Issue 19 - February 16, 2007
Happy Late Valentine's Day from
Shannon Ethridge Ministries!
Encouragement Corner
 My husband and I just returned from our “Taking Your Marriage Over the Top” Conference at Glen Eyrie Retreat Center in Colorado Springs, where there was over a foot of snow blanketing the majestic mountains, the towering trees, and the gorgeous grounds. Husbands and wives snuggled together, both to stay warm and to stay connected as we explored spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical intimacy in marriage.
My favorite way to explain the concept of intimacy is to break the word down into syllables: in-to-me-see. When we see into the heart, mind, and soul of another, and allow them to see into every part of us as well, an incredibly powerful bond is created.
However, genuine intimacy in marriage always requires genuine integrity. Two people can never know and be fully known by the other as long as one or both are hiding secrets from one another – especially sexual secrets that create an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame in one partner, and an equally overwhelming sense of betrayal and hurt in the other.
But when a person is truly honest with themselves, with God, and with their spouse about their sexual struggles and temptations, the potential for genuine intimacy, accountability, spiritual growth, healing, and wholeness is unlimited. Is honesty risky? You bet. Is it worth the risk to experience genuine intimacy in your marriage? Absolutely. No one wants to be loved for the masks they wear or the lies they hide behind. We all need to know that we are deeply loved, in spite of our shortcomings.
The encouraging thing is that God, who already knows our sexual misdeeds and temptations, still loves us completely. He says in Isaiah 1:18, “Come, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will wash you white as snow.”
If you are ready for God to wash your sins white as snow, show you how to live with sexual integrity, and help you and your spouse experience genuine intimacy in your marriage, go to Books to read more about the Every Woman series.
Dear Shannon...
“God is my priority and I want to please Him. But I met a man (who is not a Christian) and we went out a couple of times. I liked the way he treated me and all the things he said to me. He has proposed, but I told him I can’t marry someone who’s not a Christian. He refused to consider that, so I suggested we just be friends. Yet there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. He has treated me like no other man in my life. I would really like to have a relationship with him. I am 29, and I worry whether another man will come along. What should I do? I don’t want to damage my relationship with God, but I also don’t want to lose this man.” – G.B.
Dear G.B. –
I can sympathize with your struggle, but I encourage you to hold on to the truths in God’s word, which is very clear about us not being yoked with an unbeliever (see 2 Corinthians 6:14). If God is the creator of marriage, yet this man has no respect for God, how good of a marriage partner will he truly be? You deserve someone who is going to submit his life to God so you can wholeheartedly submit to his godly leadership. As the old song says, “It’s sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along,” so don’t make the mistake of committing your life to someone who doesn’t share your love for God. Hold out for someone who does. It’s understandable that you are going to continue thinking about this guy for a while, but the fascination will lessen with time, and God will honor you for sacrificing this relationship for righteousness’ sake (perhaps with a much better marriage candidate just around the corner!).
Coming Summer 2007:
The Loving Jesus Without Limits Series: Helping Women Embrace Their Role as the Bride of Christ!
Lead Book
Completely His: Loving Jesus Without Limits
4 Devotionals
Completely Loved: Recognizing God’s Passionate Pursuit of Us
Completely Forgiven: Responding to God’s Transforming Grace
Completely Blessed: Unwrapping God’s Extraordinary Gifts
Completely Irresistible: Drawing Others Toward God’s Extravagant Love
What's Shannon Working On Now?
A new writing project—one that I’d love your help on! This will be a self-help book published by Random House for the secular market called, The Sexually-Confident Wife: Overcoming the Hurdles that Hold Women Back.
We’re currently gathering testimonies and questions from both women and men regarding the issues that rob a wife of her sexual confidence, and how she can regain it to become the sexually-confident, sexually-satisfied woman she deserves to be. If you would like to submit a personal testimony or question you’d like to see addressed in this book, please email Shannon at sethridge@shannonethridge.com. By doing so, you’ll be entered into a drawing to receive one of the 25 free autographed copies we’ll be awarding upon its release in 2008!
"Books For Zimbabwe" Program Update
We continue to experience a tremendous burden for the youth of Zimbabwe after our two-week mission trip this past September. At the invitation of Youth for Christ, we traveled to 16 different high schools, churches, and orphanages and spoke to over 6,000 teen girls and boys. Many approached with tears in their eyes saying, “Both my parents have already died of AIDS, and I assumed my life would end the same way. But you gave me hope that I can choose not to get this disease by saving sex for marriage!” (for our complete update, click here).
Unfortunately, we were only able to get 120 books into the country, but we hope to send hundreds or even thousands more in the coming year. Thanks to the generosity of those who’ve responded to our “matching funds” offer, yet another small shipment of books is already on its way, but would you please pray about helping us send more soon? We will continue to match your donations dollar-for-dollar throughout 2007. Please click here to donate online.
Calendar Of Events
March 9-10, 2007 - Every Man/Woman’s Battle Conference in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This will be an intergenerational conference for both parents and teens with Shannon speaking to the women at one church and Fred Stoeker, co-author of the Every Man series, speaking to the men at another. For more information, go to www.harnesstheriver.com.
April 20, 2007 - Dallas, TX – Shannon delivers the morning devotional at the 2007 Gathering of Church Bookstores held at Prestonwood Baptist Church. If you are a church bookstore manager, we hope to see you there!
May 26, 2007 - Las Vegas, NV – Shannon speaks to men, women, and teens at Restoration Ministries. For more information, contact Jennifer Thomas at jladyt63@aol.com.
June 28-30, 2007 - Teen Mania Ministries’ Emerging Leaders Summit in sunny Southern California. More information to come!
Testimonies Of Praise
"When you came to our high school in Zimbabwe and ministered to us about the dangers of having sex before marriage, it touched me deeply. I’ve got friends who are what you called “technical virgins” because they haven’t actually had intercourse but have gone quite far. I’m the “baby” of the group because I’ve not done anything yet, but Every Young Woman’s Battle has inspired me not to feel pressured to do anything stupid, and in the long run, mess up my life. I am encouraged about what my future holds."
Prayer Team Update
Please pray that God would guide Shannon’s thoughts and words during the following upcoming media appearances & recording sessions and that listeners/watchers would be ministered to in a powerful way:
- March 5 – New Life Live! with Stephen Arterburn, Laguna Beach, CA
- March 6 – HomeWord with Jim Burns, San Juan Capistrano, CA
- April 3 – The Harvest Show on the LeSea Broadcast Network, South Bend, IN
- April 5-6 – Oasis Audio, Chicago, IL
- April 19 – The John Ankerburg Show, Chattanooga, TN
Also pray for her husband Greg, and children, Erin and Matthew, that God would continue to bind their hearts and spirits together as a family.
We are so blessed to have a group of prayer warriors who read every request submitted and personally respond via email to those seeking the Lord’s guidance for their unique situations. If you have a prayer request we can lift to God on your behalf, please let us know by clicking here.
You can also click here to post prayer requests or connect with other readers on the Every Woman’s Battle Message Board.
We appreciate your prayers and encouraging support
for the staff and volunteers of Shannon Ethridge Ministries!
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