Something to Talk About; She Speaks Conference Scholarship
Congrats to the winner of the St. Pat’s Day giveaway. She is: Polly; time stamp 6:42 p.m. on March 13th. Send your home address to me: [email protected]
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Oh…..I am soooooooo excited for one of you reading this just now!!!!
I love speaking.
And I LOVE giving things away.
Today, I get to combine those twin loves and offer one of you a scholarship to attend the absolute BEST conference for women who feel called to speak and who want to not only better their skills but make some important connections in ministry.
Okay, so I may be a tad bit biased since I am the director of the national speaking team at this fabulous ministry called Proverbs 31, but let me give you some background.
Ever since I was a blond-haired little tomboy with a pretty party dress on, I heard one consistent comment about me from adults—from my parents; my uncle; my grandma; my teachers and the neighborhood moms: “Man….can that girl talk” and “Does she ever stop yakkin’?”
Now at times my word-slinging has gotten me into trouble. It was usually the “needs improvement” box checked on my progress reports. You know, the whole “pays attention in class” category. Apparently my teachers wanted less chatter and more quiet from me.
But it has also helped me in life. Won me speech scholarships in high school, landed me the part in the play and even snagged me the foxy guy. (Yes…we said ‘foxy’ in the 80’s!)
Yep, my hubby says it was one of the first aspects he noticed of my personality. He loved the way I could work a room and talk to complete strangers making them feel welcome.
Then, about 3 days into our honeymoon he had this thought: “Is she ever gonna shut up?”
In fact, Todd’s decided, if I go before him, what he is putting on my tombstone.
A period.
“She’s finally done talkin'”!!!!
But buried deep within all this chit-chat was a dream. Ever since giving my life to Jesus in late high school I envisioned myself speaking.
Helping, inspiring and showing others something that would be of worth.
After over a decade of doing just that, I found the She Speaks conference.
It changed my life!
Not only did I have access to much of the information about speaking and writing that I had been seeking and discovering on my own for over 10 years all in one place on one weekend, but God showed up big at this conference.
He dealt with some issues in my heart that desperately needed His attention.
Well, how about you?
Do you have a dream to be a speaker?
Have you already launched out and begun the journey?
Or are you still waiting in the wings, unsure and hesitant?
I am offering an opportunity to win a Cecil Murphy Scholarship to She Speaks. Our president Lysa TerKeurst gave away two last week.
This week we at Proverbs 31 are giving away four more!!!
So, if you are a speaker or wanna-be speaker, enter here but also hop around and look here (at our Director of Writer’s site) and here (at our Executive Director’s site) and here (at our Women’s Ministry track director’s site) where women with various ministry dreams will have more shots at another one of these generous ministry scholarship gifts.
And tell your friends who want to either speak, write or lead about these opportunities too! And of course we’d absolutely love it if you Tweeted, Facebooked or blogged about the conference too! Seriously would love it!
Now, if you haven’t heard of Cecil Murphy’s amazing newsletter for writers, you’ll want to click here to subscribe for free! I had face-to-face time with this wise writing legend and man of faith last year at She Speaks to discuss my writing career and learn from his insight.
What an absolute delight!
I’ll get to the specifics about the contest at the end of this post.
First, let me tell you a little more about She Speaks and why you, as a speaker, should consider attending this year.
Whether you are ready to take the main stage and start speaking at conferences and retreats or whether you want to learn how to more effectively teach a ladies’ Bible Study — this track is for you. After attending this conference you will be equipped to:
- Know how to develop a great message from start to finish.
- Understand what keeps an audience engaged and how to make your message memorable.
- Deliver your message in such a way that not only inspires your audience but motivates them to make life changes.
- Increase your number of booked speaking engagements by using proven marketing strategies.
The winner of this contest will be awarded a scholarship for the cost of one person’s registration for the 2011 She Speaks conference being held in Concord, NC (Charlotte airport) on July 22-24th.
~The value of this scholarship is $595!!!!! which includes your conference materials, conference registration, 2 nights at the conference hotel and meals associated with the conference. Please note it does not include any travel expenses. Also, you will be assigned a room mate or you have the option to pay the extra charge for a private room.
This scholarship is non-transferable and can not be traded for cash.
- All comments must be posted no later than midnight (EST) on Thursday, March 17th (Saint Patrick’s Day!) to be considered.
- The winner will be announced here on Monday, March 21st.
Now, those of you who know me from this blog know that for most of my giveaways I say, “If time is tight, just leave a comment saying ‘I’m in!'”
This is not one of those days!
I want to know this about you:
~ Your speaking dream–when it began; where it is now.
~What it is you feel God calling you to speak on: marriage? mothering? pushing past your awful past? issues for teens? surviving cancer? surviving an unwanted divorce? hospitality? true beauty? organization? What has He laid on your heart and why?
~Finally—and now this will be a stretch for some of you—why should I choose you to win this scholarship? Why do you want to attend? What do you want to learn? How do you hope it will assist you in your quest to serve God through speaking?
Okay ladies….leave your comments. I can’t wait to read all of your stories.
And I can’t wait to meet the winner in person at She Speaks!!! I’ll save a spot for you at one of the meals so we can chat it up together.
Although if you like to talk as much as I do, we may not come up for air and miss our next session!
Now remember, there are more scholarship giveaways so if you are a women’s ministry leader visit my friend Renee.
A writer? Visit my friend Glynnis.
And an event planner? Visit my friend LeAnn.
Speaking Truth to You Blessings,
The Dream of Speaking began February of 2007 at a Beth Moore conference. I had an amazing experience with God. As Beth was speaking, it was as though my thoughts were transported out of the arena, away from the 7,000 women, to a one on one with God. The Spirit impressed upon me a “knowing” that I would one day be speaking in front of women like Beth was doing at the very moment I was having this dialogue with the Lord. I was made aware that I would be teaching the Word. With a palpitating heart I was saying, “But Lord how can I do this, I don’t know enough to be a teacher! Listen to Beth Moore!” Yes, call me a Moses! It was then that I was reassured by God this is exactly where He wanted me to be: Depending on Him! That brought as sense of peace and excitement along with the reverent fear! I still wasn’t sure I wanted this calling, but who can refuse God?
Shortly thereafter, I was asked to lead a Retreat upon return from the conference. I had never been to a retreat, let alone lead one! I saw this as clear confirmation of God’s call. Next, I was called to be a Substitute Teaching Leader in an international Bible Study, where I currently conduct Biblical leadership training sessions monthly and occasionally fill in to teach the word of God to nearly 300 women.
The primary focus of my calling is to minister to women (although husbands have joined) to encourage them to be all that they can be, living the Abundant Life in Christ. I am working to take the knowledge and formal training I have on the brain and learning to infuse it with the power of the Word to help women overcome failure; change habits; and have confidence that Radiates Christ (Psalm 34:5).
I would like you to consider choosing me because I believe God has been expediting His calling most especially this year. I am overflowing from my heart to my head and to my hands to share what God is giving to me. I continuously write articles and short examples, yet I have no medium to share these with others. I do not really have a clue how to go about writing it just pours out. I felt like Abraham’s Sarah when God called me to this work, I nearly laughed out loud. Yet the affirmations continue, and I have a huge learning curve ahead of me. I am so grateful Proverbs 31 and for Cecil Murphy’s blog, there are invaluable resources generously presented for all willing to visit his site.
So in answer to the final question, I would expect to gain incredible tools to help me in both my writing and speaking endeavors to realize my calling to help many women live the Abundant life following Christ’s Words.
Thank you for this opportunity. May God richly bless your ministry and the winner’s calling/ministry.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
At this point in time….I am just a girl with a dream.
I have had the privilege of leading college girls in Bible Study for the past two years. My purpose and goal is to glorify God in whatever way I can with whatever abilities He has given me. I have yet to speak in front of a large crowd…my crowds consist of High School and College Age girls who I am humbled and honored to serve. I am certainly the most unqualified person, with a past speckled with poor choices and scars that run deep. This dream has been one that I have tossed around and played out in my head, however, it has only been in the past year that God has moved in me to get up and do something!
God has given me a passion for High School and College Girls. It was this age that I found myself searching for something to fill the God-sized whole in my heart. I filled it with every ounce of garbage I could find only to come up empty at the end of the day. I have struggled with everything from body image to idolatry. I searched for self-worth in every relationship only to turn up scarred and broken desperately needing a Savior. I want young woman to know that their self worth will never be found in the things of this world. We are daughters of the King and it is time we take hold of that truth and live accordingly.
