Jo Franz www.jofranz.com Soar Unafraid Ministries Jo is a published author and her memoir, Soar Unafraid, Learning to Trust No Matter What is touching lives!

Jo Franz

Profile

Jo’s passion is to inspire and motivate audiences to know Christ intimately so they may know Him as Daddy Father, living in praise in order to soar unafraid joyfully through life. Her love for and dependence on the Bible and prayer come through her experience with God’s powerful love.

Through her own transparency others learn how to relate to God as their Daddy with vulnerable honesty. As Jo relates to their hurts, she passionately encourages women and men to soar unafraid joyfully in their relationship with Jesus!

Jo’s amazing devotion to the Lord and the remarkable testimony of His grace through difficult circumstances encourages her listeners to hunger for a heart which no stress or suffering can wear out. Looking at Jo sitting across the table, you would never guess she has lived with Multiple Sclerosis since 1977.

Nor could you believe her marriage of 15 years ended in an unwanted divorce due to her husband’s infidelity. You’d be surprised to hear Jo needed to deal with painful childhood issues after later marrying Ray and becoming an “instant mom” to his two young daughters.

It would be inconceivable that Jo has survived a spinal cord injury, which should have left her paralyzed or dead. That she lost her voice for nearly a year and was told she’d never sing again. And she knows what it’s like to have children who stray while you’re on your knees praying constantly. Why would you doubt all of this? Because Jo’s uplifting, joyful heart overwhelms you with the love she has experienced in her 34-year relationship with God, and she nearly bursts with passion to share it with you!

Backpacking and horse-packing excited Jo, as well as working on an archeological dig in Israel. She still experiences a life of adventure four-wheeling and traveling with Ray, enjoying God’s amazing creation. Since she recently had to give up skiing (using outriggers-skis attached to crutches) and tandem cycling, she’s on the look-out for her next thrill! (Kayaking turned into a humorous disaster . . .) Being Ray’s wife of nineteen years, a mom and grandmother are great joys for Jo. She and Ray live in Battle Ground, near Vancouver, Washington (and PDX airport in Portland, Oregon).

As a speaker, songwriter and recording artist, Jo has appeared on television and radio. She has shared in two European countries. During her keynotes or testimony Jo weaves in songs. Prior to her first marriage, Jo attended the University of Colorado with a voice scholarship while singing in nightclubs in a band. She also serves the National MS Society as a motivational speaker and certified peer counselor.

Keynote topics

Jo will adapt any topic to tie into your group’s theme and timeframe. She incorporates songs into each talk for conferences, retreats, banquets, church services, and corporate events of all sizes.

• Soar Unafraid!
  Are you fearful and tend to worry? Jo can identify. In these seminars she teaches the antidote to fear: Know Yourself, Know the Truth, Know Your Purpose, and Know Your Future Hope. Rich in the Word and personal stories, Jo unfolds more than a strategy, she shows her own life’s lessons leading her to soar unafraid!
   
• Soar Through Life Joyfully!
  Do you ever wonder what it would be like to really live joyfully? While teaching what Biblical joy is compared to happiness, Jo shows her listeners how to trust in the joy-giver Himself. As God's character is described through Scripture, we learn this is the basis for our trust during life's tough situations—illustrated with stories. You'll go home with specific "Steps to Soar Joyfully" to remind yourself how to rejoice at all times.
   
• To Know Christ
  How do we know Christ intimately? Jo teaches this requires four basic, yet profound, realizations: Knowledge of God's incredible love; Need for Jesus' death on the cross; Only living by His power; and Wanting Christ to be glorified. Jo shows in the last session shows how Christ's light shines through our lives in rainbow colored designs of distinction so you will leave hungering to know Christ intimately and bring Him glory.
   
• How You Can Motivate Your Man
  Have you ever wished you could change your man? Jo shows us how we can, instead, learn to motivate him to become more like Christ. Based on Ephesians and the life of Jesus, Jo teaches our value as women, how we value our husband, and the value of speaking the truth in love. Jo illustrates with her own varied—sometimes bleak, sometimes frightening, and sometimes hilarious—experiences how this can work! (Appropriate and helpful due to the content for singles or groups of married and unmarried, and could be renamed: How You Can Motivate Others.)
   
• Let Abba Father Love You
  Do you really experience God's love? Through Scripture, personal journal entries, and stories, Jo illuminates Abba Father's love. Listening in prayer we feel lavished by His love. Resting in forgiveness we feel free to soar above pain. Walking in the Spirit we feel one with Him. Reveling in His creation gives us wings to soar unafraid near to heaven. You'll go away looking forward to utilizing Jo's teaching so you will experience Abba Father God's love.
   
