I’ve always thought that someone who gets up with a testimony before the congregation should give a brief bio so that you all don’t think the person is just some back row pew sitter that all of a sudden has something to say, but in many cases that is just what happens. My thought is that more than half of you see me in that light since most of the time I do not have anything to say at the front of the church these days. There was a time when I was on the worship team or leading worship when I did more in front of the church congregation. That was before many of you were a part of this fellowship but there are many that do know my history with this church. First I will give you a little bio of my life and walk with the Lord for the past 4 plus decades.
I have been in church all of my life because of my beautiful little mother’s faithfulness. I was baptized in the Methodist Church, then baptized in the Catholic Church and then baptized in the river.
I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior in 1975 in a bible study and then went about living my worldly life only turning to him when life fell apart time after time.
I was filled with the Holy Spirit in 1980 but have been far from walking in the Spirit many, many times since then.
Jerry and I met and married in 1983 and have been committed to this church since the beginning in 1985 when several families started meeting in Alan and Tonchita’s basement. We raised 4 out of 6 children in this church. His 2 were our on their own when we married. We raised my 2 children from my first marriage and his deceased sister’s 2 children.
In the mid-2000’s I began what I will call “My Walk in the Desert” period which started when:
1) in 2004 and 2005 the adult children along with the grandchildren moved a long way from this area to other parts of the state leaving no family members nearby,
2) my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2006 and passed away a couple of years ago in 2016 from Alzheimer complications. Her last 3 years she was in a memory care facility under total care not knowing any one or any thing.
3) my dad died unexpectedly in 2009,
4) Jerry was involved in a head-on collision in 2007 which caused an early retirement for him,
5) I quit the insurance company I had worked at for over 20 years to find a job with medical insurance since I lost that with Jerry's retirement,
6) I began a new job with the City.
These were a lot of new paths for me and I was very unsure where or what the Lord wanted from me. I was not sure of anything in my middle-age life.
In 2015 I started having severe stomach trouble and doctors could not find the cause and there were numerous tests showing nothing wrong.
Then on Thursday, July 26, 2018, I awoke to a spinning room and intense nausea, was taken to the hospital (by ambulance) and a later MRI showed a mass on the left side of my brain behind my ear. I was immediately take to OHSU (by ambulance) where a wonderful neurosurgeon removed it on July 29th. Miraculously the stomach problems were gone when the tumor was gone.
Medically wise, prior to then, 1980 was the last time I had been in the hospital and that was to give birth to my son. My new medical chart says I am "a 64 year old female with an unremarkable medical history,” which means there is really nothing to speak of, medically. I love to say I am unremarkable because I truly am!
But then during the days recovering in the hospital and the week after, I began to hear the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear about a new women’s ministry which became the Power of Twelve women’s group. My family thought I was nuts or at least still having issues with the steroids.
The plans came together quickly as the Lord showed me what he wanted me to do and it all came to fruition with my daughter Dena helping me layout how the women would be gathered, how the gatherings would take place, how the words would be chosen and many other details. The initial group of women invited to participate came from my 64 years of history with many local women. Many of the women are those who the Lord had me planting seeds in at different times during those years through family connections, work connections, school connections, friends, and church.
He made it as easy as possible for this ministry to come together and the plan can be used by any group of women, any church, anywhere.
Power of Twelve is a women’s encouragement group for 12 women of all ages (20 to 100) committed to meet once a month, for one hour, for one year.
The main reason the Lord called this group of women together is for reaching across the generations to “save the children, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren”. Those are his words, not mine.
The group leader should try to find four women seeking the Lord, four women who know the Lord but earnestly desire a closer walk and four women firmly planted in Him.
So far, this first group of the Power of Twelve women have met 5 times since last September. At the first meeting each woman brought a single word, with a single scripture using that word on a piece of paper and put them all in a jar. Each month we pull out a new word to focus on. We talk about the word and scripture and then go out for the month and use that word in our everyday lives to encourage our families and others. Our words have been LIGHT, COMFORT, THANKSGIVING, FORGIVENESS and HOPE. There are 7 more words in the jar waiting to be picked out one by one for the rest of the months. More than half of the women in this group do not attend any regular church but are seeking a greater knowledge of God and a closer relationship to him.
The tag line the Lord gave me was “Twelve Women – Twelve Words – Twelve Months, which has now been copyrighted.
There are actually 13 women total as the leader opens her home or gathering place and facilitates the meetings.
Also, since this all started I have been writing and documenting many different things that the Lord has impressed upon me to share in writing. So far he has not revealed just what I am to do with all of the writings.
The business end of Power of Twelve has also been taken care of as it is a registered non-profit organization with the state and federal government. The bylaws are written and have been submitted to the required governmental agencies.
The mission statement is:
Twelve Women. Twelve Words. Twelve Months.
The mission statement for the Power of Twelve is to bring a connection to the generations of women across this Christian Nation, the United States of America, to save the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren by speaking the word of God into their lives and the lives of those around them. The good word, by one word can change hearts and lives of those around us. Choose. Your. Words. Wisely.
The USA Constitution is filled with God.
The USA motto is "In God We Trust"
The National Anthem is "God Bless America"
The Pledge of Allegiance is filled with God
America is the Land of the Free. Home of the Brave.
The Declaration of Independence is filled with God.
The scriptures for the Power of Twelve group are:
Joshua 24:15 - But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Jeremiah 29;11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
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