Ms. Karen, I am not very good at answering questions like this one! I think that all 140 women who have applied for this scholarship are as deserving as the next. I know that either way, God will provide a way for me to attend this conference. I would be honored to be chosen for this scholarship and would soak up every minute while I am there. My husband is currently in the middle of his Masters in Divinity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently we are in full time youth ministry. I want to attend this conference to learn how to better serve my husband in ministry, my church, and our youth girls. My prayer is that through this conference God teaches me how to reach the 20-somethings more effectively, how to develop a message (I am a beginner ;)) and deliver it in a way that inspire others to seek His face. I believe that the previous generation of women are commanded to teach and lead the upcoming generations. I am eager to learn from these women as God uses them to grow His kingdom. It would be my duty and honor to serve the generations younger than me as they seek His will for their lives.
Thank you, again, for this opportunity! Have a wonderful evening!
Katie
At this point in time….I am just a girl with a dream.
I have had the privilege of leading college girls in Bible Study for the past two years. My purpose and goal is to glorify God in whatever way I can with whatever abilities He has given me. I have yet to speak in front of a large crowd…my crowds consist of High School and College Age girls who I am humbled and honored to serve. I am certainly the most unqualified person, with a past speckled with poor choices and scars that run deep. This dream has been one that I have tossed around and played out in my head, however, it has only been in the past year that God has moved in me to get up and do something!
God has given me a passion for High School and College Girls. It was this age that I found myself searching for something to fill the God-sized whole in my heart. I filled it with every ounce of garbage I could find only to come up empty at the end of the day. I have struggled with everything from body image to idolatry. I searched for self-worth in every relationship only to turn up scarred and broken desperately needing a Savior. I want young woman to know that their self worth will never be found in the things of this world. We are daughters of the King and it is time we take hold of that truth and live accordingly.
Ms. Karen, I am not very good at answering questions like this one! I think that all 140 women who have applied for this scholarship are as deserving as the next. I know that either way, God will provide a way for me to attend this conference. I would be honored to be chosen for this scholarship and would soak up every minute while I am there. My husband is currently in the middle of his Masters in Divinity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently we are in full time youth ministry. I want to attend this conference to learn how to better serve my husband in ministry, my church, and our youth girls. My prayer is that through this conference God teaches me how to reach the 20-somethings more effectively, how to develop a message (I am a beginner ;) and deliver it in a way that inspire others to seek His face. I believe that the previous generation of women are commanded to teach and lead the upcoming generations. I am eager to learn from these women as God uses them to grow His kingdom. It would be my duty and honor to serve the generations younger than me as they seek His will for their lives.
Thank you, again, for this opportunity! Have a wonderful evening!
Katie
Hi,Karen. First,thank you so much for this opportunity. It is greatly appreciated!
I grew up as shy as one child could ever be. I’ve learned that “shy” is only a cute word for fear. My fear was a crippling, with deep roots having been passed down from who knows how many generations before me. I often used my creativity to channel ways to remain hidden.
I would skip classes and hide in restrooms to avoid giving presentations. Eventually, my turn would come anyway. Something as simple as walking into a grocery store alone or retrieving a church bulletin for my mom from the rear of the sanctuary would send my heart convulsing inside my chest. A voice in my ear promised me, “If you move, they’ll be watching you.” The voice scared me. It made me wish I could disappear. I didn’t want people looking at me, judging me.
Even up until my mid to late 20s, I would sit in my car and wait in the parking lot for friends I was meeting for dinner. I was too afraid to walk in a restaurant alone. The voice still promised, “They will be watching you,” and I was still afraid of the judgment of strangers. Needless to say, being in front of people has never been a personal desire of mine.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” I used to think “the desires of my heart” were whatever I thought I wanted. All I had to do was be delighted in the Lord, and He would give me what I wanted. However, the more I delight myself in the Lord, the more I realize “the desires of my heart” are those He desires for me, those He gives to me. In a way this revelation was a rude awakening, because one of those desires was to do one thing I’ve never wanted to do. That is to speak.
Looking back, I’ve had an “audience” of women all my life. Before I was formed in my mother’s womb, the Lord had already orchestrated my arrival as the 3rd daughter out of 4. I was strategically positioned in a home of 5 women – me, my mother, and my 3 sisters (God bless my daddy! LOL). Although, I grew up in church, I lacked the critical understanding of God’s love, a love that identifies and liberates. So, like countless other women, I went searching for love from men that I could only find in God. The results were messy, but the message is from the mess.
Today, I am 38 (39 on April 2, yippee) years old, unmarried with no children. I know what it feels like to want “love” so bad without first understanding that God is Love. I now understand that the love He has for me will never be matched by another – not my fallible earthly father, nor the fallible husband I so desire to have one day. I finally realized that before I knew who I was I couldn’t even begin to know the one God has chosen as His best for me. I am finally walking in the identity and living in the liberty that comes from receiving the sweet, unmatched love of Jesus Christ. It is His love that identifies me. It is His love that sets me free from the bondage of my past and gives me power to share the message, prayerfully setting other women on their own path toward freedom. This is the message that I want to share.
Lastly, on the surface there may appear to be nothing significantly different about my message. The difference, however, may be in the hearers. I want to speak to those women not many are singling out these days – the SINGLE women. We often get huddled in with the married women, but there’s something else, something sensitive resting on the tender heart of a single woman that often goes unaddressed. Therefore, we continue to wander. I wandered for almost a full 40 years, and I remember pleading in prayer for the freedom of the promised land BEFORE I turned 40. The Lord heard my cry. I want to save some others some time and help lead them to the promised land of love, identity and liberty in Christ. I wish to speak to unmarried women. I wish to speak to those who married and divorced before they knew who they were in God. I want to catch those who desire marry so badly, yet have no idea who they are themselves. I want to talk about relationships, marriage, and how imperative it is to know who you are before trying to become one with another. I have a heart for marriage and a heart for women and a message that I know the Lord has given me.
I would love to be chosen as the winner of your contest. I have entered other contests but was not chosen. I started not to enter this contest because it is specifically for speaking. The enemy tried to taunt me again with his old threat, “…they will be watching you”. Yet today, the Holy Spirit takes those same words and whispers them as a promise and a responsibility. Today, my response is still “yes”.
Why do I want to attend the She Speaks conference? Why do I even want to speak? Every since I was a little girl, I have felt the call to speak publicly about my Jesus. My heart’s desire is to share the journey of my life with others as a testament to the faithfulness and goodness of God and the ability to endure in this life through the strength of Christ. My story has many chapters, but one message. My life’s message is surrender and abandonment to the purpose of the Lord. The Word declares that “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” I began learning surrender during my childhood by living in a home with an alcoholic parent. Another lesson in surrender came because I always dreamed of being a lawyer and working for the FBI. I graduated law school only to discover there was a freeze on hiring for that agency so I became a probation officer, which is where I met my husband. I continue to learn surrender daily through my marriage. I married a federal park ranger seventeen years ago and we have moved numerous times and lived in several different and amazing parts of the country. The Lord called me to surrender the plans of being a professional woman to become a stay at home mother and to home school three children. My life raising daughters in national parks has at times seemed surreal as I have lived in isolated conditions, sometimes without electricity, and dealt with wild animals like bears, rattlesnakes, coyotes, etc. In the past two years, I have survived an unexpected and unexplained journey with lung cancer. I continue to grow in abandonment by dealing with recurring pain issues and the continuous medical tests to remain cancer free. I know my life story sounds like a day time soap opera, but the reality of all of these adventures has given me entertaining and challenging stories to share that illuminate the message of abandonment to the plans of my sovereign and loving God.
