Monday mornings before we leave for our first conferences are always filled with adrenalin and excitement and flurry at our house. This is the 13 year, so it is all familiar and yet each year is different. Sarah, Joy and I are preparing to fly to Charlotte on Wednesday and so we are putting last minute details together. (Like, finishing my talks--never quite ready ahead of time-maybe next year!) I am learning so much as I study scripture again! The foundations of faith, joy in the Lord, certainty of His design and calling and practical ways to know what it means to walk with Him and live a life of faith and confidence as a mom; tips on discipleship and child discipline, developing anchors in your day that will build a great legacy; the importance of raising children to be gracious; the importance of reading outloud to children and the way to inspire great character; cultivating a great soul in your children through beauty, manners, appetites for great thoughts, art and music--are just a few of the topics my speakers and I will address. These are the topics for Charlotte, Irvine and Dallas/Ft. Worth. You can still go here to register. (And you still have a few more days to advertise the conferences on your own letters or blogs--as we will be picking our last two $50 winners February 1)
We are especially excited about our Mom Heart Morning meetings this year. They are just the beginnings of what we hope will be a movement of Moms leading and encouraging Moms all over the world. We hope to see generations changed because of the Biblical support and nurture of small groups. We are looking for writers, administrators, speakers and more. So join us, if you can, to be a part of the beginnings! Just be sure to let Jennice, our secretary, know Jennice .
Also, it is not too late to register for North Carolina's conference, but we need to know soon how many meals to order and how many note books to print. We have been praying for all who attend and for the Lord to bring those who especially need encouragement. You may also sign up here to sign up for conferences in Charlotte, California and Texas. (We will be drawing the last two $50 winners from those who announce our conferences again on February 1. Be sure to get your entry in after you put the announcements in and then tell us at whole heart.)
Also, some of you have noticed that I put another announcement at the top of my blog about an online seminar. My dear friend, Lori Lane, is hosting a web conference the same week that we are holding our Mom's conference in California. Sarah and I will both be speaking for a one hour slot for this confernence, but we will tape our talks as we will be in person speaking in California at the same time!
The talk I will give for the webinar will not be a talk from any of my other tape sets and will not be the from the talks I will be giving at this year's conferences. I will be speaking about the role that creativity played in my home and how to implement traditions and beauty and creativity into your schedule to enrich your children's souls. So, if you can't join us at our mom's conferences in the cities where we will be speaking the next 12 weeks, you can join us at the web conference. Lori told me that she will have more info on the site by tomorrow about how you can register if you want to, as I think the site doesn't have a lot of info at this point.
I would so appreciate your prayers as we travel. Please pray for moms to meet face to face with the Lord; pray for all the travel and health of our family and speakers, as we so need God's protection and strength; pray for us --especially my children--to have good attitudes and to be blessed by serving so many people. they work really hard and can be depleted, but they are truly troopers and a blessing. Please pray that my mind and talks will be clear and just what the Lord wants and that the Lord will keep all involved from the evil one.
It is such a privilege to be a part of what the Lord is doing through families. You are indeed essential, from the beginning of time, to God's design for life, children, families and righteousness growing on the earth. May He give each of you strength and grace and wisdom and love today for your many tasks and may you know that today, right in your own homes, souls are being shaped for eternity. Blessings, Sally
PS I love hearing from so many of you. It keeps me going. I am just so far behind on email and correspondence because of my book deadline last week and my computer being in the shop and the conferences. Hope no one falls through the cracks. Just because I haven't answered your letters doesn't mean I am not interested or appreciative. Please forgive me and know that I pray over my emails even when I don't have time to write back. You are all very special to me as I know we are kindred spirits in this stretching calling.