Janine C. Hagan Janine is Certified Associate Christian Educator, Presbyterian Church, USA, with a ministry/mission/business at www.faithshapes.com in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Afterward Jesus appeared again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius. It happened this way; Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord”… This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21:1-14, The Quest Study Bible, New International Version)

Seven years ago I had a dream that totally changed my life. I had worked for a year on a ministry/business concept that was valid, but I was “stuck” on some parts of the concept. One night, late in 2000, I was reading a small book about on healing and ways to pray for that in finding our purpose. I remember falling asleep and in-a-prayer, asking God to help to heal me and to help me to discern the direction for my future.

That is when I had “the dream.” In the dream I saw the woman who was the Christian Educator of our church come up to me and say, “Why, Janine, you know what ‘it’ is…it is an ‘Ecumenical Ministry Network.’”

I remember waking up, not having the slightest understanding of what this meant, then later thinking, “Well, that’s too long, ‘EcuMiniNet’ is much shorter. But what in the world is it?” I went ahead and purchased the domain name without even having a clue as to what ecumininet was or could be, until I realized that I had connections to all of the “ingredients” of an ecumenical Christian online magazine.

This is the story of ecumininet online! This is also my story of how I came to understand dreams as a way of God’s voice breaking into my unconscious and steering me where my heart and purpose lies. It is Christ who opens up paths of discernment, wisdom, and healing for me. There is an inner fire that ignites my spirit when this happens and takes me “fishing” in waters that I would never dream of entering alone.

Christ Jesus brings us hope. New life can appear when we least expect it. “Happy 7th Birthday,” ecumininet online! Special thanks to our web designer, staff, writers, poets, photographers, artists, interns, sponsors and family for making this dream a reality. Celebrating our eighth year of Ecumenical Christian web-publishing!

Janine C. Hagan, Publisher, Editor-in Chief

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