About Linda and Melissa

SOME BACKGROUND ON OUR JOURNEY

  God began by using our son/brother. He challenged us to research the traditional methods of eating and cooking; and when we say he challenged us, we mean he was relentless! After lots of reading, watching many documentaries, and listening to experts in the field, we found our current way of eating was causing us to maintain an unhealthy weight and would eventually lead to disease. Who wants that? We also began discovering how God designed our bodies and what He designed them for. He desires that we walk in freedom, without addictions (even to cheesecake and French fries!), and live to our full potential.

   As a result of our discoveries, we now have more reverence for our bodies and view them as the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are walking in freedom to be all God wants us to be. It feels good!! We attribute the strengthening of our immune system, disease prevention, reduced stress and feeling great to exercise, good nutrition, and maintaining our spiritual well-being. We really like fewer illnesses and less doctor visits!

  The journey has not always been an easy one. We would like to thank our family and friends for their support. During the discovery of these truths, they have witnessed us go through some crazy stages, wondering just what to expect next. But it has been family and friends that encouraged us along the way. Some have been instrumental in getting this off the ground and others continuously encouraged us to move this from our family room to yours.

   We’ve written this book and created this ministry to be interactive, biblically based, promoting wholeness for women: spirit, soul, and body. As the authors of Wholly Woman, we’d like to introduce ourselves: We, Linda and Melissa, are mother and daughter. We have co-written this book, and lead this ministry not as experts in the field of health, but as two women who have humbly experienced this journey first hand. We have enjoyed sharing what God has been teaching us in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina, where we currently reside.

  It all started when God began to show us a missing piece of the puzzle in our relationship with Him. When we saw in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 that God wants us to be whole: spirit, soul, and body, we started wondering why no one was talking about our body in the church! Well, we were on a mission... to influence women to join us on our journey. With that in mind we launched our first class, held in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Soon family and friends expressed an interest in offering the class in other locations and we were led to publish Wholly Woman.

  We have been devoted to God for years, but a whole new devotion began when God revealed He wanted us to be whole: spirit, soul, and body. After doing many Bible studies that focused on our spiritual growth, mind, will, and emotions, we realized we needed to also present our bodies as a living sacrifice (and a sacrifice it can be), revere it as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and be transformed physically.

Welcome to Wholly Woman!

   We truly appreciate the opportunity to share our lives and experiences with you. It has been fun leading this class with women of all ages and backgrounds. We have met wonderful women throughout the journey, formed bonds, and continue to do life with many of them. May you be blessed as you participate in the Wholly Woman.

Meet Melissa

Melissa Jansen is a Co-Author of Wholly Woman and the former Wholly Woman Director for Totally Fit. She received her BS in Organizational Communication from Kennesaw State University. She is first a wife to Tim and mother to her two children, Lindsey and Grant who both attend the University of South Carolina, and is also a Realtor and a member of the National Association of Realtors. She enjoys working out with friends, serving in her local church with her husband, and hosting family and friends in her home in Charleston, SC.  

Linda Howard is a Co-Author of Wholly Woman and the Founder and former Director of the non-profit Totally Fit, where she inspired, connected and educated women of all ages. She has a BS in Medical Technology from Georgia State University and has worked with the Atlanta offices of the Red Cross, Atlanta Hematology, and Oncology Associates, and Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, GA. Linda and her husband, Butch, are active leaders in their local church. They have 4 children between them and 15 wonderful grandchildren. Linda enjoys walking with friends, biking with her husband, and the beach is her happy place.  

Meet Linda

QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE…

  • We share a lot of that in our book, but the short answer is that God impressed on us that He wanted us to be whole spiritually, mentally and physically and when God impresses you to do something it’s much easier to embark on a new lifestyle. Our desire is that others might find the same freedom we have found in Christ to make healthy choices.

  • Our journey towards making healthy lifestyle changes started in 2010. We’ve watched a lot of documentaries, read a lot of books, talked to a lot of people, and our newest revision of Wholly Woman reflects more of where we are now.

  • We made gradual changes with our family, and tried a lot of things. We definitely try to create delicious tasting foods using healthier options because moving away from traditional, comfort foods is a mental and social challenge as well!

  • The two of us, Melissa and Linda are at different places in our dietary choices.

    We both feel whole food, plant-based is the best option but because of pre- existing health issues we’ve had to temporarily adjust our diet at times. Of course, it’s easiest to control what we eat within our home, but occasionally indulge in seafood and sugary desserts in restaurants and while in other’s homes