Here's Hoping!!

Oh, girls! God has just laid an amazing opportunity at my feet!


I have been dreaming of and hoping to attend an incredible conference (She Speaks by Proverbs 31 Ministries) over the summer, but finally resolved – just this week – that this is not the year for me. Finances are simply too tight with Taylor’s graduation and college tuition right around the corner, the struggles that Chris has had, etc. I know that God will provide in HIS perfect time and I will wait on Him.

In my e-mail this morning, I found a blog post from Lysa TerKeurst about the She Speaks conference. I have to tell you that I almost didn’t open it, fearing it would deepen the disappointment of what I would be missing. Something made me click on the e-mail and guess what! There is a scholarship contest for the conference! Woo hoo and praise the Lord! Entry into the contest requires a blog post telling about the conference and reasons why I would like to win the scholarship. It’s due today! TODAY! Oh, my! (Lord, I do praise You that it wasn’t due yesterday!)

Many of you know that I feel a direct call from the Lord to write, teach and speak. Whom He calls, He equips and gives opportunity to use such equipping for His glory. The Lord has confirmed His call repeatedly through His Word, through the people in my life, and in the opportunities of His mighty hand. I have to share a brief story: John and Bobbe Fischle, both writers and both beautiful, loving people, attended our church for a time. The Lord pressed into me to share my calling with them. Bobbe asked to see my work, which I had never shared with anyone outside my home so my knees were knocking! She and John read it during their quiet time and encouraged me to continue writing and to pursue publication! After picking myself up off the floor, I became a real writer in my heart of hearts that day upon receiving their beautiful encouragement. It was a gift from the Lord Himself.

Last fall, our church Elders blessed me richly by sending me to the LifeWay Women’s Leadership Forum. I pushed myself way, WAY out of my comfort zone and shared the Lord’s call on my life with Chris Adams the senior women’s ministry specialist in LifeWay's church resources division. I stood in line to see her, which was something like waiting for an autograph from Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. It was actually more fun to speak with Chris! She highly recommended the She Speaks conference. She Speaks Conference Information

This is the conference of conferences. Not only does it offer strong, practical training for speaking (from developing a message to keeping an audience engaged to increasing speaking engagements), but also encourages and equips writers to emphasize their unique writing voice and work toward being published. Appointments are available to pitch a book proposal to some of today’s top Christian publishers. The conference does more than offer tools, but also equips attendees to put those tools into motion, learn from others in the field and get to work for God’s kingdom! It sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Oh, how I would hate to miss it!

Here is the icing on the cake. I am still a newbie in my position as Director of Women’s Ministries for our church. The She Speaks conference also has a track just for Women’s Ministry leaders that helps them build a team and share a vision so that it becomes contagious. Such training would be invaluable for not only me, but also the women in our congregation and in our community.

I am already writing, speaking and teaching through doors and venues that the Lord continues to provide. I know that I can learn to be more effective for His glory and for the furtherance of His message. My desire is to give my Lord everything I have. This is why I have such a deep desire to attend the She Speaks conference.

Three tracks are available at the conference, and all three pertain to me. The more I learn, the more I believe that those Proverbs 31 gals created this conference just for me! Without the scholarship I cannot attend, so yes, indeed, I am praying to be one of two selected for this honor. It is in the Lord’s capable hands and I surrender all to Him, trusting in His sovereign plan.

Isaiah 45:3 “… In order that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.” (NASB)

Would you like to enter the contest too?  Please click here:  She Speaks Scholarship Contest  Maybe we can go together!