Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak at a moms group in the Twin Cities. Several women took the Awaken-Love class 9 months ago and recommended that I speak on sex. While there, I got to reconnect with the women and hear the lasting impact from class.
Live Classes
One woman shared how eye opening the class felt when many of her assumptions about sex and about her husband did not align with God’s word. Even though she had grown up in the church and remained active, she never felt like they had provided any real answers. Left to her own assumptions and influenced by silence, awkward talks, and cultural messages, she landed where most women do – sex as an obligation to fulfill her husband’s needs. Conversation in class about God’s real intent for sex had literally shifted her mindset 180 degrees and continues to impact her marriage and attitude today.
She also said that when she took class, it felt like a fire hose of information. So many new and different ideas that contrasted what she’d believed her entire life felt almost overwhelming, but also good. She and her friends are already making plans to retake the class using the videos and revisit the topics. They will meet as a smaller intimate group and are looking forward to going deeper in discussion. All them pray for more breakthrough and freedom in their marriage bed.
Video Classes
But the best part of the morning happened as I was waiting to speak. A young woman came over and said, “I have to thank you for your classes. I took Awaken-Love about a year ago and it has completely turned my marriage and my sex life around.”
As we were visiting, I kept thinking, “I know I’ve taught a lot of women, but I don’t even recognize her.” Finally, I asked, “I am sorry, but I don’t recognize you. Did you take the class with me?”
And she replied, “No. I took the video class. About a year ago, a woman I hardly knew emailed 15 women and asked us if we’d take Awaken-Love with her. Class ended up with just four of us that honestly didn’t know each other very well, but now we are best friends. I talk to these 3 women about sex all the time now and we encourage each other in our marriages.”
What a blessing to hear first hand that the videos Melanie and I poured our heart and soul into are impacting women. What a miracle that 4 strangers could bond and experience healing during a crazy sex class developed by a couple of ordinary women.
I pray that God would continue to open doors to provide healing and wholeness to women through Awaken-Love. May women have the courage to go after their hearts desire – deep and profound intimacy.
The Author
Ruth – My friend, YOU are no ordinary woman. Neither is Melanie. Like Peter and John in Acts 4, you have been with Jesus. This is evident in your writings and in your passion for intimacy in marriage. It seems to me that intimacy between husband and wife is the perfect image of intimacy with Christ, it seems to me that the scriptures are telling us: as it is in physical intimacy between husband and wife, so it is between Christ and each of his followers. In sharing the good news about intimacy in marriage, you are sharing the good news about intimacy with Christ. So, it is no surprise to me that he would choose “ordinary women,” that’s what he does. The Message version puts it this way: “They couldn’t take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?” That is you Ruth. May the Lord continue to use you and Melanie, may he bless you richly and may he protect you from the enemy’s arrows!
Thank you. I am beyond flattered.