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Do you struggle with an addiction or have been told you have an addictive personality?
Have you tried to stop countless times but haven’t found lasting victory? Do you long to find true joy, peace and freedom? Jesus wants us to be free, satisfied, living abundantly in the purpose we were created for. Yet when we live trapped in strongholds, we don’t fully experience what is rightfully ours. Whether you have struggled with drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, pornography, compulsive shopping, or any other controlling, destructive habit, this workshop is for you. Freedom is not found in man’s programs, behavior modification or even your own will power—real freedom comes from what Christ has done for us. The Bible says we have God’s power to conquer sin that so easily entangles us. In this workshop we will focus on:
Through JESUS you already have the victory. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) Join me for Break Any Addiction and find the freedom Christ has already given you.
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Have you ever felt forgotten by God or questioned His love for you in the midst of your pain?
On September 7, 2007 I was convicted of capital murder and sent to a maximum-security prison for “life without the possibility of parole.” I was convicted of the death of my son, a crime I did not commit. I started questioning everything! Fear consumed me! My five children were left without a mother, and Emma, my 7-month-old, was still nursing. I knew God was God and He was sovereign, but I couldn't grasp how He could love me and allow all of this to happen. How could I have faith that He had good plans even when my world had turned upside down? My physical freedom had been taken away, But God had plans to use this to bring freedom to so many more. On May 10th 2017, I was finally declared actually innocent! Satan thought he had brought only tragedy. But God has turned this tragedy into so much more! He began a ministry while I was still inside prison. I stand amazed at how He touched lives then and continues to change many through His testimony of faithfulness! But and only God! He touches the world with His love! This workshop will explore how God is still in control even in the most difficult circumstances.
God’s love is perfect and His plans for you are good! There may be times when life seems out of control. But God in His faithfulness will carry us through and work all things out for good. When we put Jesus between us and our fears, putting our trust in Him, we find freedom not just for ourselves, but help others find it as well. There is no fear in love: instead, perfect love drives out fear... 1 John 4:18a Are you one of the millions of people that struggle with depression? Or have you received a clinical diagnosis? Even as a believer, do you fight to find joy in life? I was trapped in the pit of depression for many years, but God led me out of the darkness. I believe He can do the same for you.
Depression is fueled by lies, like chains that keep us in the dark pit of despair. This workshop will help you discover Truths to break the chains that have kept you down so long. We will expose different lies we believed down in the pit:
Would you say you are low key salty about technology?
(I mean are you bitter about the effects it has on your kids?)
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this workshop is for you! As a former youth ministry worker, and high school teacher, I have seen the power of social media and the impact it has on our churches, families, friends and culture. With the development of smartphones, gaming stations and advanced computers, society has welcomed a new generation to the table—said to be the most technologically fluent generation ever. It is estimated that 95% of teens in the United States have a smartphone and 45% of them are online on a near-constant basis. As a community and a body, we have a problem on our hands. Social media, games and online chatting all have the potential to be fun, but also very dangerous. We can see the fun but overlook the dangers our children face. In this workshop we will take an aerial view of Social Media--the power it has to impact students and children, the trap toward discontentment and the dangers of the unknowns. Additionally, we will look at resources to help disciple each child’s heart. We will discuss what healthy boundaries in your home look like. I will give you tools to help stir up a desire in their hearts for the eternal instead of the temporal. Let’s update the status. Remember that old song that says “Killing me softly with his words…”? Only it doesn’t feel soft. It feels like a knife. Why doesn’t this marriage work? Why does this friendship feel so toxic? There’s nothing wrong with the words, but after we “talk” I feel so confused.
Emotional abuse is when someone uses your words, actions, and emotions against you, so you doubt yourself and let them control you. They try to erase your natural personality, or sense of humor, or confidence or connections, so that they will be the only voice in your life. They manipulate by causing doubt, accusing, criticizing, threatening, withdrawing physically or withholding love/affection. They wear you down, then make decisions for you—they even remember things for you! (But there’s a tiny voice in your head that says that’s not the way it happened.) You wonder if you’re crazy! You want to show love to them, so you try doing things their way. But you feel like someone else—a blow-up doll, or an extension of them. You lose yourself. This workshop will explain different ways Emotional Abuse shows up in relationships. We will list red flags and tell stories, then focus on ways to survive and thrive in a hostile relationship.
