faith – Page 9

An Influence Conference Giveaway!

October 24, 2014 by Ann Leave a Comment

I’m teaming up with some lovely blogger friends to give away two (2) tickets to two (2) women for the 2015 Influence Conference! I just went to the conference last month, and it was such an encouragement to me as a follower of Jesus, as a writer, as a wife, and as a mama. I would love for one of my readers to get to go next year! The giveaway runs through next Friday, October 31st. Read below and then enter at the end of the post!

What is the Influence Network?

via

TWO lucky readers will win a ticket to the 2015 Influence Conference. The conference is a three day event held in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Westin Hotel. You will meet women from all over the country who are seeking to learn about how to follow Jesus as small business owners, bloggers, and women and how to leverage their influence for His glory! There will be workshops, classes, speakers, coffee, & shopping at the three-day event.

Two Places At Once // What She Saw // Rivers & Roads

Oaks & Oats // Amy Cornwell // Simplicity Relished

Rachel Rewritten // Trusty Chucks // Wear Flowers In Your Hair

She Lives Free // Elah Tree // Mandy Living Life

Vallarina Creative // Camp Patton // 23 and 9 Creative

Ann Swindell // Heavens to Betsy // A Beautiful Exchange

Wetherills Say I Do // Oh Simple Thoughts // Frankly My Dear

You do not have to be a member of the Influence Network to enter the giveaway OR to go the conference but I am thankful to be a part of the Network and to have gone to the conference. Both have been a blessing!

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**Please note that this giveaway is in no way sponsored by The Influence Network.

We are a group of independent women who are joining together to make this conference happen for two of our readers. The two recipients will only receive tickets to the event & are responsible for ALL other expenses, including but not limited to travel, lodging, meals, parking, etc. If for some reason either of the winners cannot attend the conference they will be expected to contact one of the hosts immediately so that another winner can be chosen.

Filed Under: Giveaway, God Tagged With: business, Christianity, faith, giveaway, Influence, Influence Conference, Influence Network, Jesus, women bloggers, women in ministry

Honoring the Sabbath Like a Command: My Newest Piece for RELEVANT

October 16, 2014 by Ann 4 Comments

My newest piece is over at RELEVANT today–a consideration of the importance of the Sabbath in our modern lives. I know that God’s heart is for us to be a people who rest Him and trust in Him, and I believe that observing the Sabbath is one of the key ways we can do that practically in our increasingly full lives.

I would love for you to click over, read through it, and let me know your thoughts. Do you observe the Sabbath? Why or why not?

Filed Under: God, Guest Post, Life, Writing Tagged With: Christian, Christianity, church, faith, God, Jesus, Mosiac Law, observing Sabbath, observing the Sabbath, Sabbath, Ten Commandments, time off, vacation

Small Home Hospitality: A Guest Post at (in)courage!

October 7, 2014 by Ann 8 Comments

Today, I’m writing for (in)courage about being hospitable in a small home–our small home!

Here is the start of the article. I would love for you to join me at (in)courage!

We have a small home — a split-level condo with two bedrooms and a galley kitchen that never seems to have enough counter space. I know that in most places in the world, our home size would be considered normal, or perhaps even large. But here in affluent suburbia where we live, our square footage is, comparatively, on the compact end of things.

Any time we have more than a handful of people over — such as this last weekend for my daughter’s first birthday party — we run out of seating quickly. Often, guests start spilling onto the stairs, sitting on steps when the couches and chairs are full.

My tendency, in the past, was to worry about the lack of space, to try and fix things by giving up my seat or finding another stool. Because when I saw people sitting on the stairs, my hospitality button got pushed: I didn’t feel like I could provide what my guests needed. I never want anyone to feel uncomfortable in my home — physically or socially — and I was concerned that our small home would make people feel cramped and unwelcome.

Read the rest of the article here!

Filed Under: God, Guest Post, Life, Writing Tagged With: Christian marriage, Christianity, faith, friendship, God, God's faithfulness, guest post, hospitality, incourage, Jesus, kindness, small home, Writing

Life is Too Short: Reflections on the Influence Conference

September 30, 2014 by Ann 3 Comments

Up until the end of August, I hadn’t even planned on going to the Influence Conference. But as I saw women talking about the conference online, something kept tugging at my heart. I felt like I was supposed to be there.

Now, I knew it was a big leap. We have a young daughter, my husband was going to be out of town the weekend before, and we tend to have a lot of church events on the weekends.

But Michael and I prayed about it, and we both felt like I should go.

So, I did. Bought the ticket, booked the hotel room, filled the car with gas and drove. I had to be back by Saturday night, so the time was fast but so rich. I connected with so many wonderful women, talked about things that truly matter, and slept in a hotel room all by myself (glory, glory, hallelujah)! The weekend was a gift from God, truly.

