Last Minute Questions

Hey sweet friends,

Yes, the clock is ticking and the time for celebration is close at hand. We are just hours away from the 2010 She Speaks Conference.
Here are a few last minute Questions that are important for all of you in the speaker evaluation groups.

Question:
How will the order of the speakers within the evaluation group be chosen ? ie volunteer, alphabetically, draw numbers.
Each coordinator for speaker evaluation groups will choose one of the methods you listed for determining in what order you give your talks.

Will there be a timer that we can see so we will know if we need to speed up or cut some from our talks ?
Each coordinator for speaker evaluation groups will have a timer.
Each speaker will be given a one minute "notice" when she has one minute remaning in her allotted time for both the three minute and the five minunte presentations.

Please note:
The three minute and five minute time frames MUST be honored by each speaker.
When the timer goes off, your time is up and you MUST stop your talk.

I know what you're thinking... There is NO possible way I can trim my talk to fit the time contratints.
Trust me, if I can keep it sweet, short, simple and to the point in 3 minutes and five minutes.
ANYONE can.

Can't wait to see you all

Two days and Counting

The 2010 She Speaks conference in Concord, NC is only two days away!
I love to tell people that this conference is the most exciting, exhilarating and exhausting conference you will ever attend.

This will be my seventh She Speaks conference and I can't wait to see what wonderful words of wisdom I will receive this year.
If that weren't enough, I get to spend time with some of God's BEST girls in the world!!!
Many people think that the entire Proverbs 31 team lives in Charlotte, NC and we spend all our free time together. Oh, how I wish that were true. Truth is, the team members are scattered all over the U.S. and we only get to see one another during this annual conference.

If I could, I would invite everyone of you to join us as we meet for two days and a half days of intense training right before the conference begins.
While you may know the team as some of the sweetest, funniest, kindest and most compassionate women in the world; what you may not know is that this team of God's BEST girls NEVER gets their feathers ruffled, the fur NEVER flies and the claws NEVER come out.
I'm serious! When we are together it is one loving on one another, laughing and crying together, worshipping, teaching, learning eating junk food good time.

I'm working all day today and tomorrow, so I'll be spending tonight and tomorrow night packing my bags and checking my lists to be certain I haven't forgotten anything.
If you're planning to be there PLEASE don't let the weekend get away from you without stopping and talking to the team of God's BEST girls.
I can't wait to hug your neck.

More Questions and Answes

Hey friends,
Here's the latest question regarding She Speaks:

Question:
When we arrive at the hotel (assuming we're staying at the conference hotel) do we register for the conference first or check-in with the hotel, or does it matter? Also, how early can we check in with the hotel? Thank you!

I think the normal check in time is 3:00 PM at most hotels. You might want to call the hotel you are staying in to confirm that. You are welcome to register for the conference before or after you check-into the hotel.
Just remember you and 599 other ladies will be checking in and registering at the same time.
I know the hotel staff and the Proverbs 31 staff will be doing their very best to get you taken care of as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Question:

The time frame is so very short, I may not be able to reference a particular person from the scriptures in regards to my topics. Is that a problem?

Three minutes and five minutes is short to be sure but I PROMISE the Lord will enable you to edit your talk sufficiently to meet those time frames. Trust me, if I can keep it short and sweet while keeping the most important pints anyone can.

Also, will there be a podium for short notes...or is that a No-No?

There will be some sort of podium/lectern of music stand provided for you.

I'm one who relishes eye-contact, but I need to know if I must memorize the entire talk or not.

Eye Contact is a wonderful thing to engage your audience for sure, but it is NOT necessary to memorize your entire talk. Some ladies do however memorize their opening.

It's Not About You

Hey friends,

I'm interrupting our She Speaks questions and answers to talk about today's devotion from Proverbs 31 Ministries.

This devotion couldn't have been published at a better time. How precious of God to remind me to be content in all things.

If you've been reading my blog over the last few months you know that our youngest son had to move back home because he can't find work in his field as a pilot. He is also making decisions we are unhappy with.

In all honesty, friends it's been a struggle for me to balance contentment with the waiting.

In this journey, I've said the wrong things at the wrong time. I've kept my mouth shut when I should have spoken words of grace.

