Flourish in Your Calling-The Gift in You!

     Only one week away until our 15th annual conference "Flourish" with keynote speaker Dr. Caroline Leaf! There is much excitement in the air with emails flying in asking tons of questions about the schedule, what to expect and prayer requests from near and far. God uses gifted speakers/ teachers like Dr. Leaf to impart wisdom and knowledge to embark on the "journey of restoration", our vision here at WJOF.

     2 Peter is a book in the Bible where the apostle Peter wrote to the believers to encourage them to  stay in the truth and not be swayed by deception. The Word of God transcends time, and what was applicable in the first century to those on the journey to restoration is applicable now in 2014. As Peter warned against false teachers and emphasized staying in the truth and knowledge of God, we too are given leaders, pastors and teachers of the Word like Dr. Leaf who has been given a gift to impart incredible truths today. In order for us to flourish, we can rely on the simple but profound truth that through a relationship with Jesus Christ, He gives us "... everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3 NIV

    WJOF's recommended study this year is "The Gift in You". Dr. Leaf writes: "No matter what you have been told, what tests you may have taken, or what you believe about yourself- you have a unique gift, different from anyone else's, to fulfill your purpose in this world."
 -Dr. Caroline Leaf Author of "The Gift in You" and "Switch on Your Brain" among other best selling titles being featured at this year's Flourish Conference.

Visit her website  and watch a 40 minute message on "The Gift in You". http://bit.ly/JEt2l1   That outlines the 7 pillars of thought and she helps us to identify the unique gift in how we have been wired to deliver our gift(s) to serve a world in need.

You can purchase her book, workbook and DVD curriculum through her website.  Although her study isn't focusing on spiritual gifts as outlined in scripture, she addresses the gift of how the mind is wired to function in our gifts.

(If you haven't taken personality/strengths tests like DISC, Myers Briggs or you haven't taken a spiritual gift test before, there are numerous resources out there to purchase or incredible classes to take. WJOF has a free pdf download on our website if you can take 15 minutes of your time to read and fill out the questions. If you haven't done so, we encourage you to Click Here to download and print off! Sharing the results with a trusted friend and pastor of a Bible believing church will help sharpen your call and focus for serving.)

If you have any questions about the study (or want to connect with a study group or a church in the Saskatoon area) feel free to contact us at WJOF by emailing admin@wjof.com as we'd love to encourage you on your journey of faith!

"Each of you should use whatever gift he (or she) has received to serve others, faithfully administrating God's grace in it's various forms" 1 Peter 4:10

WJOF and CCS are partnering to bring in Dr. Leaf to Saskatoon for two incredible events this year! Dr. Leaf will be speaking at the CCS event on Thursday November 6th at the Willows in Saskatoon, SK Canada. Visit CCS's website for details and registration. Women's Journey of Faith's 15th annual conference Flourish is on Friday November 7th from 7pm-9:30pm and continuing through Saturday November 8th from 9am-5pm with Dr. Caroline Leaf speaking 4 time's throughout the Flourish event along with music by Dustin Smith and the Faith Alive Band. Lorie Hartshorn (author of Finding Freedom), will be acting as Emcee for Flourish alongside the host of the conference Jodi Kozan, President and Founder of WJOF alongside her team. For more information and to register, visit WJOF's website!

Flourish in Relationships: Man vs Woman by Dr. Caroline Leaf

Relating with members of the opposite sex can be frustrating and difficult, but it doesn't have to be! Successful relationships begin in the mind (which seeks understanding), and, through the choices we make, will end in the Spirit (which knows truth). In my book, "Who Switched Off Your Brain? The Mystery of He Said, She Said", I know the three C's of relationships:

• We are designed to complete each other and not compete with each other.
• We are compatible.
• We are complimentary.

Men and women have been created to complement one another through their own unique strengths; we are exponentially better together! This goes for husband- wife, father-daughter, mother-son, personal and professional relationships. It doesn't take a PhD to know men and women are not the same- we don't think the same, talk the same or act the same. These differences aren't a result of our environments and our upbringing, they're built in by design, God's design. As it says in Genesis 1:27, "He made male and female in His image."

Watch this video clip from a series Dr. Leaf did at Victory church in Atlanta Georgia. She highlights some of the points featured in the book "Who Switched off Your Brain." It's more than a marriage series, it is filled with key insights that will help you better understand the often mysterious behaviour of the opposite sex, and practical tips that will quickly improve your relationships! All of her books will be available at the Flourish conference on November 7-8 2014 at TCU Place Convention centre and also available on her website as a digital download.

