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Reaching Hurting Women Ministries™ 2018 Update

Hello Friends!

 

For 10 years the Reaching Hurting Women Ministries™ (RHW) has been an online presence only. Through life stories, book reviews, podcasts, and resource columns I’ve shared my addiction recovery journey and the valuable life lessons God’s been teaching me.

Since 2011, God has been bringing contemplative spirituality to the forefront of my studies. I found so many benefits to my contemplative path that I have completely redirected my approach to recovery and ministry.

In 2012, I was introduced to Benedictine Spirituality and Saint Benedict’s 12 Steps of Humility. Soon I noticed an amazing connection between St. Benedict’s 12 Steps and the traditional 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. It wasn’t long before God put a book project on my heart. I hope to have my manuscript submitted to my publisher by September 1, 2018.

Along with my website and book I’ve started designing RHW‘s first women’s retreat. The first retreat will be a small group of friends who will help me get my “retreat-leader” feet wet. Going forward I plan to have contemplative women’s retreat travel packages for destinations around America and possibly in Europe. It’s my hope and prayer to have my first destination retreat in the Spring/Summer of 2019.

At the RHW Seeds of Contemplation™ retreats I will be sharing some of the contemplative practices I’ve been writing about on RHW for the last few years: mindfulness, journaling, art therapy; sacred reading, and centering prayer. With the healing power of the Holy Spirit as our guide, retreat attendees will journey with me into a more peaceful way of recovering from the hurts, habits and hang-ups that have held us all captive for too long.

Friends / Patrons, here’s where you come in… I have a full-time 9-6 daily job that pays the bills. However, it doesn’t provide enough to self-publish my book or get my retreat ministry off the ground.

How can you give? You have various tier options to give monthly from $1-$50 and up.

Where is the money going? Your monthly subscriptions will help me self-publish my book and begin the planning/reserving the Summer 2019 women’s retreat. ​

What reward will you get for your monthly support? Each tier level has its own rewards beginning with a listing on the RHW Thank You webpage all the way to webinars, and discounts on retreats and future products.

Reaching Hurting Women Ministries™ is a non-profit organization so any gift is tax deductible.

I’m so excited to have partners who want to support my contemplative Christian ministry for women. I look forward to time together in the RHW Private FaceBook Group, on quarterly webinars, at retreats and sharing life messages as we grow forward on this contemplative journey together.

Thanks in advance for learning more about Reaching Hurting Women Ministries™ and prayerfully considering supporting efforts that will help other women find hope, peace and healing.

May the grace and peace of Christ be with you…

Tamara

“The Father has delivered and drawn me to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred me into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.” ~ Colossians 1:13

Image Credit: arcady31 / 123RF Stock Photo

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Springing Back to Life!

 

Hi Friends!

It’s been several months since I’ve been able to post a column. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way of our plans and favorite projects. With winter behind us and spring in full swing, I’m energized and refocused on my writing and ministry goals. It’s my hope to start publishing blog columns more regularly. I have some great ideas and plans that I trust God to bring about this year. Thanks for all your support and prayers for this budding ministry.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance! ~ (2 Peter 1:2)  …Tamara

Check out TobyMac’s song that’s helping reenergize my ministry focus and purpose!

Image Credit

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BREAKING NEWS!

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RHW New Website Is Live!

 

Thanks for all the ongoing prayers and patience as I’ve been working on getting the new website and professional blogging software ready to go live!

The RHW look is new, and will continue to evolve, but the mission remains constant:

                          “To share Christ’s love, hope and healing with women everywhere.”

I’m looking forward to exploring and sharing more of the exciting new directions God is taking RHW over the year ahead.  I hope to launch podcasts, speaking engagements, women’s retreats, release my book(s) and much more.

As you get to know the new RHW site, please let me know what you think!  I hope you will take a quick minute to sign up for the free weekly newsletter so you’ll never miss a blog post and can get the latest RHW updates.  Also, be sure to like the new Facebook page and follow on Twitter and Instagram. Stay tuned!

In His service,

Tamara

 

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Making a fresh start!

 

website remodel

Hello!

Welcome to my new WordPress website! I’m very excited to be redesigning my ministry site and vision. Your prayers are appreciated as I learn this new platform and get a fresh design in place.  Hopefully, it be up and running before too long. Until then, all of my content from the last eight years is still available on my original site:  http://reachinghurtingwomen.blogspot.com. I will continue to post columns there as well. 