I want to fix this for my child, and I want to fix this for me. Some days I really do think it's all about me.

I'm learning thorough this process that it's when I step outside myself and empty myself of my-self that's when I experience real contentment.

I want to be like Paul and have an attitude of unselfish humility and to see this time of waiting as a divine appointment. I'm in awe of his unrelenting attitude. I am content when I lose. I am content when I am weak. I am content when I'm insulted. I am content when I endure hardships. I am content with persecutions. I am content with difficulties.

When I reread these words, I am better able to remember my God's providence over my life and all the details it contains. It's then I can see EVERYTHING He brings to my life as His divine appointment for me.

What about you friends? Are you struggling to find contentment in your life right now?

Please share your story with us.

Questions and Answers

Hi Everyone,

Here are a few of the questions I've received and the answers.

Question:

I have limited professional clothing and don't want to mess up my clothes getting there. How inappropriate would it be to register in shorts then scoot right up to my room to change?

Travel in your comfy clothes and then change when you get to the hotel. Just a thought to remember when doing so. You and 599 other ladies will be checking into the hotel at the same time, and you may not be able to check into your room as soon as you arrive so you might want to put your "change into" outfit in a tote bag in case you have to change in one of the very nice hotel lobby bathrooms.

Question:

Do I have to wear nylon stockings when I give my two talks in my evaluation groups?

Nylons, stockings or hose are not required; thank goodness. I have so may hot flashes, I'd be a puddle on the floor. While hose are not required remember your over all appearance needs to be neat and professional. Your appearance is one of the criteria for evaluation. We're not looking for the latest fad, and please don't feel like you need to purchase new clothing. Refer to Shari Braendel's portion of the Pre-conference phone call and hand out for details.

Question:

Will I be expected to introduce myself before my talks and is that introduction a part of my three minute and five minutes?

Friday night your group leader will ask you to briefly introduce yourself before you begin your talk. The time clock does not begin until your short introduction is complete.

Here's an example of a short introduction:

Hi, my name is Zoe Elmore and I live in Matthews, NC. I'm married with two sons and a fantastic daughter-in-law. I love to cook and rearrange the furniture in my house.

Question:

Could you give me some suggestions of what to wear (not in the area of color). How professional are we to dress? Are we allowed to wear black pants? I appreciate any suggestions you have.

Black slacks are a speakers best go to. If you choose to wear black pants or black skirt for that matter, try pairing them with a camisole and jacket. Use your accessories for adding a bit of personality. One word of caution: When wearing a camisole under your jacket be sure the neckline doesn't reveal too much. Remember Shari's rule for not allowing undergarments or cleavage to show.

Question:

The conference website info made clear that we should "dress for the platform" for our Saturday night talk. Do we also dress for the platform on Friday night, our "my story" talk?

Yes, you will want to be professionally dressed for both your talks. May I suggest you plan to be professionally dressed for the entire day Friday and Saturday. You might want to wear comfy shoes throughout the day and slip into your "speaking shoes" from your tote bag .

Question:

Will there be a lectern/podium in the room?

The hotel and Proverbs 31 staff do a great job in having some sort of podium/lectern or music stand in all of the evaluation groups.

Question:

Can you talk a little on your blog about reading glasses? I use them for my notes, but I need to take them off when looking at the audience. I don't like peering over the rims when I look up from my notes. How can I gracefully move from on to off to on again?

Reading glasses are a necessity for many of us. I'm sure the on and off will be more than graceful.

Question:

Is there a rule of thumb for heel heights? Are flats ok?

Shari is really the one to address this question, but I'll give it a try.

Heels don't have to be 4-6 inches in height to be considered professional. A slight 1-2 inch kitten heel is also a good idea. If you're on the shorter side like me you want to be sure you can be seen while standing behind the podium/lectern. Touch base with Shari Braendel for a complete and thorough explanation.

Pre-Conference Call Summary

Happy Friday Friends,

Thanks for your patience in me posting this. Tom and I left for a business trip just a few short hours after our

Pre-Conference call and we return in a few days.

Again, I want to thank you for joining us for the call and for the grace extended to us as we persevered through technical difficulties.

Here's the information to download the call.

