Here is a short biography of each of the members behind the ‘His Hearbeat for Women’ website.
Nicki O’Donovan is the wife of a man she highly esteems and loves…her spiritual mentor and best friend…Mike O’Donovan. They have been married since September 2000. Together they have 2 little girls and a boy, whom Nicki home schools.
Nicki was born and raised in Johannesburg, SA and currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas where her husband pastors ‘Rock of Liberty Ministries’. She rejoices in walking along-side him as his help-meet as they walk out their God-appointed mandate of discipling the nations beginning in their home with their own children. She carries the passion her husband has for seeing the victory of Jesus Christ extended to every corner of the earth as Christ makes His enemies His footstool.
Her interests include song composing, song-writing, playing the piano and singing. She enjoys writing theologically rich praise and worship songs and loves putting modern arrangements to glorious hymns of old.
Her passions include studying apologetics and theology. Health and nutrition are included in her field of interest and she takes special care in how she nourishes her growing family.
Nicki aspires to be like the productive Proverbs 31 woman and she desires to envision women around her to exemplify the high calling of Biblical womanhood,wife and mother. She is sobered by the weighty reality that mothers are participating in raising the future of many generations and will leave behind a legacy of righteousness or unrighteousness. By God’s grace she wants to leave a legacy of righteousness.
Hospitality plays a large role in her outreach to others and she delights in having her home filled with people fellowshipping around the truth.
Michele O’Donovan is the eldest daughter of Rev. Mike O’Donovan, step-daughter to Nicki O’Donovan, and oldest sister to a growing number of siblings. Michele was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, spent 2 ½ years living in the Caribbean, Cayman Islands and is temporarily studying in Cape Town, South Africa.
Michele shares her father’s vision for cultural reformation, reconstruction, walking out the dominion mandate as well as the application of God’s law-word in all spheres of life.
Her interests include photography, playing the piano, singing, music, writing, anything creative ranging from drawing to flower arranging. She loves snorkeling, African game drives, long beach walks and exploring places she’s never been to before. She also enjoys cooking, baking and home-making. Michele delights in learning new things, studying theology and apologetics, and preparing to be the best wife and mom she can be for her future husband and children to come.
She is passionate about becoming the virtuous woman that is spoken about in Doug Phillips quote “The virtuous woman is highly skilled, thoroughly educated, spiritually strong, an agent of God for cultural dominion and family based evangelism”.
Her desire for the “His HeartBeat for Women” website and blog is that it would bless, challenge and inspire women of all ages and in all seasons of life to be the same – virtuous marriage and family-minded women, returning to their Biblical blueprint and embracing God’s Divine order. Women who are agents for cultural dominion and faithful ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
May you be mightily blessed by the content of “His HeartBeat for Women”.
Claire O’Donovan is the daughter of Rev. Mike O’Donovan, step daughter to Nicki O’Donovan. She has an older sister and brother and 3 younger half siblings. Claire was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, she’s had the pleasure of living and working in the Carribean, Grand Cayman and is temporarily studying in Cape Town, South Africa.
Claire is currently courting Joshua Goosen, the love of her life. They both attended the same church and school and have known each other for over 20 years, but only began their courtship in 2006. Claire is currently preparing herself for marriage and desires to be the best helpmeet she can be to Joshua.
Claire is thankful that she was exposed to the things of God from an early age. She had the privilege of growing up in church with her dad as the Pastor, and also attended the church’s Christian school from kindergarten. Claire is deeply thankful to God for her wonderful family and friends who have had a huge impact in her life.
Claire has a real heart of compassion for those that are less privileged than her. Growing up in Africa she saw many that were impoverished and lived in conditions that most people wouldn’t tolerate. At the same time she is very well aware of the fact that Africa is a continent that is steeped in paganism and it is her desire to see Africa delivered from the bondage that grips her.
Claire’s interests include spending time outdoors. She enjoys beautiful scenery which is a constant reminder of God’s mighty creation. She loves to travel and believes that part of her calling will involve a lot of travel to continents that need to hear the gospel in its entirety. She has a heart for the nations of the world and desires to have cultural impact and see the Lordship of Jesus Christ exalted. Claire also enjoys snorkeling, swimming, discovering and exploring new places. She also loves animals and one of her favourite places to be is in the African bush watching the animals and the amazing African sunsets.
Andrea Schwartz is an active proponent of Christian education and has been for over 28 years. She successfully homeschooled her three children through high school. She has taught in co-op settings, privately tutored and coached students in writing, public speaking, and drama, and has organized and run homeschool choirs and other extracurricular activities.
Andrea has authored two books, Lessons Learned from Years of Homeschooling and The Homeschool Life. She is a regular contributor to the Chalcedon Foundation’s “Faith for All of Life” magazine, and her articles appear in magazines and on national websites. Her regular blog can be found at www.startyourhomeschool.com
She currently serves at the director of the Chalcedon Teacher Training Institute, which has as its mission the mentoring, and training of homeschooling mothers and mothers-to-be. She is a sought after speaker and regularly addresses homeschooling support groups and those interested in beginning to homeschool.
Andrea lives in San Jose, CA with her husband of 34 years and continues to teach and mentor.
Renée DeGroot lives in the mountainous countryside of Montana, where her family has long lived. She was homeschooled along with her younger brother, who is now married and is the father of Renée’s much-loved baby nephew!
Renée has worked alongside her family on their small farms and other business and construction endeavors. Lately, she has pursued her interest in nutrition, has written her first book about a Christian philosophy of nutrition (Health for Godly Generations), and plans to continue her education through distance learning. She loves to evaluate natural and cultural blessings and seek ways in which Christ’s kingdom may be advanced through our understanding of these things. Renée desires to inspire other people, especially Christian women, to follow the Lord faithfully in every area of life so that all areas together can create a connected, beautiful, and consistent reflection of God and His wondrous works. In addition to writing, she also enjoys cooking, studying history and Christian education, helping others, working with her hands, and traveling. She is very grateful for the opportunities which the Lord has providentially given her, and knows that these experiences have a place in making her into the woman and someday, Lord willing, wife and mother, which God has ordained for her to be.
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