Messiah College

JoyShop Newsletter November 2009

‘The church of Christ and the spiritual life of thousands of its members suffers from the root disease! It is none other than the neglect of secret communion with God … it explains the weakness of the Christian life. No wonder we can’t resist the world. No wonder we fail to bring forth fruit abundantly. Nothing can change this except restoring the quiet time with the Lord in the life of the believer.”

Note from Anita

Since January of 2005, I have devoted my time to this very thing – encouraging believers to continue or restore their daily time alone with God. My challenge is that we not only recommit to this much-needed discipline but that we prioritize it in our day … make it first! If any given church would make this discipline a major focus it would revolutionize our churches like nothing else!

Recently I had the privilege to take the message of JoyShop to a group of dedicated pastors and their wives in a retreat setting. I felt genuinely blessed by these humble servants of God. After being in ministry for four years, I understand in a small way how easy it is to burn out for God. Henry Nouwen once said, “Nothing conflicts with love of Christ like service for Christ.” People in ministry can get carried away with all their self-imposed work and before you know it, daily quiet time for intimacy with Jesus gets set aside! Many of these precious pastors and wives shared with me that they had been in desperate need for this workshop and thanked me for the encouragement to guard their time alone with God.

A few mentioned as one pastor did, “I needed the words about the importance of recovering the early morning watch with God. I had become easy going about this discipline.” Another pastor mentioned that the workshop was “challenging and renewing—a much needed spiritual boast!” I felt very blessed to be able to serve the body of Christ in this way. Even though I come home very exhausted, extreme JOY fills my heart at the Lord’s graciousness in producing fruit for the Kingdom.

Students from Messiah College invited JoyShop Ministries to come on campus as an alternative chapel on Nov. 4, 11, & 18. I am doing a two-hour session each Wednesday night and it will count as an alternate chapel for any students who choose to attend. If you know students who attend Messiah College, please encourage them to attend. On the 11th I will also be speaking before the workshop at a dinner for women sponsored by Student’s Ministries. The above picture is a snap shot of some of the students that attended on Nov. 4.

As the ministry continues to grow, so does our need for prayer partners. Often in my travels, a pastor or layperson will mention to me that I need to be building a strong prayer support for the ministry. In my mind, I had always felt that I didn’t want to ask others to pray for me because I felt that God would lay it on people’s hearts and they would just volunteer. To be sure, that has happened in the past, but the ministry team feels that we need to be more diligent in seeking prayer partners. If you would be interested in receiving prayer requests for the ministry as needs occur and are willing to pray for future events, please contact prayer@joyshop.org and your name will be added to our prayer team.

Blessings,
Anita

How to Pray for JoyShop:

 We have taken our first steps to begin production of a promotional DVD that can be sent ahead to future speaking engagements. Please pray for Shire Interactive as they work to pull this together. Our prayer is that God will use this in a strong way to move others to attend the workshop who might not have otherwise considered attending.
 Continue to pray that God will lead us to the place and timing for professionally taping a full JoyShop in a DVD format. He has put this in my heart so I know it will come to pass. This will take a tremendous amount of financing, but I am trusting God to meet those needs. I get excited thinking about how many more lives can be impacted through this form of media.
 Pray for upcoming events on December 3, when I will be speaking at Bible Baptist School in Shiremanstown, and on December 9 when I will be speaking at Kraybill Mennonite School.



Testimonies of JOY: Here are some encouraging words from people who recently attended a JoyShop:

“Obviously I was meant to be here this weekend to hear this message and stop making excuses that I don’t have time to spend with God. There hasn’t been a lot of joy in my life the past few years and I know the reason why. Thank you for giving me hope.”

“Today for the first time in almost 70 years, I started to journal, making notes of what I had read and how I felt God was speaking to me. I am excited to be able to continue, God willing. Pray for discipline to change my routine.”

“Awesome message! It was something I really needed to hear. I am so excited to begin the 21 Day Challenge! I can’t wait to know God more intimately. I feel that this is what has been lacking in my relationship with Him and I didn’t know how to fix it. How crazy when the answer is so simple—seek Him. Wow! How silly that I couldn’t figure that out. Thanks for sharing your message. I can’t wait to see how God is going to work in my life.”

And from a pastor: “Even though this has been my second JoyShop, it was a tremendous blessing. The message never gets old.”


Q & A:

Question: My mind always wanders when I pray … what can I do about that?

Answer: This is a problem that most of us struggle with. Keeping our minds focused on God during our prayer time takes practice and discipline. Prayer is two-fold: talking to God and listening to God. Have you ever noticed when you are having a conversation with someone, it is always easier to talk than to really listen? The same holds true with our conversations with God. It is so easy to talk and tell God what we are thinking or needing. But when it is time to be quiet and try to listen to what God might want to say to us, our mind begins to wander all over the place.

Here are a few suggestions that may help you:
 Simply acknowledge before God that you have a difficult time staying focused and ask Him to help you.
 When your mind begins to wander, tell yourself that you will think about that later and bring your mind back to being still and centered on God’s presence with you.
 Keep a pencil and paper by your side to write down anything that comes to your mind that you are afraid you will forget about.
 If someone or some situation comes to your mind, pray for that person or the situation.
 Write your prayers in a journal. Writing really helps you to focus.


