Hello! My name is Colleen Ramser and I recently joined the staff at Scarlet Hope to serve as a counselor. My formal background includes graduating with my Master’s in Counseling from Cincinnati Bible Seminary and, thereafter, serving the community at Seven Counties working with families and kids who were considered high-risk. I attend Sojourn Community Church and have been involved in the Care Ministry for several years and now serve as Deacon over the Women’s Care Ministry, caring for others as well as leading trainings.
My personal story of redemption includes a stream of brokenness, which has fueled my passion to care for those who are deeply wounded with the Gospel. A very powerful story in scripture compels me with the love of Christ to no longer live for myself but for the one who has died and was raised (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). The story of Mary Magdalene paints a picture of a broken, damaged, and sinful woman pouring expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet. Weeping, she wipes his feet with her hair and Jesus accepts and defends her act of worship before the Pharisees (Luke 7:36-50). She humbly pours out all that she had—her very life—before Jesus and he restores dignity, fellowship, and peace. This depicts a God who associates himself with the broken so much so that he was willing to break all social norms and cultural relevancy to connect with the depths of this woman’s heart.
Saint Augustine said in his book Confessions: “Let them turn, and at once you are there in their heart— in the heart of those who make confession to you and throw themselves upon you and weep on your breast after travelling many rough paths.” I desire to see healing come to the hearts of these women — to experience redemption in their soul, body, and mind. Through caring for the women, my hope is that they would cling to a God who remakes and strengthens them on this journey of healing. My prayer is through the power of the Holy Spirit these women would find themselves not in what the Pharisees might say, but in the very God who created them and restores them to himself.
