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"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light." Matthew 6:22 The Message
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Angel Co-Op Newsletter
Dear Sisters!
I know that some of you live in tropical
countries, and some of you live in the southern United States, so the
notion of a season ending is probably less meaningful to you than it is
to those of us living our lives bounded by the seasons. In Saskatchewan
where I live, the longest season is Winter. We can experience the first
snowfall (the way we mark the beginning of Winter) in mid-October, and
not know a thaw until mid-April. That only leaves about 2 months for
each of the other seasons.
Summer is fleeting, and precious. When smoke
(from the unrequited fires in the province's northern forests) scents
the air, there is a feeling of Fall that descends. While I'm not a big
fan of heat waves, strings of days with no relief from temperatures that
hover around 30 degrees C. (high 90s in Fahrenheit), I really do
appreciate the mildness in the early dawns and the long Summer
evenings. Time enough for leisurely visits, barbecues, gardening,
walks. And while I love the gentling down of Autumn, the vivid palette
of colours, the harvest smells and sights and tastes, I always feel sad
as Summer begins to close.
The ANGEL CO-OP Women's Ministries site has been
so very blessed over the summer months with you as a reader, and with
the contributions of many to the Testimonials, Parenting Forum (
PARENTING FORUM
), and other pages on the site.
I draw your attention to the page on the dangers
and preventative measures re Cyberstalking that we now carry as a
regular feature of our site. As women on-line it is important that we
reduce our risks and have information to pass onto others (this might
well be part of your ministry-- you may want to let women on your email
list know about this page, and you might want to take a copy of the
brochure to your local Futureshop and/or other places where women and
the Internet contemplate relationships). My friend Ruth Ann and her
fellow Social Work students did a masterful job of this research and
report. They presented it at the local annual retreat of agencies
working in the area of violence.
CYBERSTALKING
I have been a little embarrassed by the voluminous
white space on the Book Reviews page. It certainly looks like I don't
read much. The truth is, I had visioned this page as a place for others
to share reviews of significant books they have read (others: Read
YOU). In the meantime, I did review another book, and what a
pleasure to say that it is written by a friend whom I admired before I
knew she was an author (yes, I confess that I am sometimes a little
star-struck and lose objectivity). If you have not, you will want to
read the review of Mavis Olesen's book "Living in Limbo" that she wrote
with her son, Dallas Williams. I highly recommend it both as a 'good
read' (autobiography) and as a source of excellent information on a
range of topics from transracial adoption to the effects of Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome and Attachment Disorders.
Check out the review by clicking on BOOK
REVIEWS.
Someone recently asked why we have so many
commercial "banners" on the site. No, this has not become a secondary
career of mine. My son, Conrad, introduced me to the idea of
supplementing our meagre local Women's Ministries budget with
'affiliate' income from various e-commerce sites. If you click on
Amazon.ca's banner on this email or our ANGEL CO-OP site, and buy a
book from them, our Women's Ministry gets a small commission. We are
helping to sponsor a young woman to attend the World Youth Conference in
Bangkok, Thailand, in December 2003-January 2004. If you buy foot
supports, a dress, a health video, gear for your pet, or any of the
other products offered, you will encourage and benefit this young woman
in developing a ministry that will benefit countless others. Thanks for
your support!
And, finally this Summer, ANGEL CO-OP has
invited about 225 folks (some men included) on a 31-day venture into
"Experiencing More of the Blessed Life". You received your invitation
to be part of this "Prayer of Jabez" Devotional marathon. You may have
begun to "expand your territories" already by inviting friends and
family to come along (by forwarding their e-address to us, or by
forwarding the devotionals yourself). I am really excited about the
potential for this 31-day event -- I have no doubt that God will use
this focused time to heal long-term hurts, purge out confusion, revive
commitment to Him, and unleash new ministries! If you have
not had a Holy Spirit experience before, or if you have not had one for
a while, plan to be part of this life-affirming, God-revealing 31-day
Adventure!
And Jabez called
on the God of Israel saying,
"Oh, that you
would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my
territory,
that your hand
would be with me,
and that you
would keep me from evil,
that I may not
cause pain."
So God granted
him what he requested.
!!!!!COMING
SOON!!!!!
( and with a
page for you to post your unique reflections,
insights, and breakthroughs during each of the
Journey's 31 days )
Love in Christ, Cynthia
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