Women Of Faith Imagine 2011 Milwaukee Wi

I was given the honor of being one of the bloggers selected in my area to receive 2 free tickets to The Women Of Faith Imagine Event held here in Milwaukee Wi. I was so happy and surprised I got selected.

I asked my cousin/friend Vickie to come with me. Neither of us had ever been to this type of event but we were both excited to go and experience it....OMG is all I can say. This event was beyond anything I imagined it would be.

We got to the Bradley Center around 9:30 am and were able to pick where we wanted to sit...so we huffed it around the Bradley Center to find right where we wanted to be. The event started and that was it. The Women of Faith Singers were AMAZING!! I am so addicted to listening to them now! Just fantastic women with such a gift for singing and worshipping. Our EMCEE Anna got up and again was just blown away by her words of encouragement and fun. We then had the privilege to hear from Sheila Walsh first! What a woman. So transparent and so open to talk about her life and her journey to and with God. Then after every talk she gave, she honored us with her phenomenal voice and sang beautiful, touching songs that reflected what she spoke about. AFter Sheila, we heard from Henry Cloud. What an awesome guy who had so much insight and life to share with all of us women!! He and Sheila had such a rapport with each other it was awesome to get to hear them talk together and really know one another! Most of the 10-3:30pm sessions were Sheila and Henry sharing and helping us.

Vickie and I walked around a little bit and decided to go to Water Street Brewery for dinner..that was fantastic. It was great to sit, talk, and just be girls (with no kids LOL)

Our 7pm-10pm sessions were again OMG...we heard from the awesome singers and Anna and then we got to meet the whole Group of Women for the weekend. We got to hear Natalie Grant and Mary Mary. We got to have some funny but honest time with Nicole Johnson about being a wife and mother. Then the highlight for me of the evening was Ken Davis, a Christian Comedian who literally had me laughing until I cried. I don't know the last time I laughed that much at one time. He was so good for my soul. After Ken Davis, Natalie Grant gave an awesome concert and the evening ended. It was such a high to be on.

Saturday I was solo, Vickie couldn't make it but my friend Jolene and her guest were able to connect with me so I wasn't alone! Another awesome day!Got to hear from Sheila Walsh again! YAY We heard from Lisa Harper-WOW!! Loved her. Nicole Johnson-LOVED her!! Then Angie Smith....cannot even describe her talk but to say that the whole Bradley Center was full of women crying by the end. All of these women got up and were so transparent and so willing to share their good and not so good stuff. Mary Mary gave an awesome concert and Luci Swindoll spoke-again WOW.

Such a powerful weekend. It was just what I needed. It was awesome to be able attend and share it with my cousin/friend!! I truly learned so much from each person in this group that came to Milwaukee and I feel so blessed that I was able to be there!! This is a must event!!

I want to thank Thomas Nelson and Women of Faith for 2 free tickets to attend this fantastic event. Thank you for blessing me with them!!!!

Women Of Faith Imagine 2011 Milwaukee Wi

Attended Imagine 2011 here in Milwaukee at the Bradley Center Sept 30 and Oct 1. AWESOME!!!!! So much happened and so much to process. I am so looking forward to next year. I really need to get the money now to go for next year!! I am still processing through all that this weekend was and I am physically recuperating from it all so I will be post here in the next few days about the experience! All I know is that I HAVE to go next year!!!! So Check back in the next few days for WOF Imagine through my eyes!!

Women Of Faith Imagine 2011

As I have stated in many a book review I do reviews through booksneeze.com and they offered tickets to the Women of Faith events in cities all over the US including Milwaukee, Wi with the agreement that you will blog on your experience. So I signed up for it. I have wanted to attend a WOF event for the last 2 years but unfortunately we haven't had the funds for me to go with our church group. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying, worse case, didn't get picked. So a few months ago booksneeze.com had posted on Facebook that those who were selected to attend WOF through them received emails letting them know. So I checked my email and didn't see anything....did a search in my email since I don't always see my emails. Did not have anything....felt a little disappointed but hey, no biggie....nothing lost here.

