Attending Conferences

Walking into a room full of people - some you know, others you don't - but you have that one thing in common. It could be the name of the business you are doing (if you're attending a work conference); or it could be having a relationship with God.

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending my 4th Kidmin Conference, put on by Group Publishing. I have only missed one conference (due to my husband's bout with cancer). Each year, I gain several friends and so it's always rewarding to return to see a familiar face - someone whom I have prayed for, and them for me.

The theme was abide. John 15:9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love." In other words, take root in His Word. Read it, study it, let it grow inside of you so it can become a part of you. Therefore when storms come (and they will), you will remain strong. It's when we don't nourish ourselves in His Word, that our roots begin to wither and sometimes die. And when the storms come, our foundation has crumbled and we are shaken apart. We can't stand up on our own.

I bought a new Bible over the weekend - it's called the Jesus Centered Bible. It has blue lettering in the Old Testament and red lettering in the New Testament. The blue lettering shows references to Christ, and the red lettering is Christ. I'm looking forward to reading it. I've read through the New Testament several times over the last 30 years or so; but have never read every book in the Old Testament. So now I have a new goal.

I purchased several other books including: Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker; Becoming Who You are in Christ by Allie Marie Smith and the Team at Wonderfully Made; God so loved the word...that He created Chocolate by Group publishing; and Big Dreams from Small Spaces - also by Group. The last two are devotion books. You can never read too many books. I'm mostly excited about digging deeper into God's Word and discovering all there is for me to know and apply to my life.

Some of the entertainment at Kidmin included the Skit Guys. And on Sunday evening they did their most popular skit called the Chisel. This is when God chisels away all of the extra things we have added into our lives that covered Him up. So that when we looked into a mirror, we no longer saw Him there. God created us in His own image. He wants us to be like Him. Yet He also gave us the right to choose what to do with our lives. Unfortunately, sometimes we choose things that aren't attractive to Him. We need to be willing to allow God to chisel us back into His image.

One of the other speakers, Steve Adams, from Saddleback Church, started his message from John 15:16 which reads "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain..." Steve said that "we need to be connected to Jesus. To abide in Him because without Him, we're just a twig - only good for a fire." This goes along with strengthening our roots - so that our branches will stay strong and our fruit will continue to produce. He spoke about comparison - and how the enemy deceives us through discouragement, doubts, and distractions. We need to remember that God invests in us and He created us to be His masterpiece. Steve says "we need to recognize our true identity. Release the burdens and pressure of being someone else. And then our impact will be different from others. We should just be the fruit God created us to be - then we will have fruit that remains."

We had a jazz night - complete with a jazz band. Amazingly the band was comprised of players from Colorado and Illinois - and they only had one rehearsal together. They said it was because they were able to practice on their own time. The speaker, Robert Gelinas, says "I see jazz in Jesus. Just like in jazz, where there is a sort of call and response time, Jesus is calling out to us but is anyone responding?" He said "if you're going to go after one thing, let it be God. And don't wast your pain - hold on to it. God will use you." He said, "God is the original Jazz Ensemble - the 3 in 1. Anyone can join the ensemble of God - just abide."
And finally, "Ensemble has an assumption and that is to practice, practice, practice. Be a practicing Christian."

Our MC for the weekend was Christine Yount Jones. She spoke to us on Sunday morning about Abide. Reading from John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." She said the vinedresser does the pruning (similar to the chisel). Describing the four seasons, she said, "Spring is a time of waiting. Although that seem passive, it is not. It's a time of grappling with God." We need to be a watchman (Psalm 30), and keep our eyes on God (while we wait). "Summer is a time of nourishment. God is the keeper - he keeps the predators away." John 15:17 reads Hope does not disappoint. "Fall is a time for harvest. Beware, there are a lot of impostors, but there is only One True Vine. Quit looking on the outside of God for growth. Be plugged into God." And finally "Winter is where the pruning takes place. Pruning stimulates growth. It is said that 90% of the vine is pruned each year and always comes back with more branches, more fruit)." Chris ended with this, "In quietness, trust in your strength. because at the end of the rope, God is there."

On Sunday night, Jen Hatmaker was the guest speaker. She began with "sometimes God says no. When you go for a yes and God wants a NO, then it's a mess. Be believers first and foremost. Our identity is the interior work that must be done for the roots to be strong and anchored to God. Otherwise, you become prideful, depressed, and have a big ego. We need to switch our default from a yes to a no. We cannot make God known, when we know we are not known. (for Christ should live in us - if He is not seen, God is not there.) And be willing to tell others that they are a mess. God was satisfied with the cross and how it was finished. Why are we dissatisfied about trying to earn His grace? God is for us and with us, not against us." There was so much more but she ended with this, "Know the last fresh thing God did in your heart and then be willing to share it."

As you can read - it was a full weekend with great speakers, not to mention the worship by Shane and Shane, and the Christian Comedian Chonda Pierce. This is truly a great conference - each year it just gets better and better. Looking forward to the next one in 2017.

a published author

Here I am - now known as a published author. Wow, just letting it soak in. Now I'm anxious to hear what people think about my chapter. Will they be inspired? Will they cry? (well, if it helps, I cried while writing it). It took me a long time to finish it - because in reality, my story is still unfolding in front of me. Perhaps that will be the chapter in the next book - the 3rd in the series. Excited though that hundreds or thousands of people will have the oppty to read the chapters - and be inspired and encouraged.

