By: April Sliwak | Founder “This summer I’ll be called into stillness. Stillness with the Lord to hear from him; all the things he wants to say to me that perhaps I was too busy to hear before. Stillness to be heard; to pray, dream and ask”; excerpt from my July Newsletter. Thank you for your prayers for the healing of my wound. God is faithful and is a Healer. In this season I studied Ann Voskamp’s, Waymaker, a six-session guide including a weekly video with self-reflection questions. I had the pleasure of meeting Ann in Ocean City, NJ with my daughters, sister, and friends at the Tabernacle in July. It was so sweet to hear her lovely voice and message and then to meet her afterwards. The experience was complimentary and solidifying to what I heard from God in my stillness; “Yes, you’ve been too busy to hear me before but now that I have your attention, I’m calling you, my beloved April, into a season of a sabbatical.”! This time I will not be making my own plans but instead, I’ll be obedient. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. Psalm 23:2-3 Friends, I’ve been serving in Her Life Speaks for seven years and God is calling me into a Sabbatical this year until January 2024. What is a Sabbatical and its purpose? Well, it’ll be a period for me to spend time with God. It’s a time for soul care, travel, receiving and to be still. A season of prayer, reading, worship, and doing nothing at all. A time for me to just sit, feel, and listen. A Sabbatical is a time to reconnect with the Lord and to be blessed by the loving kindness and unconditional love He offers. I covet your prayers as I navigate stillness. This should be interesting and I can’t wait for all that God has to show me. I thank you as you continue to support Her Life Speaks and its mission. Has God called you into something new this season? Are you afraid? Excited? Will you be obedient? Will you trust? Love, April Meet Shabree HenryFriends, while I’m away on sabbatical, I’ve appointed ShaBree Henry, Program Specialist for Her Life Speaks, to be the Interim Executive Director. ShaBree joined HLS 18 months ago and she jumped right into ministry to serve women and girls, particularly with The Beauty Project.
ShaBree’s servant leadership was evident right from the start. She is a mastermind behind programs, organization, social media, marketing, and management. She’s gifted in discernment and encouragement and ShaBree loves the Lord. I trust her and have leaned into her for sage advice, prayer, and support. Please join me in supporting ShaBree as she oversees Her Life Speaks in my absence. Keep her in your prayers anytime you think of her and send her an encouraging message or prayer if you feel led to: [email protected] With a heart full of gratitude, April
6 Comments
Hi friends!
In the spring of 2022, a friend and ministry leader invited me to attend a Her Life Speaks’ Tea Party. I said, “Yes!”, to her invitation, because who doesn’t like tea, yummy cookies, sandwiches? ️ Since then, the rest has been a “God Story”! For the past 18 months, It's been an honor to be “in community” and serve as the ministry’s Program & Development Strategist. It’s been a blessing to work closely with our leaders to strategically develop sustainable program experiences that will allow women and young girls to identify God in their stories. During the day, I am a Literacy Teacher, a Certified, Master Neuro-Transformational Results Coach, Story Midwife, and Publisher. Most importantly, I have a mandate from God to help women give birth to their stories. When I’m not writing, reading, or publishing, you can find me experimenting with a new vegan recipe and spending time with my family. While April is on sabbatical, I am honored to serve as the Interim Executive Director. We will continue to connect women to Jesus by providing a community to discover the power of HER own story through HIS. Tell your daughters about it, and let your daughters tell their daughters, and their daughters the next generation. Joel 1:3 Love, Shabree |
StoriesHer Life Speaks is all about Her testimony, Her life, and who God is in Her story. Here we write our stories in hopes of helping other women find their relationship with Jesus Christ. Archives
January 2024
|