I love reading prayers that others have written. For some reason, having a written prayer in front of me helps to keep me focused. A personal favorite is “Valley of Vision,” a book of prayers written by the Puritans of long ago. I also find it very helpful to keep my Bible open to the passage that I was reading and pray back to God the verses that spoke to me.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Anita

The first weekend in October I had the privilege to take JoyShop to women in N.J. My daughter Carrie went along with me as a volunteer. (She is the one in the picture with me!) There were 50-60 women in attendence and the location was at Keswick America. We had a great weekend and I experienced great joy over being able to serve these women. Friday night was a bon-fire with smores to feast on, a highlight for me! The next morning as I was praying with the leadership team my mind kept wondering to those yummy smores which was a distraction. I wasn't sure how to get them out of my mind but God came to the rescue and said, "You should be thinking about "smore" of me instead of "smore" of chocolate. I almost started laughing. Now I find myself praying to God that I want "smore" of Him!

A few testimonies from the weekend:

"Thank you for pointing out how I need to read God's letter to me every day, same time and place. I've decided to take the 21 Day Challenge. Your message changed my view on being consistent with reading God's Word."

“Awesome message! It was something I really needed to hear. I am so excited to begin the 21 DC I can’t wait to know God more intimately. I feel that this is what has been lacking in my relationship with Him and I didn’t know how to fix it. How crazy when the answer is so simple—seek Him. Wow! How silly that I couldn’t figure that out. Thanks for sharing your message. I can’t wait to see how God is going to work in my life.”

“Today for the 1st time in almost 70 years I started to journal, making notes of what I had read and how I felt God was speaking to me. I am excited to be able to continue God willing. Pray for discipline to change my routine.”

“About 2-3 months ago I was struggling with morning devotions or any at all though I had done them for years. My closeness and purpose seemed to leave. I was told “Make me first in your life” several times. It was one of those nudging that wouldn’t go away. I am taking the challenge. I will listen now!”

“Obviously I was meant to be here this weekend to hear this message and stop making excuses that I don’t have time to spend with God. There hasn’t been a lot of joy in my life the past few years and I know the reason why. Thank you for giving me hope.”

“Thank you for being so persistent in guiding me to spend time daily with Christ. I know it was what I was missing in my life.”

“I really feel like you were speaking to me by the Holy Spirit. I feel challenged and hungry to seek God first everyday which I’m not very good at doing now … I have felt for a long time that even though I’ve been a Christian for a long time that something has been missing and I always have a feeling of unrest. I think seeking Him first is the answer.”

Praise God for ministering to these women and for their desire to know Him more intimately!

Please keep me in your prayers as I leave on Sunday for a pastor's and wives retreat. I will be doing a portion of JoyShop on Monday. I have three sessions and will have to eliminate something in my workshop. Pray that I will be able to discern which part to leave out. It's so hard for me to leave any of it out!

Ministry progress:
We have hired a local company to help us make a promotional dvd that can be sent out ahead of time to the places that have booked JoyShop. We are hoping that this investment will help drive more people to attend the event.

I still have a dream to have the workshop filmed in a 6 session format that could be used in Sunday School classes, small groups and retreat settings. Please pray for the Lord's timing on this. My timing was last year....but I am willing to wait for His best plan. He's always right!!!!

If you know anyone that attends Messiah College please spread the word to them that JoyShop is coming to their campus on November 4,11.18. I will be doing the workshop over 3 Wednesday nights. It will be at the Frey building, Room 110, from 7-9 p.m.

My husband, Paul, is still in a cast after breaking his ankle/leg while on vacation. He can not put any weight on it yet, so his lifestyle has changed dramatically. He has been using his time wisely, reading good books and watching Phillies and football:-)

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Stay in the Word my friend. Growing close to Christ takes effort and time. But the benefits far outweigh any small sacrifice you might make.

In Him, Anita K

September Ministry Update

Ministry Update September 2009
John 17:3
“Now this is eternal life that we may know Thee, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”

Recently I had an unexpected visitor at my front door. A friend of our family who I don’t see very often wanted to drop off some materials for our boys. As we got caught up on our lives and were sharing some of our personal struggles, she shared with me that she was not feeling God’s joy in her life right now. With tears in her eyes she expressed her discouragement. She also mentioned that when she looked at others who appeared to have the joy of the Lord it made her feel worse. I really appreciated her honesty as she shared she had attended a JoyShop years ago and she felt like I must feel God’s joy all the time even in difficulties. She wondered what was wrong with her. God did not seem to be answering her prayers. Where was this joy?

Who of us cannot say we have felt like that? The difficult realities that life brings us, makes it very hard to feel God’s presence, much less His joy. This past year I have had the “opportunity” to discover first hand how to walk in God’s joy in the midst of fears, trials, and doubts. Oswald Chambers states it best, “The only true joy is based on a personal relationship to God.” Why is it we tend to think joy is based on feelings rather that a relationship? Contrary to what people might think who see me in action during a JoyShop, I do not walk around daily “feeling” joyful! The joy I experience in my life comes from knowing who God is in my trials and walking in obedience to His Word regardless of how I feel or how things look.

If you get a chance this week do a short study on joy using the gospel of John. Read the following verses and the context in which you find these verses:
John 3:29, John 15: 11, John 16: 20-24, John 17:13
As you read these verses answer this question: What is the basis for joy according to Jesus?
I would love to share the answers but it will help you more if you find it yourself! But the bottom line is this: Jesus wants us to have His full and complete joy and it is based on our relationship to Him and not our present reality.

Ministry Update:
You will soon be receiving electronically the JoyShop Ministries Newsletter. After much thought, I have made the decision to combine the ministry update with the newsletter to simplify my load. So look for it sometime this month. It will give a report from my time at Roxbury Camp meeting in August and also tell you about upcoming opportunities for the ministry.

