message that really resonates with young people. I love taking our grandchildren to see these faith-based movies, but I love even more that they're eager to go with us. An added benefit is that usually the previews are clean family-style movies.
Be ready to buy a bucket of popcorn and take your grandchildren to movies that both entertain and inspire. Then talk to them afterwards about what they enjoyed and answer any of their questions. It's become a tradition with us and I hope it will with you too!
PS: If Overcomer isn't still at a theater in your area, it will soon be out on DVD and you can have movie night at Grampa and Grammie's house. The popcorn will be healthier at your house than at the movies anyway!
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Meet An Author
Wendi Lou Lee
I am thrilled to share with you this interview with Wendi Lou Lee.
Wendi was in my Mentoring Clinic at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in 2018, so it is a true blessing watching her success with
A Prairie Devotional.
How did you land the role of Baby Grace Ingalls on the television series Little House on the Prairie?
It wasn't on purpose, that's for sure. My grandmother was having lunch with a girlfriend, Sue McCray, who was the casting director of Little House. She mentioned how they were having the hardest time finding twins to play the role of Baby Grace. A week later, my mom walked into Paramount Studios with my sister Brenda on one hip and me on the other. Michael Landon took one look at us and said, "Those are my girls." Some say it was luck, I say it was the grace of God.
What inspired you to write A Prairie Devotional? And why do you use quotes from the show?
Years ago, it was my husband who came up with the idea. We started watching Little House as a family when my youngest went to kindergarten and found ourselves repeatedly referring to the show as we parented our children. I sounded just like Caroline reminding my children to be honest and kind. The quotes kept running through my mind. When my husband gave me the idea, I thought it was brilliant-but didn't believe in myself enough to try. After a brain tumor diagnosis in 2015, I started a blog and my confidence grew. I thought about writing a memoir, but God had different plans.
Envisioning a devotional, I knew right away that the quotes of the show would steer each chapter. The rich themes of faith and family are evident in the words spoken on Little House. Incorporating specific episodes and dialogue is a real treat for fans!
What was it like working with the cast of Little House? Do you still see them today?
During my four years on Little House, I was only a toddler. Memories with the cast are much fewer than I wish they were. Most of the stories from the set, I heard from my mom or remember watching on Little House reruns. After the show ended, my twin sister and I lost contact with the cast. It wasn't until twenty-five years later that I met them again at a cast reunion in Hollywood. Since then I have been traveling with the cast to Little House events across the country. Just last month, the cast gathered together in Walnut Grove, Minnesota to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Little House on the Prairie. We love hanging out together, meeting fans, and inspiring future generations to engage with Little House on the Prairie. I knew God was calling me to Little House fans, but I never imagined the influence I would have with my fellow cast members.
Author Bio
Wendi is a Jesus follower, a former child actress, and a brain surgery survivor. The four seasons she spent on Little House on the Prairie playing the role of Baby Grace Ingalls are among God's greatest blessings. Her good but hard life resembles what the Ingall's family experienced-great joys and sorrows. Sharing her story of God's goodness through life's most difficult circumstances brings Wendi the most joy.
Wendi lives on the Central Coast of California with her husband, Josh, and her children, Tobey and Raegan. When Wendi isn't visiting Little House sites, writing, or speaking, you can find her paddle boarding at the beach or walking their Bernedoodle-Mo.
Wendi's book can be found at all major retailers, or visit her
book page with links to buy and even read a sample chapter.
For your chance to win a free copy of A Prairie Devotional please
contact Janet
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