I recently attended the Women of Faith Conference in Des Moines, Iowa with some dear friends from our church. Having left the conference inspired we are now coordinating a fun ladies night out for the women of our church. We are hoping to create an evening full of laughter and joy creating a break from every day life.
Since attending the conference I now follow the
Women of Faith Blog.
This weeks challenge,"If you could become a Women of Faith speaker,
what would you talk about"?
Finding Strength From the Serenity Prayer and Other Women:If I were to speak for Women of Faith I would talk about how the Serenity Prayer has inspired me and helped me "accept the things I can not change"over and over. A few years ago I had the opportunity to speak at our local MOPS monthly meeting. I was able to talk about how this prayer along with the support of women friends helped me get through some of the darkest days and challenges life has thrown me.
(I talked about when our children were very little and my husband was working nights. We had just moved to a new town and I had joined the local
MOPS group where I found faith, friends and much peace. Our youngest was only 9 weeks old and not gaining weight. A visit to U of I hospitals brought answers and a treatable diagnosis. Two years later we gave birth to another child with a whole new set of health issues and many trips back to U of I hospitals. The local
MOPS moms once again provided support in many ways and the Serenity prayer became my daily inspiration. A few years later another move to a new home and 2 back to back miscarriages one of which almost took my life, then an unscheduled appendectomy, all with-in 8 months. Not to disappointment me but the friends I had made through the local Christian Mom's group and Coffee Time Bible study once again showered me with support and prayed for me when I couldn't pray anymore).
When dealing with struggles or sharing my stories I must always express myself with a creative twist. At the conclusion of my testimony I shared with each lady a prayer card I stamped for them to use as a bookmark. On the bookmarks I chose to use a pansy stamp. Pansies are a delicate and colorful flower with a strong will to live. They thrive in very cold temperatures and can with stand strong winds. Very symbolic of Women today. The prayer cards focused on
Serenity, Courage & Wisdom. Just a few gifts God has given us to endure the
"Things we cannot Change".
To follow other Women of Faith Followers Blog posts and read about what they would speak about as a
Women of Faith Speaker:
http://www.mclinky.com/linky_include_bloghop_public.asp?id=32535If you want to make a post to this bloghop click below:
Women of Faith Wednesday BlogHOP
Our youngest daughter's corsage. She helped pick out the flowers and laid them out.
FRONT
BACK
When bustling this dress I used the french bustle method. I used nylon rings and color coded ribbons under the dress train. There were a total of 7 bustle points used to complete this look. The back of the dress bustled stays just as beautiful as the front complimenting the lines created by the tucks on the front of the gown. Once this brides dress is bustled she will be ready to dance the night away.
St. Mary's of Pella has asked me to help create a logo for the Parish Mission that will take place during Lent 2010. I used some clip-art found after googling Microsoft clipart fire and reworked the design adding colored flames and some fun typesetting. The result is a simple eye-catching logo to be used in marketing the mission. For more information to attend the Renew Your Spirit mission contact St. Mary's at 641-628-3970.
