Recently, God and I had a conversation about mentoring. He told me I needed to be a mentor. And, I said, No thanks, not qualified for that position. The conversation continued for a few months, with the responses being the same on each side, until I finally couldn't take it anymore. I accepted the challenge, despite my growing uneasiness over my lack of experience or knowledge in the mentoring department. I had never been a mentor before. I had never even been mentored. So, I asked a friend who is passionate about discipleship for some book recommendations on the topic. Each of the books he suggested sounded great, in theory. But, they were all written by men, seemingly for men. While I skimmed the reviews and read the back covers, I recognized that I needed a feminine voice. I needed to read a book by a woman, for women, about mentoring women. I stumbled upon Transforming Together: Authentic Spiritual Mentoring by Ele Parrott. At only 176 pages, this is a quick and easy read, that provides a general framework for what it looks like to be a mentor. My greatest takeaway from the book was Parrott's definition of spiritual mentoring: "Coming alongside of and partnering with who the Holy Spirit is being in the life of another person and infusing truth into that person's reality." {p.41} Parrott helped me to understand that being a mentor isn't about me. It's not a time for me to verbally vomit all of my mistakes and experiences. It's actually the opposite. My role is to actively listen, offer insight, and ask questions that allow the mentee to reflect on her experiences with a fresh perspective. I don't have to worry about saying the right things or giving the best advice. This is simply an opportunity for me to walk alongside a sister in Christ in her journey of faith. Transforming Together does not provide a list of questions or a discussion guide for your mentoring meetings. Instead, Parrott points you to Jesus and His example. She writes, We notice Him spending hours with others in their comfort zones. We see time set aside with a select few for more private and intimate conversations. We witness Jesus, the master spiritual mentor, asking significant questions and then waiting for responses-responses that revealed their hearts and gave Jesus the opportunity to speak truth into their realities. Parrott provides a plethora of personal examples from conversations in her own mentoring relationships. By sharing stories of women in a variety of life seasons, she shows us what it means to be a decidedly female mentor. I did struggle to translate those examples to my own mentoring relationship, precisely because each discussion is so relevant to an individual's experience. Parrott suggests numerous times that you meet at a Starbucks for mentoring. I love me some Starbucks, but I think it's good to think outside the cafe culture and explore other options for your meetings. Perhaps you could go on a walk, meet at a park, or even invite the mentee into your home. Transforming Together provides a great jumping off point from which to begin a mentoring relationship. But, most importantly, Parrott directs you to walk out your mentoring relationship in congruence with the Holy Spirit. Once you've got that down, you'll be amazed at how transformative mentoring can be for both you and the mentee. New here? Head on over to the Home page to see what we're all about. Follow via email (we send a short recap of all the articles to your inbox once a week) to be entered in the monthly giveaways and like on facebook for daily encouraging verses and memes. About KeriMost days Keri can be found cruising in her Swagger Wagon, reading a good book, or laughing with friends over large cups of coffee. She finds great fulfillment in serving those who might not walk through the doors of a church, but still desperately need the Hope that only God can give. She also enjoys learning about God through unorthodox means, and occasionally blogs about it at Pop Parables. She also gets in touch with her creative side at BringingCraftyBack. Keri lives in the Greater Seattle area with her husband, their three boys, and 2 weiner pups.
