Blog by Sharman Dow
Have you ever received something in the mail that literally changed your life for eternity? That is exactly what happened to me about 15 years ago. I had written Bob Shank a letter of encouragement after he spoke one Sunday at our church. His sermon was on target, and I wanted to let him know.
Unbeknownst to me, he had a ministry called The Master’s Program. Anyway, he wrote me a lovely email in reply to my letter, and the next thing I got from his office was an invitation to join The Master’s Program for Women. At the moment I first read the invitation, I knew God was speaking to me, “Sharman, this is for you.”
A stirring in my heart had started the previous year in wanting to serve the Lord in a greater capacity, more than just volunteering to set up tables and chairs for some church event. I wanted to be in the crux of Kingdom work, not just sitting on the sidelines, as I knew I was made for so much more. Somehow I knew at the moment I received that invitation, I would find some answers to what God was stirring in my heart. I was so anxious to find what God had in store for me with this awesome program that I drove nearly an hour and a half each way, four times a year!! And it was worth it all!!
I did not know a single soul in the first meeting, but as time went on we all got to know each other’s dreams and desires of where we thought God was calling each of us. The intimacy and sharing with other women was very fulfilling and created new concepts and ideas for each of us in our Kingdom desires.
The first year we concentrated on getting to know ourselves. We attempted to understand our Kingdom gifting and calling through the marvelous teachings presented by our leaders. We started to learn how to mesh our dreams with what God made us for in His eternal purpose. This was an incredible year for me, as I discovered what my passion was and how it could be used for the Kingdom. I was already giving motivational talks in various public schools, but I did not realize until The Master’s Program that this was my gifting from God and my real passion.
The next year we developed our Kingdom passions and concentrated on how to project our dreams into our families and career. This is when I realized I could be bi-vocational and use my insurance career to fund my passion and at the same time become a better role model for my two daughters.
The final year brought me to a point where I started to write my first book and started using my motivational speaking for the Kingdom. As the teachings at The Master’s Program progressed, I learned what I was made for and how to put my Kingdom calling in place. I have now just finished my 2nd book, “Ten Commandments of Business Success for Women – Achieving Your Goals with Integrity.” I also founded The Empower Women’s Conference. My gifting and calling is to empower women in the workplace to become an architect for change and achieve success (aka: being the Salt and Light in the workplace). I have traveled around the world speaking at various conferences and churches. I personally mentor young women in finding their calling and use many of the principles I learned from the teachings in helping others.
The Master’s Program for Women helped me to understand my Kingdom gifting and passion and how to apply it in real life. The Master’s Program for Women changed my life for eternity and it can do the same for yours!
I hope you’ll join me in raising up kingdom leaders by supporting The Master’s Program for Women as it participates in the first-ever #IHeartOC Giving Day starting tomorrow, April 27, at 6:00 a.m through April 28 at noon!
Sharman Dow is the founder of the Empower Women’s Conference, coming October 22nd to Orange County. Register today!