I praise God for the way He continues to use the ministry to encourage others. Recently a mother of a college student called to tell me that she was helping her daughter pack for college. Her daughter was having a hard time weeding out the books she could take because there wasn’t enough room to take everything she wanted. To the mother’s joy, her daughter made sure that her JoyShop binder went along with her to college! Praise God!! May the Lord use this young adult to impact her campus!

We also received an email from a pastor. A man from his congregation had given him a copy of my book and suggested he read it! After reading it he felt the Lord prompting him to invite me to share at his church on a Sunday morning. The ministry continues to rely on God to open the doors where He wants us to serve so I praise His Name for being faithful.

September and February are months I try really hard to block off vacation time from the ministry. Of course here I am writing an update … but I did want to share about the newsletter that will be replacing the ministry update as well as to ask you to pray for JoyShop Ministries Board of Directors and the meeting we will have on September 29. We are looking forward to all that God will do in 2010 and sincerely desire His direction as we make plans for the future. We are in a transition time as terms are expiring for existing board members and having the need to find replacements. Several members have been with me from the beginning so it is scary to say goodbye to them. I will miss them but I thank God for lending them to me for a period of time and helping us to lay a strong foundation for the ministry. We are looking to update the website as well so that will bring some exciting changes!

My deep thanks and appreciation for each of you who continue to support this ministry in various ways. It gives me the encouragement to keep moving forward with the strength that God provides. YOU ARE A BLESSING TO ME!

Walking in His JOY,
Anita

FYI: The above picture is of me and my friends on our husbands motorcycles as we toured through Novia Scotia and PEI last month. Can you tell which one is my sister?

Ministry Update July 23, 2009

Ministry Update July 23, 2009

John 16:33
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

This morning in my quiet time with Jesus, I was thinking about the word peace. My heart felt troubled about some circumstances and I needed peace. I began to look up verses in John that mention peace. Jesus first mentions peace in John 14:27 when he says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you … do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.” Why is it hard to feel peace in the midst of trouble? How does one experience mental calm and tranquility in the midst of troubling circumstances? Why is it that we even think we should be exempt from trouble?

As I pondered the above verses I was reminded the Christ came into this world and died for my sins so that I could know eternal peace here and now as well for all eternity. I may have troubles here on this earth but I have hope! The apostle Paul got it right when he spoke these words in Romans 15:13, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus is our peace, joy and hope in the midst of our troubles. Praise his Name!!!

I can’t believe it’s been two months since I sent my last update but I decided to give myself a little break over the summer. None the less JoyShop Ministries is still bearing fruit over these summer months and I am going to share some of the encouraging responses we recently received.

Through Facebook:
"Hello! I don’t know if you remember me, but you came to my school in the fall last year, 2008. I just wanted to let you know that you really inspired me with the 21 day challenge!
Since the retreat in the fall, I decided that I would read my Bible, cover to cover. I have been reading two chapters from the Bible each day. I really appreciate you for helping me realize that I needed more time with God. Thank you so very much!

From the Pocket Testament League:
“I love the gospel of John, it is my favorite book in the whole Bible … Your 21 day challenge gave me new insights to think about. Thank you.”

“I ACHIEVED THE 21 DAY CHALLENGE. I MEDITATED ON THE VERSES AND USED THEM IN MY DAILY WORKING HOURS AND HARDSHIP TIMES. I ENJOYED THE 21 DAY CHALLENGE. IT GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY TO OTHERS ABOUT DOING SOMETHING FOR 21 DAYS FOR CHRIST”

“As a Pastor it has been a great tool that I can now ad to my other teachings. I have a very similar one that I prepared years ago. But now It’s time for a change and I will be using your 21 Day Challenge on the next months Bible class with the new converts. I Pastor a Spanish Church, therefore my task now is to translate the challenge into Spanish so that I could be able to use it to prepare the new converts.”

Women’s Retreat participant:
“Way back on April of this year you came to speak at our Women's Retreat. It was a spiritual life-changing experience. God had me in a place of desiring more and searching for a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Him. Your testimony and sharing the principles of seeking God, being consistent, and getting up early to meet with Him catapulted my spiritual walk. I am passionate about rising early (even on Sundays) and meeting with my Savior. Digging into God's love letter to me is transforming my relationship with Him. I have a new mission field…the grocery store…and everywhere I go. I find myself unable to restrain the joy of the Lord and share your key principles that I learned.”

This young woman and her friend ended up hosting an event at their church to share what the Lord has taught them as a result of Seeking God First and doing the 21 Day Challenge. Over 100 women attended! Praise the Lord for spreading the message through these women.

From my time at Lydia Center
“I just wanted you to know that one of our ladies received Christ the weekend you visited us. She said your presentation really touched her and moved her towards Christ.”

The past two Wednesday evenings I have spoken to the teen girls that were attending Black Rock Retreat. One response I received through Facebook:

"Hi, I just wanted to say that I was at Black Rock last week and I loved to hear about your story! And there were some things that really hit me and I loved your analogy about talking to God everyday to get to know him. Thanks!!"

I continue to thank the Lord for opening the doors where He has prepared hearts to hear the message.

Please keep me in your prayers as I take JoyShop to Roxbury Holiness Campmeeting the week of August 1-9. I will be holding four daily sessions from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. They will be doing an audio taping of each session. Pray that the Holy Spirit will speak through me in such a way that those who listen by audio will be inspired to Seek God First!

Thursday night, July 30, 7:00 p.m. JoyShop Ministries will be hosting a praise, prayer, and soft serve ice-cream event at my home. I will be sharing a brief update of the ministry with a focus on prayer for future speaking events. Hope to see ya!