I’m grateful.

God opened up many places in my heart last weekend, but one of the biggest things I’m wrestling through is what Lara Casey spoke about on Friday night. She walked us through a workshop focused on some very powerful questions, and although it is incredibly simple, the one phrase that I keep coming back to is this one, which she asked us to answer on our own: “Life is too short.”

Life is too short to make it all about me.

Life is too short to not obey Jesus wholeheartedly.

Life is too short to live out of fear.

These are huge statements, when the rubber actually meets the road. If life is too short to make it all about me, what has to change in how I think, how I respond, what I spend my time doing? If life is too short to not obey Jesus wholeheartedly, how do I have to start living and thinking differently? If life is too short to live out of fear, where do I need to let His perfect love chase away those places tangled up in being afraid?

I’m just starting to scratch the surface of these things, but these questions have the power to change my life, in the best way. Life is too short for anything less than all of my heart, all of my attention, all of my focus on Christ.

So, now it is your turn. How would you answer this phrase?

Life is too short.

And because I know there a lot of women who wanted to go to the conference but couldn’t, I want to share my #influenceconf swag bag with one of you! Check out my Instagram account to toss your hat in the ring–and hopefully, win!

Filed Under: Life, Ministry, Writing Tagged With: blogging, conferences, faith, freedom from fear, friends, Indianapolis, Influence Conference, influenceconf, Jesus, life is too short, weekend, Writing

Changing the World Through Coffee

September 29, 2014 by Ann 1 Comment

If you know me, you know that I am a committed coffee drinker. And if you know me, you also know that I deeply care about ending sex trafficking in our generation and helping women heal from the horrors of the pain that they have had to live through.

I had the distinct privilege of interviewing the co-founder of Sweet Aroma Coffee, a subscription-based coffee service that uses a large percentage of their profits to help rehabilitate women who are coming out of the sex industry. I love the vision behind this company, and I love that something as simple as purchasing coffee can actually change lives.

Click here to read the full interview over at Darling Magazine. And then click over to Sweet Aroma Coffee to sign up for a coffee subscription that’s truly doing good in the world!

Filed Under: God, Guest Post, Writing Tagged With: Christianity, coffee, coffee drinker, Darling Magazine, drinking coffee, ending sex trafficking, faith, freedom, Jesus, purchase with a purpose, Sweet Aroma Coffee

Receiving Grace: Friendship that Points to Jesus

September 17, 2014 by Ann 2 Comments

Things have been a little quieter around here, in large part because I’m back to teaching. But they’re also quieter because I’ve intentionally pulled back a bit. I’ve realized, over the last month, that my heart simply needs more time away from the screen, and even from the words that I love so much. More time to rest, more time to think, more time to journal, more time to pray. I need more time with my husband, I need more time with my little girl, I need more time with the women who hold up my arms as a new mom and are in these beautiful and difficult trenches with me.

I have been feeling soul-tired lately, and when that happens its time to get back to the basics: Jesus, family, friends, sleep. As a chronic over-achiever, I would like to think that I can push through anything, but that’s not the case.

And, so, I am slowing in the ways that I can. And I am opening up these soul-tired places in me to my friends. I am sharing my life with them so that they can speak truth, offer encouragement, and point me to Jesus. These are the things we have been doing for each other for years; lately, though, I find I am more on the receiving end than usual. And that’s ok. We all have seasons where we need others to offer their strength to us. I’m grateful.

My real-life friends are central in this journey I am living. But next week, I am also thankful that I get to go and make some new friends–and turn online friends into real-life friends. I’m headed to the Influence Conference, which focuses on keeping Jesus at the center of our online lives–something so beautiful and so necessary.

For those women who I will meet there, we are sharing a link-up. So here’s a bit about me: I’m a wife, mom, pastor’s wife, and college instructor. I was in school for most of my life as a student, and now I’m still in school–but on the other side of the classroom. I teach creative writing and creative nonfiction courses to college students, and I love it. I also write for multiple publications and love speaking to groups of women. My husband is my best friend and February will mark 10 years of dating (we’ve been married for 8+ of those years). I hope we have a good 60+ years left together! Our daughter, Ella, was born on our seventh anniversary and she is a delight!

I’m very much looking forward to the Strategy classes, and you’ll rarely find me without a cardigan (I get cold easily…and I’m a teacher. Ha!).

I’d love to meet you online as we prepare for #influenceconf, and I’m so looking forward to giving you a hug in person next week! Here’s to making much of Jesus!

Filed Under: About, God, Teaching Tagged With: anniversary, Christianity, faith, Influence Conference, Influence Network, marriage, mom, motherhood, my soul is tired, soul tired, Writer, Writing