Skip to main content

SHAPE Testimonies


SHAPE TESTIMONY
Ladean Smith
 

I attended my first SHAPE retreat in July of 2009. I was new (barely over a year) in recovery to my addiction to alcohol, but eager to form relationships with women and to see if God did indeed have a place for me to plug in to this body of believers that I now consider my most beloved family. 

I made friends, scavenged in hopes of winning the hunt, took a personality quiz and did a spiritual gifts inventory. I also cried my heart out to God that he would help me love my newly found stepdaughter, and give me the grace to help my husband build a solid, healing relationship with her.

My personality quiz revealed that I was a Perfect Melancholy, and my strongest spiritual gifts were giving, wisdom and knowledge. None of that really surprised me, it all seemed to fit the idea that I had of myself. I also had the opportunity to pray with one of the ladies on the prayer team, Kathy Owen, who has become my dear friend. She not only prayed with me then and there about my 18 year old stepdaughter, for grace to welcome her into my life, but she continued to intercede for me and to reach out to me to offer encouragement.

When the invitation came out to work on the next SHAPE retreat, which was held only a few months later, I said yes, and I also gave a testimony about my experiences. Each time after that, when a retreat was in the works, I gladly accepted the invitation to be part of the team – I was hooked! I had formed relationships with some dear sisters and took every opportunity to work alongside them and learn from them. After the required training, I was able to become a part of the prayer team, which I LOVE!

In October, 2013, (I had worked every SHAPE in between) I decided to take the personality quiz again. Much to my surprise, I was not a Perfect Melancholy at all. I was a Powerful Choleric. I was at first a little bit dismayed, but quickly the Lord assured me that I was becoming the real me, who He created me to be. I looked back at all the freedom I had gotten over the past several years, and it began to make sense to me that the Lord was giving back that precious ground that the enemy had stolen. Yay!

So, last year I had the great privilege of being the coordinator for the SHAPE. It was scary and exciting, I forgot things I wish I would have remembered, maybe got off schedule here and there. But it was just so much fun, knowing that I was at last fulfilling a role that my sweet Heavenly Daddy had been planning for me. He goes before me, He stays beside me and He covers me. I am so thankful for our church and the resources they provide to make such things available for our growth. Even more thankful for great leadership – DeAnna Fields – who encourages me to be all that He has planned for me. I am so blessed I cannot possibly hold it all!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Released Retreat Registration NOW OPEN!

Beltway Women…it’s time to register for the spring RELEASED Retreat!! RELEASED was designed as a companion to the Men’s Boot Camp and was a huge success last year.  If you have the desire to get away with friends and discover your heart again…this is for you!  Join Beltway Women and travel on buses to the beautiful Glen Lake Retreat Center in Glen Rose, Texas for a 3-day adventure. You will have the opportunity to be RELEASED from your past wounds and failures…and be RELEASED into the Kingdom to make an eternal impact.  Invite your friends and life group so you can experience fellowship and activities, worship, teachings, ministry time, small group discussion and alone time with God. Registration is open through April 15th, but don’t miss the Early Bird fee of $165 ($75 deposit required) Click HERE to register and you can also see a video from last year’s retreat. Contact DeAnna Fields for more information or to volunteer.  We would love for you to be part of o...

Meet Sherrie Saltzgaber

And now... Sherrie Saltzgaber ! You may know Sherrie around Beltway Park as the Pastor of Freedom Ministries.  She is often involved in alter and healing prayer times, short term mission trips, kids' camps and teaching Freedom classes.  It's in these ministries that Sherrie uses the spiritual gifts God has given her with all her might. Equipped with the gifts of Teaching, Wisdom, Faith, Prophecy and Counseling, Sherrie says she is honored to use them as the Lord brings hurting, confused, broken and stuck people into her life on a daily basis.  She is excited and blessed to partner with Holy Spirit in releasing Truth that opens their hearts and minds to God's fullness for their lives. You can probably already see that Sherrie's passion is releasing the Kingdom of God on the earth no matter where she is or what she's doing!  Sherrie feels that she lived a good portion of her life in darkness, but now that she has experienced the Father heart of God, it is her res...

Meet Gaylene Templeton

Gaylene Templeton  (better known as GayGay to her 7 grandchildren) has been married to Ray (Beltway Elder) for 42 years.  They have 5 children: Amy, Misty, Ashlee, Abe, and Addison.  Their children range in age from 41 to 24, and their grandchildren range in age from 20 to in-the-womb (expected in December and March). Gaylene is passionate about being the best wife, mother, and GayGay she can be.  She was truly stretched in her faith when she was only 17, and had her first child.  "The biggest faith step would be trusting God to provide for our family and give us the wisdom to raise Godly children.  The Lord helped me through this with prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship." Little did Gaylene anticipate, about 4 years ago, her role as GayGay would take a frightening turn!  Her oldest grandson, Harrison (now aged 20), contracted a flu virus that attacked his heart.  "He was in the hospital for about 2 months, and it was touc...