In His service,
Anita

Ministry Update May 20, 2009

Ministry Update May 18, 2009

Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed…”

Dear friends of JoyShop Ministries,

April and May have been busy months coming off of a month sabbatical! In all I presented two full JoyShops, spoke at three women’s spring banquets, and drove to Reading to speak to a youth group mid week. Only one event to go, a mini-JoyShop at Lydia Center on May 29th, and then I have off all of June. God gave me the strength to complete the previous commitments that I had made and I am learning to let go of the “behind the scenes” decisions that have bogged me down in the past and trust the Lord to bring to pass what He desires. I read in my devotional this morning that REST equals TRUST! I am striving to rest in God’s will for JoyShop Ministries.

My schedule is pretty much booked full for the rest of 2009 and into May of 2010. We certainly don’t have to look for places to go … praise the Lord! I am particularly excited about a woman’s weekend retreat in April of 1010 that I have been invited to do a JoyShop. It came from a college student involved with Campus Crusade at Penn College. They partner with several other colleges and universities for this retreat. I do marvel how God is allowing the ministry to reach all ages since it is just too hard for me to target one specific age group. My target audience remains The Church no matter the age!

Continue to pray for the many people who have responded to the message of SEEKING GOD FIRST. The rest of this ministry update is personal testimonies that were sent to me either through the web site, mail or Facebook.

From several women who attended recent JoyShops:

“I just wanted to contact you and let you know how your message has changed my life!”

“For about the past 6 months I have felt a strong desire to seek the Lord more fervently - I so much desire more of Him in my life. I have been reading the Bible for years but more often than not my reading was more to see how many passages I could read vs. reading just one chapter at a time and really studying it. Your approach with the 21-day challenge really resonated with me and has made a huge difference in my times with the Lord each morning. I liked the simplicity of your "message" and that the challenge you present is attainable, for everyone. Everything you said I knew but needed to be reminded of. You confirmed so many things that I have been "hearing". This retreat was so timely and at times I felt like you were there just for me! But after talking with other women who were at the retreat I know I was not the only one who was very blessed by it.”

“It’s difficult to even put into words what your workshop meant to me this past weekend. I have been so impacted by your message since the first time I heard it that I just had to do what I could to bring it to those in my church …Your workshop at Moore's Chapel in April was amazing and impacted so many people.”

“Just wanted to let you know how much Joy Shop has changed my life. I have been spending time with God first each morning since you spoke at Hempfield BIC. So from the bottom of my heart I want to say Thank You for what you are doing to further God’s kingdom . You have been a Blessing to me. Thanks …”

From a woman that attended one of the banquets this month:

"Your message was so inspiring last night at Grantham. Thanks again for coming and sharing so honestly and with great vulnerability. I'm ready for the 21-day challenge!!!"

I stumbled upon this message somehow on face book:
“I was really challenged and energized by Anita's message....if you ever get to hear one of her JoyShop workshops - run, don't walk!”

“Just thought I'd share a story that came to me after church today. A friend of mine who attended your workshop held at our church two years ago told me that yesterday was her "two year anniversary" of spending daily time with God--as a direct result of the conference. Blessings to you in your ministry!”
A man from my home church who attended a JoyShop a year ago recently came up to me and shared that he has been seeking God first consistently since the workshop. Tears whelmed up in his eyes and a few escaped down his cheek as he shared how meaningful his time with God has become!
I was also touched by a letter I received in the mail from a 12/13 year old girl who is homeschooled and had attended a recent banquet that I had spoken at. She wrote:
“I wanted to tell you how much your talk meant to me. When my mom would write up my list of assignments to complete for the day, devotions was one of them. I would read one chapter then close m y Bible and do nothing about it. But your talk influenced me to do more. I got one of your journals and I am doing the 21 Day Challenge. I’m on day 9 and progressing through John. What would you suggest I do next? I would really like to hear back from you.”
WOW! Doesn’t that just bless your heart?
Concerning the Pocket Testament league I received word that three more people joined the league because of JoyShop Ministries. They were people who live in California, Florida and Pennsylvania! I also received a note in the mail from a lady who was rather excited to share with me how the Lord is giving her courage to hand out pocket testaments.
May God receive the glory for all He is doing through this ministry to bring His children into closer intimacy with Him. It really is all about Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would be grateful for any prayers for protection over the ministry and my family. Thank you so much!

In Christ, Anita

PS The picture above was taken at Grantham BIC Church with my mother, one of my sister's-Sylvia, and my two daugthers, Shelly and Carrie.

Update April 13 2009

Ministry Update April 10, 2009

I Samuel 30:6
“…But David found strength in the LORD his God.”

Dear friends and supporters of JoyShop Ministries: Thank you so much for your prayers this past month. I had no idea how much I needed to rest! With out the support of my family, friends, and doctor the journey would have been more challenging but God has taught me a lot during this time. The key phrases I have heard Him say over and over are:
Be STILL
Be QUIET
Be RESTFUL
Be TRUSTFUL

I praise God that the doctor gave me permission to return to my ministry commitments if I promised to rest in between speaking engagements. This past weekend was my first time to speak in two months. The Lord graciously allowed me to serve 60+ women in a retreat setting without any anxiety and I can honestly say His JOY just filled me up as He enabled me to exhort these precious women. It was a weekend that I know will bear fruit for a long time! Here are a few sample responses the ministry received:

“Thank you! This was so encouraging and life changing. I have not had a consistent quiet time since my sophomore year of high school. I am so excited to learn more of my Father and draw into deeper intimacy with Him…I have started the 21 Day Challenge.”