Blessings… Tamara

Image credit: 123rf.com

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LOOK WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2014!

For the last seven years God has allowed me to share my recovery journey with you. I’m very grateful and have learned a lot.  Now it’s time to share the new direction God is taking me.


A few years ago I began learning about Christian Mysticism. Then in 2011 I was introduced to Benedictine spirituality, which is is derived from The Rule of Benedict written by St. Benedict of Nursia for the monks in his monastery over 1500 years ago. Known as the founder of Western monasticism, St. Benedict and his rule have had a tremendous impact on the Christian church. Surprisingly, the rule provides extraordinary insight into today’s major spiritual issues. Once I began studying it I knew I was home.


Since studying monastic spirituality I’ve been led to become a Benedictine Oblate. Oblates are ordinary people who dedicate their lives to God like monks. But rather than taking vows and living behind the wall of a monastery, Oblates make spiritual commitments that are lived outside the wall. I’m excited to share the things I’m learning with you this upcoming year. I hope you’ll tag along as my spiritual journey continues to unfold… Blessings!

Here is the Reaching Hurting Women monthly schedule for 2014:


First Wednesday: The 12 Steps of Humility 
What I am most excited about this year is my focus on the topic of Humility. Each month we are going to learn one of the 12 Steps of Humility from St. Benedict. I think you will be amazed at how they line up with the recovery steps and principles.

Second Wednesday: A Monk in the World  
In this column we will learn how to implement monastic spiritual practices into our daily life, enhancing our Christian walk with Benedictine principles.

Third Wednesday: The Twelve Principles 
This year we are going to take a different turn on our 12 Step journey. My recovery columns for 2014 will focus on the Principles behind the 12 Steps rather than the Steps themselves. This will add a new dimension to our recovery study and growth process.

Fourth Wednesday: Books Reviews 
As I have these last few years, each month I will continue to publish a Book Review.  Again the topics will focus on Humility, Christian mysticism or monastic spirituality.


During Lent 2013 I studied about St. Hildegard of Bingen. 
She was an incredible woman far ahead of her time. Among her many accomplishments, St. Hildegard is credited for composing the first Western opera. I’d like to share her beautiful music with you. If you can’t see the screen below CLICK HERE.  Enjoy…


PHOTO CREDIT: ryanking999 / 123RF Stock Photo

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Preparing for 2013

For the last several weeks I’ve been asking God for direction and focus for my ministry blog. After much prayer and meditation I finally have a peace about my outline for the upcoming year. In keeping with last year’s magazine format, we will have topical weekly columns that repeat on a specific Wednesday of the month.

To be faithful to my recovery journey and my ministry’s primary message of healing, I will continue to dedicate the first Wednesday of each month to addiction recovery. The last few years I’ve gone through the traditional 12 Steps. This year I am going to combine the 12 Steps, with Celebrate Recovery’s Eight Principles – which are based on The Beatitudes. I’m looking forward to learning new things.
This last year we learned about Virtues and Vices. Although, I will continue my personal studies of Christian Virtue, I’ve decided to take a slight detour and focus on the Spiritual Disciplines this years. We will be using Richard Foster’s brilliant book Celebration of Discipline, Dallas Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines and Charles Swindoll’s So You Want to Be Like Christ? as foundations for our study. I hope you come along as we go out into the deep in search of what God would have us be in this life.  
In 2004 when I was beginning my recovery journey and returning back to the Lord, I was a mess to put it lightly. I struggled terribly with my thought life and mental boundaries. It wasn’t long before God directed me to write scriptures and various lessons I was learning from books on 3×5 cards. These cards were crucial to getting through days and often hours of those early years. I literally carried them with me everywhere I went. As I’ve struggled in a few areas these last few months, I’ve been drawn back to my cards. Then when I was praying for this upcoming year, God reminded me of the important messages held in those cards. So for 2013, on the third Wednesday of each month I will post a column called Living Life Lessons which will be various topics and life lessons God has been working into my life these last eight years.
As a student of life and avid reader it’s important that I continue to share the good things I find. On the fourth Wednesday of each month I will be posting a Book Review. I’m excited about the book list that has already come together for this next year! Some are on my resource page and have been critical to my journey for several years. Others are new publications and some just new to me. I hope you will be blessed as we strive to be better together.