So why do I want to attend this conference? My God has allowed so many different chapters in my life to weave a beautiful, victorious story of survival and endurance. This message was written before the foundation of the world specifically for me in this generation. I long for this scholarship because otherwise our family does not have the resources for me to attend a conference like this. I crave time at this conference to learn how to develop and promote this timely message of surrender to share with others. Honestly, I also yearn for time at this conference to grow in my own personal relationship with Jesus and to be with women who seek Jesus. We currently live in the middle of Yosemite National Park in California and we have to drive almost two hours one way to church each Sunday. I just don’t have the chance to connect and share with other women and would love the chance to soak in worship, fellowship, and training for my purpose and calling. I don’t want to remain silent in this generation any longer, and yet do not have the opportunity to develop my skills or to network to advance this message. The Lord has allowed me several opportunities in the past to share chapters of my life at various women’s ministry functions, and each time I have spoken I have felt complete peace that speaking is a primary calling for my life. The passion continues to burn in me to minister to women through the gift of speaking, and I have a plethora of adventures with God to share. An opportunity like the She Speaks conference could be the venue the Lord will use to give me voice for the Kingdom at this time. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.
This is such a generous and wonderful gift. Thank you for this oppurtunity to apply for this scholarship. My heart has been very heavy for about 4 years. God has laid a desire to share to others experiences He has lead me thru.
However my cooperation has not been there exactly. In heart just not in motion. Since the time I accepted Christ in the 5th grade I knew he was going to ask me to do something for him, I just never thought it would be to get in front of an audience and speak. I am typically shy and tend to stay in the background. I do not have a college education and have only lead one bible study in my church and tried to lead a womens ministry for two years. My ideas were met with “we don’t need that here” I was very discouraged. I thought maybe I was hearing him wrong. Everytime I attend a womens conference or a bible study, I have this overwhelming urge to get up and talk. So unlike me. Yet when its about Jesus I can’t help myself.
I have lots of stories to share about Gods grace and patience with the ones he loves. I have lots of life lessons like coming from a broken home and having a father who dies with AIDS. I have experienced my own marriage fall apart and God put it back together and made us stronger. I work in a beauty shop and have listened to people gossip and it would make my heart break. God has graciously allowed me to make enough mistakes that his glory shone so bright that it made me blind.
The reason this conference means so much to me is because of all God has done, all the pieces he put back together and made new again. I want to give back and share with hurting women that Gods grace is imeasurable. That thru all the disfunction and twistedness of this world there is still hope. I have looked into “She Speaks” for three years, and have chickened out every year. I think this scholarship would make me go so that I will have the knowledge I need to step out on faith. I don’t know how to develop my skills on my own, Please I need help!
one of my life verses: Phillpians 4:12-15
Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me. Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Thank you for considering my application.
In Christ love,
Kim Jones
Why??? What a familiar question this has become to me. However, until I read your blog a few days ago, I had always been the one asking. Since then, I haven’t stopped thinking about it. And today I realized that through your question, God was helping me to see my answer…
Because…when all the voices in my head say “no”, the Spirit who dwells in my soul cries “yes!”
Because… seeing the words, She Speaks, stirs a desire deep in my inmost being that I can no longer ignore.
Because… though I grew up wanting to blend into the background, as a grown up God put a dream in my heart to teach his word which meant eyes on me, and He taught me that comfort zones are under-rated :)
Because…every time I teach women His word, He grows in me a strangely lovely burden to speak that has become almost painful to resist.
Because…when I am alone God writes His words on my heart and I have come to the point that I can barely contain the overflow.
Because…when God’s word comes alive for me I am excited with a passion to share with others who “didn’t know that was there!”
Because…no matter how much my enemy tries to convince me that I’m not able, the voice of Truth tells me to “feed the women”.
Because…my favorite quote says, “If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many things inevitable as possible, let the consequences be what they will” (Oswald Chambers). That is what I am doing here!
And because…my sweet husband paid the money once before but I hid out in the Women’s Ministry track, too afraid to stand in front of anyone and dare to call myself a speaker. But today I step forward for the first time publicly Because…in my heart I know that God is calling me a speaker.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you for the invitation you gave, the questions you asked that finally drew me out. Thank you for giving women the opportunity to say “yes” to God’s calling. Thank you. Krista
My speaking dream began before my 2007 first time visit to She Speaks in NC! I felt the call on my life to become a Christian speaker in all topics regarding moms. After finishing 8 years of MOPS and listening to all of the wonderful speakers over the years God tugged on my heart to fly under the tagline of “It’s all about Momsense, not Nonsense”. Well after my wonderful speaker mentor, YOU…Karen Ehman and a few others helped me get through my two talks that weekend in 2007 I was well on my way, equipped to come back to CA and make my speaking career happen. Well I returned 2 more years in a row and in the last year took the writer’s track. With She Speaks speaker training under my belt and one year of writer’s training…I need more! Not trying to be greedy just knowing that we are never done learning!
God has shown me that over the past 3 years there are women out there that needed and had been praying to hear talks like mine! I get personal confirmation every time I speak. And I have had up to 12 speaking engagements every year since 2007! Everytime I talk and someone asks me where I was trained I say in NC and since I’m in CA they do look at me a bit funny! But that just opens up the window to get on my Proverbs 31 Ministry soap box.
Years later, I run a mentoring program for women who want to be a speaker and I’m only a baby speaker at this point in this journey but when women here in CA cannot afford to get to NC I guide them with all of my great materials I have received over the years. After going on the cruise this past year with Lysa I have come to respect all that you P31 ladies do for God and for us newbies. I would love to come to NC again or send one or more of my girls there to experience this conference first hand. I have asked each of them to submit an entry whenever you have these contests and we are hoping and praying that one of us win! God will help us with the airfare from CA to NC when this happens!
Each of my girls on my mentoring team act as CA promoters for P31 and sent the devotionals to our friends until they sign up themselves. We promote the podcasts for Made to Crave! We read all of the P31 writer’s books during our sessions and summer Bible study groups. We are the CA promoters of She Speaks forever and always.
Now for the reason why you should choose me….you actually shouldn’t choose me to win, you should pick one of my girls in my mentoring group and then I’ll just have to figure out a way to tagalong with them to see ya’ll! Please help me show my girls, Naheemah McMicheaux and Catherine Bair that miracles do happen and help me get them to the best conference I’ve ever been to!
Blessings from CA to NC,
Michele Chenault
My dream started in 4th grade. Our teacher assigned a journal to us and every friday was open mic. I found that I was not shy about talking..this wasnt a surprise but what healing I recieved from sharing about my life and dreams with my classmates. That desire to continue sharing about God with others grew every year as my life became more complex. As of last night having the support of my husband to step forward and jump for my dream, I am more hungry than ever to share with people that you are not on this planet for punishment but for glory.
Like many entries before me, the topic I feel called to share can fall into many categories. But there are 3 things very close to my life. 1st would be healing from sexual abuse and how that changes your marriage. God healed this idea that I had about be spoiled. There are so many women effected and given books on how to fix their issue. I want to share that there is no more work to be done. There is no check list for God to comfort you. He is there. 2nd would be bitterness about infertility. One month after my wedding, my husband and I discovered an infertility problem. It was revealed that the abuse as a child played a key role in preventing me from getting pregnant. Also, how adoption started as something very ugly to me and God revealed the beauty. The 3rd would be about living for Christ fully. My husband and I will be quitting our 40 hour a week jobs to persue bible school full time. We have a desire to be ready for anything God has for us. I think there is a big missconception that only single people or young adults can make this move. I want to push past just serving Christ on Sunday and seeing what can happen when you really rely on God for your needs 7 days a week.
Please pick me! I guess this is my moment to push for what I want and to cry out to you. Please pick me. I know that if God really wants me to go that He can provide financial help. I have seen Him do that. The timing of this conference is perfect. My husband and I will be out of our full time jobs and headed for bible college at the end of July. I want to use this conference to see what classes I need to take and what degree would place me in the perfect spot to become a speaker. I know I am only 22 and I have so much life to live. I knwo there will always be another year I can attend. But I also know that attending this conference before college begins will be a great fire for my passion. What a chance to be placed right where I need to be so that I can make my dream come true while in college. Every woman has a story to tell about the Glory of Christ and I love that She Speaks is not trying to single out one perfect woman but equip all of them. I am sorry for the spelling errors and I hope that doesnt count against me. Please pray about who God would like you to pick. I am excited to see how this conference shapes her life and what she learns from it. If that person is me AWESOME. If that person is not me, AWESOME.
Karen,
You first wanted to know when my speaking dream began and where it is now.
It started when a counselor I was seeing invited me to a women’s retreat,
“Anne, I want you to share your story.”
