When a friend is hurting

Happy Wednesday friends,

Here's a question for you today.
When a friend is hurting because of someone else's sin how do you comfort your friend?

Working in a Christian counseling office I see hurting people every day. As I check them in for their appointment each face bears traces of hurt, stress, anger, fear, grief, guilt or a combination. It's saddens my heart to see those hurting faces. Many experience a number of these things because of someone else's sin. That brings me to today's question.
How do you comfort a friend who is hurting because of someone else's sin?

All the Wrinkled Ladies

Hey friends,

If you are over 40 you'll get a laugh out of this one.

I just love Anita Renfroe

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaruNs_7okY

Raising Your own Funds for She Speaks

Hey friends,

Please check out the guest post Marybeth Whalen is featuring today on her blog. It's a great idea for those of you wishing to attend this years She Speaks Conference.

You know, Mother's Day is only a few days away and this would be a great gift from your family.


http://marybethwhalen.blogspot.com/2010/04/guest-post-raising-your-own-funds-for.html

Winner and a Suggestion

Congratulations to the one who is waking up to happy news today – news that she has been randomly selected by P31 Executive Director LeAnn Rice to receive a She Speaks conference scholarship. You will most certaily jump up and down at the news. And I am dancing in my chair with you.

All the other entrants will wake up to the disappointing news that their name is not posted on the Proverbs 31 homepage http://www.proverbs31.org/ as the winner.

If the Lord is calling you to attend this conference this year, He will make a way for you to attend. I firmly believe that. The team at P31 is praying for God to gather all He would have attend this year. I want you to know it was so heart-warming reading everyone’s posts entering the giveaway, and so heart-wrenching knowing we couldn’t give each of you a scholarship. But it drove us to many prayers for you.

So here’s a suggestion - set up your own scholarship fund. We have already put together an amazing letter you can send to your family, friends, church leaders or members, small group, etc.
They can then send tax-deductible donations to Proverbs 31 Ministries designated as scholarship money for you. Each year 20–30 women attend She Speaks because they set up their own scholarship like this! Some are called to speak or write. But some are blessed to give – called to financially help someone else answer the call to speak or write.

To learn more about that, go to http://www.shespeaksconference.com/and find the green button that says “Scholarship Info” at the bottom left of the page.
Also, stay tuned because we just may have another scholarship giveaway opportunity soon.

Inspirational Tour

Hey there bloggy friends,

I hope you will take Proverbs 31 "Speaker Tour". Everyone is telling their own story of hearing the Lord's whisper to their heart calling them into a speaking ministry. That’s not all, leave a comment and enter yourself to win a scholarship for our annual She Speaks Speaker and Writer Conference!

If you are sensing God's call to a vocation ministry, then She Speaks is for you! You’ll walk away with a deeper relationship with God, clarification about your call, and the tools you’ll need to fulfill it. So, don’t forget to leave a comment or question and automatically enter to win a scholarship to She Speaks!!! For more information about our conference, visit http://www.shespeaksconference.com/

Here's my She Speaks story:

I was asked to attend She Speaks and did so the second year of the conference. I had been the assistant teaching leader for Bible Study Fellowship for several years but was sensing the Lord's quiet whisper to get ready for a new ministry. I packed my bags and arrived at the conference not really knowing anyone in attendance. I was nervous and excited to be sure! After the first session, I found out that my small group leader was none other than the president of the ministry. Yep, that's right Lysa was the one who would be evaluating me. Can I just tell you hat I threw up all night! NOT KIDDING! Anyway, that weekend, I fell in love with this ministry and the Lord led me to apply to the team.

That's my story in a nut shell.

For more inspiration, take the tour!

Lysa http://www.lysaterkeurst.com/
Wend B http://www.wendyblight.com/
Shari http://www.sharibraendel.com/
Micca http://www.miccacampbell.com/
Whitney http://www.whitneycapps.blogspot.com/
Amy http://www.amycarrollp31.blogspot.com/
Melanie http://www.melaniechitwood.com/
Lynn http://www.lynncowell.blogspot.com/
Karen http://www.karenehman.com/
Suzie http://www.tsuzanneeller.com/
Zoe http://www.zoeelmore.blogspot.com/
Sharon http://www.sharonglasgow.com/
Charlene http://www.charlenekidd.blogspot.com/
Tracie http://www.traciemiles.blogspot.com/
Rachel http://www.rachelolsen.com/
Wendy P http://www.wendypope.blogspot.com/
Luann http://www.luannprater.com/
Susanne http://www.susannescheppmann.blogspot.com/
Renee http://www.reneeswope.com/
Melissa http://www.melissataylor.org/
Van http://www.vanwalton.blogspot.com/
Marybeth http://www.marybethwhalen.com/
Glynnis http://www.glynniswhitwer.blogspot.com/
LeAnn http://www.leannrice.com/
She Seeks http://www.sheseeks.org/
She Reads http://www.shereads.org/
RadRev http://www.radrevolution.org/

Joyful Humility

Hey Friends,

If you're feeling discouraged today, check out this link to a Devotional I wrote in 2008 for the Proverbs 31 online devotional.