Here is what you can expect each month of 2013 on Reaching Hurting Women:

  • 1st Wednesday:  The Road to Recovery
  • 2nd Wednesday: Celebrate Discipline
  • 3rd Wednesday:  Living Life Lessons
  • 4th Wednesday:  Book Reviews
  • 5th Wednesday:  Bonus Blog / Guest Bloggers 
Jump into the river with me… let’s go deeper together with this music video! http://youtu.be/h_O_3XrXlFQ

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Coming in September on Reaching Hurting Women…

Working the Steps: Step 9

Step Nine is a culmination of the forgiveness process: forgiving ourselves / others;  receiving forgiveness from God / others. But before we can forgive ourselves, we must first acknowledge the pain others have suffered because of our actions. 

                                 

BOOK REVIEW: 


Healing the Shame That Binds You


 by John Bradshaw 

Unhealthy toxic shame learned in childhood and maintained in adulthood, is often the core component of our compulsions, co-dependencies, addictions and drives to over achieve. 


Virtues ~n~ Vices :: Forgiveness



Forgiveness isn’t based on merit but grace. It’s a choice – a faith decision to not hold a grudge/sin against another person any longer… even ourselves. 




Healing Hurts :: Anger


Anger is a wide umbrella word covering many levels of the emotion… indignation, wrath, fury, rage.  How can we deal with this fire we have growing within? 


      








LOOK FOR A NEW ARTICLE EACH WEDNESDAY ON REACHING HURTING WOMEN!




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Ministry Update…

Been a little hectic these last weeks… As Mimi, I’ve been helping my son get his wife and kids prepared and on the plane to Latvia for their Summer vacation with family and friends. Personally, I’ve been offline finishing my online seminary classes; final exam taken and ordination papers are now headed this way!

Tomorrow, Bill and I load up the car for a road trip to North Carolina for the Exodus Freedom Conference. This is a conference I’ve been wanting to attend for several years now but have been unable to make. Needless to say, I’m very excited! I hope to post a blog from the conference at some point.

When we return, I’ll get back to work writing. My goal is to have my autobiography completed by the end of Summer and ready to publish by December. Even though I’m about half finished with my book, it’s been over two years since I’ve worked on it because of our many moves.

In other ministry news, we will be setting up our 501c3 status in the next weeks and months and seeking God’s guidance for ministry board members.

I appreciate your prayers for all these concerns. Thanks for supporting this budding ministry. Blessings…

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Book Review: My Life So Far by Jane Fonda

My Life So Far by Jane Fonda
Random House 2006
What you remember about Jane Fonda may not be all that appealing or interesting. And honestly, this isn’t the type of book I normally browse, much less purchase. But after seeing Jane Fonda on a talk show recently I had to order it. At first glance My Life So Far didn’t seem to fit the theme of my ministry, but once I read her introduction I knew it was something I was supposed to read and write about.
Her story will help many women find healing! 
In My Life So Far Ms. Fonda is incredibly transparent about all aspects of her life and marriages. She talks openly about her battle with eating disorders, self image issues and sexuality. Considering she’s from my mother’s generation; I was amazed at how much my personal issues and emotional feelings mirrored hers. With her history of political controversy, who could imagine Jane Fonda had self-esteem problems?
She opens up about her deepest fears…

“I’m terrified of getting to that place right at the edge of life when there’s no time left, being filled with regrets and having no time to set things right.

I began thinking a great deal about [fears of mine] in my late fifties. I had begun to go through deep inner changes–changes that I didn’t fully understand until I began writing this book. I realized then that to avoid regrets, I would have to start, while I was still healthy and strong, to name what those might be and to do something about them. I needed to live consciously, and I knew it would mean facing things that frightened me — like intimacy.” 

One of my favorite things is her comparison of life to a play…

Act I    Birth to 29
Act II   30-59
Act III  60…

“The big difference between life and acting… in life there’s no rehearsal… this is it; better get it right before it’s over.”

Today, I’m challenged to finish my second act with a deeper understanding of myself, life and God. I want to go into Act III with great physical health, intent to have the best ending possible.

My Life So Far is full of wonderful stories of Jane’s family and movie making with great photos throughout. It’s quite a read to tackle with 600 pages, but definitely worth the time! Whether you’re a movie buff, interested in political history or a struggling with personal issues, you’ll get caught up in her story and won’t want to put it down. Having found a sister/friend… I miss hanging out with her. Her next book Prime Time: Creating a Great Third Act is scheduled to release in September. I’ve already pre-ordered it!