Renewed Woman Mending Broken People

Making of a Renewed Woman, Inc.
by Dorothy Foote

From childhood, I often wondered why I was born. Although we did not have very much, my home and family were great. My parents encouraged us and I knew they loved me very much. Yet, I felt flawed and unloved.

Growing up, my peers took advantage of my shyness by teasing me regularly. In school, my teachers and guidance counselors told my parents and me that my school work wasn’t too good and that I’d always have difficulty learning. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed I never was good enough at anything, according to those I was trying to please. I interpreted this to mean ‘I wasn’t good enough.’

This continued into adulthood in all areas of my life. The stress and anxiety of trying to prove myself resulted in me having to be hospitalized on several occasions. Although I had plenty of positive affirmations, for some reason, I chose to believe all the negative words spoken about and to me more. For many years, I honestly believed I was a mistake. Perhaps it was because I learned to not love myself.

Although I loved the Lord and believed He loved me, I had no victory. Broken-hearted, weakened by fear, frustrated, and confused, I was tired of trying to understand why I didn’t fit in. What was wrong with me? The only thing that seemed reasonable was to just quit and give up. So, I begged God to let me to go to sleep and never wake up. I later learned that this was a sinful, selfish request for which I repented. It was His grace that saved me from destruction.

My parents had died and my marriage was failing. Though I detested confrontation, it seemed to always be present. The inner pain had intensified to the point where it was almost unbearable, but God’s mercy continued to sustain me. I remember telling God that I was hurting so bad, I couldn’t even stand the pain of a hang nail. Of course, He allowed me to get one that day just to prove to me that no matter how bad things looked, they could be worse and, most of all, He was with me.

In May, 1983, I had an extraordinary experience with the Lord. He revealed to me in a very vivid way that my unhappiness was because I was allowing what others say and thought along with my own negative thoughts and feelings, to control my life.

During this encounter, He showed me that when we don’t know our identity, others will give us one which doesn’t fit us. Instead of trying to please Him, I was spending most of my time trying to please people then harboring resentment and unforgiveness. I finally understood was contributing to the physical ailments and stress I was experiencing. Plus I was out of God’s will for my life.

God told me clearly that day, He wanted me to stop allowing this to happen. He told me He loved me very much just the way I was and that I was very special to Him. He also let me know I wasn’t a mistake. This amazing encounter was an awesome revelation which brought about such relief. It was the beginning of my transformation. For years after that, God showed me, through the scriptures, His thoughts of me and they are good.

I found that whenever I was in the midst of some of my most difficult trials, women, some of whom I didn't know, would come to me sharing their hurts. I asked the Lord why this was happening when I didn't have a handle on my own situation. He answered, "Feed my sheep. Just tell them what I've told you."

I believe, the seed for a women’s ministry was planted in my heart when a dear friend of the family shared how she packed her nightgown and bible and going to a local hotel for the week-end, just to get away to spend time alone with the Lord. Somehow, I knew I was called by God to make this happen for other women.

Years late, in March 1990, I shared this dream with an anointed woman minister, whom I had met in the Dallas, TX airport. Within five minutes, she instructed me to treat this dream like a pregnancy. She warned that the “baby would be born whether I was ready for it to come or not. So I needed to prepare for it. This word really challenged my faith that this could be possible.

God, in His infinite mercy took me a just little further to confirm that my calling was sure. One day while at a social gathering, I was listening to a group of women talk about their own personal pain. Although I was miserable at the time, I didn't have very much to say. These women were attractive, intelligent, creative, and successful in their professions. It didn’t matter that some were administrators, holding positions of authority and others held lesser positions or were homemakers. We all shared one thing in common, ‘inner pain.’

As I quietly listened to each woman tell her story, an overwhelming sense of pain crept into that room like an eerie, invisible, unwanted guest. This spirit had an evil persona that was extremely overpowering. Its presence seemed to fill the room. It was as though we could touch it. I shared what I was sensing and they didn't seem to notice. I felt the intensity of their pain and frustration. Their stories differed, but one thing was certain. These women had been deeply hurt and I could relate. It was obvious most of them had been carrying the weight of their pain for many years.

This experience disturbed me so much that I was physically weakened. I prayed, "Lord, what can I do to make the pain go away?" It was clear that somehow, some way, I had to help women recover from their inner pain. I knew something had to be done, but feeling incapable and inadequate, what could I possibly do?

As I look back over those years, I can see that in the midst of these experiences God was working in my life all the time; preparing me for such a time as this. I discovered that I was born with a purpose. I know now, my sufferings were there to make me strong. He was transforming me into a new woman with a mission.

The next few years were very traumatic. My marriage ended. I had been stripped of almost everything I held dear. It was in those very dark days that the Lord let me know through dreams, visions, and revelations that it was His appointed time for Him to do a new thing in my life. ".....The baby is in the birth canal" He said. "It's time for the baby to be born. I want to ‘mend broken people’." It was so powerful! He instructed me to not look to my own strength or means, but to stretch out in faith, trusting Him to take care of the details as He led me to develop the ministry of RENEWED WOMAN, Inc. ... Discovering the Other Woman Within.