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Have you ever felt stuck in your walk with God? Maybe you are not taking steps backward, but you know that you are NOT moving forward. Do you feel like you are missing out on the Spirit-filled Christian life? Are you lacking desire to have a quiet time with God? Are you struggling with anger, selfishness, self-pity, apathy, or despair? This was my story a few years ago. I was in a Christian bookstore trying to choose a book for my next Bible study. I saw the “Seeking Him” Bible study in the Devotional area, and I recognized Nancy DeMoss’s name from the local Christian radio station. The word “joy” in the title compelled me; I hadn’t been experiencing a joyous Christian life. I bought the book wondering how long it would take me to go through my 12 week study. I will admit that I did not finish the book anywhere near within 12 weeks. I had to slow down and soak up what I was reading. Every chapter hit such an important issue. I felt like the book was dissecting every area of my life and looking at it with a microscope. At times I wanted to throw down the book and never pick it up again. Yet, I knew that it was truth being spoken into my life. It was humbling to see my sin so clearly. I could continue in my sin or I could repent, confess, and be forgiven. I was called to action. One of the hardest things I ever had to do was contact someone from my past to ask forgiveness for how I had acted. The study asks for radical action because it shows how to have radical revival. Going through this Bible study, I was convicted in so many ways. You will get so much from this study as long as you promise to be honest with yourself before God. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to convict you and to empower you to live obediently. If you do this Bible study with a group, I would suggest to keep the groups small, to be open, and to take advantage of opportunities for accountability. Just so you get an idea of the study, here are the subjects for the chapters: Revival, Humility, Honesty, Repentance, Grace, Holiness, Obedience, Clear Conscience, Forgiveness, Sexual Purity, Spirit-Filled Life, and Personal Devotional Life. We want to be women who make a difference in this world. We want our lives to glorify God. Personal revival is the way to have “spring cleaning” in our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. One of the quotes from the book sums up why revival is so important. “Revival wakens in our hearts an increased awareness of the presence of God, a new love for God, a new hatred for sin, and a hunger for His Word.” –Del Fehsenfeld Jr. May God bless and grow you, as you seek Him! About ShellyGrowing up with a strong Christian family, Shelly has had the privilege of having many godly, influential people in her life. Besides going to college in Indiana and teaching school for 1 year in Texas, she has lived in Minnesota her whole life. Recently, she moved to Colorado after meeting her husband on E-Harmony. She is extremely humbled by how the Almighty God works in our lives in such personal ways. Shelly is now a missionary to college students. She is thrilled with the opportunity to share the gospel with college students, to help them grow in their faith, and to encourage them to be sold out servants for God. She enjoys coffee, books, volleyball, bike rides, movies, long walks, and playing games. My mom was the queen at Christmas! She had our entire house decorated, baked a million delicate Christmas cookies, and usually made a Christmas dress for not only my sister and I, but also herself. Seriously, she was the Christmas Champion!! But it’s been almost 15 years since I had a Christmas with her, and the older I get the more I realize all she did to make Christmas so special for anyone and everyone around her. For years I didn’t let myself have a special Christmas for fear of being let down and disappointed because it wouldn’t be the same without my mom. About a month ago, a memory popped into my head (which, if you know me, is pretty amazing since I can’t remember very many memories without some sort of prompting). I remember laying on my parent’s bed, and my mom was reading her favorite Christmas book to my sister and I – The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. I really don’t want to give away much of the book, because if you haven’t heard of it or read it before you need to THIS CHRISTMAS! But there is one part that I just have to share. And all you have to know is that Imogene is playing Mary, the mother of Jesus, and holding the baby while everyone is singing “Silent Night”: “Everyone had been waiting all this time for the Herdmans to do something absolutely unexpected. And sure enough, that was what happened. My mom would cry every single time she came to this point. As a kid I would say something like, “Mom! You know it’s coming and you still cry!” But it wasn't until I was older that I began to realize the beauty in this moment with Imogene. Imogene realized, as my mom picked up, what Christmas was about. Seeing this baby, Jesus, and what He came to do for us all. It wasn't just all that Mary and Joseph went through to get to the point of shepherds coming to worship a baby, but all the glory surrounding the Prince of Peace and the REAL Christmas Champion. Now, my eyes get a little moist just thinking back to the story, and the thought of my mom shedding tears of joy – because now I understand more clearly. It makes me go back to when I was that “awful old Imogene” realizing Who Jesus was for the first time, and I, too, cried and cried and cried – without bothering to wipe them away. Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you so much for coming! Thank you for the beauty You brought through the complicated circumstances surrounding your birth. Thank you for choosing shepherds and “Herdsmans” to come worship you at your manger. Thank you for coming to make people like me and Imogene into your child! Thank you for being the Ultimate Christmas Champion!! About LeahLeah works with Master Plan Ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Other than watching college students' lives change, she enjoys getting her mind blown by God and His Word, watching sci fi, baking cupcakes, and spending time with her hunky husband. |