Joan Murray releases new book to help support community

By R. Hans Miller | News Editor
Posted 3/24/21

Joan Murray has printed her 16th book, “You Can Trust Him: Anchoring Your Hope in God During Difficult Times” in support of Joan Murray Ministries, a faith-based community outreach …

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Joan Murray releases new book to help support community

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Joan Murray has printed her 16th book, “You Can Trust Him: Anchoring Your Hope in God During Difficult Times” in support of Joan Murray Ministries, a faith-based community outreach nonprofit. Murray found her faith at the age of 12 and it eventually inspired her to begin the nonprofit which supports residents of the Katy area and Brookshire.

“We have been able to do a massive amount of work,” Murray said. “Not only in the Houston area and in other cities in Texas and the U.S. and around the world… We have been able to do that through those books.”

Murray said she started writing the book about three years ago and shortly after was diagnosed with a frozen shoulder which led to significant pain and delayed the book. She had hoped to release the book at the end of 2019 but had to set the book aside for a while to let her shoulder heal. During that time, she said she worked on her relationship with God and realized she didn’t know how to just place her trust in her faith when she was going through a difficult time. She worked on that challenge of faithfulness and in the end, she said, she came out with some ideas that not only helped her but allowed her to incorporate her thoughts on the issue into the book.

“That is why I ended up writing the book, because in addition to myself, when you go into a difficult time, people really do have a hard time trusting in the Lord,” Murray said.

Murray is hopeful the book will help readers, but she’s also excited for the work the proceeds will help Joan Murray Ministries continue. Over the last 15 years, Murray said the ministry has assisted about 98,000 people with their work throughout the world. The ministry’s work includes distributing about 1,000 pounds of food each year and hosting a variety of community events to help those in need.

Recently, much of the ministry’s local work has been in Waller County, especially the Brookshire area to assist those facing challenges with food and financial insecurity, Murray said. Other initiatives include the Meals of Hope program that provides meals for halfway houses; assisting The Boaz House with supplies and holiday items; providing school supplies to a local Baptist school; partnering with Child Protective Services to sponsor children in need during the holiday season; and supporting efforts of others in Brookshire such as the Help a Sista’ Out resale store which helps those facing food insecurity in the Brookshire-Pattison area.

In the future, Murray said the ministry is planning to move its headquarters out to Waller County to better serve the needs of the Waller community, but plans for that move have not been finalized.

Murray said the partnerships with community organizations such as The Boaz House, CPS, Help a Sista Out and others helps Joan Murray Ministries aid more people in need and spread the message of faith that inspires her.

“So, we continue to do those outreaches in the community, and with everything we do, it’s always the Word first,” Murray said. “Always, because the things we give … they’re temporary for a short period of time, but Christ is permanent.”

Joan Murray, Joan Murray Ministries