Our Story
Within This Woman’s House is a ministry that evolved from one woman who understood a personal interpretation of Jesus’ words in John 5:8 …take every hurt, every pain, every worry, rejection, unhealthy habit, everything you think is unlovable and throw it down on this mat… roll it up…Roll up your mat ...come follow me…I will show you the way to true love.
As I walked in the darkest place I have ever walked in my life, I made a promise in my heart. I promised to serve God with my life as he made me whole. Loneliness, rejection, and abandonment issues fueled poor choices that almost destroyed my life. No one could save me but me. I had to do the work to overcome old messages and tapes that played in my mind. As Jesus told his apostles in Matthew 10:8b “Freely you have received, freely give.” I knew my day would come to do just that, give freely what was given to me.
Rebuilding takes time. You can rebuild your life too.
God was there to keep a watchful eye. And there were people that surfaced to help me. I was rebuilt bit by bit, one brick, then another...One person to reach out, one book to shed light, one verse or bible study to enlighten my ways of thinking. God sent messages to me to encourage and show me I was never alone. When I was on my way out of that place of self-hatred and disappointment in relationships, I promised God that I would never forget what he had done for me. I decided in my humble state that I would share with others how the source of my strength saved me from myself. I promised that I would share the journey of hope. I promised that I would honor God for the rest of my days and never forget.
Over the years, I have grown in understanding the word of God. I have learned to wait on his timing, to yield and be willing to change into a woman of patience, courage and strength. He did bring a man into my life that helped nurture my broken spirit and loved me unconditionally. We have shared 30 years of marriage. That is important because we work together and are blessed by the relationship. Early in our marriage, after years of infertility the Lord answered our prayers of being parents. We fostered and adopted 4 children that bless our lives in different ways. That was over 20 years ago. Now these young adults are learning to find their own way in the world. Their journey is theirs, yet we continue to guide them in the correct way. We are mindful to act as good servants of our time, energy and resources. Setting an example of honesty, communication and unconditional love strengthens our way of life.
And in being faithful to God, He has been faithful to me. He has brought me to a place of great joy as he has helped me utilize my talents. With encouragement from those who love me, I am here to share with you today.
You see, we are like the oyster if you think about it. The oyster is disturbed and bombarded with sand and debris. With every disturbance, the oyster creates a layer called nacre, a callous of sorts to protect it. Like the oyster, we endure life challenges…layer upon layer…and like the oyster can evolve into a beautiful pearl, we too can become a work of God’s beauty and grace. That’s an analogy of what the Lord can do for you, for he has done that for me. He satisfies my soul and he can satisfy yours. He blesses my life as I lean into Him and he will bless your life too. I thank and praise God for never giving up on me! I promise he won’t give up on you.
As time has gone on I realize that change is a lot easier than I ever imagined. It takes mindfulness. It requires a willing spirit. It takes being able to yield to our Creator, God. When we ask him to bring understanding, a simple yet life changing request, he does. I promise you that the only Father that you will ever need will help you to understand who he is. No need to be afraid… Open your heart and let him in.
A pearl is waiting…
