(in) This Season :: An (in)courage community

Hey, you!

I am so glad that you are here today!

If you are hopping over from {in}courage for the first time, "Welcome!" I hope you will feel at home right away!

So just a little catch up for my regular crew. {in}courage, the blog home of Dayspring, has just launched 40 online groups where you can connect with other women on a HUGE variety of topics ranging from new moms to empty nesters to social injustice advocates to women struggling with infertility to those with kids with special needs AND so much more. These groups are private, sacred spaces for you to be YOU in the season of life that you find yourself in.

Last week, I was asked to partner up to co-lead one of these groups.
{More on my partner in a little bit} 

The topic :: A place to (in)courage those IN ministry/missions/etc who are struggling in some aspect without a safe outlet to let their guard down and/or those coming OFF the field of missions/ministry/etc who are struggling in ANY aspect and would like to connect with those who understand.

So of course, I said, "Yes!" resoundingly....

For those of you interested in being a part of a group like that....you are at the right place.

Libby {that's my partner} and I have a heart to reach out to those whose lives are/have been all about reaching out to others and along the way brokenness has become like a second skin due to major change, redirection, crisis of faith, discouragement, physical/mental illness, burnout, loss of support (financially or otherwise), or just have found themselves in a surprising period in ministry or from leaving a ministry...

(In) This Season was born from that heartbeat. "Where do we go from here?" in THIS season most unexpected...

Want to get to know us a little better and WHY this topic resonates with us....here's a little more about who we are....

Libby Rosengren - "I have been married to my best friend for 17 years and mom to 4 kids.  I am involved in homeschooling our kids, helping my husband with his business, keeping our home, blogging, reading, etc. Our family was in ministry in Peru, South America as missionaries for 8 years. That was 3 years ago, and I feel like I have left a part of my heart in Peru. We know that God still has something in mind for us there, but we are not sure what or how that will look. For now we are in the U.S. and at peace with where God has us. Having faced burnout, depression, loss of support (both financially and otherwise), discouragement in ministry and major changes both IN ministry - and then - changes that caused us to move out of being directly involved in ministry, I have a real soft spot for those who struggle or have struggled with these issues in relation to ministry."

Libby's Blog: Beauty Out of Dust
Twitter: libbyrosengren

Lindsey van Niekerk - "I grew up in Haiti for the first 16 years of my life {my parents are still there, by the way - for almost 40 years - Yeah, I know...they deserve a medal, right?} Then, I went to college, got my bachelor's degree in psychology as well as in interpersonal &organizational communications {Shew! That's a mouthful!} I spent the next 10 years after that working as missions director, children's pastor, youth pastor, & associate pastor. I married the love of my life and my best friend {I know, I know...but it's a cliche for a reason} 7 years ago, and we have lived on the East Coast of the U.S. as well as the great province of Gauteng in South Africa {he's from there, by the way}. Chronic pain, infertility issues, interpersonal conflicts, impending depression, panic attacks, confounded by the stress of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that my parents were involved in{they are doing well now, by the way} brought us to the point of an indefinite time-out/sabbatical for this season of life and finding out what the next steps of God's plans are for us."

Lindsey's Blog: The Little Missionary Girl All Grown Up
Twitter: lindseyfoj
Facebook: The Little Missionary Girl All Grown Up

So if this sounds like the place for you, a safe space to interact with peers who understand your story, opportunities to share as little or as much as you want in a private setting, encouragement to write and blog together, and listening ears who will "just be there" without judgement or trying to fix you, then please email us at beautyoutofdust@gmail.com, and we will invite you to the closed/private Facebook group and provide more details of how you can get involved.

If you are one of my regular readers and would like to check out all of the groups available, hop over to (in)courage to see what group speaks to you. This first session will run from October 2nd to December 2nd so the commitment is short term and you can be involved as little or as much as you would like.

Whatever you decide to do, we just want you to know how AMAZING you are and that God has just the thing FOR you, WHEN you need it! May His grace breathe life into your soul, giving you space to breathe and know that you are unequivocally, irrevocably His.

Join me HERE for Day 2 of my 31 Days of Story.