“I am so glad I came to hear this because I really need this in my life.”

“Thank you for reminding me how important it is to spend time with God. I needed this jumpstart again.”

“I have promised God to challenge myself every day to start my day with Him.”

“Praise God for this ministry … I have been struggling with complacency and boredom with God’s Word, (now who could imagine that???) Well, no more of that thanks to your message!”

“Third time for a JoyShop. Always amazing!”

“This workshop was an awesome answer to prayer. Honestly, I was afraid months ago that this would be a “fluffy” week with little substance. How wrong I was…this weekend I have realized that when I have deep intimacy with God, it will spill over into all areas of my life.”

In particular was the blessing of hearing from several women about their teens who had heard my message back in December when I spoke to their youth group. They each told me that their teens are still getting up early having time alone with God. One mom shared that it put her to shame and so she got back on track of having devotional time with God!

God is still actively using the 21 Day Challenge to impact lives through the Pocket Testament League as well. I recently received this testimony from the League that came to their website:

“I was going through hard times and I was staying in a hotel in Hershey with my wife and kids and I took my kids to the complimentary breakfast that they offered and someone that I didn't even know blessed me with this booklet. I was going to throw it away, but God knows what he does. I kept it and as time past my times were just getting harder. I forgot that I had this booklet until one day something told me to go through my bag and I found this booklet. I started reading this booklet(pocket testament) called “Letters From God” and it changed my life. Today on April 9, 2009, is the day that I just finished the 21 day challenge and I can tell you that it really changed my life. If I would have known that this was going to change my way of feeling, my way of thinking, and my way of looking at the Lord I would have read this when I got it 5 months ago.”
I don’t know who it was but someone was prompted by the Holy Spirit to hand this man one of our pocket testaments that has the 21 Day Challenge printed in the back and months later Jesus’ Words transformed his life!

We received this message through our web site concerning my book:
“I have read your book and appreciate your candor concerning all that you went through and all that the Lord taught you through that difficult time … Our book club has selected your book to read this spring.”

This response came from a Christian woman who lives in Delaware that I happened to meet by the pool while on vacation in Florida! God truly does “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,” for his glory!

I have so many other stories I could share about divine appointments this past couple of months but I can feel my adrenaline level rising from just sharing with you these marvelous works of God and I am learning I need to control this. Can you believe that adrenaline rushes causes good stress which actually raises your anxiety???? Friends this is my problem … encouraging people to get in the Word in order to cultivate intimacy with God brings me a huge rush and I become over stimulated!!! I am asking Jesus to help me learn how to manage this so that I don’t burn out.

As I bring this update to a close, please remember to pray for the following events scheduled this month:
A Community JoyShop this coming weekend, April 17-18, in the Elkton/North East area. An outreach brunch in the Philadelphia area on April 25.

In His Service, Anita

March 18, 2009

Ministry Update March 18, 2009

Isaiah 43:1-5
“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior … Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, and I have loved you …Fear not, for I am with you…”

From my last ministry update you are aware that Paul and I took a much needed vacation. We headed to Florida to hopefully find some warmer weather. We actually hit a great week and enjoyed relaxing at our resort with friends and taking in a view activities like Epcot. Paul and I had packed a case of my books to take along in case we ran into anyone who might appreciate it and we able to hand a few out. This was our unofficial way of marketing the book!

We also had the privilege of eating Sunday dinner in Arcadia, Florida, with my birthdaughter, Twila, and her wonderful family. Since it was there 14th wedding anniversary, she cooked us the same meal that they had at their wedding reception. It was delicious. No doubt she gets her cooking skills from her mother not her birth mom!

What we weren’t expecting to happen while on vacation was the beginning onset of me experiencing what I would call anxiety attacks. These were scary to me in that I wasn’t sure what was going on. But even in my uncertainties and desire to get home to figure out what was going on God allowed us to have several divine appointments on the beach. One with a 45 year old mother by the name of Alison,who had adopted two children and who herself is adopted. We made an instant connection. She was planning to start writing her own book of her journey and so I gave her a copy of my book. We had much to talk about as we sat on the beach together.

Joe and Deb Risser (pictured above) joined us during our second week which was very helpful in light of what I was experiencing physically. Deb is my administrative assistant and we both realized that I was partially experiencing over exhaustion from my intensive ministry schedule and anxiety over my busy spring schedule. For some reason in my passion for encouraging others to seek God I thought I was super woman and pushed my self to the max. Of course it doesn’t help that as a 52 year old I am going through pre-menopause!

Once home, I went to my medical docter and he recommended that I take a complete month off from the ministry. This was a difficult thing for me to cancel scheduled events but my body and mind were clearly speaking loudly to me that I needed rest.
My goal over this month long sabbitical is to take time to experience personal, spiritual, and emotional renewal.

Please pray for the board and myself during these next couple of months that God would give us clear direction as to what necessary changes are needed to keep my life and ministry more balanced. I think I overdosed on JoyShop:-)

I have really enjoyed having more time with my family and a little more leisure and rest. I have even had time to actually cook meals for my family! JoyShop Ministries is still functioning and Lord willing, I am planning to get back into the swing of things in April
!
Praise God that even though I feel the need to slow down God continues to use my book as an instrument to encourage others and I continue to hear stories of how others are spreading the 21 Day Challenge to family and friends!