Do you sense a calling on your life?
Maybe a seemingly impossible dream that God has put in you? Do you feel unqualified or inadequate for the task? How do you move into your calling? We have an enemy, Satan whose mission statement is to steal, kill and destroy. He will use various strategies to accomplish this mission and try to keep you from the satisfaction and fulfillment that you will receive by walking in your calling. In this workshop we will focus on how God's word instructs us to be conquerors.
You have a unique sphere of influence and a mission so exciting and custom fit for you. You are already a victor. Let’s explore the desires God has put in your heart that will bless you, bless others and glorify Him! We are more than conquerors thorough Him who loved us. Romans 8:37 Join me and Find Your Unique Calling. “It just feels right…”
“I deserve it…” “I have to hurt myself to feel…” “It’s the only way I can get through today…” Have you ever heard someone say these things? Is your child, grandchild, or friend struggling with self-harm? Are you stuck in a place of hurting yourself because you think you have no other option? For 8 years, I struggled with self-harm, living daily in darkness. I was hopeless and could not bear the day without hurting myself. I felt lost, alone and beyond help; looking back now I would say I was addicted to the pain. As I traveled further through life with a blade as my companion, the darkness overtook me. Nothing in my life was greater than my desire to hurt myself. But God is greater. God rescued me from the despair. Through the truths I found in the Bible, I found hope that life could be different. I found help that gave me freedom from the chains of self-harm. I was given tools to live through each day without destroying myself. Come join me in this workshop as we look at the battle of self-harm. Find help, encouragement, tools and hope. Our struggles are strong, BUT GOD IS GREATER! Have you ever felt as if your pain was too much to bear? You couldn’t understand why God would allow such suffering in your life—especially when you hadn’t “done anything wrong?” When my daughter suddenly and tragically became disabled, our lives changed forever, and I wondered how a loving God could allow such a tragedy.
When life is engulfed in pain, we search for answers. We ask:
Ultimately, however, we don’t need answers. We need God. And there’s a huge difference between the two. Regardless of the source of your pain, whether it comes from loss, betrayal, or some other personal failure/tragedy, God’s purpose for pain remains the same. In this workshop, you’ll discover how to help yourself and others who are going through a difficult season, and I’ll share what I learned about God’s purposes in pain:
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 Have you ever heard a man preach about “Women and Their Emotions”? Where do emotions stand in our Christian life? Do we follow them, like a Hallmark movie—“What does your HEART say?” Or do we deny them, and act like a robot? Do we freeze feelings and be logical? Have you ever had a man accuse you of “being too emotional”?
But God created His women with Emotions. He also gives a lot of directions in the Bible about how to live with those Emotions, and still glorify Him.
Is your marriage in a hard place right now? What do you do when your wedded bliss turns into your worst nightmare? How do you keep your heart free from bitterness? In 22 years of marriage, our home was ruled by my husband’s anger and my fear. We also dealt with emotional abuse, financial abuse, spiritual abuse, and prodigal children. My heart was hard, hard, hard. God kept talking to me about it but I refused to listen.
BUT GOD! He redeemed our stormy marriage and turned it into a sanctuary. In this workshop, I’ll share my journey to tenderheartedness with you. We’ll talk about the REAL issues, trials and heartaches found in difficult marriages, then we will explore solutions, ideas and changes that can help. We’ll learn how to:
There is so much hope for us in Christ and His Word! Won’t you come find it with me? In a culture that is swirling in changes, the Bible remains steadfast. Though political correctness rules the day, God’s Word should rule our day. Some Christians have ‘revised’ interpretations on this very topic. What does the Bible say? Some condemn, some condone, some criticize, and some just close their eyes, wishing it would go away. Yet it won’t. Should I go to a gay wedding? How can I help my child who is struggling in this area? What about trans-gender issues? What about the LGBTQ? What do I believe?