Dr. Leaf shares "You are You! And you express your uniqueness through your maleness and your femaleness and you will be interacting with the opposite sex daily whether you like it or not! So in order to not get toxic in our minds, we need to understand each other and target that struggle! In doing so, we increase our intelligence, health and longevity! Why is this important? Here is a sobering thought: research shows that couples that have especially sarcastic and argumentative discussions heal 40% slower than those who don’t. And we all want to be healthy!"- Dr Caroline Leaf

WJOF is excited to host Dr. Leaf to our 15th annual conference "Flourish" on November 7th-8th at TCU Place Convention Centre in Saskatoon!  With 1400 women registered thus far, we have room for hundreds more, so don't delay and get your tickets through TCU Tickets or online- for registration information, contact numbers visit www.wjof.com/2014 to purchase your tickets and to learn more about our exciting event. You don't want to miss it! Questions about the conference or the ministry of Women's Journey of Faith? Our website is a great place to learn more- or you can email us at admin@wjof.com   

We'd love to hear from you! In what ways are you flourishing in (or not experiencing) the truths of the three C's of relationships? Feel free to comment below or connect with a WJOF leader through our WJOF mentor Centre! 

Restoration's Journey: Detox Your Mind and Flourish!

Did you know that 87% to 95% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life? What we think about affects us spiritually, physically and emotionally. It’s an epidemic of toxic emotions, and our thought life, we create the conditions for illness; we make ourselves sick!  (mind/body/spirit)...

 Our vision here at WJOF  is "The Restoration of Women". That vision is so incredibly broad and overarching, we are on our own unique journey as a ministry to publish that vision in steps along the way! The first step was articulating the vision by naming restoration principles. (click here to view). Our entire board and team signed off on it, our speakers, advisors and keen supporters of WJOF also ascribe to the vision. The challenge is walking it out. We believe wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ came to give us life to the full and to restore all that was lost in the fall of mankind.  Acknowledging where we should be as women of faith and where we are currently involves a healthy dose of reality mixed with incredible grace and a whole lot of love and patience thrown in. One of the keys we have found is our call and ability to control our thought life according to the Word of God and to live by faith and not by fear. How timely for WJOF to host Dr. Caroline Leaf as our keynote speaker for our upcoming conference: Flourish on November 7-8th 2014 at TCU Place Convention centre. (Click here for more information about the conference and how to register!) She is the expert and truly a forerunner in helping millions across the nations through her writing and speaking of the importance of detoxing our minds so that we can flourish!

 Research shows that fear, all on its own, triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones. There are INTELLECTUAL and MEDICAL reasons to FORGIVE! Toxic waste generated by toxic thoughts causes the following illnesses: diabetes, cancer, asthma, skin problems and allergies to name just a few. She urges everyone to learn how to consciously control our thought life and to start to detox your brain! Consciously controlling your thought life is one of the best ways, if not the best way of detoxing your brain. It allows you to get rid of those toxic thoughts and emotions that can consume and control your mind. Controlling your thought life means not letting thoughts rampage through your mind. It means learning to engage interactively with every single thought that you have, and to analyze it before you decide either to accept or reject it.

The average person has over 30,000 thoughts a day. Medical research increasingly points to the fact that thinking and change in your thinking is essential to detoxing the brain.  

2 Corinthians 10:5 "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

 Looking forward to hosting Dr. Caroline Leaf at our upcoming "Flourish" conference on November 7-8th 2014 at TCU Place Convention Centre for our 15th annual conference. With over 1300 women registered thus far and 3 weeks away, we are looking forward to a packed audience ready for life changing teaching! www.wjof.com/2014

*Content in this blog taken from various articles on Dr. Leaf's personal website www.drleaf.com 

Jodi Kozan is the Founder and President of Women's Journey of Faith. The ministry was founded in 1999 with a passion to see women restored in their faith and to share the gospel of Jesus with boldness with promoting unity in the body of Christ. She is married to Tim with 4 daughters and resides in Saskatoon, SK Canada. WJOF is a non-profit, non-denominational ministry for all women. To learn more about WJOF, their upcoming conference "Flourish" and other aspects of the organization, visit them online at www.wjof.com  Besides hosting conferences, seminars and tours, they are passionate about resourcing women and churches to support them on the journey to restoration! Stay tuned for more exciting adventures as they launch a Publishing Contest this fall, WJOF Coaching and other exciting avenues to engage with them in the year ahead. After 15 years of ministry, in many ways Jodi feels they are just beginning as the vision becomes increasingly clear:)