Just recently I received a message from a student that is pregnant:

“I barely know you but after reading your book I kind of know how you feel. I'm still carrying my baby and not due for another two months and I have days when I don't want to give him up but I want to thank you because listening to you and reading your book has given me strength in a whole different level. And I want to thank you so much for that. I wish I could do what you do and help teens like me understand that they can't just take God for granted and the boundaries he sets for us do mean something and we need to listen! But once again I admire you a lot and I hope God blesses me through this like he did to you and keep doing what your doing because your changing lives when you speak about his love to us and I think every kid that hears you remembers you no matter what because you have such a gift from God to help change lives anyways thanks a lot and God bless!”

From another young person who read my book:
“…at some parts of it I felt like I was reading part of my story … being a little wild and some sexual sins …I finally realized that I am not the only one going through that kinda of stuff. I know this sounds silly and stupid but I just wanted to say thanks for sharing, and being strong …please know that you r in my prayers. love ya”

Received this heart breaking message as well:
“I just found out 2 wks ago I am pregnant … I need your prayers thanks.”

Please pray for these two dear young girls who are experiencing these unplanned pregnancies and the consequences that follow. I know they each love Jesus and need to know He is with them and they need not fear. (Isaiah 43:1-5)

I also received a story from the Pocket Testament League of a member who joined as a result of our ministry. This woman from Lancaster handed out 6 pocket testaments to different patrons of a restaurant she regularly visits. One man responded, "I need God. I need to get saved." He has agreed to attend an Alpha course at her church. Stories like this thrill my heart!

I covet your prayers during my ministry break and thank you for your continual support. Even though I have had to endure some dark times much new growth has come and I praise God for his faithfulness even though I could not feel His presence at times. If anyone reading this is going through a time of uncertainty hang on to the sure promise of God, “Fear not, for I am with you.”

Seeking God,

Anita

volunteer day

These wonderful volunteers of JoyShop Ministries give many hours to putting together our binders, pocket testaments, and bookmarks. Pictured are Gene and Sherilyn Schock, Kay Risser, Jill Shenk, Brenda Longsderff, and Deb Risser.

February 2009 Ministry Update

Ministry Update February 5, 2009

RESTING IN JESUS
II Chronicles 20:15
“…Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

How many of you are facing a huge battle right now? Do you feel like a vast multitude has come against you? Does fear overtake you at times? Do waves of hopelessness sweep over your heart? If you can relate to any of these statements then I encourage you to pick up your Bible and read II Chronicles 20:1-30. There is no greater example of how to face our battles then King Jehoshaphat’s. He was scared out of his mind as a vast army was coming against him yet in his fear he set himself to seek the Lord. At this moment I am fighting the impulse to share with you the action steps he took, but that would rob you of the joy of discovering it for your self! So I want to encourage each of you to look up this passage in scripture and grab a piece of paper. Note what the king and his people did in response to the challenge they were facing. Once you discover this wonderful example you will return to it again and again when you face insurmountable problems or even the small trials of life. It is a fail proof plan! This Old Testament story has taught me how to enter into the rest of Jesus during the most difficult of times. Our flesh just loves to try to fix things and if we can’t fix it then we carry the burden of it on our shoulders. But verse 17 gives an incredible solution, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you…Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” What powerful words of promise!

The reason we have so much stress is that we refuse to rest in Christ with our burdens and concerns. We cry out for help but forget the battle is not ours to fight. The flesh has a hard time of letting go….I should know….it happens to me often! We daily pick up the weight of the problem instead of positioning ourselves to trust God. He asks us to stand still in His peace and watch Him take care of our situation. He is always walking ahead of us in loving care and it pleases Him when we choose to praise him and worship Him in spite of how things look or how we feel. “Oh what needless peace we forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bare all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” May Jehoshaphat’s example give you peace in whatever battle you may be facing at this time.

January was a great month of ministry. We were able to hold 3 full workshop’s in different parts of the state.

Highlights from our time at Riverhill Evangelical Church:
SNOW!!! Lots of it! Paula Frey and I traveled four and a half hours to Clarion, Pa. As we settled into our hotel, it was hard to imagine that anyone would show up for the JoyShop with all the snow. They must be use to that kind of weather or something because the turnout wasn’t bad! Our coldest adventure was Sunday morning on our way to the church service. The temperature was minus 6 degrees. Paula rolled down the car window to help clear off some of the snow. The window mechanism was so cold she could not get the window back up. We drove 4 miles with the freezing air coming in our window. Once in the church parking lot we were able to inch the window up ever so slowly. We were sure not to roll down any more windows that trip! Amidst all the snow however, we were able to serve this precious congregation. As I shared my testimony in the Sunday morning service, I noticed a 10 year old boy snuggled up by his mother. He was very attentive. After church it was so neat to see him back at our table picking up his own 21 Day Challenge Journal. He was all smiles. How I pray that he uses his pocket testament to get to know Jesus Christ better.

I had the unexpected JOY of being ministered to by the people in attendance for the last session Sunday afternoon. At the pastor’s suggestion, they formed a prayer circle around me and prayed for the ministry. I began to cry as I sensed God’s embrace through their prayers. No one had known how emotionally and physically drained I had been going into the JoyShop but the Lord had mercy on me and His strength was made perfect in my weakness. Their prayers were such an encouragement to me.

Our weekend at Heidelberg Church in Slatington went very well. Jan Kamp traveled with me Friday night to get a head start for the all day JoyShop on Saturday. We had a lovely dinner with our host couple and were able to set up in the church that night. Saturday was a full day. Approximately 50 were in attendance. Many people shared with me later that it was just what they had needed. I was thrilled to discover that one person committed their life to Jesus Christ during the workshop!