And so I did. I shared how I had lost my mom, my dad and then the story of my sister who disappeared in 1982. We never recovered her body but believe she is dead. God used these circumstances in my life to draw me close and teach me about him. I knew that God loved me, and that he was good.
Seven years ago my sister’s missing person case was reopened as a possible homicide and her husband was charged with her murder. After one week where I even had to testify, the verdict was Not Guilty. In my darkest times during that trial and afterwards I remember thinking of how awful her last moments must have been. Then God whispered to me, “Anne, I was with her.”
Though I was filled with anguish about her death, I finally had peace. The kind of peace God talks about that passes understanding.
I have gone through many emotions on this journey, and still do. But knowing she was not alone in those last moments helped quiet my restlessness.
When the verdict was announced the other side of the courtroom cheered as my brother-in-law received high fives from his family. We sat stunned.
Since the trial we have moved to another city where I am trying to get the speaking engagements going again.
I feel God has put the desire in my heart to encourage others who go through difficult trials. He wants me to share my journey and how he was with me every step. God has given me the gift of writing poetry which I use in my speaking presentations. I know they are from him because of how easily they come, especially when my heart is hurting.
I believe God wants me to use my gift of encouragement to lift hearts that are heavy. I want others to know when you go through deep valleys, others may step back, but God never does.
In addition, I have also spoken on marriage topics as well, sharing how God taught me I needed to honor my husband.
I have 42 published Bible Studies through Christianity Today and I have recently published 5 articles with them as well.
Finally you asked why you should choose me to win this scholarship. You’re right, it is a stretch for me. I read a couple of the other entries and personally I think you have a tough job ahead of you.
I would like to be chosen because I feel I have something to offer those who are hurting, hope. My husband is on disability and I make money by selling my writing. There is usually only enough for our needs, so this scholarship would really enable me to do this.
With all the losses in my life and years of waiting I have learned a couple of things. God doesn’t waste anything. While we are waiting He is conforming us to the image of his wonderful Son. God drew me close when there was no one else. He is my comfort and my stay. I am still learning how to lean hard on God when life doesn’t make sense.
I want to attend because I feel this is moving in line with what God is calling me to do. For a couple of years now I have benefitted tremendously from Proverbs 31 writings. I would so love to meet some of the faces.
I want to learn how to do what I feel God is calling me to. I want to know more of the marketing aspects and how to effectively network. I believe attending this conference would be a place for me to gather valuable information.
I didn’t enter the first giveaway Lysa offered. I’ll admit it, I was afraid. What if I didn’t win? Then I read Lysa’s post about being vulnerable and I decided to take the risk. Whether I win the scholarship or not, at least I tried. That is growth.
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
Dear Karen,
thank you for this opportunity to win a scholarship.
Give me microphone, or give me a stage or if none are available….just lend me your ear. Speaking has a strange hold on me. My knees make music and my hands sweat, till i start talking. I remember this from a long time ago.
Where am I now? Till a few years ago, I used this extensively in my job as a HR professional – training programmes, employee communication meetings, events. I stopped working to move to a different country to join my husband and I have lost it. I am scared to move into large crowds and it is with great difficulty that I manage conversations. But God in His mercy is constantly reminding me that it is His gift and that if I give it to Him, he will use it to glorify His name.
What is my message? I don’t know yet but I believe He will lead me and give me the word to speak.
Why should I be chosen? Not a single reason make me more worthy of being there than anyone else. I believe that if God wants me to learn something there, He will provide a way. I don’t have a job and we are going through difficult times now, so I cannot pay for it.
thank you once again fo rthis opportunity. God bless you.
Karen,
I think I’m post number 137 – looks like you have your reading cut out for you tonight. :-)
First of all, I”m not sure when my speaking dream began…it’s a little thought in the back of my head that God has yet to truly develop. It’s there, I think about it, but more than anything I just pray for God to guide it. This winter I happened up on the She Speaks Conference info, and I’ve been mulling the conference over in my head…God landed me at that site, God landed me here….where I’m at now – following his whisper to apply for your scholarship despite 137 other amazing stories.
When the inkling to speak came to me originally, I tried to find a topic. I had a desire to speak with nothing to say. But in April of last year, I married a veteran, a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Suddenly I was thrown into a world of mental illness that I knew nothing about. My life is so far from what it used to be, but so much closer to what God wants it to be. In the midst of surrendering my expectations to the Lord, praying for my husband not to take his own life and learning to submit to the man I love even when life is crazy, I realized – this is it, this is what God wants me to talk about – learning to survive traumatic stress that isn’t even your own. I skimmed the other posts, and I’m sure I may have missed a lot…but I know there’s not a lot of hope out there for wives of husbands with PTSD. If I can share my story to them, both Christian and non-Christian alike, maybe more women will suffer with purpose rather than hopelessness. The more I can share my story, one that I still walk daily, the more other women can find out about the help and hope they can receive through Christ alone.
I think God’s finally given me a topic, but this blog is as far as he’s gotten me on the next steps. I feel like the conference is where he’s leading me, so I will follow.
I’ve never been shy about speaking up, sharing or advocating an idea or cause…at least not that I can remember. When you see the hopefuls on American Idol, you see them with microphone in hand singing their hearts out as three-year olds and their parents saying they always knew their child was destined. Well, I may have had a microphone in my hand – but no one wanted me to sing – I’m more of a joyful noisemaker – so I’d speak. I’d educate, discuss and yes, even argue at every opportunity.
In high school, my energies were directed to debate and oral interpretation – hey if I could be up in front making points, I was there. As a Human Resources Intern during my college years, I volunteered to educate more than 800 beauty school students about the HIV virus and AIDS. I followed that up with seminars to the same audience on domestic violence. One student even suggested I take over for Oprah. Could my dreams be that big?
Eventually, I found myself in Washington, DC with the amazing opportunity of being Communications Director to one of the U.S. Senators from my home state. My job was a forum to speak publicly representing my boss. I was ecstatic and exhausted at the end of the long days. But the job came to an end after 7 years after defeat at the polls.
But I wasn’t done with politics or speaking about issues. An amazing opportunity to guest host on a local talk radio show came almost as a bolt from the blue. For the last seven years, I’ve enjoyed taking over the mic for the 4-hour morning show, this time talking about what I think and because of the wonderful latitude granted to me by the station owners, talking about my faith and my God. Hosting the show has allowed me to introduce listeners to people I admire, causes that touch my heart and garner support for missions both at home and abroad. It’s also allowed me to stay active while being able to be at home with my daughters.
There are many areas God has laid on my heart to share with others.
I enjoy the challenge of current events, seeking out where God is at work and examining how we should respond to His calling in the world around us. God also has given me sensitivity to the trap of abusive relationships…even when it is just between myself and I. During my teen years, I allowed myself to be devalued and abused by a narcissistic manipulative man who I went on to marry. After a 5-year marriage, I found the strength to end the marriage only to face recriminations from my pastor and other members of my church family. As the marriage was ending, I was diagnosed and successfully treated with thyroid cancer.
Why pick me?
First, I have a dear friend who attended She Speaks last year. She was inspired and challenged. She now has suggested I attend this year’s conference with her. I have no fear of public speaking, but I don’t believe that I have an understanding of how to shape my experiences to share God’s teaching with others. Also, where I don’t have as much courage is stepping out and beginning a speaking ministry although I do believe God has gifted me and is calling me to this adventure. In researching the conference and based on the experiences of my friend, I believe She Speaks Conference could challenge me and help me develop this gift.
My Speaking dream began in a jail cell, a jail cell occupied not by myself but by my son. My prodigal son. I had been praying for this child well over five years. He is the oldest of four. Loving, handsome, so very bright! A joy to raise. I can’t really be sure of how or when it happened, perhaps because it was a slow process but somehow, he slipped away from us. I began to pray.
He was walking a dangerous path. It wasn’t until the latter part of his senior year in high school that he began to experiment with drugs. By then he had earned a good deal of trust as he had always been very responsible. By the time the signs of drug use appeared he was 18, an adult. Our control and influence were limited.
So began the battle. We prayed, we counseled, we applied “tough love”. Over the course of the next five years he was in and out of our home. Months would go by with no word. He had some minor run ins with the law that led to court mandated programs and weekend jail. Once he found himself in a regional jail for a week due to missing a court appearance. We tried our best not to enable him. Each time he would come back home he would promise to do better, we would set boundaries and I would continue to pray.