Your recording is ready, and is available for Computer Download and Telephone Playback until the recording expiration date. Please see below for details and instructions.

Conference Date and Time: July 13, 2010 09:00 PM Duration of Recording: 50 Minutes, 56 Seconds Recording File Size: 17 MB Recording Expiration Date: August 12, 2010 10:56 PM

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Computer Download Recording Download Link*: Conference Recording *This is an MP3 digital audio file, which can be played with any digital audio player supporting MP3 playback (e.g. Windows Media Player, iPod, MusicMatch, iTunes, QuickTime, etc.). The recording download link is also online on the details page of this conference. To access the download there, log in at FreeConference.com, go to the "Manage" page, then click the "Details" link next to the conference listing.

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Telephone Playback Playback Dial-in Number: 1-219-509-8113 East Coast Playback Access Code: 624480 (Toll-free access is not available for Telephone Playback) Distribute the Playback Dial-in Number for Playback Access Code to anyone you would like to hear the recording. Be sure to use this telephone number and access code, and not the previous Dial-in Number and access codes associated with the conference call itself. Here is Micca Campbell's hand out with the blanks filled in. She Speaks ‘Preparing Your Talks’ Conference Call With Micca Campbell; micca@proverbs31.org What’s expected of me? Friday night, you will give a 3-minute talk based on your story or testimony. Saturday night, you will give a 5-minute teaching talk from a verse(s) of the Bible. These talks will be evaluated by your leader and group participants. Groups are made up of 10-12 speakers based on experience. How do I prepare my talks? Determine your main idea. Ask yourself what’s the one thing I want my audience to know? Once you have that, you build everything else around it. This is called the discovery process. What does the bible say about this topic Who in scripture has faced this situation What did they do or didn’t do about it What did they learn or didn’t learn Develop Your Outline: The 5-section method Me, We, God, You, We Me/Introduction: Open my talk by sharing a story or struggle about myself. I might say, “I struggle with submission in my marriage.” Then, proceed to share my story. (For a short talk, open with a statistic, quote, or joke, on the topic) You/Identification: Here is where I identify with the audience by saying something like: “I bet you struggle with submission in your marriage too.” Note: You want to stay in this section until you build enough tension that your audience has to know the solution. But don’t give the solution away! God/Illumination: Here is where we turn to God’s Word for the solution. I might say, “God must have known we would struggle in this area because His Word has a lot to say about submission.” You/Application: Here is where you use your points and tell/show your audience how to apply the information to their lives. We/Inspiration: In the last section, you rejoin the audience by sharing a story or vision of what their life would look like if they made the necessary adjustments. I might say, “If you and I were to buy into what God says about submission, we would experience a happier, healthier marriage.” Here's Shari Braendel's Presentation for you: Top 10 Do’s and Dont’s of What to Wear when Speaking DO’s Wear COLORS that makes you shine! Sharp Haircut: Have you had a compliment on your hair lately? Wear nice makeup with shades that compliment your natural coloring. Basic manicure and good hygiene are important. Wear a good fitting bra. Proper undergarments are a must. Wear clothes that reflect your style, are up-to-date, and fit well. Fabrics should be lightweight, comfortable, year round fabric. Follow the 16 point accessory rule. Make sure your shoes and bag are in good shape. DON’Ts Don’t wear black or wild prints of any color. Don’t wear crazy, trendy, outlandish hairstyles or hair color. On the same note, be sure your hair isn’t outdated and old fashioned either. No makeup is a no-no. Bold makeup is also a no-no. No chipped polish or loud perfume. No headlights please! No fluffiness showing thru. No too-big or too-tight clothes. No sleeveless outfits, and no bulky or sheer fabrics. No baby-size or gigantic accessories. No old, unpolished shoes or bags with loose threads. Check to make sure your heels and toes are in good shape. Recommended Book: Good Girls don’t have to Dress Bad (Full-Color Style Guide for Christian women) by Shari Braendel (Zondervan July 2010 release) Get your FREE On-line Color Analysis at www.FashionMeetsFaith.com Here's a quick summery of the Three things a speaker should NEVER do: (1) Never forget the focus of your talk. Jesus is and should always be the focus and the star. As speakers we are women God has called to be HIS vessel bringing HIS message to our guests. A godly speaker will use their talk to bring honor and glory to JESUS. Not themselves. So… Keep Jesus the focus of your talk. The second thing a speaker should NEVER do: (2) Never make assumptions about your event. For instance: Never assume you will really have the allotted amount of time to speak that you’ve planned for. So be prepared for the unexpected. NEVER ASSUME and always be prepared for the unexpected. The third thing speaker should NEVER do: (3) Never speak on an empty stomach. Have a light snack of nuts or string cheese if you can’t eat a full meal. A Speaker should ALWAYS Be Prepared – Do the necessary work to prepare. DON’T just wing it or make it up as you go. Be Gracious – Especially when you’re asked to do the unexpected. Be who you are! God has called you to speak and God wants to use your voice to bring Him Glory. Don’t fall into the trap of competition and comparison. Enjoy your calling! God is giving you an amazing opportunity to serve Him through speaking. A Few things to think about: Pack a sweater, light jacket or pashmina wrap - The hotel can get quite chilly. Bring a Light weight Tote bag. The hotel has a Business Canter with computers and printers. You can bring your lap top if you like. The hotel does charge a nominal fee for internet access. Things to pray for: Your time as you prepare your family, your home, your talks and your heart for the conference. Your roommate The Proverbs 31 staff and the hotel staff. There are thousands of details that need to be taken care of. That's it girlfriends, Don't hesitate to post your questions here. See you in 14 days. :-)