• Friends, the Silver Lining in Difficult Times
  What kind of friend are you? Like the title of a song she wrote when her own needs were met sacrificially by others while she served on an archaeological excavation team in Israel, Jo explains how you too can be a "then coming friend." Jo contrasts Biblical, judgmental, so-called "friends" to burden-carrying ones, while illustrating with her own life experiences and other examples. An additional seminar about how our personalities affect our being friends and how to be a friend to someone with a particular personality can be added. (“Friends” is also effective as a 70 minute presentation.)
   
• Rivers of Living Water
  Does your life seem like a dried up river bed? Do you express your Christianity through the pumped water of good works? Perhaps you’re unaware of the source of power given to each Christian. A stream of living water is waiting to pour through your life! In this study Jo leads you through the Scriptures to the headwaters, the source Jesus made available so that the “impossible Christian life” gives way to the reality of a supernatural, Spirit-filled one. This topic is for people of all denominations. One woman went away saying, “Speakers say ‘Go home and change,’ but you gave me the key—the indwelling Holy Spirit!”
   
• Sweet Peace
  (Great for an outreach banquet, church service or event.)
  Do you struggle to find elusive peace in relationships, when God seems distant, or life is tough? Jo has experienced all of these and more. When Jo shares her vulnerable, remarkable testimony of God's grace, others seek and find His peace.
   
• Hope Does Not Disappoint
  (Great for an outreach banquet, church service or event.)
  Hope has never disappointed Jo. During this testimony, Jo shares some of the verses of hope that carried her through the sad, confusing, difficult times in her life, as well verses of hope that God gave her as promises for her wonderful future. Jo's audience will be encouraged to trust God for amazing hope to soar in their own lives.
   
• Soar Unafraid!
  (Unique for an outreach banquet, disabilities awareness church service, or any event.) During this inspiring, motivational talk Jo shares her story, adding the exciting adventures she’s taken through life only to learn all these thrilling things cannot fill her with happiness unless she is doing them for God’s glory. Finding purpose in God and rejoicing always keep the MS—or anything else—in perspective, while exercise and hope help Jo deal with it.
   
• Velveteen Mom
  (Mother/Daughter/Sister or Mother’s Day event talk)
  What makes a mom, Mom? Jo relates to other girls' dreams of motherhood, then tells how her hopes seemed to be dashed. But God had another plan---He made Jo a "Velveteen Mom" with two daughters. Everyone will be able to relate to how Jo became "real" like the bunny in the "The Velveteen Rabbit," bringing tears of joy and laughter! (Can be modified to include the theme "We Are All Daughters of God.)
   
• Gifts for Jesus
  (Great for an outreach banquet or Christmas-themed event.)
  Santa supposedly brings gifts, but Jesus is the gift. As Jo explains the significance of God's gift to us, the gifts of the magi are unwrapped, encouraging listeners to bring significant, vulnerable gifts to Jesus.
   
• Share Naturally!
  (Lifestyle Evangelism Talk)
  You know the Gospel is good news, but when, where and how do you begin to share it? You don’t want to be pushy about your faith and you’re frightened of rejection. Jo understands. With Scripture and examples from her own life, Jo will demonstrate how each situation can turn into an opportunity to tell another about your faith in Jesus. Using “listening tools” and suggestions for moving the conversation onto spiritual things, you’ll learn to share naturally the greatest news everyone needs to hear!
   
• He Is Able
  (Divorce Recovery for women or mixed group.) How do you pick up the pieces of your life blown apart by divorce? Can God put you back together again? Jo emphatically says, “Yes!” But it takes painful steps not everyone wants to take. Jo will challenge you to go beyond where many so easily gravitate—a rebound relationship—to deep inner healing with God’s laser on your soul performing major surgery. God wants to use what you’ve gone through to make you into the person He intends. That’s when you’ll feel more whole than ever before!
  

Business and Health Symposium Topic

• Soar Unafraid!
  In this talk Jo shares her past thrills of skiing, tandem cycling, and other exciting achievements. Jo has learned that though these can provide happiness, when one can no longer experience life in the same way, lasting happiness is attained through our attitude and outlook on life. Jo motivates her audience to keep on living and giving, soaring unafraid, no matter what takes the wind out of our sails.

Contact Information

Phone: 1 360 687-1376
Email: Jofranz@aol.com
www.jofranz.com