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!

Meet Valorie Burton ~ Featured Speaker at #AWAKEN1Day 2014!

Valorie Burton is an amazing woman who not only exemplifies Church 4 Chicks mission of helping women live with purpose without the pressure, but she has also navigated through the twists and turns of life in order to find her God-given purpose. She is a best selling author, speaker and life coach who is dedicated to helping women overcome the areas of their lives in which they feel lost and stuck. Valorie is the founder of The Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute, which has allowed her to serve clients in over 40 states and ten countries as an Certified Personal and Executive Coach. Essentially, she helps people to make major life changes, become stronger leaders, speak up with confidence and gain positive tools that can be used to navigate the life’s disappointments and setbacks. In other words, she wants to help people see their lives as better and not bitter.

Valorie is a regularly featured on the TODAY Show, along with appearances on the Dr. Oz Show and she has co-hosted two national television programs, The Potters Hands with T.D. Jakes and Aspiring Women. She has also written for Oprah Magazine, Essence, Ebony, Women’s Day and many others. Valorie Burton can best be summarized by Coca Cola’s corporate testimony:

“When Valorie Burton lit up the stage at the 2013 Women’s Foodservice Forum Conference in Orlando, we knew we had to have her.  Back at the World Headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company, our women’s business resource group, women’s LINC, was hard at work planning the “Now is Your Time” conference for 500 women in Atlanta and members in over 20 countries.  Lucky for us, Valorie was available and joined us as the workshop lead for a session on, “How to Bring out the Best in Yourself and Others.”  Well, she certainly brought out the best in her audience – our members raved about Valorie and she earned top scores in our post-conference survey.  Of course, she’s a great speaker with a strong message that prompts her listeners to go and do something; but it’s the intangibles that we loved.  Valorie is a great storyteller, funny, and she knows how to move a crowd!  Do your team a favor…call her.”

Tanika S. Cabral Coca-Cola women’s LINC Vice President, Engagement

Church 4 Chicks is not only excited to have Valorie speaking at the AWAKEN 1 Day Conference, but we are honored to have her share her heart, her wisdom and her expertise regarding our reactions when our world is “all shook up!”

Got Tix?  www.Church4Chicks.ticketbud.com for tickets or simply use the option on the right hand column of the blog -- and hurry! Registration deadline is October 31!

6 Types of #Friends Every Woman Should Have ~ by @ValorieBurton #AWAKEN1Day

Valorie Burton will be our guest and one of our keynote speakers at the 7th Annual AWAKEN 1-Day Conference on November 8 and we would LOVE for you to be there!

Enjoy this helpful (re-)post from Valorie, pass it along to friends, and make sure to register before the deadline on October 31!  www.Church4Chicks.ticketbud.com

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Property of C4C 

6 Types of Friends Every Woman Should Have 

By

Valorie Burton

Do you rely on just one good friend? What would it take to nurture a few more close friendships? Why do you think some women are competitive with other women, but not the men? What can you do to put other women at ease and facilitate more authentic connections with women in your circle of influence?  

I want to share a special conversation starter with you from my latest book Happy Women Live Better: 13 Ways to Trigger Your Happiness Every Day. See the six specific types of friends every woman should have and spark up a conversation with your closest girlfriends this week to discuss what type of friend you may be.  

Points to Ponder

·         Studies show that it is a good idea to have several types of friends rather than relying on one or two to meet all of your needs.

·         Statistically speaking, your relationship with your girlfriends will likely outlast your marriage, your parents and your co-workers.  

• One study showed that when fewer than 15% of the women in a firm were in positions of power, the women were competitive and backstabbing with each other. But when women represented more than 15% of the powerful positions, women were collaborative. 

Do you have the right mix of friends?

Not every friend can meet every need. Some will meet more than one need, but few can do it all! Here are six types of friends every woman needs:

The Wise Friend.

You can count on them to talk you out of doing something you'd regret, help you solve your latest dilemma, and give all-around sound advice about just about anything.

The Fun Friend.

Want to have a good time, be adventurous, or laugh 'til your stomach hurts? You can always count on this one.

The Travel Buddy.

Drama-free, this friend is adaptable, maybe even adventurous, and loves to see the world.

The Relationship Coach.

Transparent, real and willing to listen, this friend has figured a few things out in the love department and genuinely wants to see you happy when it comes to romance.

The Career Comrade.

You share a similar background and goals in your work life, and encourage each other to higher professional success.

The Accountability Partner.

To maximize your potential, this is your go-to pal to help keep you on track.

Now, let's turn the tables. Think of your four closest friends. Which type of friend are you to each of them?

This post is an excerpt from my latest book, Happy Women Live Better: 13 Ways to Trigger Your Happiness Every Day. Discover your happiness triggers for FREE at www.happywomantest.com and order your copy of Happy Women Live Better at: www.bn.com/happywomenlivebetter