Something else I learned, during this time, is whatever we need the most, we must give away. Therefore, I offer you love, encouragement, and biblical information on how to turn your life around, God's way. I’m only a servant of God with a responsibility to reach out to others who see themselves as "...less than the least of all ..." (Eph. 3:8, NIV). I can do nothing more than tell them what He told me and lead them to Jesus who will then help them elevate their thinking to where they can receive God's magnificent gift of grace, mercy and love.

God's way. I’m only a servant of God with a responsibility to reach out to others who see themselves as "...less than the least of all ..." (Eph. 3:8, NIV). I can do nothing more than tell them what He told me and lead them to Jesus who will then help them elevate their thinking to where they can receive God's magnificent gift of grace, mercy and love.

It was through investing into the lives of others, during their difficult times, that my own healing took place and my needs were met. Although I cannot change their circumstances, I can show women, through God's word, how to change the way they view their situation. As a result, we'll see more and more lives transformed, families healed, and most of all Satan's strongholds, in their lives, torn down.

There is so much more to the story of my journey into this ministry. It has truly been a fantastic journey. All that I am and all I hope to be, I owe it all to Jesus.♥


	*Making of a Renewed Woman, Inc.* *by Dorothy Foote* From childhood, I often wondered why I was born. Although we did not have very much, my home and family were great. My parents encouraged us and I knew they loved me very much. Yet, I felt flawed and unloved. Growing up, my peers took advantage of my shyness by teasing me regularly. In school, my teachers and guidance counselors told my parents and me that my school work wasn’t too good and that I’d always have difficulty learning. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed I never was good enough at anything, according to those I was trying to please. I interpreted this to mean ‘I wasn’t good enough.’ This continued into adulthood in all areas of my life. The stress and anxiety of trying to prove myself resulted in me having to be hospitalized on several occasions. Although I had plenty of positive affirmations, for some reason, I chose to believe all the negative words spoken about and to me more. For many years, I honestly believed I was a mistake. Perhaps it was because I learned to not love myself. Although I loved the Lord and believed He loved me, I had no victory. Broken-hearted, weakened by fear, frustrated, and confused, I was tired of trying to understand why I didn’t fit in. What was wrong with me? The only thing that seemed reasonable was to just quit and give up. So, I begged God to let me to go to sleep and never wake up. I later learned that this was a sinful, selfish request for which I repented. It was His grace that saved me from destruction. My parents had died and my marriage was failing. Though I detested confrontation, it seemed to always be present. The inner pain had intensified to the point where it was almost unbearable, but God’s mercy continued to sustain me. I remember telling God that I was hurting so bad, I couldn’t even stand the pain of a hang nail. Of course, He allowed me to get one that day just to prove to me that no matter how bad things looked, they could be worse and, most of all, He was with me. In May, 1983, I had an extraordinary experience with the Lord. He revealed to me in a very vivid way that my unhappiness was because I was allowing what others say and thought along with my own negative thoughts and feelings, to control my life. During this encounter, He showed me that when we don’t know our identity, others will give us one which doesn’t fit us. Instead of trying to please Him, I was spending most of my time trying to please people then harboring resentment and unforgiveness. I finally understood was contributing to the physical ailments and stress I was experiencing. Plus I was out of God’s will for my life. God told me clearly that day, He wanted me to stop allowing this to happen. He told me He loved me very much just the way I was and that I was very special to Him. He also let me know I wasn’t a mistake. This amazing encounter was an awesome revelation which brought about such relief. It was the beginning of my transformation. For years after that, God showed me, through the scriptures, His thoughts of me and they are good. I found that whenever I was in the midst of some of my most difficult trials, women, some of whom I didn't know, would come to me sharing their hurts. I asked the Lord why this was happening when I didn't have a handle on my own situation. He answered, "Feed my sheep. Just tell them what I've told you." I believe, the seed for a women’s ministry was planted in my heart when a dear friend of the family shared how she packed her nightgown and bible and going to a local hotel for the week-end, just to get away to spend time alone with the Lord. Somehow, I knew I was called by God to make this happen for other women. Years late, in March 1990, I shared this dream with an anointed woman minister, whom I had met in the Dallas, TX airport. Within five minutes, she instructed me to treat this dream like a pregnancy. She warned that the “baby would be born whether I was ready for it to come or not. So I needed to prepare for it. This word really challenged my faith that this could be possible. God, in His infinite mercy took me a just little further to confirm that my calling was sure. One day while at a social gathering, I was listening to a group of women talk about their own personal pain. Although I was miserable at the time, I didn't have very much to say. These women were attractive, intelligent, creative, and successful in their professions. It didn’t matter that some were administrators, holding positions of authority and others held lesser positions or were homemakers. We all shared one thing in common, ‘inner pain.’ As I quietly listened to each woman tell her story, an overwhelming sense of pain crept into that room like an eerie, invisible, unwanted guest. This spirit had an evil persona that was extremely overpowering. Its presence seemed to fill the room. It was as though we could touch it. I shared what I was sensing and they didn't seem to notice. I felt the intensity of their pain and frustration. Their stories differed, but one thing was certain. These women had been deeply hurt and I could relate. It was obvious most of them had been carrying the weight of their pain for many years. This experience disturbed me so much that I was physically weakened. I prayed, "Lord, what can I do to make the pain go away?" It was clear that somehow, some way, I had to help women recover from their inner pain. I knew something had to be done, but feeling incapable and inadequate, what could I possibly do? As I look back over those years, I can see that in the midst of these experiences God was working in my life all the time; preparing me for such a time as this. I discovered that I was born with a purpose. I know now, my sufferings were there to make me strong. He was transforming me into a new woman with a mission. The next few years were very traumatic. My marriage ended. I had been stripped of almost everything I held dear. It was in those very dark days that the Lord let me know through dreams, visions, and revelations that it was His appointed time for Him to do a new thing in my life. ".....The baby is in the birth canal" He said. "It's time for the baby to be born. I want to ‘mend broken people’." It was so powerful! He instructed me to not look to my own strength or means, but to stretch out in faith, trusting Him to take care of the details as He led me to develop the ministry of RENEWED WOMAN, Inc. ... Discovering the Other Woman Within. Something else I learned, during this time, is whatever we need the most, we must give away. Therefore, I offer you love, encouragement, and biblical information on how to turn your life around, God's way. I’m only a servant of God with a responsibility to reach out to others who see themselves as "...less than the least of all ..." (Eph. 3:8, NIV). I can do nothing more than tell them what He told me and lead them to Jesus who will then help them elevate their thinking to where they can receive God's magnificent gift of grace, mercy and love. God's way. I’m only a servant of God with a responsibility to reach out to others who see themselves as "...less than the least of all ..." (Eph. 3:8, NIV). I can do nothing more than tell them what He told me and lead them to Jesus who will then help them elevate their thinking to where they can receive God's magnificent gift of grace, mercy and love. It was through investing into the lives of others, during their difficult times, that my own healing took place and my needs were met. Although I cannot change their circumstances, I can show women, through God's word, how to change the way they view their situation. As a result, we'll see more and more lives transformed, families healed, and most of all Satan's strongholds, in their lives, torn down. There is so much more to the story of my journey into this ministry. It has truly been a fantastic journey. All that I am and all I hope to be, I owe it all to Jesus.♥
	*Personal Testimonies* It gives us such joy to hear good reports from those who’ve attended the RENEWED WOMAN conferences. Not only is it encouraging to all of us, it is exciting and rewarding to learn of how God is working in their lives. This column is dedicated to giving you an opportunity to share with others how God has ministered to you. Below are a few responses we received from the 1998 RENEWED WOMAN Conference attendees. We trust these heartfelt words will bless and encourage you as you hear how these meetings affected each person. “Every speaker helped me focus more in depth on my Lord and areas where I need to be strengthened.” J.J. - NJ “I have been struggling with my flesh for a long time. I learned to forsake my will and do the will of the Lord. Thank you Jesus for my deliverance. - Stacy - PA “The unity in which everything was carried out let me know God was here. I enjoyed the fellowship with other sisters. Thank you for allowing me to be blessed.” - Tommie - TX “I’ve really enjoyed attending the Renewed Woman conferences in the past. I’m so glad I could be here this year.” Joann. - AZ “I was blessed seeing ladies from different cultures coming together to worship God .” Dena- NJ “The importance of faith in God’s Word and obedience and intimacy with our Lord was reinforced in me.” Dorothy- NJ, Elizabeth – NJ, JoAnne- NYC, Shirley - NJ, and Jeanette - NJ “I got off welfare, have a place to live and have two children in private school. Michele - NJ “I learned the importance of asking God to change me, not my husband, my children, or others.” Cynthia - NJ “I needed the teaching on fear and was truly blessed.” S.B. - Staten Island - NY “As a man, working behind the scenes, I learned how to better understand the needs of my wife. What a blessing.” Jim & Joel - NJ I came to terms with the sins in my life and why I felt so lost. I knew I needed Jesus in my life. Ana, Jeanette, Latonda, & Susan – NJ “I was refreshed. It was what I needed.” Joyce - MD “There was sickness and pain in my body and I was healed.” Mary - NJ “It was all wonderful. I was so blessed. Mildred – Washington DC “I learned things about myself I didn’t know.” Hazel - NJ “I am free from years of inner hurts.” Tanya – NJ “Thank you for doing this for me. God bless you.” Anonymous “Long live Dorothy and long live RENEWED WOMAN” Ann - NC "Yeah man. The Lord was here. Looking forward to next conference and will bring others with us. - Cleomi and ladies of Nassau Bahamas"
	Renewed Woman, Inc. - Discovering the Other Woman Within PO Box 308, Ledgewood NJ 07852 Contact Dorothy Foote (877) 572-4193 • Fax (973) 691-5897 Email - dfoote@renewedwoman.com