My Life: ALL SHOOK UP! ~ By @ShelleyHendrix

We chose this theme, "All Shook Up" in 2013 to be our 2014 conference focus. At the time, I believed I had my material chosen as to what I would share and how I would offer encouragement to women about the times their lives became "all shook up."

My husband and I had given up the "American Dream" of home ownership in pursuit of God's will: greater margin, better financial stewardship, and a future worth looking forward to; but it was so hard to do! Approaching my 40th Birthday while selling or giving away almost everything I owned and moving into an apartment felt like such a HUGE (and embarrassing) step backwards.

During that same season, I heard the hard news that my book sales just weren't what any of us had anticipated they would be. Although my latest book has been featured in well-read magazines, received very positive feedback from readers and reviewers alike, the truth is that it just didn't sell well enough to move forward with my publishing house on another book title.

So, not only was my personal world all shook up, so, too, was my career.

By the way, I can't count how many times I've been advised by "marketing" and "PR" gurus to only appear "together," "strong," "successful," etc. I've been told, "Women want to see someone they can try to be like, so you have to at least appear to be 'that' kind of woman or they won't want to follow you."

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but that just isn't the case. (And those who "appear" to fit that bill, don't. No one does.)

With all of this as my reality, I felt like I was in a snow globe with pieces of my life scattered all over the place. I felt alone inside of that place and wanted so badly to be able to sit still and regain my balance- imagining that 2014 might include some opportunities for that. When it seemed like that was about to happen, the snow globe got "all shook up" all over again.

My husband resigned in April of this year from his position of 15 years (and the only job he has had since we met one another and married). While we know that this was absolutely God's timing and had the full support of those who know and love us best (including the staff of the organization he co-founded), we had NO idea what God had for us around the bend.

• Would we remain in the field we have been in for so long?
• Did God want us to move forward in full-time ministry?
• Had God ended that season of our lives to take us into something completely different?

Without going into all the details (and taking up your whole day), I want to share just a few things that have helped Stephen and me remain steady while waiting for the scattered pieces to fall into place. (Truth be told, we're still in the season of waiting and watching.)

1. We are rich with friendships and are grateful to have had some meaningful times of conversation and prayer with older, wiser, more mature men and women who have helped us both navigate the unknown steps of this current season. 
2. We have been honest with God, ourselves, and safe friends about the struggles to trust God and take steps forward when walking by faith and not by sight. Allowing ourselves the freedom of sharing the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, has given others the freedom to know how to pray for us and how to encourage us in the midst of this challenging season.
3. We have guarded ourselves from "unsafe" people by choosing to not overshare with those who don't have the skill set to be of any help anyway. Remember: just because someone is "saved," it doesn't mean that they are "safe." Scripture teaches us to be "cautious in friendship" (see Proverbs 12:26) for very good reason!

Notice that all three of these involve relationships. This should be no surprise: we were made from and for relationship after all. If you're in a season of being all shook up, my encouragement and challenge to you is to NOT muster up the strength or put on your big girl pants and deal with it; my encouragement and challenge to you is to identify the mature, safe, wise people in your life and bring them into your circle. Life is too short to make all the mistakes ourselves. Learn from others and experience the protection of their prayers while enjoying the safety and compassion of their friendship.

Seasons don't last forever. What you gain in an All Shook Up season will be treasured by you and by others who will benefit from your wisdom, compassion, grace and experience when their lives get All Shook Up!

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Join me and Church 4 Chicks along with best-selling author and life coach, Valorie Burton; Rise and Stein Morning Show Hosts, David and Leanna Stein; Stephen Hendrix (my better half by far!); and more at this year's AWAKEN 1-Day Conference. Tickets are available at www.church4chicks.ticketbud.com through OCTOBER 31 only!! Don't delay! Bring a friend!

"Beware the Fumes" - by @Lori_Kennedy

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation’.  Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.  And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.”  Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)

I keep a spray bottle of bleach mixed with water in the shower and spray it down from time to time to keep it clean.  Last week when I sprayed the bleach, some of the fumes stung my eyes.  This got me to thinking about how the fumes we leave behind will affect others.  (And no, I’m not talking about methane and what you ate for lunch…haha.)  Will connecting with us sting others or bless them?  Will we be a beacon of light to others or will we increase their stress level?

I’m currently reading The Noticer by Andy Andrews.  In the book, he says that a grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into your life.  He goes on to say that those that show encouragement and enthusiasm to others receive more of it themselves.  Positive things happen for those with a good perspective, because others want to be around them.  The book The Love Dare from the movie Fireproof says that, when you’re nice to others, they want to be around you because they see you as being good to them and for them, and that all seems to make a whole lot of sense.

So what’s the problem?  Well, for me the problem is that one of my greatest giftings is also one of my greatest detriments when not held in check.  Let me explain.  One of my gifts is in administration and in defining the details.  I’m like a project manager.  I like to take a vision that has been cast (by someone else, because I don’t really have that gift) and pull it apart piece by piece in order to make sure the end result is achievable.  Because of this gift, I find that I’m able to make the path to the end result smoother.  However, because of this gift, I find that I’m not always perceived as positive when I ask questions and scope out potential roadblocks along the way to a vision someone has.

As I live in my gifting, I must make sure that I’m not making mountains out of molehills just because I feel like I’ve got to ensure every single piece fits correctly into the final picture.  It’s okay sometimes to just roll with the punches.  If I’m not careful, my fumes may sting others as I attempt to ensure a smooth path.  The better I understand myself and my need for this type of control, the less I will be controlled by its very need.  This will, in turn, free me up to enjoy the blessings that God has put directly in front of me and be able to brightly shine like a star for Him.  I think my fear of failure causes me to have to plan every step of the way.  This is a shroud of shame I must continue to recognize and lift to Him so that I shine like a star in the universe and so that my fumes will be a sweet smelling aroma that bring others closer to Jesus. 

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