A month ago I received an envelope in the mail from WOF and was confused. But figured it was probably an advertisement or something from them. So I opened the envelope and found 2 tickets for the event. I was floored, since I didn't receive the email I had no idea how I got these tickets. On top of that I thought the booksneeze thing was only one ticket. So I called the number for WOF and found out that in fact it was a ticket for me and one for a friend and they were compliments of booksneeze.com. So excited. I spoke with my friend Jolene, to see if she wanted to go with me to the event and found out she got the same envelope and no email. So she had 2 tickets also....I feel so blessed to have been picked to go to this event.

I know God truly blessed me, on top of all of this found out 2 weeks ago I need surgery on my gallbladder and a liver biopsy and the event is before my surgery so I feel so blessed that I can go before the surgery happens and really get to enjoy myself and be open to God's word. So check back here to read my review of this awesome conference! Can't wait to go and share it with all of you!!

Copy and Paste this link into your browser to check it out!! : http://www.womenoffaith.com/events/2011-events/milwaukee/

A Man of His Word by Kathleen Fuller

Another of my awesome $2.99 special books!! This is the first of Hearts of Middlefield Novels. This was the first book by Kathleen Fuller I have read. I have looked at her books a few times but wasn't sure about spending 14.00 on a book I wasn't sure of so the $2.99 prices was definitely worth giving it a try....I am so glad I did.

Book Description:
Moriah's heart will only be safe with a man of his word.

In just a few short months, Moriah Miller's perfect life unravels. Newly wed and newly pregnant, Moriah is abandoned by her husband, Levi. He's left her, his family, and their faith without a backward glance. The community, stunned, rushes to the young woman's aid.

But there is someone who feels more than just sympathy for Moriah. Gabriel Miller--Levi's twin--longs for an intimate commitment that might someday bind them to one another. Convinced of the impossibility of his dream, Gabriel settles for a mere friendship with the woman he loves.

Moriah bravely goes on with her life, adjusting to her new role in their tight knit Amish community and preparing for the birth of her child. She is unaware that her brief marriage--once idealized as the happiest time in her life--may have been merely a shadow of the kind of love God has created her for. A love that can mend the soul, renew her heart, and give her a future filled with hope...if only she'll let it.

Moriah believes she has found the man of her dreams, the man she will say I do to, Levi Miller. Since their school days, Moriah and the Miller twins, Levi and Gabriel have been close friends. Doing everything together. Levi proposes and Gabriel falls to the back burner, wanting Moriah from a far. Levi and Moriah get married and Levi is working at a stable in the Yankee world. After 4 months he sends a letter to Moriah saying he isn't coming back. Moriah is devestated. She is pregnant and decides to move home. Gabriel tries to get Levi reconsider his choice. But couldn't get him to see it. The family is devestated. Late one night Gabriel shows up at Moriah's parents to get her, Levi has been in a horrible car accident. So Gabe, his father, and Moriah go to the hospital. There Moriah has to give consent for multiple surgeries to try to save his life. He comes out of surgery and finally wakes up. A few days later Levi asks Gabe to always take care of Moriah and the baby. A few moments later Levi passes. Now Moriah has lost her husband 2 times.

A Man of His Word is a very wonderful book that shows how forgiveness brings peace, how praying brings results, and how love always wins. Kathleen Fuller shows much knowledge of the language and customs of the Amish in Middlefield. This book was a wonderful story and I am so excited to find another author to read. Definitey recommend this book to anyone who likes a love story and or Amish fiction.

First the Dead by Tim Downs

Family Christian Bookstore along with some authors of Christian Fiction have been offering some books for $2.99 for the first book to make it affordable to find a new author. Like most people, I look for the lowest prices I can find for books. I am leary to pay $12-$15 for an author I have never read. But $2.99 I will spend that. Really not much to lose. So I am finding new authors and series to read through this offer.

The first book I read is First the Dead by Tim Downs.
Book description:
When Hurricane Katrina takes New Orleans by storm, forensic entomologist Nick Polchak is waiting for her. He’s part of DMORT, the FEMA team assigned to recover and identify human remains in large-scale disasters.

The trouble is, Nick isn’t much of a team player. And he doesn’t take well to following orders he doesn’t agree with... such as the decision to divert all DMORT personnel into rescuing the living and leaving the dead for later.