Pre-Conference Phone Call

Hey friends,

Thanks to each of you for joining us on the call tonight.

I know Micca, Shari and I gave you alot of information to digest, so I'll be putting a summary together for you.
I hope to have that posted shortly.

I will also be posting some of the questions and answers you may have.
Don't hestitate to post your questions here or on my email.

See you at She Speaks

He's baaaaaaack.....again

Hey Precious Friends,

Several posts ago I was dancing in my chair and praising God for the open door to a job for our son Joseph.
Well... as the Lord would have it, our beloved Joseph has returned home once again.

The company who hired him was unable to obtain liability insurance for him because he only has 420 hours of flying time. He can't get the hours because he can't get a job and he can;t get a job without the hours. I think they call that a catch twenty-two.

Needless to say this mommas heart is crushed.
Not to mention my ill-timed words yesterday.
Good grief, seems I open my mouth just to put my foot in it.

So as I praise God for forgiveness today, I wanted to share some precious words from some precious friends.

..."Rejection is God's protection." Believing that requires trust in a sovereign God and believing Him at is Word when He says He knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper not to harm, plans to give us hope and a future.

"We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." 2 Chron.20:12
"Living a life of faith often requires us to leave things alone.
If we have completely entrusted something to God, we must keep our hands off it.
He can guard it better than we can, and He does not need our help.
'Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes' (Ps 37:7).

Things in our lives may seem to be going all wrong, but God knows our circumstances better than we do. And He will work at the perfect moment, if we will completely trust Him to work in His own way and in His own time.
Often there is nothing as godly as inactivity on our part, or nothing as harmful as restless working, for God has promised to work His sovereign will." A. B. Simpson

"Being perplexed, I say,'Lord, make it right!Night is a day to You, Darkness as light.I am afraid to touch Things that involve so much; My trembling hand may shake,My skill-less hand may break;Yours can make no mistake.'
Being in doubt I say,'Lord, make it plain;Which is the true, safe way?Which would be gain?
I am not wise to know, Nor sure of foot to go;What is so clear to Thee,Lord, make it clear to me!'"
"It is such a comfort to drop the entanglements and perplexities of life into God's hands and leave them there." (Streams in the Desert)

Stepping Out

Happy Friday friends,

Check out this quote from "Streams in the Desert". My sweet friend Joy posted this and I just love it.

It reminds me of the scene in the Indiana Jones movie "The last Crusade" when Indiana had to step out into "thin air" before the path was revealed to him.

"The Lord only builds a bridge of faith directly under the feet of a faithful traveler. He never builds the bridge a few steps ahead, for then it would not be one of faith."

(From Streams in the Desert)

Is the Lord asking you to step out?