Strengthened in My Weakness: Why I’ve Already Saved the Dates for Next Year’s Leadership Training

I had done all the things, packed up my car, checked my list twice, and I was finally headed to LT! On the way I stopped to have lunch with my daughter, an LT alum. She wanted to know the theme and who was speaking. When I told her it was “Clay-like Calling,” and that Vanessa Hawkins was one of the speakers, she shared a story I had never heard. As a women and children’s ministry intern at First Pres. Jackson while she was at RTS earning her counseling degree, my daughter was privileged to attend LT several times. At one of the conferences, she heard Vanessa teach on the book of Ruth. She told me, “It was largely because of her teaching on Ruth that I gave Augusta (their two-year-old) the middle name ‘Ruth.’” Wow! I sat in awe at God’s goodness and the legacy LT had left in my daughter’s and granddaughter’s lives. I imagine many women would tell similar stories about LT’s impact on their lives, ministries, and families. This amazing conference is a non-negotiable on my calendar every year (unless of course, a grandbaby is being born!). This year’s LT, with its theme of God’s strength in our weakness, met me and hundreds of other women right where we needed it—with the hope of the gospel for the weariness and weightiness ministry can bring....

Strengthened in My Weakness: Why I’ve Already Saved the Dates for Next Year’s Leadership Training2026-03-18T13:45:49+00:00

When You Want to Trade in Your Specific Clay-Like Conditions

ELLEN DYKAS | CONTRIBUTOR But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (2 Corinthians 4:7) I recently told a friend that I’m willing to participate in the sufferings of Christ; but can it be on my terms and in the form, timing, and intensity of my choosing?! I see the irony and hypocrisy of such a statement yet the truth is, it’s how I feel and think sometimes, even if unconsciously. Maybe like me, you delight in being a clay jar filled with the treasure of Jesus, yet struggle when the clay feels extra fragile, sad, or worn out. In those conditions, I can be tempted to want to click a ‘return’ button as simply as it is to send back an unwanted Amazon package. In the past few years, certain aspects of my clay-ness have felt extra hard. The impact of menopause on my body and ongoing disrupted sleep. Health related anxiety and the physiological, emotional, and spiritual impact of that. I transitioned into a (mostly) full time equipping and content development role which has been truly such a gift to have a dedicated season to pour out what I’ve learned in the years I’ve served with Harvest USA. Yet, it’s also been unexpectedly lonely, as I’ve been at my desk more than face to face with women as I was for my first sixteen years.  What’s a girl to do?...

When You Want to Trade in Your Specific Clay-Like Conditions2026-02-15T14:32:53+00:00
Go to Top