SANA BLOG
♦ Real People ♦ Real Stories ♦ Real Lives Being Changed EVERYDAY
This Week's Featured Organization: Touch the Hem Ministries
***Being Tried by Fire***
♦♦ Introducing Two Women Who Now Walk In Victory Over Defeat!! ♦♦
STARTING WITH A STRONG FOUNDATION
After a SANA intro video, two ladies connected and Touch the Hem Ministries was formed. This group makes a way for women to press through the crowd to receive their healing. Just as the woman with the issue of blood knew that if she made it to Jesus she would be made whole, (Luke 8:44).
Taneka Young, one of the founding leaders of Touch the Hem Ministries, shared:
“Shamilla Pennington and I was talking through this in the beginning. We noticed we both had the same passion and drive for women. We saw a lot of women were in need, but not talking about it. We both had already experienced a breakthrough in the group. It was laid on our hearts to do something to help other women experience their breakthrough as well.”
After speaking with Reneé LaLond who had expressed the same vision to the founder of SANA, Pastor Ced Reynolds, they knew it was God seeking the three of them to start Touch the Hem. The purpose of the group is to help restore women to their rightful place in the Kingdom. “We just knew SANA was a great place to begin,” Young cheerfully said.
Why They Said YES
They saw so many beautiful women. Their faces! Their struggles! Their heart and their lives. In spite of all their obstacles, those same women stayed in the background and said nothing. They would not even speak up in the crowd. So, Shamilla, Reneé, and Taneka decided something needed to be done to help change the outlook for these ladies.
Women are usually known to be compared, competitive and in many cases -- against each other. But, Touch the Hem was formed in an effort for sisters to support sisters. “When you hurt we all hurt. When you celebrate we are celebrating with you,”Young said.
They have excelled in their mission week after week. In this atmosphere, women have found a place like none other where they receive authentic love, concern, and support for what they are facing. This caused women to open up more, trust each other, bond, and create new healthy relationships with one another.
Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they are now able to reach women who were previously overlooked, abused, misunderstood and even misinformed. God was faithful and delivered the leaders to their breakthrough. Each of them knew they were being called upon to give back to other sisters through Touch the Hem.
The ministry was initially organized within Single and Not Ashamed – a social media group for single men and women who are not ashamed to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Touch the Hem is a platform where women can honestly voice what's going on in their life without feeling they will be judged or criticized.
“We gain our strength from pressing. Sometimes they have to press to get their breakthrough and get their healing,” Young said. The amazing leaders of Touch the Hem Ministries have created an environment that opens the door for every woman who crosses their path to experience spiritual, emotional, mental, relational, physical and even financial healing.
Woman on a Mission
Kim Ussery Transformation
Today she stands as a survivor and a powerhouse in God.
“When I first got on the Touch the Hem call, I just knew there was a need to be surrounded by women (like this) who were mighty in the Lord that would help me out on my journey,” Kim Ussery said.“My life is about being a mighty woman in God, and I knew there would be things I would be able to share. I knew the women were truly mighty in prayer. So I quickly latched on after that first call. It was very powerful.”
Recently Ussery was the victim of a hit and run accident. She was driving and before she knew it, her car was going across a 4 way highway. “I reached out to Touch the Hem, and they started immediately praying for me,” she said. “The women are genuine and when they say they are praying for you, they truly are. Every week we are hearing praise reports from the previous week's prayer requests!”
After the incident, Ussery had plans to get her car fixed and get back on the road again. Then the unfortunate fate happened where she actually received notification that her car had been shot. The gunshots made the car inoperable. It was totaled out by her insurance company. Obviously this was now time to find a new vehicle. However, she had no down-payment money or credit to purchase a car.
This was indeed her opportunity to lean on the sisters in Touch the Hem and to trust God. The leaders' recent teaching series on 31 days of Unquestionable Trust, equipped Ussery to drive away from a local dealership as the owner of a new 2013 Nissan Maxima, which is an upgrade from the Altima she had in mind.
All we can say is look at God!!
“So when you see me praising Him, now you know more about the story. My confidence has grown in myself and my own prayers from being involved with Touch the Hem, Ussery said. Two years ago, Ussery tried to commit suicide. “It was the worst 36 hours of my life,” she said. “I had so many problems piled on top of each other.” The enemy was trying to get her to drive into that lake as she sat there contemplating taking her life.“The battlefield of the mind was vicious, but now two years later I have the victory!”
Ussery gushed of God's goodness, saying: “It's nice to have nice things, but are we learning a lesson while we are going through it? When I had nothing, I watched God bring people in my life that sowed into me. I was never homeless or had my electricity turned off. God remained faithful!”
An earlier series in Touch the Hem titled “40 Days of Worship” started the process of taking her life to unimaginable heights. It set the stage and prepared her to overcome the battles she would face. There's still more that God has in store for her future. She also was promoted to help out and minister as part of Touch the Hem's leadership team for a period of time as well.
To partake in this amazing experience, connect with any of the leaders including; Shamilla Pennington, Taneka Young, Reneé LaLond or Ta'Nikki Graham. Their passion to bring a fresh Word every Thursday is fueled by knowing “as women we don't think we are worthy of love. We want you to know that you are already validated even though you don't think you are,” Taneka Young said.
“We are excited about the lives being restored. When you come willing to press you will receive virtue.” Touch the Hem Ministries is where women can find everything they need – from better friendships to her life’s purpose. Don't miss another opportunity to Touch The Hem!!
In Faith and Love,
Tami Anderson, Editor-In-Chief
Special thanks to Del Carter for editing services.
