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February Greetings From
Shannon Ethridge Ministries!
Why Do We Need
Community?
I was recently flipping channels while walking on my treadmill, and came across an interesting documentary about a young boy who was abandoned as a toddler and raised by a pack of wolves. As you can imagine, his table manners were pretty atrocious and his social skills certainly wouldn’t land him a job at any Fortune 500 company. It took years of living in captivity and being coached by caring adults before he learned to fulfill his destiny of being a productive young man who could be in healthy relationship with other human beings.
We can’t deny the benefit of living in community with like-minded individuals. Whatever we aspire to become, it helps to surround ourselves with those very kinds of people. And that is especially true when it comes to our sexuality!
Unfortunately, openly discussing matters of human sexuality in our homes and churches is still incredibly taboo. Every time I speak somewhere, people lament the fact that their parents never told them
anything (or said ridiculous stuff like “sex is horrible, dirty, nasty… so save it for the person you marry”). The church often focuses so much on the negative aspects of sex (adultery, fornication, pornography, etc.) that we can easily lose site of the fact that our sexuality is a beautiful gift from God intended to bless our marriage relationships. Sometimes we can feel so alone in our pursuit of a holy sexual lifestyle, and have nowhere to turn to ask the hard questions or seek sage advice about healthy marital sex.
That’s why I’m so excited to announce that we have created three new Web Communities for the benefit of our readers:
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Every Woman’s Battle - for adult women looking to overcome pre-marital or extra-marital sexual & emotional temptation
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Every YOUNG Woman’s Battle - for teens and college students who are seeking to guard their minds, hearts and bodies in this sex-saturated world
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Sexually Confident Wives - for married couples looking to connect more intimately and cultivate the strongest and healthiest sex life possible
None of us learn to be healthy sexual beings on our own. Countless wonderful individuals lined my personal journey toward sexual integrity and sexual intimacy in marriage. All of them were invaluable - counselors, pastors, college professors, other authors on the topic, etc. etc. But I have to admit that
friends - fellow strugglers on the path - have by far been the most helpful. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by sexual and emotional battles, you want to be encouraged by someone who’s been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the video, and walked away an OVERCOMER!
That’s exactly the kind of folks that will be gathering in these three segments of the Shannon Ethridge Web Community. If you need encouragement in one of these areas, or if you have encouragement to grant others, I hope you’ll consider joining us
by
clicking here!
  
We’re Partnering with CovenantEyes.com
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If the kind of “community” you or your husband need right now is more along the lines of accountability for overcoming internet pornography use, we encourage you to check out
www.covenanteyes.com.
They have accountability software available that can be an invaluable tool for any household. And while you’re on the site, you might benefit from Shannon’s occasional blogs and reader
responses. Also, use our affiliate code "SEMCE" to receive the first 30 days free.
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We’re getting ready to have a B.L.A.S.T.!!!
Do you feel called to speak or write a book, but wonder how to get started?
Are you already writing and speaking,
but want to enlarge your platform or get your writings published?
As you know, the publishing industry is incredibly complex and difficult to break into. As my writing mentor said years ago, “You can feel like a tiny grain of sand on an entire continent of beach when you’re trying to get published!” Boy, do I remember that feeling. And I sense that there are lots of you who are experiencing that feeling right now. Perhaps God has tapped you on the shoulder and said, “I want YOU to be my voice!” If so, I sense God tapping ME on the shoulder and saying, “I want YOU to teach them how!”
In response to this calling, I’m launching a new one-year program starting this September called B.L.A.S.T. (Building Leaders, Authors, Speakers & Teachers). I’ll meet one day per month with a select group of aspiring writers and speakers, attempting to teach you all that I can about bringing your own ministry and publishing dreams to life!
If you’re interested in learning more about the program,
click here for an informational brochure and application packet. Also, feel free to forward this e-newsletter to your like-minded friends who’d be interested as well.
There is an ONLINE version of the program, so no matter where you live, you can have a BLAST with us!
Mark Your Calendars - Shannon Is Coming To...
Cozumel, Mexico - February 5 - 9, 2009
Please pray for Shannon's family as we sail with other speakers on a Premier Christian Cruise from Mobile, AL to Cozumel, Mexico!
Lebanon, TN - February 12, 2009
Mother/Daughter Banquet at Friendship Christian School.
For more
info contact Brooke Akin at
brookeakin@friendshipchristian.org.
Tyler, TX - March 4, 2009
Shannon speaks at Grace Community Church’s MOPS group.
Contact Monaca at davismo2003@att.net for more information.
Tyler, TX - March 9, 2009
Shannon speaks at the Celebrate Recovery Support Group.
Contact Marty at
martyK64@aol.com for more information.
Toronto, Canada - April 25, 2009
Shannon speaks at the Girl’s Night Out Conference at Canada Christian College in North York.
For more info. contact Helen Vannest at
Helen_Vannest@worldvision.ca.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - October 16 - 18, 2009
Women's Conference at Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
For more info contact Lori Patrick lorip@abnwt.paoc.org.
Oxford Falls, Australia - October 29 - 31, 2009
Shannon will be speaking at Everywoman Conference.
For more info contact Tammy Edwards tammye@ccc.org.au or go to
http://www.everywomanconference.com/.
It's A God Thing...
We love hearing from you about what God is doing in your life as you read! Listen to these cool testimonies from all over the globe, and praise God with us…
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E.N. writes:
Long story short, your book “The Sexually Confident Wife” was life changing for me. While I cannot say that our sex life is right where is should be -- we're still not having sex as often -- I CAN say that I have a better understanding of sex, my husband, & our sexual marriage; everything you wrote were things I had no clue about! My parents (who are now divorced after over 20 years of marriage) never talked to me about such things, so the only sexual education I received was through "friends" and other sources. Needless to say, your book has been an incredible learning experience for me, and I cannot express the gratitude I feel that you were brave enough and compassionate enough to write such a book. Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart! - E.N. |
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J. writes:
“Ohmygosh! I just finished reading
I just want to send a big THANK YOU for your book "Completely His.” My teenage daughter read it as a recommendation by a counselor she was seeing. This book has opened my eyes like no other to the love of Jesus and what His Love really means. I have been a Christian since childhood, but have not always been a faithful follower of Christ. I was a very promiscuous college girl, and like Shannon, have often wondered why God would bless me with a husband, and beautiful healthy children when I could very well have been dead from AIDS. In my 40s, I feel like I am a baby Christian all over again. I am sad that I have not ever really understood Jesus' love for me. I pray that I will as I continue to read. I would love to share it with other women. Thank you. My daughter loved the book and it really ministered to her as well. God bless you. - J.
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Shannon responds: Sadly, many parents fail to prepare their children for healthy sex lives and it can take us many painful years to “get in the groove.” Let’s not fall into that same category with our own children. I REJOICE with you over the encouragement you’ve received from the book, and I commend you for reading it! Your marriage IS worth every ounce of effort it takes to cultivate a rich and rewarding sex life. |
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Shannon responds: That’s music to an author’s ears, J! Indeed a “head knowledge” of Jesus’ love can be the biggest hindrance to a genuine, life-changing “heart knowledge.” I’m delighted to hear that our Heavenly Bridegroom has revealed Himself to you and your daughter in such a magnificent way! |
If God’s doing something in your life, marriage, family, or ministry as a result of reading one of Shannon’s books, let us know so we can praise God with you!
How Can We Pray For You?
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
Shannon's new online community.
We appreciate your prayers and encouraging support
for the staff and volunteers of Shannon Ethridge Ministries!
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