You are not alone. Ready or not, we must face this issue with the Word of God in our hands and the love of God in our hearts. This workshop is designed to address these issues—balancing Truth with Grace. We will look at this topic through 4 parts:
The Bible is a book, but it’s not like any other book in the world. It’s a collection of 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over a span of 1500 years. It contains history, poetry, wise sayings, letters to people and churches, and the story of Jesus in 4 different gospels. But the one theme from beginning to end is: God’s Plan to Save Mankind from the Mess They Made.
The Bible isn’t just words on a page. The words and chapters are the very breath of God talking to you. The Bible is filled with knowledge, and it is supported by the Spirit of God. He makes the words “live and breathe” to us at different times in different ways. I’ve often read a verse that feels like it was written EXACTLY for me at the EXACT right moment I needed help. The Bible is how God talks to us. The Bible is God’s conversation to His people. It’s also His love letter to His children. It’s where you will hear God’s voice speak to you most often. In this workshop of basics, we will look at:
I hope to make it very simple, and give you some ideas for your own studies. Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes to see wonders in Your Word. I had been married a little over a year when I wanted/ begged God to let my new marital status be “Divorced.” Watching the movie Fireproof in a theater, I heard the Lord ask me if I would give Him one chance to fix my marriage. With arms crossed and doubts in my head, I told the Lord, “Fine—but I’m not helping! I’m not praying for my marriage or my husband, and You will have to fix it all on Your own!”
God was waiting for that all along! You see, for months, I had done everything I knew to try and save the shattered relationship. All that was left were the craters where an atomic bomb had gone off in my soul—due to rampant pornography, alcoholism and the occasional hidden drug use my husband was steeped in. But God was at work, in spite of my stubbornness and anger. Little did I know when He asked me that question in a dark theater, He would call me to 10 more years of suffering for my husband’s addictive behavior. It’s one thing to suffer for your own sin, but it’s a completely different matter to suffer for someone else’s. This workshop is about what God did in me through those years of pain, anger and fear:
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy: At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 Are you living a life full of Fear and skepticism?
Are you imprisoned by fearful thoughts? Are you allowing the difficult situations in your life to control you? When we allow Fear to rule us, we make Fear more powerful than God. We all have struggled with Fear at one time or another: Fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertainty, sickness, even death. I invite you to come hear how I have conquered Fear through the light of our Lord who brings eternal salvation! I struggled with the shame of Anxiety and Anger, even as a Christian woman, for a very long time; BUT GOD delivered me from my struggles! In this workshop, I will talk about:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 Shame is a voice we know all too well. We hear it so often, it becomes the soundtrack to our life. Shame can come from outside of us—if we are sinned against. Or it comes from the inside—if we feel like we can’t do anything right. Shame lives in the dark and it will not go away on its own.
Shame takes 3 forms:
But here’s the good news! Jesus took on shame—in all 3 forms—on the cross:
Because Jesus has overcome shame, He made a way for us to as well. But we have to look at shame, (which is painful and difficult at first), then understand what to look for and how to recognize it. God has been teaching me how to listen for His voice, and say no to the voice of shame, and I will share these tools with you. Come and learn how to say “NO” to shame in your life! Find hope from God’s Word! Begin to live fully in the knowledge that you are accepted, covered and clean in Jesus! Hebrews 12:2 - For the joy set before [Jesus] He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Have the ideas of a performance-driven world seeped into your relationship with God?
Do you try to please God and earn His approval by your performance? Do you consider some days a success and some a failure? Get off the roller coaster of working harder—rest in the finished work of the cross. In this workshop we will explore God's grace—His generous riches, unmerited favor and unconditional love. These gifts don't stop at salvation but empower us for victory in the Christian walk. Whether you feel discouraged and weak from a besetting sin, a weight that hinders you, or weary in waiting on God, His Grace is your answer. We will look to Scripture to understand and apply the role of Grace in:
Join me for my workshop Resting In God’s Grace and learn to rest and enjoy your walk with Jesus. Child abuse, sexual trauma, domestic violence, abortion, more domestic violence, miscarriage, divorce, slander, rejection… all things you can watch on a good ole’ soap opera or reality show—this was my life. This is what defined me. My past hurts and pains and guilt for my own sin was my identity—even after accepting Jesus into my heart.
