Speaking Topics

 

GROWING SOMETHING BESIDES OLD – Marks of a Maturing Believer
Developing holiness is a lifetime process, but it’s one we all need to be on! Growing in Jesus is a privilege and a partnership between our passion for God and His work in our lives.

GOD’S HOSPITALITY -- Hosting Like the Ultimate Host
Hospitality is God’s idea – not Martha’s – and He loves it when we invite others to our table, whether a picnic on the floor or hamburgers in the back yard. Explore God’s hospitality and how we can engage in showing His welcome to the world.

A MOTHER’S LEGACY – What to Pass on (While not passing out!)
Parenting is the biggest adventure of faith – and the most challenging!  Much of what happens is out of our control, but we do have control over what we pass on to our children:  tools to help them live out their own adventure of faith.
  
ARE WE THERE YET? – Waiting while Walking
No one likes to wait but our Lord is so expedient! Our times in “God’s Waiting Room,” can be the best means to build His truth and plan into our lives while making a difference for His kingdom.

WHY AM I HERE? – God’s Call on my Life
Living as God intends is the most exciting life because we are called to trust His purpose and plan for our lives. Taking risks for His sake is really no risk as depend on Him.

RETREATING WITH GOD – God’s Presence, My Strength
Oswald Chambers said, “My worth to God in public what I am in private.”  Gaining strength for our daily journey comes from digging deep with God, consistently and intimately, with the ultimate goal to know Him better and love Him more.

THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS:  What Jesus Wants for Christmas
God chose the perfect gift for each of us and He didn’t need help from Nordstrom or Sears catalog. The Christmas season busyness can make even good activities be counter productive to what God really wants to accomplish in and through us. It helps to ask God what He wants –to do the one or two things that would showHis love best.

A CUP OF JOY –Undercurrents of God’s Grace
To be a joyful woman, we need to understand that joy and happiness are not the same. In fact, if you’re not happy, it’s really no big deal! Joy is not a personality trait. It comes from the Perfect Joy-Giver, God Himself.

NO  ORDINARY HOME – God’s Dream House for You
Wisdom, understanding and knowledge top the list for the best building materials for our “Dream Home.”  When we focus on these, we can’t help but create a home filled with treasures designed by the Ultimate Decorator.

STRESS RELIEF – Women Encouraging Women
We all have stress and one of God’s best resources is His children: believers building up other believers, with the common goal of nurture, emotional healing, and becoming a bridge to Christ.

REMODELING 101:  God’s Redesign for Your Life
Lessons learned from a three-year remodel easily translate into homespun wisdom on how God may want to tear down, rebuild, and redesign our lives for His pleasure and purpose – even it means going down to the studs!

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF–Goal Setting for Holy Hearts
God is in the business of fresh starts. He likes the word “new.” and He loves it when we decide it’s time to “turn over a new leaf.”  He even knows the leaves that we need turning over the most. And, He’s our biggest cheerleader while we do it.

 

Retreat Series

Series I: Joy and Faith – Two Peas in a Pod (or . . .two fruits on a tree!)

  • Talk 1:  Ten Facts of the Joyful Woman
  • Talk 2:  Joystealers . . Thieves in the Night (and day!)
  • Talk 3: “Faith, Mighty Faith” – What does it look like?
  • Talk 4: “Faith, Mighty Faith” – How do I get it?


Series II: Growing Something Besides Old:  Seasoning Our Lives to Perfection

  • Talk 1 : Holiness vs. Happiness – Maturing For Jesus’ Sake (Hebrews 13:21)
  • Talk 2 : Growing Holy Hearts (Acts 24:16)
  • Talk 3 : Growing Holy Habits (1 Peter 2:2)
  • Talk 4 : Growing Holy Hands (Titus 2:3-8)

Series III: The Welcoming Heart of God –- Invitations from the Ultimate Host

  • Talk 1 : Invitation to Intimacy – “Come to the waters…” Isaiah 55:1

Jesus is our invitation to God – handwritten with nail-pierced hands. The more we understand who Jesus is, the more we come to understand God’s welcome heart.

  • Talk 2 : Invitation to Rest – “Come to Me…” Matthew 11: 28

We are invited through Scripture to come to Jesus, not only to receive His strength, protection and forgiveness, but to know Him simply for Himself. As we yield ourselves to our Father, we are gifted wit the grace needed to minister to others.

  • Talk 3 : Invitation to Know Him by Name – “Come and see…” John 1:46

God has shown us Himself, in part, through His names. The more we know God by name, the deeper our prayer life can become and the stronger our faith will be.

  • Talk 4 : Invitation to Serve – “Come and eat…”John 21:12

God wants to use our hospitality as a vehicle for Him to change lives. We’re to be His welcome to the world.


Series IV: “Hangeth Thou in There” – Finding Strength for the Journey

  • Talk 1 : Strength in the Father’s Arms

True strength comes from recognizing and accepting our weakness. Resting in Jesus gives us all we need to follow Hispurpose for our lives.

  • Talk 2 : Finding Strength . . . Through His Word

Scripture is the grounding for our faith, the grid for our belief system and our guide for our lifestyle and daily journey (Romans 15:4, Psalm 42:1)

  • Talk 3 : Finding Strength . . . Through His People

We provide strength for others by being accepting, by being available, by coming alongside and by being a “sister”, assisting those who need to be brought to Jesus. (Romans 15:7, Romans 12:15, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Luke 5:18-19)

  • Talk 4 : Finding Strength . . . Through His Call

When we understand God’s call on our lives – to be His child and to grow in His likeness, we can persevere with joy and confidence. (I Corinthians 7:16-17, Ephesians 1:4, Romans 8:29)

  • Talk 5 : Finding Strength . . . Through His Presence

The more time we spend in God’s presence, the more we are reminded who God is, who we are and what it is we need to be doing. (Psalm 103)

 

Series V:  Road Trip with God: Embrace the Journey

Isaiah 30:21 – “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘this is the way; walk in it.’”

Session I - Traveling Confidently – Get Out the Map

Proverbs 3:5,6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own  understanding. Acknowledge Him in all you do, and He will direct your paths.”

 Study the Mapmaker more than the Map! What plugs our ears to God’s voice? How do we keep our hearts sensitive to His leading?

Session II - Traveling Light - Rest Stops on the Way

Hebrews 4:16  -“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

We need to come to Jesus all the time simply because we need rest. Why don’t we and how can we? If we’re too busy for God, we’re too busy.

Session III - Traveling Gratefully - Joy in your Journey

I Thessalonians 5:18 -- “Give thanks in all things for this is the will of God.”

“Gratitude not expressed is not gratitude.” Giving thanks is a powerful tool as well as obedience to our Father’s command. When we live gratefully, we lift up God’s name, as well as our “traveling companions.”

Session IV - Traveling Strong: Growing Up While Going On

Colossians 2:6,7  “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

How do we continue to grow up in Christ and become more like Him along the way? By hungering after Him, deepening our roots, and using the right tools to build our “faith muscles,” no matter what we encounter on our road trip.