Summer 2015 Newsletter
Dear Friend, Our God loves surprises! He loves to pour out His unexpected grace into our lives. He delights in doing the unexpected and in using ordinary vessels to shine His glory into our world. As part of that process, He sometimes asks us to step into a whole new realm of faith—beyond anything we could have imagined possible. Over the last several months, God has been calling me into a new season of faith and service. For years, I’ve had the sense that God has called me to serve Him as a single woman. But now He is asking me to step into a new chapter—to serve Him as a married woman. As you may have heard, I am engaged to a godly widower, Robert Wolgemuth, and we plan to be married in November. I invite you to read ahead for more on how God brought us together and how He is manifesting His amazing, unexpected grace in our lives. God is also moving in some deeply encouraging ways outside of the United States, as the message of true womanhood continues to spread around the world. Who could have imagined that just one woman could have a major impact on the country of Brazil, helping women discover God’s design for their lives? But that’s exactly what’s happening, and I am excited to see all that is in His heart in the days ahead for our precious sisters in Brazil. Thankfully, God’s grace isn’t just for the good and exciting things of life. He also pours out His grace, love, and mercy when we walk through sorrow and hardship. For nearly three years, Naghmeh Abedini (who spoke at True Woman ’14) has been waiting for her husband Saeed to be freed from an Iraqi prison. I hope you’ll be encouraged by her example of how God is teaching her to trust Him through extremely difficult circumstances. We don’t always understand God’s ways, but we know His intent is to make us like His Son and to glorify Himself through our lives. Thank you for the part you play in helping us minister to women around the world and for joining us as we seek to shine a spotlight on the loveliness and the amazing, saving grace of Christ.
To Him be the glory,
35 Things
I Wish I’d Known In
High School By Erin Davis
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
God’s promises are true.
This year I turned thirty-five. When I was a teenager, thirty seemed ancient. But as I crest the hill of my mid-thirties, I can assure you I won’t be picking out a retirement home any time soon. I’m just getting warmed up. In fact, my thirties have been some of the best, most fruitful, most fun years of my life. I don’t have life all figured out, but God has taught me some valuable lessons since high school graduation. Here are thirty-five of them.
11
He really does have a hope and a future for me (Jer. 29:11). The college, major, and career I pick don’t define me. I am not my work. I am a child of God. Marrying a guy who loves Jesus really, really matters.
12 13
Parents are pretty cool. Their rules are for my good. Being the prettiest or most popular girl in school matters for about half a second after graduation. Being the kindest girl in school gets remembered well past your ten-year reunion.
14
You will look back at pictures of you and think you were stunning. Trust me.
Insecurity is a massive waste of time and energy. Be confident in God’s love. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Prov. 16:9). It’s okay to have a ten-year plan, but there’s nearly a 100 percent chance God will interrupt it.
The bands you listen to in high school will be your very favorite bands forever. Keep the T-shirts. They will be “vintage” and awesome when you’re thirty.
15 16 17
You truly reap what you sow. Do you want to know your Bible frontward and backward later? Study it like crazy now. Do you want to be more like Christ someday? Be more like Him today. Broken hearts heal. Mine got broken often in high school. All these years later I’ve still never felt a pain like it. But those deep chasms are now all healed up.
Start saving money now. I wish I had developed the discipline of saving money as a high school student. While we are on the subject of money . . .
Start tithing. The Bible calls all believers to tithe regardless of income. So if you have an allowance, a part-time job, or babysitting money, you have an income. Everything you make belongs to God, but there are tremendous blessings to be found in giving a portion of it back to Him. Don’t wait until you’re rolling in the dough to start tithing.
The world doesn’t revolve around me. That’s a good thing. Champion others as often as possible. Instead of wanting everyone to cheer you on, figure out ways to cheer them on.
Normal is a mirage. Embrace your weirdness.
18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
I know that boy gives you butterflies, but that won’t carry you through the ups and downs of life. Find someone who loves Jesus (remember point #4), but also someone who is fun to talk to and knows how to cope when the going gets tough. Then when you least expect it, the butterflies will start to flutter in your tummy once again. Fourteen years after I married my high school sweetheart, I still get butterflies. I’ve never met someone my age who is glad she partied in high school. Ever. I’ve met lots and lots of them who regretted it. There is no long-term benefit from that scene.
26 27 28
You don’t need a bunch of friends. You need one or two who’ve really got your back.