My prayers didn’t waver. “Oh Lord, Please break the hold drugs have on him, Lord draw him close to you, and Lord please bring strong christian fellowship into his life.”
In the beginning his drug of choice was marijuana. Family and friends tried to assure me that lots of kids, even adults smoke marijuana, it’s just a phase. He would still attend church with us when he was at home and from time to time I would get a glimpse of who he used to be. I continued to pray.
The glimpses became fewer and farther in between. It seemed the more I prayed the worse his situation became. In January of 2009 we experienced a series of petty thefts in our home and came to find out that he was addicted to heroin. This discovery shook me to my very core. It also threw me to my knees with a desperation I had never before experienced. After many tears and pleas he came home, beat down and completely broken. Sadly his resolve to overcome his addictions did not last. After less than a week he left. Once more the enemy seemed to have triumphed. I continued to pray.
Two weeks went by. On February 5, 2009 he attempted to hold up a pharmacy for drugs. His arrest was the lead story on our local news. The next time I saw him was in the visiting area of the local jail. Glass separated us, I tried so desperately to reach him, to pour all my love for him into my voice, my gaze. I begged him to go to the cross. To fall at the feet of Christ. Fifteen minutes and once again he was lost to me.
On Monday February 9th I received a collect call from him. With much anxiety i answered, afraid of what I might hear. My understanding of what jail life was like were far from comforting. He proceeded to share with me how God answered my prayers and smashed through the wall of lies, drugs, addiction, and sin. I was in awe as he recounted how God tenderly spoke to him and led him to passages in the book of Romans, specifically Romans 8:26 – 39. It is a wonderful testimony and I pray that God would provide opportunities for Brett to share it with those who need to hear.
Our great and mighty God came down and met with my son in that awful jail cell. I recall Brett telling me “I’m happier than I’ve been in years!”. I also recall him telling me that he had a dream and in that dream he and I were speaking to a large group of people, telling them our story.
“Oh son, I so hope that dream will come true”. At that point the storm was far from over. He was facing some very serious criminal charges and certain prison time. He was incarcerated for a total of 18 months. During that time he was transferred several times and ended up at four different facilities. Two local jails and two penitentiaries. Along with it came many opportunities to witness the power of God. Our family has seen the hand of God in a mighty way. He has brought much healing, forgiveness and grace into our lives.
What the enemy meant for evil God has turned around for good. This story is full of suffering, pain, and heartache but ultimately mercy, grace, forgiveness and the everlasting love of God. It is one that needs to be told. So, I have put this desire before God. Brett has been home for seven months now. God provided a full time job with benefits for him within days of his homecoming. That in and of itself is a miracle and answer to prayer, one among many that have unfolded as we walked this difficult road. We are taking one day at a time and rejoicing in the goodness of God. He and I pray for opportunities to share and God has been faithful in bringing people into our lives that need to hear.
The She Speaks scholarship would be a first step in the direction of learning how to tell this wonderful story in a meaningful way. Either way, I know this, God is in control of every little thing. I would love for you to choose me for this scholarship because I am just bubbling over to tell of Him and His grace. His timing is perfect and ultimately that is what I want. So, I continue to pray.
Thanks for listening and may God lead and bless whomever you choose.
Hi Karen~
What an opportunity this is!
I am a wife and mother to 4 children. My husband has been called to the ministry and I after much wrestling with God have fully surrendered myself to all he has for us.
However God took us down a path I never could have imagined. After an intense situation happened in our church of 12 years(our childrens only church) My husband felt he must resign. The path that had seemed somewhat clear all of a sudden became very foggy and gray.
I am a singer songwriter and have served in this since I was a young child. So I was always asked to do the music at conferences and retreats. However, this year God has opened new doors for me to walk through and I have started getting requests for speaking engagements.
I would say that I believe the most important thing I want to tell women is that God Loves them like Crazy! Understanding this will change our lives. I am convinced that if we would feel his intense love instead of just know it in our heads we would live our lives with passion! I would love to learn how to be the most effective communicator I can be.
I just want to be an arrow that points people To Jesus!
Thank you for this tremendous opportunity!
You are a delight! Rose
Happy St. Paddy’s Day Karen, I am always touched by the self-awareness you and your Proverbs 31 Ministry sisters express in your posts and how you all use the gifts that God has revealed to you. I have always been fascinated by other people’s gifts and how they learned they had them. I can’t sing, carry a tune or play a musical instrument even though I am sure my family had great expectations for some sort of gift to be revealed when they named me Melody.
As a child, I would always listen to what the grownups where saying and whispering about, after all they were the adults so they naturally knew the answers to the secrets of life. Late at night tucked into bed, I would recall what had been said that day and more often than not someone called me ‘yackie’ so it was clear to me that talking MUST be my gift.
As I grew older, about 7 or 8 a new theme emerged, I was hearing what a great helper I was and how we needed to be good to ‘help mother stay healthy’. Our mom was in and out of hospital multiply times each year and we were often left with relatives or it was ordered for ‘homemakers’ to come live with my brother and I – it was so obvious, helping was my real gift. Through the years I worked real hard at nurturing my gift of helping others, I learned to sacrifice and put my needs behind those who needed me and my special skill.
It was not until I was in University studying to be a nurse (a professional helper) that life came full circle and I learned the art of listening, the yin to the yang of talking – this elevated my special ‘helping’ skill to new levels. University was the first time I had to speak in front of a group of more than two people and it was a disaster, I FAILED miserably at it. Then and there, I decided at all cost I must avoid all and everything that involves being vulnerable in front of a group.
Fast forward twenty years, I am living in a foreign country (I’m from Canada, eh) and working at a maximum security prison as the Angola Hospice Program and Inmate Volunteer Coordinator. For those unfamiliar with Angola, not so long ago it was known as the bloodiest prison in the nation but it is currently a prison that has been reformed by faith. After my first few days, I was told that a tour of 50 visitors was in the hospice chapel waiting for me. All I heard where the words ‘tour, fifty and waiting for me’, my thoughts started racing. The solution was simple, all I had to do was escape, yep ESCAPE from a 5,000 bed manmade maximum security prison. Proof that fear is truly irrational. All that stood between me and ‘freedom’ was a locked steel security door, two locked compound gates (wrapped in barbwire) and an armed secured front gate, what to do? I took a moment to collect my thoughts took a deep breath and went to plan B and asked “God please help me?” I am sure that this was not the first time he had heard that plea from inside those gates and he directed my vision to the men outside my office.
I asked the inmate hospice volunteers for help; after all who knew the program better than the men who worked it every day and who have helped to nurture it into the amazing program it is today. That day I learned a new facet of trust and I was sure that I felt the calling in my heart and my true gift revealed to me – compassion. That day, I stopped seeing the men as criminals my eyes were opened to see them as men. Men whom had made horrible, tragic mistakes that had changed the lives of many with one-act. I had to face an interesting truth, if I do not want to only be defined by my actions then why should I only define them by their bad act? My revelation fostered many conversations and discovery of many other ‘truths’ during my employment but I was living my passion, putting my gift into action and bringing compassion to end-of-life care in corrections.
One raining day before Thanksgiving in 2007, I was in a motor vehicle accident and two short years later my ‘calling’ was taken from me due to health issues related to the accident. As you can imagine it was not easy leaving my calling. It was not only a source of income, I was one of the lucky ones because I had the job I never dreamed possible, and it challenged and feed my spirit and soul each day. I have faith that my purpose at Angola was fulfilled and I accomplished all that I was meant to, so I move forward without regret searching for my new purpose.
Recently, I have been corresponding with a non-Christian friend about God; religion; the loss of my job; my infertility and my Christian beliefs. I’ve only been baptized since November 2010 and being a new Christian I have struggled to find the words to express my faith to him and ‘where’ it stems from. During one of or on-line conversations, I told him that it was not like God had not asked me to shout my beliefs from a mountain top and that I was not sure I would feel comfortable if He did. Less than one week later here I am writing my beliefs and personal story for all to read because I have faith.