BUT GOD… would not let me go even before I knew Him as my Savior BUT GOD… never gave up on me BUT GOD… took the ugliness of my past and created it into something beautiful for HIS glory BUT GOD… has gently been telling me who I am is not based on my past but on the death of His son & Resurrection in order to save me into eternity My precious sister, take it from me, living based on an identity that YOU believe to be true is idolatry. Living based on an identity that others have assigned you is a lie from the pit of hell. The ONLY identity that is true is the one that comes from 1 Peter 2:9, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Do you believe this my friend? Do you see these words and think, “Royal Priesthood, holy nation, God’s special possession?! After what I’ve done? After what has been done to me? How can that be?” Come find out how that can be! Stop living in your past identity and pain and start living as who God says you are today! Spiritual Warfare is a hot topic among churches. The spectrum is wide when it comes to what people believe. Some say there is no such thing while others see a demon around every corner. What does the Bible say about Spiritual Warfare? How does it say we are to handle it?
As with any controversial topic, it is important to talk about it, learn from the Word itself, and not hide our heads in the sand, hoping it will go away. Drawing from a moderate book on the subject, The Strategy of Satan by Warren W. Wiersbe, we'll learn some ways Satan works. He is:
BUT GOD… is in perfect control of what is going on our lives even when we don’t feel or see it. Only He can give us the peace and rest we crave. Are your eyes constantly looking at what everyone else has? Do you look to see how God has blessed them…then wonder why God hasn’t blessed you in that way? What began as a reasonable prayer for a BFF became a demand and eventually an obsession. When God didn’t answer my prayer on my timeline, I doubted His goodness and my worth and took over the search myself. That search left me rejected and lonely. I desperately began evaluating every friend for her BFF potential: would she accept, affirm, compliment, love me…give me worth? (That poor woman!!) I was incredibly needy and didn’t know how to get out of the pain I felt every time I looked around.
BUT GOD! After years of this crippling pattern, a trusted friend led me to a Bible study, the REAL Conference, and a changed perspective. I’ll share the story of how God used the pain of unanswered prayer to begin a journey of healing and freedom. You’ll learn how to:
There is so much Hope in Christ. Come see how to walk in it! For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 Life is not easy. And sometimes it gets even harder! As we parent our children, we all go through difficult, even heartbreaking seasons. During those times we become desperate for strength and happiness.
Four years ago, I became the mother of a medically fragile child with an uncertain future. When she was born, we also suffered the loss of her twin sister and the passing of my mom. My whole world changed and I was full of anger, fear, depression, and resentment. But God had an entirely different expectation for my life. It didn’t involve delivering my family and me from these tough circumstances. Instead, He lovingly trained us to find strength in Him during those seasons. In my workshop, I will share simple life-changing practices that will enable you to have victory in times of hurt, sorrow, and fear in your parenting journey. I am excited to share the ideas and habits that also teach me to walk with love, peace, and incredible joy. I look forward to seeing you at the REAL Conference! Are you unsure of who you are in Christ? Have you ever been told you have no value? Do you struggle with self-esteem, self-worth, or feeling loved? Do you believe the words that have been spoken against you?
You don't have to struggle any more! All of us have lived long enough believing the father of lies.... the devil. Jesus says in John 10:10 that a thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy but that He has come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. The thief is the enemy, the devil, the father of lies. BUT GOD… In this workshop I will be teaching on your identity in Christ because for so many years, I was told I was worthless, hard to love, and that I would never amount to anything. But God says I am His child, loved, redeemed, and free! In finding who God made me to be, He has given me strength to go before our state lawmakers to try and change laws regarding sex crimes against children. If I didn't have the strength from "who God says I am," I wouldn't have the courage to address these laws; to make necessary changes to protect the children of our state. In this workshop you will find:
Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. This is your "but God" moment. Do you believe this or will you allow the father of lies to continue to define you? |
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