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2008/01/foundation-of-joy.html

After you read this hop over to my friend Rachel Olsen's blog for a great carnival

www.rachelolsen.blogspot.com

I'd love to hear your thoughts. :-)

EnJOY

She Speaks Scholorship

Hey friends,
Can you believe it? Proverbs 31 She Speaks Conference is on the horizon.

Before I get to this great opportunity I wanted to post my latest yummy clean chocolate recipe:
Steffie's Yummy Chocolate Delight:

2 tablespoons Almond Flour
3/4 scoop Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
1 tsp. vanilla (I add a bit more)
1 egg
Dash of cinnamon
2 teaspoons Grape seed oil (You can use canola)

Mix together and microwave 1 - 1 1/2 minutes.
YUMMY!!!!

It smells like chocolate cake and tastes great.
I eat this for breakfast and it keeps me filled up for hours.

I wanted to share this post with you from Glynnis Whitwer, editor of P31 Woman.
She asked those of us on the team to help spread the word about this wonderful opportunity!

Have you ever had a dream?

A dream that you tucked deep in your heart, and were afraid to even speak it?Every year women come to the Proverbs 31 Ministries She Speaks Conference with just such dreams. It may be a dream to write, or speak. It may be a dream to lead a women's Bible study, or start a ministry to unwed mothers.
As the director of the writer's track at She Speaks, I meet women every year who are wondering if they have what it takes to write. They might think the dream is foolish ... because who would read what they have to say? But the dream beats so hard in their chest they just had to come to the conference.However, they tenderly protect that dream, even as they put themselves out there for all the world to see.Is that you?

Do you have a dream to write but haven't taken the first step? Or have you been writing for awhile but know God is prompting you to take the next step in your writing journey?

Today, I have the privilege of announcing a contest to help someone take that next step of obedience in their dream to write.

Thanks to the generosity of author extraordinaire, Cecil Murphey, I will be giving away one scholarship to attend the She Speaks 2010 Conference, held July 30-August 1 in Concord, North Carolina.

He's coming to the conference and will be speaking to all the writers, and meeting one-on-one for some informal coaching. And to win it, all you have to do is write an article that would be appropriate for publication in the P31 Woman Magazine.
We'll pick one article as the winner. In addition to winning the scholarship, we'll also publish that article in the magazine. Kind of like icing on the best cake you have ever eaten!
We may also select some honorable mentions, and will publish those if we do.
So - how do you win this amazing prize? Here are the rules for the She Speaks Scholarship Contest:
1. You must not have attended She Speaks in past years.
2. Write a 500-1000 word article that would be appropriate for publication in the P31 Woman Magazine. See the guidelines on the link to the magazine, and see archived feature articles for a sample of our style.
3. Only enter one (1) article per person.
4. You can either attach the article in a Word document or include it in the email. Include a creative title and your name.
5. Email the article to me at editor@proverbs31 on or before Thursday April15, 2010 at midnight.
6. If you have a blog, please help us promote the She Speaks Conference by writing about this contest and linking to the She Speaks Conference site. If you want to post the She Speaks button on your site, feel free to copy it. But it is not a requirement.
7. The winner of this contest will be awarded a scholarship for the cost of one person's registration for the 2010 She Speaks conference.T
he value of this scholarship is $575 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 roommate or you have the option to pay the extra charge for a private room. This scholarship is transferable, but only for someone who has not attended the conference. It cannot be traded for cash.Your article will be evaluated by the P31 Woman editing team, and we will announce the winner on April 21st.

This is the first year we have scholarships to offer, and we are thanking God and Cecil Murphey for this opportunity. Please pray about what to submit. And, if you aren't a writer, please send a note to someone you know who is and encourage her to enter!
Your encouragement might just make all the difference in inspiring her to pursue her dreams!

Unstoppable

Hey friends,

Are you looking for pick me up today. Check out this song from Rascal Flatts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alncB4_CKrQ&feature=related

Enjoy :-D

Need a Do -Over?

Hey friends,
Check out my sweet friend Luann Prater's blog today.
She's written the most wonderful devo for the Proverbs 31 on-line devotions.
Check this out and leave her a comment.
http://www.luannprater.com/
TTFN