BELLEVILLE - Jenny Hagemeyer's passion for the Lord is as evident in black and white as it is in her three-dimensional life.
Whether it be speaking at churches and leading retreats or talking with women in the Mifflin County Correctional Facility, the Belleville woman enthusiastically shares God's love for His people through examples of her own life's struggles.
Her latest outreach has been with pen and paper. Hagemeyer's second book, "Touch Me: Guide to Healing," was published in December as a study guide for her first book, "Touch Me."
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Sentinel photo by MICAIAH WISE BILGER
Jenny Hagemeyer holds her newly published book, ‘Touch Me: Guide to Healing,’ a companion study guide for her first book, ‘Touch Me.’
In the book, Hagemeyer shares her struggles with divorce, her son's severe scoliosis, depression and resentment, and the process by which God healed her. "Guide to Healing" gives readers practical questions and more Scripture to help them work through their own healing process with God, she said.
"When I experienced the valley of divorce and other valleys in my life, I met Jesus in a personal way," Hagemeyer said.
Through the "Guide to Healing," Hagemeyer challenges Bible study groups, Sunday school classes and individuals to follow the same steps that she did to develop a closer relationship with the Lord. The study is about 20 weeks long.
The guide focuses on several fundamental questions:
What does it mean to have abundant life?
How do I develop a intimate personal relationship with the Lord?
How do I focus on God and not my problems?
What does it mean to be gut honest with God?
How can I experience healing in my mind and heart that will bring fulfillment in life?
How do I submit to God's plan of examination, not my own self-exam?
How do I find and follow God's plan for my life?
Through the new guide, she said she hopes to help others develop intimate, personal relationships with Christ, too.
Hagemeyer said the purpose of the book is to heal the church and the world.
"Churches are being split up because of jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and pride," the author said. "We as Christians look at the big sins such as murder, theft and adultery but we don't look at what we see as little sins like gossip, unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, resentment, etc."
Hagemeyer said the battle against sin never fully ends, but the struggle gets easier by drawing closer to God.
"Women say, 'Jenny, how long's this process going to take?' Well, until you die," she said.
Inspiration for the books came from a dream Hagemeyer had in 2003, but her first book was not published until 2009. In those waiting years, Hagemeyer said she wrote bits and pieces of the book; and in 2008, the Lord gave her an outline for the book.
"I never dreamed I would write two books," Hagemeyer said, giving credit for both to God.
Her husband, Fred, designed the cover of the book. She also received editing help from friend Regina Jack, and spiritual guidance from the Rev. Bernard Carpenter. Her team of women with Promise Land Ministries, an outreach group Hagemeyer began many years ago in Belleville, also offered support for her writings.
Though the guide was just recently published, it already has been used. This summer, Hagemeyer taught a group Bible study in South Carolina. Currently, she and Maria Stringfellow teaching females in the Mifflin County Correctional Facility. Warden Bernard Zook even wrote a forward to the guide.
A Bible study also will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays beginning this week at Hagemeyer's home in Belleville. Everyone is welcome. For more information or directions, call 935-2012.
Hagemeyer's new book is available at Friendship Bookstore in Burnham and online at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and booksamillion.com.
She will have a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 21 at Friendship Bookstore.
Hagemeyer and the Promise Land Ministries team also write a blog at promiselandministries.wordpress.com. The ministry also is on Facebook. In the future, the author hopes to begin posting inspirational videos on Youtube.com.
Hagemeyer said she also is available to speak at churches.
Most of all, Hagemeyer said she hopes God will use her personal experiences as told in the book to bring others closer to him.
"When we go through these dark valleys in our life and come into the light of God's love, we are able to testify of God's love and stir others to want His love," Hagemeyer said.