Nick begs to differ. He's there to collect bodies, and he's going to do just that—especially when he starts finding bodies that were clearly dead before the hurricane struck. Nick understands that all forensic evidence will soon disintegrate in the hot, contaminated water...and he knows that’s exactly what the killer wants to happen.

The more Nick tries to uncover answers, the stronger—and deadlier—the resistance becomes. And it doesn’t help that a beautiful psychiatrist thinks he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown.

In a world turned upside down, where people live on rooftops and streets are underwater, where everything and everyone is on the verge of collapse...can even the Bug Man uncover the truth?

This is the 3rd "Bug Man Book" but really they can be read stand alone because Tim Downs does a great job of introducing things so you don't feel like you came in half way through. This book was fantastic. The details of Hurricane Katrina and of New Orleans as a city were right on. This book kept a good pace and you really felt like you were there. I had a very very hard time putting the book down once I picked it up. You find yourself laughing at some of the dialogues and the suspense kept me guessing until the end. Awescome book for a suspense fan. I am excited to read more "Bug Man" Books.

http://timdowns.net/ to find other Bug Man books and you can read some chapters up there too.

The Nook

So for my birthday my Mom and Dad went overboard and bought me a Nook. I have wanted one for a long time and now I have it. Its awesome. I haven't learned how to use the whole thing but thats the fun is the figuring it out. We have it connected to the internet and I bought my first book for $1.59. YAY. I have regular books here that I am going to read but I can't wait to use the Nook. I can't imagine that I will stop buying paperbacks and such since there are certain ones I will want in book form. So as I learn more about my Nook I will be posting my journey with the Nook. I can't wait for my Mom to get herself one so we can lend books and such but I was givng her visitation with my Nook today....she got to touch and play with it as far as I learned today...YAY

Father's day

As father's day is coming to a close, I am pondering many thoughts. I know that I am very very blessed to have a wonderful father who is still here with me. He is 66 yrs old and a cancer survivor.  My sister and I were young when he had it. It was a long road but thankfully he has stayed cancer free since.  I don't think I truly appreciated the fact of still having my Dad until I married Dean and we had kids. Both my Dad and my husband grew up without fathers. They had no idea what it was to celebrate father's day for them......they saw others celebrate their father's but never got to do it with their own fathers. That really makes you think about what the day means.  Dean doesn't know what to do on Father's day because of this....he almost doesn't want to celebrate it.  Now for my Dad my Mom always made sure it was a big deal and still does. She always gets him a nice gift and makes it about him and his day. We joke and tell him how spoiled he is but really thinking about the fact he had never celebrated father's day with HIS dad......he had a wonderful step dad in his early teens but again not the same.  I personally can't imagine not having my dad to celebrate with but it definitely puts things into perspective.  It also really is a testimony to the types of Dad they both are despite the fact they didn't have Dad's to be that example of what a Man is and what a man is supposed to do.  Please don't get me wrong I am not saying that they didn't have mom's who raised them or making light of the sacrifices made by single mothers. Just looking at some of the places where only a man can teach certain things.  I know as a girl my Dad taught me many things and showed me what unconditional love was and showed me what it meant to be a husband and how a wife should be treated.....there are things that all children need from their dads.

Now for me Fathers day was always interesting because for me my birthday falls on Father's day every so many years or its the day before or after......so I fall right into the mix. When my Grandpa was alive we spent our Father's day morning with Dad doing breakfast, giving our homemade gifts, and just being together and then we would head over to Grandpa's for food and fun with Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. We would get together to spend the day with Grandpa, even if it was my birthday. It was a great time.....and Grandpa loved having all of us there and Grandma Joyce would make so much food and everything. We truly had a good time and my parents and my Uncles always put money together to get one big gift....I can remember him getting a lawn mower, an electric garage door opener, and many cool gadgets right up his alley. I miss him so much on these holidays. But I am glad to have my memories.  We didn't make it to the cemetery this Father's Day but I know Grandpa knows we thought of him all day.