My desire to attend the She Speaks conference stems from the doors that opened while at Angola, to my utter surprise I enjoyed public speaking. It had to be God who put the passion in my heart for the work that the program was doing and the courage to speak about it to anyone who would listen. Faith not only reformed Angola, it also reformed my heart. I hope to attend the conference to meet others on a similar journey as my own; I anticipate as we open our hearts, minds and spirits to the speakers and to the experience we will be forever changed – physically, spiritually; emotionally and even on a psychosocial level. I think I should be the scholarship recipient because it will provide me with the tools to walk this new path in my life. It will help to build my knowledge base and skills which will provide me with the confidence to step outside my fear and approach my home church with my idea to start an Adoption Ministry and ideas to grow our women’s ministry.
Thank you Karen, for joining with Cecil Murphey and creating this opportunity for self-reflection. I also appreciate you taking the time to invest in all of us who have applied for the scholarship by reading our posts.
Peace and Purpose, Melody
Two years ago I was sitting at a large womens conference, and that’s when God hit me. “Mandy you are supposed to be doing this”. And as I sat there and thought about this new idea it was like God was pointing things out to me one by one saying…”I have let you live through things that normally a person would die from just one of, I have given you a story that only you can tell, I have given you a personality where you have never met a stranger and a mouth that never stops talking.” A couple of years before this I had been asked to speak at different events for different things but honestly I didn’t want to do it. But when this “AH-HA” moment happened for me it was like this IS what I’m supposed to be doing. He’s right! He has given me all of these things, so why am I not out telling the entire world about my life and giving HIM the glory for it all.
My story is a little different than most since I have been told I’m the only person in the world with my disease (yes it’s crazy, but true). I have been sick since I was 9 months old and battled for my life with one life threatening infection after another. I have been admitted into the hospital over 100 times and my parents have been told 9 different times that I wouldn’t live through the next hour. If I went off doctors predictions I would have a glass eye, no hair, no teeth, be a human vegetable, and be dead 9 times. And even though doctors are supposed to know all, I have proven them all wrong since none of those things are true. I look like a healthy 29 year old, except for one thing. Two weeks before my 9th birthday my body formed two massive infections (gas gangreene and clostridial septicemia); I was actually the first one since WW2 to have the combination of the two together. My parents were given two options, they could go ahead and let me die or doctors could try to amputate my leg but still only giving me less than a 3% chance to live after taking my leg. My parents choose amputation. The gases were spreading so fast throughout my body doctors ended up having up amputate up to my left hip. After several intense weeks in ICU I finally woke out of my coma and had to start life back at step one. And I have adjusted to my amputee life style better than anyone ever thought I would. I became more active and social. I started gymnastics, rode my bike, started playing softball (travel summer ball and was even the captain of my high school team where I lettered), swam, and lead the life that any other child to teenager to adult did. I have had other infections since my leg and had a close call but have been able to live and tell about it. I have lead a life that most would never ever choose to live, but I love my life and there is not a single day that I would change. My disease and my leg have made me the person that I am and who God wants me to be and I love that. He made me and knows what I can endure and He’ll only give me what I can handle. I’m proud that He has choosen me to live this life and I’ll do whatever it is that He asked me to do.
What happened to your leg? Is a question I get asked at least 5 times a week. But their is no simple answer because the story is more than just my leg. So for the last year and a half I have been speaking to churches and youth groups sharing my story. In the speech I do now I walk you through my medicial life. And how I was turned away from hospital after hospital because no one knew what was wrong with me. And then how I found a research hospital in Maryland that decided to research me after I lost my leg. I became a human lab rat from that day forward. And then I walk you through why I dont allow myself to throw pity parties and about how we all have problems in our lives. Mine happen to be medicial and how yours could be medicial, money, family, grades, work, school, there’s a whole list and how it doesnt matter what we want for our lives, our lives are not about us, they are about HIM and what HE wants for our lives. We have to trust in Him always! And then I talk about how my doctors finally figured out what was wrong with me after under going 14 years of research and how I’m still a research patient. I also have started another speech for when I speak to youth groups on body image. Body image is something that every teenager struggles with. I walk them through how sick I was growing up but I could always mask it because I looked healthy, but after my amputation I went from looking like everyone else to everyone staring at me all the time. Going through the struggles of wanting to look like every body else when school dances would come around. I tried to get “fake legs” but they never seemed to work out for me and finally having another “AH-HA” moment and thinking Mandy God took your real one away and you’re trying to undo what He has done and it’s not working out…be the person that He has made you to be. And how God makes us all different but He made us just the way that HE wanted us. I want people to understand that bad things happen but when you trust in the Lord everything will be okay. He’s working His will for our lives, not for what we want.
I hope that you choose me for this scholarship so that I can learn to grow my ministry. I’m the only person in the world that can tell my story, because I’m the only person in the world who has lived it. I want to share this joy that I have inside that only He could provide me with. I sit at womens conferences (small and large) and think THIS is what you are supposed to be doing. I want to come and learn and grow and figure out how to make this my life calling. I know this is what He wants me to do and I want to use every avenue I can to make it better. I think She Speaks will not only help me grow as a speaker but also as a person. I can’t afford to come on my own, so I’m sending up a prayer and crossing my fingers that I will be able to win a scholarship. And I’ll keep writing in and trying to win one even if I dont win this year then I’ll try again next year.
Hmmmm….. Where do I start?
My speaking dream began…
… as early as the sixth grade when running for student council and it just grew from there. I loved the debate team in high school and thrived in all of my English and Presentation classes in college. I am probably the most over educated housewife in the U.S., holding five degrees…. Fashion Design, Interior Design, English Professional Writing, Business Professional Communication, and Public Relations but since finding Jesus; he has found a way to make them all work for His glory. I love an opportunity to express myself (or others… when doing the corporate world thing) and I love to share stories of my life, especially if it helps others to see that they are not alone and if you can get through one chapter of the journey, you WILL be rewarded…..and ready to start another one that He has already written.
I was a speaker on instruction and motivation while in the U.S. Army in the early 1990s and with a name like Gidget… I think they found it hard to take me seriously. But that quirky name has worked to the positive in every other situation; especially when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of thirty in 1999. I had three small daughters at the time and despite finding it early, had some serious health scares. But… I wanted to take my love of speaking and the promise that was given to me to others that had been diagnosed; or thought it couldn’t happen to them. I found myself speaking at luncheons for Breast Cancer Awareness (the month of October being a busy one for sure). My platform was one of sincerity and honesty. I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus at the time and quite frankly, wasn’t interested. But I still gave a message of hope that the disease does not always win. I told the message that breast cancer doesn’t care how old you are, how much money you make, or on what side of the tracks you live on; it is not prejudice in any way.
My speaking now is quite a bit different….
I have only shared my testimony; a story of the Prodigal Daughter; my twelve year road trip away from family and friends…going nowhere fast. It is a story of grace and forgiveness and hope which I share freely with any that wonder why I am the way I am…. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1Peter 3:15 My church as videotaped my testimony to use at various meetings, etc. and I am going to be filming Part Two of my story so that people can see what it is like on the other side.
What is God calling me to speak on?
I have conversations with Him often; speaking to him as if he were in the chair opposite me. We have coffee and share what is on our hearts and my brokenness always comes up. I love to thank him over and over again for rescuing me from a place I thought no one would go…not even to drag me out. I felt I couldn’t even forgive myself, how in the heck was this guy going to be able to forgive me? But he did. He told me that no one can be too old, too late, or too bad to be forgiven; all we have to do is humble ourselves and ask…giving our heart completely. He tells me often and these are my words to live by: Be bold. Be transparent. Be the spokesperson I created you to be. “Me Lord? Really? You want me to be your spokesperson?. What if they judge me? What if they think this is just a phase I’m going through? What if they doubt your feelings for me and what you are really capable of?” He repeats…. “Be bold. Be transparent. Be the spokesperson I created you to be.”
I have always been the life of the party, doing my best to be the center of attention. People wanted to be around me because I was the fun one that would get things started. Now… I get to do that for His glory; using my personality for good and not evil. He said that if I would give him the same excitement and energy that I gave to that life… our message could be limitless. He wanted to use my brokenness to prove what He told me … you can’t be too old (I was 40), you can’t be too late (nothing that was done could not be forgiven), or too bad (I was on a bad path but he reminded me…it wasn’t as bad as Paul and look what He did through him.)
I wished that I had lived the lives my sisters’ led. They stayed close to home and never strayed to ways I went to. They still live in the small California town we grew up in; along with my parents and grandfather. They did what was expected of them….even marrying just once where I am on my third (and final) husband. But, if I hadn’t gone through what I had…he wouldn’t have had anything to rescue me from and I would have nothing in which to relate to others that may think they are a lost cause and not worthy of a relationship with him and all that entails.