29 30
Worry less about having the right friends and worry more about being the right friend.
31
Be picky about your friends. The Bible says it this way, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Prov. 13:20).
Don’t be afraid to fail. Stand up in front of the class and give that speech. Try out for the lead role in the play. Start a club. You may fall on your face. You may not. But at least you went for it.
You can do big things for the kingdom now. Don’t wait to get involved in ministry. Your parents don’t need to be your friends right now. They need to be your parents, and that means they make and enforce the rules. The good news is they will likely be your friends someday. Right now God has given them the job of being in charge. Do everything you can to make that job easier.
32 33 34 35
Find something you are good at and enjoy it, but don’t make it your whole life. Soccer is supposed to be fun, not stressful. So is singing, sculpting, and playing the saxophone. It’s okay to miss practice for church. In fact, church trumps activities every single time. Sometimes it seems cool to love Jesus and not the Church, but Jesus loves the Church. The Church is His bride. Your youth pastor is not your connection to God. “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” That’ll preach. When you get your license, it’s a license to drive, not a license to do stupid things. Within a few weeks of getting my license, I got caught racing on the highway and wrapped my car around a telephone pole. I drove dumb so you don’t have to. When you do something stupid to impress someone, it’s still doing something stupid. Do the smart thing instead.
Your siblings are cooler than you think. When you’re thirty-five, they’ll be the people you want to grab coffee with. Nothing good happens after curfew. Go home. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting” (Prov. 31:30). Spend your time growing a beautiful heart.
Visit ReviveOurHearts.com/35lessons for a special locker art graphic of “35 Things I Wish I’d Known in High School,” and give it to a student who’s heading back to school.
A Little Match Striking the Flame HOW GOD IS USING ONE WOMAN TO REACH BRAZIL by Paula Hendricks
I
n
2012,
in
study
When she hung up with Revive Our Hearts, she contacted Shedd Publishing and told them how much True Woman 101 had
women needed to hear this
transformed her life. They don’t usually publish Bible studies, so
months she thought about how to spread it to
they had no idea how consumers would respond. But after thinking
Brazil—just
message.
For
women in
True Woman 101
missionary
after completing the
with three other women , knew
Brazil,
Brazilian
C indy R ast — a
but she always came back to ,
What
can
I
do?
about it for several months, in April 2014 they agreed to publish the workbook in Portuguese.
Still, she continued to lead group after group of women through True Woman 101—American women, Brazilian women; older women, younger women; divorced women, married women, single women—and she saw the same results over and over. Women were starving for this truth. “We’ve let the world define us for so long, but when you look at the Word and see your Creator’s design, there’s something so affirming and beautiful,” she told me. “It’s not just someone’s nice idea. It’s what the Creator is saying! There’s the power.” One day in December 2013, as Cindy was sitting down to lunch, she turned on Revive Our Hearts and heard Laura Gonzalez sharing how God made her dream of starting Revive Our Hearts in Spanish
Cindy then went to work raising money to also publish the True Woman Conference video messages into Portuguese. “The Lord has done everything,” Cindy told me. “You wouldn’t know it, but I’m a high-functioning introvert. He’s impressed on me, ‘You be obedient, and I’ll do the work.’ It’s like this gear that has been greased so well and moves without any difficulty!” Cindy believes the Lord will raise up a team of Brazilian women who are passionate about spreading this message. “I’m just the little match that’s striking the flame,” she told me. Burn, on, Lord, until every woman in Brazil has a chance to hear Your beautiful design for her life!
a reality. As Cindy listened she thought, This message is in all of Latin America except for Brazil! She got on her knees, weeping, and cried out, “God, what do You want? I don’t have anything to offer.” But then God began to bring to mind her connections . . . at TransWorld Radio, at the audio-visual company where her fatherin-law serves as president, and more. So with trembling fingers, Cindy picked up the phone and left a message at Revive Our Hearts, sharing her passion. They’re going to think I’m a crazy lady! she thought.
4 ReviveOurHearts.com
Partner with Revive Our Hearts to give women around the world the opportunity to hear about God’s beautiful design for their lives. See the enclosed reply card for details.
An Unexpected Engagement by Mindy Kroesche
F
or most of
Nancy’s life, she’s had a sense that God
had called her to singleness .