This was a first….usually I push the time limit to the max. The scheduled time was 9-3:00 p.m. At least that was the time I had on my program. I managed to wrap the workshop up at 3:05 p.m. A lady raised her hand at the end and told me that her church bulletin said it was going to last until 4:00. She wondered if I could share more! I was so dumb founded by this unexpected opportunity that I couldn’t think of anything else to say!!!!

Other areas that have been impacted by JoyShop Ministries:
I received this message from a youth pastor who had invited me to do JoyShop with his youth at a summer retreat:

“We are still holding people to the concept of your 21 day challenge from last summer at Charter Hall! God has truly blessed us from our time spent together.”

Pocket Testament League published this “Story of the Month”:
“A friend of mine invited me to do the 21-Day Challenge and I am truly growing closer to Jesus Christ each and every day. I want to share my experience with others and want to share these 10 copies of the Gospel of John with friends and family during the holiday season so they too can become closer to Jesus Christ through his words of truth. Thank you.”

Praise the Lord! These words just make my heart sing! This is truly what the 21 Day Challenge is all about, growing closer to Jesus Christ!

February is the month that my husband, Paul and I block out for vacation. We enjoy the break from work and ministry and thank the Lord we can get away for a time of refresment. Ministry work gets back into full swing as we head to Texas in March! Thank you for your prayers on behalf of the ministry as we partner together to encourage others! Love, Anita K

JOY IN JESUS

John 15:11
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

With the holidays being past us now, and the post-Christmas sales tempting us to buy for next year, the one reoccurring word that I continue to see in the stores is the powerful little word JOY. What is joy? Webster defines it as, “exhilaration of spirits: gladness: to rejoice or be glad.” As I have pondered this word over and over in my mind, a feeling of God’s presence swells up in my soul. As followers of Christ, we know that true JOY can only come in the person of Jesus Christ. He is our joy! Gladness comes from having a personal relationship with Him. When one reads John 15 and comes to verse 11, one has to ask the question, “What things has Christ told us in the preceding verses so that we know how to have His complete joy?” The answer is found in a repeated phrase He uses over and over in the first 11 verses, “Remain in me.” It’s that simple. If we truly want the complete joy of Christ within us then we must make a conscious effort to remain in Him moment by moment in our day. How can we do this in practicality? Well, I am still learning how to remain in Him on a daily basis, but for now it all begins by starting my morning soaking in His presence through prayer and meditation on His life giving Words. After I have enjoyed time alone with Jesus, I continue to practice His presence by consciously talking with Him through out the day.

However, at times personal pain and problems can distract me throughout my day in to thinking that I can’t have joy during a difficult or challenging time, but the truth of the matter is that we all can have the joy of Jesus within our souls even during the darkest of times. Why? Because Jesus is joy. He is our life. He is our peace. He is our burden-bearer. He is our comforter. He is our strength. HE IS OUR EVERYTHING! So if any of you are going through a trying time and have lost the joy you once had, focus all your energies on Jesus and who He is. Spend extra time in the Word. Claim His promises. Rehearse them through the day. Remind your self that it is okay to have uncertainties. But trust Jesus to be enough for what ever you are facing. Know that as long as you have Him as your main focus, His joy will be constant in your soul, even though things might appear to be falling apart on the outside!

I love surprises from God and today He had a good one! My daughter, Carrie, kicked me out of my own house today to host a group of employees from Water Street Rescue Mission for a retreat day. I knew that I needed to work on this ministry update so I grabbed my lap top and headed to Panero’s Bread to meet my son, Josh, for lunch. The plan was to eat lunch and then to stay at Panero’s and work on the ministry letter.
The place was so crowded that I was worried I wouldn’t find a place to sit. There was only one place that was open and that was a small table sandwiched between two other tables. There was a man at each table and I felt kind of stupid to move in between them but I had no choice. The one man was working intently on his lap top and the other man had just sat down to eat. Even though I did not see any food in front of this man it appeared that he was bowing his head to pray for a blessing over his food. I couldn’t help but be excited that maybe we would have the opportunity to talk about spiritual things should a conversation open up. However, as it turned out, at closer examination, the man was not praying but typing on his blackberry! So there went that idea down the tubes. Josh showed up shortly after that observation, and he offered to pray over our time of food and fellowship. He prayed the sweetest prayer and I couldn’t help but wonder what these men might be thinking since we were practically sitting in their laps! Not that it mattered, it’s just you want your life to shine for Jesus and to bring Him glory and to see a young man praying in a public place speaks volumes in my mind. Now here is the surprise, as soon as Josh finished praying, the man who had been working at his computer commented that he couldn’t help but over hear Josh’s prayer and he preceded to let us know that he was of like mind, a follower of Jesus Christ, and he really appreciated Josh’s prayer. Since Josh prayed over my ministry, he asked about my ministry. This led to the discovery that he was a man with a ministry as well. Turns out that the man sitting beside us was none other than Dr. Walt Mueller, President of Center For Parent/Youth Understanding! I have heard him numerous times on the radio and have always appreciated the way his ministry serves the body of Christ. Josh and I both felt blessed by this surprise encounter. The things that impressed me the most about him in our brief encounter was his humility and his stand for the truth of God’s Word. As we both spent the rest of the afternoon working at our lap tops each trying to accomplish goals we had set out to do that day for our prospective ministries, I couldn’t help but thank the Lord for the way he takes each of us with our particular passions and uses it to help encourage and serve the body of Christ. We need each other! May God fill us all with His Holy Spirit, anointing us and empowering us to each to do our part in impacting our own world.