To be bold means to put myself out there, not thinking of others opinions of me but knowing I am brave enough to be used for His purpose.
To be transparent means to be completely honest in where I am and where I have been.
To be the spokesperson he created me to be means that I need to get to the She Speaks conference and take my speaking to the next level. Not just getting up in front of people telling my story, but sharing themes and messages with them through my story.
….Which is why I need to win this scholarship.
I learned of this conference last spring and knew that it was somewhere I needed to be. I accepted that relationship with Jesus in October of 2009 and have been “glowing” for Him ever since. But… that leads me to the biggest transitioning part of my story and He was with me all the way. I couldn’t go to the conference last year because I was in the pokey. (That means jail to most out there…but that sounds too scary.) I went into jail on June 10th to serve a year long sentence that was reduced to six months. My best friend, who has already won a scholarship to this conference, told me “You may be the only Jesus they see… show them what He is capable of.” And that is where my intimate relationship with him started. These women were starving for word from Him. These women didn’t think I could possibly have anything in common with them but I showed them (WE showed them) what can happen when Jesus is in the picture. I held bible studies twice a day. The stack of bibles in the library were gone in two days….getting passed around like secret stashes of candy; being even more filling but just as sweet.
I know that with the proper training, I can continue to be the Cheerleader for Jesus that I am but on a higher level; sharing His word through my experiences.
This conference is my Cheer Camp and where I can learn to be …… the spokesperson He created me to be.
Hi Karen!
My speaking dream began a few years ago when I felt the call from the Lord to start a speaking ministry for parents. I was a school counselor and a new mom, had a lot of experience working with families and parents, specifically. I turned in my resignation and the Lord worked it out that I could attend a training with the National Center for Biblical Parenting. I was able to present the seminar I trained in in churches and conventions. After a little over three years representing NCBP, the Lord has called me to a more specific ministry for moms. I now have a second child and have dealt with issues that every other mom deals with…are we doing a good job parenting? Am I enough? Are my kids normal? Am I normal (what is normal, anyway? :) )I had post-partum depression with both my children, which was worsened by the death of a close friend and several miscarriages inbetween my two healthy babies. I now give my testimony on fear and anxiety and share the freedom that Christ has given me. I was at my lowest spiritually and emotionally but turned to Christ and He has never let me go. I also present on parenting issues, the Supermom Complex and finding your identity in Christ.
Why should you choose me to win this scholarship? I feel I am really on the cusp of a great ministry that God has called me to. I have officially launched my Reflections of a Mom ministry and have speaking engagements booked. I have experience speaking, I know the passion He has given me and the talent. But I need, just like everyone else, to hone my speaking and presenting skills. Being able to present a moving message is just as important as the message the Lord has given me. For whatever reason, He has chosen this path for me and He is opening doors for me and I believe this scholarship will be one of them. This conference, I believe, is a must have for anyone seriously considering a speaking/writing/event planning ministry. I am SOOOO excited to be able to attend. But, it is very expensive. So, I am praying you check out my website and my blog. Check me out on facebook and can see that I am serious. I not only have the calling and the purpose but also the skill needed to speak to an audience. I don’t care how big that audience is, but my prayer is that if my story will help others, that God would allow me to fill a stadium one day. And God will receive all the glory because I wouldn’t be here today if it was not for Him and the work he has done in my life.
I want to attend this conference to learn, soak in the knowledge, experience, wisdom and skill of those who have gone before me. I want to learn how present an outstanding message of hope. How to use humor, antidotes and stories in my presentation to bring my point home. I want the Lord to be glorified and work through me. I have never been able to attend this conference, but I get utterly giddy at the thought of talking to people with the same calling, to network and meet other of like faith. To be affirmed in the calling God has called me to. To sit at the feet of women who know how to do this and do it well.
Ultimately, I think attending this conference will do nothing but grow my ministry. Give me ideas, skills, action points of taking the next step in ministry.
I am very, very excited at this opportunity. And, I hope you pick me.
Susan Mayo
Nashville, TN
Reflections of a Mom
http://www.reflectionsofamom.org
http://www.reflectionsofamom.blogspot.com
Hi Karen!
My speaking call came in the summer of 2009 when I was attending a conference with a friend of mine. I will never forget that conference because I and this friend had not spent time with together in more than two years. The conference we attended together was “The Deeper Still” conference in Atlanta, Ga.
Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shier were the speakers for this conference!
It was fantastic and the conference came just after I had been in an extended fasting period with the LORD for two years!
Perhaps, if I am chosen to win this scholarship contest when we meet at the “She Speaks Conference” one of the things we can chat about is what I fasted on for that period of time:-)
Anyway…
It was a two day conference and once I returned home that second afternoon the Lord spoke to me and said “you can go deeper still. Do you see what Beth is doing?” I answered yes. The Lord replied “I want you to do what Beth is doing.
I have learned that when the Lord speaks and says I can do a thing that I do not need to worry about the how or even the when because HE has already decreed the thing.
In no way did I see myself speaking to a large body of people such as the way Beth Moore does and certainly, my writing skills are a work in serious progress. Content is not a problem but delivery, well…
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! HE’s in charge of my preparation and all that the process entails.
GOD is calling me to teach HIS Word and show its dynamic process through my own life. One area of ministering HE has given me is teaching others how to care for HIS temple (our bodies) and true beauty and where our worth and value really flows from.
I have only had one speaking engagement to date. It was in June 10, 2010 and I spoke at a local church on Biblical Nutrition. It went well:-)
I also want to share that GOD broke a major yoke of public speaking off of me that day! I had a titanic struggle for days and days before I spoke to the church group to the point that I almost made myself ill. I was so afraid I honestly had to just lay myself down before GOD and ask HIM to take over the class and over shadow me if necessary. I did not want to disappoint that church group that had been waiting to hear this teaching session for so very long and I did not want to hurt my GOD by bowing to fear and sending the message that I did not believe that HE could do all things. I did not believe I could do all things, but I did believe that HE is who HE says that HE is.
But like riding a bicycle even though it has been a while since I have had a speaking engagement, I have not forgotten the lessons GOD taught me that day. However, when a bicycle sits it and the rider can become rusty and the skills that we have already developed need to take a spin or two around the block in order to get the feel once again for riding once again!
I think that I would be a good candidate for your scholarship because my ultimate goal is the out pouring of “The Spirit of Christ”. It is not about trying to make a name for myself, or building my sense of esteem, nor is it about competing with others but I desire to walk out this path simply because it is HIS Will and I believe that HE has prodound things in store. It is GOD Spirit that determines the results and out-come or the harvesting efforts of our ministry out-pouring. GOD’s Word does not return unto HIM void.
My dream began as a nightmare of sorts. On a flight from San Antonio, Texas to my hometown in Michigan, a thought dropped in my mind. It went something like this, “If God ever wants me to give my testimony, I will.”
Next, I pull out a yellow sheet of paper and write down what I would say if ever given the opportunity. Two days before my return trip to Texas, opportunity decides to knock.
It is Sunday and I enter my former church. My heart begins to beat out of control. Before I understand why this sudden surge in adrenaline, I bump into a gal I haven’t seen in years. Within a matter of minutes, she asks me to speak at a ladies group the next evening. “What?” She says they were praying for God to bring someone to share and I am the answer to their prayer.
Wow God. So the next evening I do just that. I share the good, bad and ugly. After leaving that night for a relative’s house 45 minutes away, I feel sick. Thoughts consume me from, “Why did you do that”? to “I will never share again.”
I had no idea I would feel this way. I usually enjoy the spotlight. I spoke in front of children and teachers for years and LOVED it.
A day or two after I arrive home and back to work in children’s ministry at our church, our ladies minister enters the office. She has a dilemma. One of the Bible studies being offered is at capacity (125 +) and needs to close registration. I ask her, “Why don’t you just offer this study on Thursday?” (It’s a large church and at the time offered numerous studies on Tuesday and Thursday)
She says that is easier said than done. The difficulty is finding someone capable and willing to lead. Have you ever just known? Within days the transition begins to transpire. In the past three years I have moved out of children’s ministry and full force into adult ministry.