I can hold my head up a little higher now. I am proud of myself, if that's ok. I've been through so many different journeys over the last few years. It feels good to just sit back and be this new person - a published author. But not taking many days off, as the need to continue to write and inspire others is always on my mind. I love how my FB page - Susan W Corbran, author - is growing with lots of comments and interaction. I'm gaining new friends, for sure.

As I find myself sharing about becoming a published author, others are opening up and sharing their own stories with me. Some wish they had the time to sit down and write, while others would prefer to hire a ghost writer and then just sit back and enjoy the story in book form. However you decide - perhaps just an audio story - or a few words with some pictures. Just tell the story.

Several years ago, I was a consultant with Creative Memories - scrapbooking. And we would share how you could have a book of pictures, but without the words, it could be whatever story the reader made up to go with it. So if you want people to know your story - you need to tell it with words. Otherwise, you can't complain the stories they make up about you. :)

We continue to promote the book EMERGE: REAL STORIES OF COURAGE AND TRUTH, because we know there are many people - men and women, who need to read these stories. Please order a copy for yourself and one for a friend. They make great Christmas gifts, also.

Until next time...

To order a book - just go to my website - suecorbran.com and click on the shop tab, and then select the book Emerge. Thanks.

The River of Silvery Silence

Back in the late 70's, I applied and was accepted into the Institute of Children's Literature, out of CT. It was a correspondence course, because there was no internet then (or atleast not in homes). One of the lessons asked me to write a story with description. I wasn't sure I could do it but grabbed my thesaurus and gave it a try. My results were a big Excellent written across the top of the page. Here is my story to share with you.

It is based on the Merriland River off of Hobbs Farm Road in Wells, ME - just down from our family cabins.

The River of Silvery Silence

Silence grew longer as the water trickled around the paddles. There was a soft breeze blowing the fall leaves across the bottomless body of water. Shades of orange, yellow, red, violet,and green were concealed within the leaves.

With each shallow stroke, a nearby green tree frog would leap into the water's edge. While the small box turtles skidded through the bright green lily pads, tiny air bubbles appeared at the top of the glittering water. Little fish were swimming far below the canoe in the swift current.

The pine trees that were located along the rocky river bank were filled with a lovely incense that spread throughout the air. The scarlet cardinal flowers were surrounded by sea-green lily pads and they brightened the river with a sweet-smelling fragrance.

As the canoe drifted downstream, the sun slowly set in the west. Because the shadows of the trees were much larger than the actual size, they became something out of a fantasy land.

The area around the canoe became enclosed with a deep misty fog, often called ground fog in the area of Southern Maine. Heat from the water rose up into the ground fog as steam would from a boiling kettle. The breeze now became a whisper as the moon rose into the sky and the temperature grew much cooler.

The murmuring of birds in the distance were a pleasure to hear. They were possibly kingfishers or bright red-breasted robins. They might also have been blue jays or cardinals. The water snakes slithered through the water like it wasn't even there. Every once in awhile, one would stop and a deadly hissing sound would come from its mouth.

The paddles of the canoe would then move on slowly downstream where it would be time to leave the river of silvery silence.

Encouraging Others and Yourself

Above my desk, is a black tri-fold cardboard which is nailed to my wall. This is my board with encouraging and inspirational posts. I created it last summer after moving into my condo - my new home with just myself living here. It can get lonely at times, so I thought having this board in front of me, it would also help me to continue to move forward.

Honestly, there are many times that I sit at my computer with my fingers moving on the keyboard and my eyes are glued to the monitor, that I don't even notice the board on the wall. How sad, I think. Because it's probably during those times when I need to be reading those words. Here is a short list of some of the posts pasted there:

Replace excuses with effort and replace laziness with determination and everything else will fall into place.

Your most valuable asset can be your willingness to persist longer than anyone else.

We are going to make it...with the help of the LORD.

Your Future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow!

When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal, you do not change your decision to get there.

There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.

A goal is a dream with a deadline.

Waste your money and you're only out of money, but waste your time and you've lost a part of your life.

Success begins with can, failure begins with can't.

Life can be full of unexpected things, either happy or sad. But no matter what happens..Just keep a loving heart, a wise mind, and a strong faith in God..He will always stay with us through all the journeys of our life.

Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, Godliness, charity, humility, diligence.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

When you are going through something hard and wonder where God is, remember the teacher is always quiet during a test.

Sometimes we need someone to simply be there..not to fix anything or do anything in particular, but just to let us feel we are supported and cared about.

And the list goes on.

About a week and a half ago, I went to see the movie War Room. I highly recommend this movie for everyone - maybe age 10 and up. People need God in their lives. I know I need Him. Today I cleared out a space in my closet and taped up a list of everyone in my family and added in some key Scriptures to recite. I made my own war room. I know there have been many days gone by that I didn't stop to talk to Him. I usually spend time at night - writing out my prayers; but when I was recently out of town, I left Him at home (for the most part). I need to spend time with Him every day. He created us to shine our lights for Him, to give Him our praises, to glorify Him. And in return, He will bless us.

I remember a saying from church camp - Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. That's what pure JOY is. It's not about us. It's never about us. It's always about God. People talk about wanting to be happy and that we should do whatever it is to make sure we are happy. But I don't believe that's what God truly wants for us - unless we are also honoring Him with our lives. Happiness depends on happenings, joy depends on Jesus.

I'm on a journey. Well - we are all on a journey. Where is it that you're going? I just want to make sure that when people see me out and about, they will recognize Christ living in me. As my late husband would say, it's a process. And I'm willing to accept the challenge.

Until next time...around Robin Hood's Barn.