Well, I had better get to the ministry update!

Youth Quest,the Brethren In Christ conference for teens across America, was held in Washington, D.C. Dec. 27-30. My husband, Paul, and a volunteer, Kay Risser, traveled with me in preparation for a new adventure and I was so grateful for their prayer support. We were one of 10 workshops that the 800 youth could choose from. Praise God for the 140+ youth that felt drawn to our workshop. Many youth and leaders came up to me afterwards to thank me for the encouragement the workshop had been to them. Two young men emailed me later with the following messages:

From Canada:
“Hi! I met you at Youth Quest and I sat in on your seminar. It helped me and today I started the 21 day challenge. I had a friend who quit reading her Bible. I found this out on Dec. 24. I wrote her a letter to try to get her back into reading her Bible. She started reading her Bible before I came home from Youth Quest. I asked her to do the 21 day challenge and she has accepted the offer so thanks…”

A few days later he sent me another email wondering how he could get me to Canada to minister to his youth group! Praise God for the many young people who have a true passion to know Christ and want to grow in their relationship to Him and help others as well.

From the states:
“I really loved your seminar at youthquest!!!! I’m going to start your 21 day challenge plus use the notebook!!!"

After receiving these emails, I was so excited that I printed them out and went out to my kitchen to share it with the 8 teens/young adults who were playing Uno around my kitchen table. The reason I wanted to share these praises with them is because I was under such heavy mental attack from the enemy while doing one of my sessions that I could only sing God’s praises that He could work through me in spite of what was going on inside of my mind! After sharing with them I asked if they would remember to pray for JoyShop Ministries and for me personally that I would continue to have the energy and zeal that is necessary for ministry as well as stand firm against any attacks from the enemy. Specifically I asked for their prayers in that I desire God to continue to anoint the words that proceed from my mouth for His glory and exaltation. What a blessing to have my daughter, Shelly, speak up and suggest that they all gather around me right then and pray. I felt so blessed to be surrounded by these godly young people, as they laid their hands on me and prayed to God on my behalf. Another surprise gift from God!

On Sunday, January 4, I began my ministry at Hempfield Brethern In Christ Church. I shared my testimony during the morning worship hour, grateful for the opportunity to reach those who might not attend the workshop in the evenings. Now the challenge before me was that Sunday night was my first session and I was in competition with the big Eagles game. But I knew that God is larger and more powerful than football, and He did not disappoint me. Seventy people showed up that night! One man even showed up wearing his Eagles jersey!There is so much I could share with you that God did during the three nights I was there serving, unfortunately I can only mention a few.

Received these messages from teens through facebook:
"Thank you so much for coming to my church. It was my first time seeing you and I loved you. I have started the 21 day challenge and I do it at night but I wake up
when I am out at my bus stop. I am praying until I get to school and spending time with God.
Thanks soo much! You have blessed me and have helped me to search for God more than I use to…and the past couple of days have been great since I have been seeking God.
Also thanks for caring so much about all of us teens. God bless!”

From a male teen:
"Anita, I just wanted to thank you so much for doing your joyshop at my church these last two days! I'm so glad that you are here and I think this will have an amazing influence on our church as whole. Thank you! You are such an encouragement to me!"

What blessed me about the above email is that this young man and his sister had already attended a JoyShop when I did it for their school retreat yet he and his sister wanted to do it again! In fact they found JoyShop so helplful that they invited their grandparents to come and they attended all three nights. I only know this because the grandparents told me!

Praise God, there was even a sweet little 10 year old girl who attended the JoyShop with her father, who came up to me to thank me. She loved my story and the points I made. She attended with her father two of the three nights. I am so grateful to God for allowing me to share a message that is simple enough for a 10 year old!!!!

The testimonies we receive are such a blessing! Yes, we love hearing how the Lord is using JoyShop Ministries to impact lives but the part we love best is knowing that the participants will fall deeper in love with Jesus if they choose to practice the principles set before them in the JoyShop. Sometimes I struggle with sharing some of these testimonies because JoyShop Ministries does not want any glory. It is all for Him. He is the one who anoints and empowers a ministry. So we boast in Him alone!

Please continue to pray for upcoming JoyShops this month. We will be at Riverhill Evangelical Church in Shippenville, Pa, which is four hours away the weekend of January 17-18. Paula Frey will be traveling with me for this event. Then on January 31, we will be at Heilelberg Church in Slatington, Pa., for a one day JoyShop.

Recently, a pastor from the Harrisburg area strongly suggested that I continue to build a larger prayer base around this ministry. We all know that the enemy of our souls stands apposed to any ministry that encourages intimacy with Jesus Christ. It is Christ in us that changes this world and Satan would like nothing more then to keep the world in darkness and depression. If you feel a quickening in your heart to pray for the work of JoyShop Ministries please contact Deb Risser at deb@joyshop.org and she will forward your name on to our prayer coordinator, Twila Shertzer. You will be put on our prayer team and will receive reminders to pray for upcoming events as well as any specific emergency needs as they arise.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am blessed to have so much support. The JoyShop Team consists of many volunteers that give of their time and I want to publicly thank the following individuals who gave of their time this past week in helping to assemble the JoyShop binders for future events: Kay Risser, Deb Risser, Twila Shertzer, Gene and Sherilyn Schock, Jill Shenk, Brenda Longsderff, and my parents, Gerald and Lucille Wingert.

I encourage each of you to continue to set your heart on seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ so that He can use you to be Christ to those around you.

Our God is an Awesome God!

Anita K.