Tomorrow I turn 36, always makes me really step back and look at my life....not where I thought I would be and not where we need to be but life has taken some turns. But I am very blessed to have my loving God given Husband and my 3 miracles: Ally, Catey, and Bobby. I don't know what I would do without any of them I am so thankful for my parents and that I am lucky enough to still have both of them. My Mom who helps us out when ever we need it and is there for us went out and bought me a Nook for my birthday. I have really wanted one but I know how expensive they are. I am loving it. I have my 2 free books I got in the mail last week that I have to read and then I can start reading off the nook but in the mean time I am learning so much about it and how to use it. So tomorrow it will be me and the kids until dinner. Dean made me my fave cake Strawberry with Cream Cheese frosting.So we will have some cake and hopefully just have a good day! I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's day!!!

So thankful

So decided to try the blogging thing again. I have been wanting to write lately but not sure what or where.....life is just crazy.  Today our oldest Ally left for green bay to attend Districts with our church....its so exciting.....this years districts has been a huge blessing before it even started.  We put our down payment down and on Christmas Eve we received an email from Pastor Chris saying that someone anamously paid the rest of Ally's district fees.....we were just floored.....we don't know who did but we are so thankful for them and their generousity.  We are praying for awesome things for Ally and the rest of the youth there........So its just Dean, Catey, Bobby, and I this weekend.  We went to Southridge Mall for dinner at the food court and to walk around.....so we went upstairs to Waldenbooks, they are closing and have everything 50-70% off so I went in and found 2 books I was looking for....as I was checking out I was thinking about the Christmas I worked at Walden for seasonal help. Worked with some awesome ladies.....well my manager, Patty is still there and she ended up checking me out....as we checked out she kept looking at me and finally said "wow you look so familiar" so I tell her who I am and we get to talking.....the store is closing by end of month.....she has worked there for 31 yrs and they are offering her a max severance of 12 weeks (should be a week for every year worked there). Unfortunately no jobs out there right now. So end of January she will be out of a job with the other staff. Most of the the staff has been there for over 20 yrs.....it was nice to talk to her but sad.....it just made me so thankful for dean's job...we have been unemployed before.......we spend 1.5 yrs unemployed after 9/11/01....it was hard but looking back, God never let us go without....it was hard and it was not fun but we always had a place to live, always had food, water, shelter. I know the power of prayer and I am praying for all of them that there is something out there for them but I feel so bad......I just wanted to hug Patty.......but I know God has a plan....God sure had one for us and we are thankful.....after that year and half we got another job....when that job ended we had a new one real quick and soon after that we got the offer from Quad and have been there ever since. We are so blessed.  I am thankful everyday that my husband has a job to go to and that I am able to be home.  So guess thats it for now.  Please pray for the Walden workers....they are closing 200 stores this month.....

Just getting started

So I decided to try out this blog thing......Hoping I can get the hang of it!  So I am Beth. I am 35 yrs old and live in Milwaukee, Wi. I have been married for 14 yrs to my best friend Dean, and we have 3 children together. Ally who is 13, Catey who is 11, and Bobby who is 7.5 yrs old. Catey and Bobby have special needs.....Catey has ADHD and Sensory integration and Bobby has Aspergers and Sensory integration dysfunction. Keeps us busy here!! I learn lots from my children on a daily basis. I am also disabled so I am a SAHM. My husband has a wonderful job at Quad. We are very blessed to have this job!! He is hitting the 5 yr mark with Quad, the longest he has worked anywhere!

I love to read. The first series of books I remember reading was the Little House on the Prairie set. I loved them. After that it was Anne of Green Gables series. I remember reading the Sweet Valley High Twins books, teen age love stories from book orders.......Then on to Danielle Steele. Eventually I got tired of love stories I started reading John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Janet Evanovich, Kathy Reichs, and lots of others I can't remember at this time. I have recently started reading Christian Fiction books and I LOVE THEM!!  I started with Neta Jackson's series called Yada Yada Prayer Group, the best series I have read. Totally addicting and just wonderful. I have really gotten into books about Amish families. They are fiction but I find myself in their world when I read them. I love reading Beth Wiseman, Wanda Brunstetter, and Beverly Lewis to name a few. I also enjoy the Janette Okes books. I am so blessed that my husband has no issues with me buying all my books and I am very lucky that when I finish reading them I get to donate them to our library at our church to share with others!!!