But
now ,
Nancy
joyfully embracing a new gift for a new season of life . of
is
As
May 2, Nancy is engaged to Robert Wolgemuth!
to glorify and serve Him as a “divided” married woman. Following that initial conversation, I began to earnestly seek the Lord’s guidance. From the outset, I sensed God’s hand and providence in
Nancy and Robert have been acquainted for more than ten
this unfolding story and had great peace about taking
years. Robert is an author and literary agent whose agency repre-
each step. Regardless of the outcome, I knew this process
sented Nancy years ago. In 2008, she interviewed Robert and his
would be a good one for me. How I thank the Lord for this
wife, Bobbie, along with some of their family members, on their
fresh opportunity to seek Him and to surrender my plans
love of hymns.
and future to Him.
Last fall, after a two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer, Bobbie
My life verse has been Mary’s response to the angel in
passed away. Following Bobbie’s Home-going, Robert and Nancy
Luke 1—“I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me ac-
began communicating on a pure friendship level. At one point, he
cording to your word” (v. 38). My heart’s desire in this
asked if she would be open to continue developing a relationship to
journey has been only to know and to do whatever would
see where the Lord might lead them.
bring Him the greatest glory.
Here’s how Nancy describes their courtship: I shared with Robert that if I were ever to be married, I would need to know that the Lord was redirecting me from serving Him as a single
Throughout my life, my goal and greatest joy has been to tell the great redemption Story of Jesus and His love. I’ve often said that my desire was to be a “wedding coordinator”—to help the Bride get ready for the Wedding. For decades, I have done that as a single woman, wholly devoted to Christ and His kingdom.
woman with “un-
Over these months, it has become clear that the Lord
divided” focus
wants me to continue telling that gospel story . . . as a
(1 Cor. 7),
married woman. So when Robert asked if I would marry him, I said yes. With all my heart. Nancy and Robert plan to be married later this year and will continue serving the Lord wholeheartedly, trusting Him to make them even more spiritually fruitful together than they could be apart. They envision a continued robust Revive Our Hearts ministry. Please pray for them as they navigate a long-distance courtship, plan a November wedding, and faithfully fulfill their current ministry and work responsibilities. Their desire is that Christ will be magnified in this season and for the rest of their lives.
For more of Robert and Nancy’s story, visit
ReviveOurHearts.com/engagement
Summer 2015 5
S
he was always an anxious , fearful woman , and it ’ s no wonder , considering what she saw as a
young girl.
It was normal for Naghmeh and her twin
brother to walk past homes destroyed by bombs on their way to school in
Iran.
As their friends died, Naghmeh and her brother would ask, “Who is God?” “Where is He?” “Why would He allow this to happen?” As young children they fasted and prayed the compulsory Islamic prayers, but they got no answers.
ESCAPING IRAN By the time he was seven, Naghmeh’s brother wanted to sign up to go to war. (At the time, the Iranian government was enlisting boys to run through the mines.) Naghmeh’s parents saw that their son was being brainwashed in school, so they moved to California. Only a worse fate happened there. At least in their minds. Their son and daughter found the God they’d been looking for . . . Jesus.
“I WILL GIVE YOU THE NATIONS” “It would’ve been better for us to have gone back to Iran and have had you die in that war than for this to have happened to you,” their father roared.
by Paula Hendricks
He took away his children’s Bibles, but not before Psalm 2:7–8 was ingrained in Naghmeh’s mind: “Today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance.” She couldn’t have imagined then how God would do just that through her life. Especially because the next move she made with her family was to the quiet state of Idaho. Her parents hoped that here they would be able to “debrainwash” their kids back to Islam. Only the opposite happened. Naghmeh’s parents also became followers of Jesus. Years later, when Naghmeh sensed God leading her to go back to Iran, she went, even though she loved staying home and hated traveling. That year she shared the gospel with fifty of her relatives. The following year, Naghmeh met a young underground pastor named Saeed. They began doing ministry together and were married in 2004. By the time they had to leave Iran a year later due to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election, there were a few thousand Muslim converts.
6 ReviveOurHearts.com
A PRAYING MAN
You’d think Naghmeh—an already fearful woman—would be a
The only explanation? Prayer. Saeed and four others would pray from midnight until 8 a.m. for God’s kingdom to come to Iran. Then they would go out and share the gospel.
wreck, but just the opposite was true.
