She Speaks, She Waits, She Trusts

Last year, I attended the She Speaks Conference with hopes of being "encouraged, equipped and empowered" to pursue my writing dreams. I read all the tips I could find to make the most of the experience. I prepared for months - reading, writing, and praying for God to speak to me about why He called me to attend and what direction to take.

I anticipated God's answer to be detailed and writing based. I expected a revelation of what book I should write or what should be the main topic of magazine articles I would submit. Although the conference exceeded my expectations, the events of the past year clouded the vision God unveiled. At times, I not only questioned the direction but also the plan.

This year, I volunteered at She Speaks as a hostess for women meeting with publishers and agents to pitch their book proposals. I prayed for God to use me. I sought to support and reassure the women in pursuit of their calling.

As I shifted the focus from myself to benefiting others, God blessed me. The women's courage and strength of purpose energized me. It ignited my faith to keep dreaming, believing, trusting and even waiting.

Last year, God called me to attend She Speaks to advance my faith to a new level of trust in Him. This year, He moved me to serve Him at She Speaks to remind me His light is shining even behind the clouds. Now, I patiently wait for further glimpses of God's plan. I no longer need the exact directions to fulfill God's purpose for me. I simply need to continue to seek Him daily and move as He calls.

Trust in Me with all your heart, and I will guide you. Proverbs 3:5-6

Blessings,

Transition

No Safety Saturday post today. I'm considering a new format and plan to seek your input soon.

Although shutting off my brain is difficult these days, organizing my thoughts into insightful posts nears impossible. Bear with me!

I may try to structure myself. Any ideas? What do you do when everyday life interferes with blogging, writing, or any goal?

Blessings,

She Speaks Soon

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence liberates others. - Marianne Williamson

Encouraging words as I mentally, spiritually, and logistically prepare myself to attend my first writer's conference, She Speaks, this weekend. My posting will remain sparse until next week. I look forward to sharing my experience with you. Safety Saturdays will resume in a couple weeks.

Blessings,

She Speaks In Faith, Not Fear

"It is not enough to take steps which may someday lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise," Goethe. Since 8th grade (about 25 years now), I have dreamed of becoming a published author. Over the past few years, I have aspired to write a book. On the surface, this appears to be a lofty goal. Closer examination of my heart reveals writing a book is merely one step down the journey to replace fear with faith in my life.

Lately, God has been uncovering delightful evidence of chances to practice faith over fright through Lysa TerKeurst's blog. Right now, Lysa is offering the opportunity for someone to win a scholarship to Proverbs 31 Ministries’ She Speaks Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, June 20-22, 2008. She Speaks is for speakers, writers and women’s ministry leaders.

I would love to go. When I first read about the scholarship contest, I was most excited about the prospect of overcoming the financial obstacle to my attending the conference. Today, my enthusiasm radiates from what entering the competition brought to light.

See, my initial excitement about the scholarship faded a little when I read you had to have a blog to enter the contest. After all, I just started reading blogs. When I started researching blogging this week, I discovered an overwhelming amount of information just on the basics of blogging. How could I create a worthy blog and entry in a few days? Scarey!

Anxiety gripped me. Despite my apprehension, I kept thinking about what God could lead me to do through my writing. This week became more about uncovering how God is working in my life to exchange faith for fear than about creating my first blog and entering a contest.

When Lysa recently gave her blog readers an opportunity to be published in the P31 Woman Magazine, I stepped out on faith, wrote an article for submission and posted a comment about it. Overcoming my worry of rejection ignited my passion for writing. Although entering was an accomplishment, fear kept me from creating a blog at the time.

Not this time! Each movement of faith inspires me to do more. I hope my writing will encourage others to find joy and contentment through God's purpose for their life. In doing so, I achieve another goal that is a step towards carrying out God's purpose for my life as well.