Last year I attended the She Speaks Conference and participated in the Speakers Track. Boy, if you want instant weight loss, just sign up for this! One of my peer’s responses on an evaluation said that my talk was wonderful :) But she also asked if I enjoyed myself. Hmm, sometimes yes, but most times, no I do not.
I speak because I have this fire inside of me to share with others that they are loved by their Father and are precious and honored in His sight. I have the privilege to walk alongside and help them see themselves the way that God views them.
My problem is me. Opportunities are opening up yet I feel as if I am attempting to slow things up with my feelings getting in the way. But, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired each time I share from the heart. I wonder if other speakers feel like this. I hope to find out.
If you afford me the opportunity to attend this year, my goal is to conquer, or at least make a small dent, into the feeling of inadequacy that tries to consume me. I know He wants more of me, and now is the time to fight this battle head-on. I hope a well-equipped stockpile of information and encouragement will be the tools needed to move on to the next chapter in this journey.
Your speaking dream–when it began; where it is now.
I attended a seminar given by Marybeth Whalen at a homeschool conference about writing. I believe it was called “So You Want to be a Writer”. After hearing her speak I bought “For the Write Reason”; one of the contributors mentioned becoming a writer, but she was a speaker first. I literally gasped. One could do that, be a speaker? Wow! I’d love that! Public speaking’s way more fun than writing!
I got held up a bit when Marybeth said that the things we most want to hide may be what God is calling us to share. Uhhmmmmm, no way! Sorry God it’s just not happening! Eventually, I did begin to share my story, both with individuals and with groups. I’ve just written an Easter drama for our church, and will play the part of Gomer (never thought you’d see her in an Easter play, huh?) I am contacting a group in a nearby town to offer to speak on being a new creature in Christ. I’ve also bookmarked a list of MOPS groups to contact. Contacting people is a huge hurdle. Even though I believe God’s called me, I think, “Who do I think I am? Why would they want to listen to me?” I get hung up in “bringing it all together”, business cards, website, etc…
What it is you feel God calling you to speak on
There are several things that “fit” as topics for me: redemption (from promiscuity, shame and abuse), living with passion instead of in a shell, trusting God in the face of infertility and repeat miscarriages. However, the thing I love is bringing Bible characters to life. I perform a monologue of a Bible woman and follow it with teaching to allow listeners to experience the story. My favorite is the story of the sinful woman who annointed Jesus’ feet. I use anecdotes from my own life and what I see as common to women to apply those stories and give them “take home” value.
why should I choose you to win this scholarship
I want to speak with excellence and professionalism that God will be glorified. That God could use my words and my wounds to draw women to himself is both the most humbling and exciting prospect. I want to encourage other women in their calling and be encouraged in following the call I believe God has given me. I want to learn more about how to begin. How should I pursue a speaking ministry? How do I know if I’m promoting God or me? I am so excited about She Speaks. There are so many sessions that I want to attend that I’m going to need to order many of them on cd.
By the way, it would be a privilege to talk with you during one of the meals!
You rock Niccol, I love that you speak with real emotion because so many people can’t seem to get the emotion of our Loving Lord from the Bible as it applies to being a woman in the 21st century. We need your voice and more than that we need to see women who have the courage to speak what God tells them to and not just pretend that He made a mistake when He gave them something to say!!! I love the last line and so true so….Lord may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!!! xoxox
I can’t remember a time when I was speechless – really, ever! Then Jesus came into my life and turned it inside out, sideways and on it’s head. But still, I wasn’t speechless. Just the opposite. Now I had something good to talk about – something of value; eternal value. Who could be speechless when they had Jesus! I mean, didn’t He say to go and tell the world about the good news in Matthew 28:18-20!
So, my desire for justice and the underdog in the world became a passion for the truth of God’s Word. God replaced legal arguments and a need to be right with scripture and a voice – a heart – to speak His Word and His truth into the lives of others. He gave me verses and understanding about what it means to be set apart for Him – to be used for the good works he planned for us all before we were even born. He changed my heart from the desire to be right to the need to tell of the truth and righteousness of a life lived in Christ – truth in how we struggle with a desire to please both God and the world and how we cannot serve both masters no matter how godly we might appear to be.
I wouldn’t say I had a dream of speaking as much as I couldn’t not speak – I couldn’t stop the words from spilling out…first on paper as I ghost wrote the “going deeper” section of our women’s Bible study on Exodus through Deuteronomy… Then as I spoke and cried my way through a speaking role at our church’s women’s retreat when I was asked to speak about the transformational experience of Israel and watched God bring that same experience to women at the retreat…to writing a Bible study on Joshua that I co-taught with our women’s Pastor…to every opportunity to speak His Word… to now…
God just opened one door after another where He used the passion He has given me for the body – for our edification (me too because I am blessed by Him and the precious women I meet every time I get to speak). And it has been His plan all along. When I was in Israel with our church on a “faith adventure,” God gave me a new name and with that name, He told me I was to speak His truth – His Word – regardless of the fact that some would not want to hear it. And I did. I embraced God’s direction in Ezekiel 2:7 that “You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.” So I spoke what I heard to the women who attended the Women’s retreat and our Bible study and the lady at the grocery store and in my carpool… and…well, you get the idea.
Looking back, I can see that in God’s infinite wisdom, all the years spent as a lawyer and teaching law school I counted as wasted were actually the foundation for the speaking God has prepared for me – to know and speak His Word generally and more specifically about being a woman set apart -living the way He wants for us so that Jesus’s story can be seen in our lives.
Where He will take me with this, I don’t know, but I rest in knowing that He knows the plans He has for me – for all of us. While the most immediate plan for me is to attend the She Speaks conference and finish a Bible study on Ruth for the women of my church, I know that includes speaking about what it looks like to be set apart in a world where even the body needs to hear His truth about where we are, where we have gone astray, and how we get back on the narrow path of a life abiding in Christ…how we are all Naomis a little bit.
So, why me? Why choose me for this scholarship? That’s harder because it’s not about me – it never was. It’s always been about Him – what His Word has to say and my willingness to be used so He is heard, which, I admit, I don’t always do well. Maybe that’s why me… Because it’s not really about me but because I need to pass on the words He gives me in a better way. Or maybe because I am going to soak up every little bit of wisdom God gives those who will teach at She Speaks, as well as from every woman I meet at the conference and take it back to Him in prayer so that I may be better equipped to speak His Word and His truth in His grace – in His strength and for His glory.
And maybe because it is Saint Patrick’s day and I’m Irish. Or maybe it doesn’t matter what I wrote because if it’s in His will, I could have just written, “Here I am. Send me.”
Good morning Karen –
My dream to be a speaker started a long time ago, before I was a committed Christian. As a young, aspiring business woman, I attended many business related seminars and was inspired. I loved going to those seminars and hearing other peoples stories of success and failures, and tried to learn from them. I hoped someday I would be able to share my “secrets to success” and encourage someone else. I didn’t pursue speaking at the time because I felt I didn’t have enough success or a message. Life happened and many years later, after becoming a Christian, I attended my first Christian conference with my church’s women’s ministry group. I was so inspired to take my commitment to the Lord up a notch and become a better mom. I felt God placed on my heart that I do have a message, His message! God rekindled the dream I had to become a speaker. As opportunities would present themselves in my church I would step up to the plate with the Lord’s guidance. I saw first hand God’s work in my own life and in others. As the Women’s Ministry Leader in our church, it was amazing to have the opportunity to speak and present the gospel to new ladies as well as challenge the seasoned Christian ladies in our church. It was a sweet spot in my life, I grew so much by allowing God to work through me, and to see the ministry grow. There is no greater joy in this world than to be an instrument in His will. I have wanted to attend She Speaks for a couple of years now, but, for one reason or another it just hasn’t worked out. I want to learn how to reach the moms that are training up their children, and inspire older women to mentor them. I have a passion for women who want to take a deeper walk with the Lord. I want to learn how to hone my God given enthusiam. In the last year or so, I felt the Lord leading me to go back to college and finish my degree. After prayerful consideration, I stepped down as the Women’s Ministry Leader and became a full time student at a Christian University. I am not sure what the Lord has in store for me exactly, but, I know it is good! I am just trying to be obedient to His call. If I am given the opportunity to attend the She Speaks Conference, it will be a great experience for me to grow and to use the wisdom I gain for His glory. In Him, Linda Bryan