FREE FROM ALL FEAR
After moving to Idaho, Saeed’s praying didn’t stop. He and
“Everything I feared happened to everything I ever
Naghmeh had two children: Rebekka and Jacob. Saeed, now an
held dear and wanted,” Naghmeh recounts. “I became a single
American citizen, would walk around neighborhoods with his two
mom. My husband was in the hands of radical Muslims. My kids
and three year olds and lay hands on each house and pray for the
were hurting. I had no money.”
salvation of those inside.
That’s when she realized, “A lot of my anxiety came because I wanted to control my life. But I couldn’t control anymore. My
CALM BEFORE THE STORM
whole life turned upside down, and I was finally able to abide in
Life in Idaho was the life Naghmeh wanted. It was a comfortable, private life. Little did she know that in a few short years, she would be in the public eye as never before.
Jesus. I was free from all fear. The peace He has over me you can’t pretend; it’s not possible.”
“HE WILL TAKE YOU PLACES”
BACK TO IRAN
Since then—in spite of the fact that Naghmeh would have
In 2009 Saeed and Naghmeh felt they should return to Iran. They made a three-week visit, in which the government put Saeed under house arrest and interrogated him. They told him he was wel-
rather flunked Speech class than have given a speech—Naghmeh has stood before the United Nations and told over 100 ambassadors that Jesus is the solution they and their countries are looking for.
come back if he’d focus on a humanitarian effort. So from 2009–
She’s prayed in Jesus’ name with the European Parliament, the
2012, Saeed traveled back and forth and worked on an orphanage.
Dutch Parliament, the Socialist Party, and the Communist party. She’s shared on Fox News, CNN, and in very secular Iranian media, with over fifty million Iranians hearing her share the gospel.
LOSING SAEED In June of 2012, Naghmeh dropped Saeed off at the airport for another trip to Iran. Saeed was supposed to return the following
Today God is doing through Naghmeh precisely what she read in the Bible as a baby Christian: “Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheri-
month. One night, however, Naghmeh was awakened around midnight by an unexpected call. “They’ve taken my son,” Saeed’s mother cried hysterically. “They’ve just taken him in the most horrific way.” “I couldn’t believe I was hearing that correctly,” Naghmeh reflected. “I couldn’t believe that was my life.” About a week later Naghmeh finally learned her husband was in solitary confinement in Evin Prison. He’d been beaten and tortured and told that if he would deny Christ, he could return to his family.
tance” (Psalm 2:7–8).
WHAT NEXT? No one but God knows what will happen next. Saeed was originally sentenced to eight years in prison, but he’s been told they’ll add on years or give him the death penalty for sharing the gospel in prison. Regardless of what happens, Naghmeh testifies, “God has given me freedom to be able to let go and trust Him.”
But Saeed stood strong in his faith. In fact, he led so many people to Christ in Evin Prison that they exiled him to another prison.
Excerpted from the booklet Free from All Fear: Naghmeh Abedini’s Story. For the full story, order your copy online at ReviveOurHearts.com. Summer 2015 7
Worship with
Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Jen Wilkin
Lauren Chandler
Eric Mason
@nancydemoss
@ jenniferwilkin
@laurenchandler
@pastoremase
“I felt like someone put their arm around me and said, ‘Come sit with me. I can you some things. We can grow together.’”
teach
—Conference Attendee
September 25–26 • Indianapolis Revive15.com
Do you need that same gentle nudge to motivate you to dig deeper into Scripture, as well as the courage to teach it to other women? Imagine spending a weekend with hundreds of other women with the same hunger for God’s Word! Join us September 25–26 in Indianapolis for Revive ’15: For Women Teaching Women to hear from Bible teachers Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Jen Wilkin, Pastor Eric Mason, and others as they offer practical tools and encouragement for studying and teaching Scripture effectively. If you can’t make it to Indianapolis, we’ll be providing an English and Spanish LIVE stream. You can register and find more details at Revive15.com.
TM
Revive Our Hearts is an outreach of Life Action Ministries PO Box 2000 • Niles, MI 49120 • ReviveOurHearts.com • 800.569.5959
Looking for bite-sized, daily encouragement right where you are? Follow us on: facebook.com/ReviveOurHearts twitter.com: @ReviveOurHearts pinterest.com/ReviveOurHearts instagram: @reviveourhearts
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, Copyright © 2001, Crossway Bibles, esv.org. The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photographers: Jeff Calenberg, Katie Bollinger, Hannah (Brandau) Abad, Kristina Cowan