Dear Sisters,
I didn’t fall off the face of the earth or quit writing Madison Christian Women blog. I just got detoured and took awhile getting myself back on the main road.
What’s happening among women and in women’s ministry in Madison? Amazing things. Two women I know and respect are writing books sharing their experiences with sexual abuse and its results in their lives. Lorita Boyle is gathering prayer warriors to surround and watch on the walls for InterVarsity’s Urbana conference in December.
vicki Thorn from the National Post Abortion Reconciliation and Healing ministry in Milwaukee is traveling the country speaking to young women about the spirituality and science of sex and reproduction God is nudging me about ministry to women. Others are being nudged too. Intercessors are waking up and starting to learn what intercession means. God is raising up women to climb up on the walls as watchmen, warring for His kingdom and for the Lost and the Healing of the Nations.
As you see, blog topics are flooding the fields!
Last week some women in our church went to help a sister clean. It had been a very rough couple of years for this dear, kind woman. In the process, her house had gotten away from her (anyone who doesn’t know what this really means, bless you. The rest of us know what it means to look at that closet or room or entire house and say, "Save me, Jesus!")
After the clean-a-thon, things were fresh and the windows open. Our sister had an opportunity for a new start and some encouragement. But, I realized that she also needed some mentoring. I thought, "I should ask Michelle to come to our church and lead a workshop on clutter….." Then, I received Michelle’s newsletter and realized lots of us might benefit from a bit of loving mentoring and motivation.
I’d like to introduce you Michelle Sugarman. She’s a life coach. Her heart and calling is for women. She is one of those people gifted to tackle practical "stuff" that gets in our way. She also has the gift of helping people figure out WHY they get into stuck places and then how to make their way out – step by step.
Life coaching has become a popular field. You may see sketchy-looking ads about becoming a coach and making $100,000 a year while living on a sailboat in the Caribbean and serving Fortune 500 corporate clients. It makes coaching look like something questionable. It’s not.
While somebody might be doing the $100K sailboat gig it’s not Michelle. She’s in the trenches with regular women. Helping them make changes and get unstuck in their lives. She’s one of those people who can ask the right questions to help you look at what’s happening. She can help you strategize and make plans to change.
It’s not counseling. Not therapy. It’s support and strategies for self-awareness and change. It’s a plunger to help you get unstuck and make changes.
One of the things I appreciate about Michelle is that she gives away free advice all the time. Her newsletter has columns on really day-to-day issues like procrastination (who? Me? Is that why it took me a month to get back on track with this blog after I got my daughter back in school and finished a big writing project?), clutter, decision-making….I’m a busy woman and I want input that I can use in my daily life. That’s one thing I appreciate about Michelle – her practicalness.
Check out Michelle’s website at www.mylivingbalance.com Roam around. Sign up for her newsletter (she won’t bug you). Maybe some women in your church would benefit from her workshop on clutter (not just how to get on top of it, but understanding what "stuff" means to you and why it’s hard to get rid of or control it) or on time management or….
Check it out. It might be just right for you.
Blessings from the Walls,
Julia