Posted in conference, mil spouse info, Wings4Women Goals on November 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »
We have a new website and we’ve integrated a blog on our new site! So if you have been receiving a feed from this site, please update your feed reader to link to our new site at Wings4Women.org
Take a look around! We’ve integrated much of what is on this site PLUS MORE!!
Looking forward to reconnecting!
Alane Pearce
Founder and Director
Wings for Women Military Spouse Conferences
a nonprofit organization for military spouses by military spouses
Posted in conference, Wings4Women Goals on September 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »
We are looking for some fundraising strategies so we can continue offering our Conferences to military spouses at an affordable rate. One of the models we are thinking about is adding a membership site on our website where members would receive at least 15 mini breakout workshops per year via the web and other special resources including discounts on conferences for members.
The webinars, the main resource of the membership site will feature military spouses, organizations and even celebrities who have tips, ideas, resources and encouragement for military families. Some of the people I have lined up are Author and Speaker Don Piper (90 Minutes in Heaven), a professional organizer, an employee at Dave Ramsey, a personal counselor, a career coach, an image coach, a military spouse who has perfected getting connected in a new community and many others!
How much would you donate per year for a subscription?
(80% of the donation would be a tax deduction.)
Also, in the comments to this post, please feel free to leave your thoughts on what would make a membership site worth your donation. Thank you so much for your help!
Posted in conference, tagged cj's rap, conference, conference speakers, military life, military spouse on May 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »
I had such a wonderful time at the Wings Conference May 14-15! Thank you to everyone who made it such an amazing event!
My sister, one of our speakers and a board member who are not military have told me how amazed they are at you ladies! They are impressed by your strength and courage and uplifted by your attitudes! All I can say is, “Yep, Military Spouses are Amazing!” While I am still on the topic of the 2010 Conference, be sure to check out the photo slide show on our Conferences page! (You can find the tab at the top of this page!)
We have many exciting things coming up; monthly online coffees, a new platform for our website, and monthly newsletters full of tips, tools and resources for thriving in the military lifestyle! We are also looking into simulcasting our 2011 Wings Conferences–so if you are part of a military spouse group and want to get the simulcast of next year’s conference, let us know and we’ll start planning now!
Looking back on the conference, here are some of the highlights:
I promised to share with you a conversation I had with one of you about sneezing. Yes! About sneezing!
“Achoo!” went a boy.
“Bless you.” said his mother.
“Where is God?” asked the boy.
“What do you mean?” replied the mother.
“People used to say, ‘God bless you,’ now they just say ‘Bless you’.The mother thought about that. When did she stop saying, “God bless you?” Why did she drop “God”? Had she dropped God in other areas of her life?
Good question! I know its something I’ve been pondering: where have I let God drop out of my life? Especially in the “little” things…because if God isn’t in the little things, it’s harder to find him in the bigger things…Do any of you have ideas on how to keep God in the little things in our lives? I’d love to hear what you do!
Thank you all for your stories and your presence in my life!
And God Bless You all!
(remember to check out the conference slide show video under the conferences tab!)
Posted in conference, tagged Colorado Springs, conference, deployment, encouragement for military spouses, help for military, mililtary spouse, military life, wings4women on May 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Three more days until we celebrate being a military spouse in Colorado Springs with military spouses from across the country! We are stuffing bags full of gifts, sorting door prizes, ordering tons of food and putting together all of the details of the conference. We are all abuzz and loving it!
Not only are we putting all those last-minute details together, but we are also making plans for next year’s conferences! (Did you hear that? More than one!) We have even more fun and exciting plans for Colorado and Texas in 2011–and also for churches and/or organizations across the country with military ministries! Keep checking in to see what we have planned!
See you in a few days!!
Posted in conference, tagged chick fil a, Colorado Springs, fundraiser, military spouse on April 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Tomorrow we are hosting a Wings Conference fundraiser in Colorado Springs and Chick Fil A is being SOOO generous! They are doing it ALL DAY at ALL 5 Colorado Springs locations for us! Chick-Fil-A rocks! Especially Torrie Giffen who has coordinated it all for us!
Hope you can join us tomorrow as we raise money to help military spouses!
Posted in conference, tagged Colorado Springs, communication, conference, deployment, marriage, military kids, military spouse, PTSD on March 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »
I’ve been doing a lot of studying on what makes a great conference; from the ones I used to attend as an MLM distributor, to conferences like Women of Faith and Beth Moore. The more I talk with people about what we are trying to do, the more I’m noticing a varied response. My husband and other men always ask, “Why a conference?” Whereas women always say, “A conference?! We’ve been needing one of those!”
I firmly believe that women just need a place to gather. When we have that place, be it a home, a coffee shop or a conference, we will bond, talk, laugh, cry and heal. Men usually don’t understand this idea because they need something to rally around when they meet: a ball game, electronics, vehicles. Give a group of men a broken down car and some tools and they will walk away at the end of the day knowing they’ve accomplished something. Give women a place to meet others like themselves and they will walk away at the end of the day knowing that they are not alone and therefore feel encouraged and strengthened to carry on.
So, that’s what I tell the men who question this idea: we just need a place to get together.
Wings for Women is providing that place. When you come to the conference, you will get pampered by massages and gifts, entertained by skits and speakers, and educated by other military spouses and professionals who can make your life easier. You will walk away from this two-day conference feeling lighter, healthier and connected. (You can even register now by following this link)
For some, however, just that one time boost each year isn’t enough. Some of you are living in homes where the effects of war-related post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has ravaged your safe haven. It has changed your life in a way you never wanted or would have wished for. For you, there is something additional that you will want to attend. That is the “When War Comes Home [Don’t] Retreat” that Marshele Carter Waddell and Rev. Rahnella Adsit are putting together just for you!
The retreat will take place at Glen Eyrie in November of 2010. It is an overnight intensive retreat that will focus on healing for the military spouse who live with the effects of PTSD every day. They are putting together an amazing program for healing, help and accountability that is unprecedented. Find out more from the website-whenwarcomeshomeretreat.com.
So my encouragement is this: Come to the conference in May at the Cheyenne Mountain Conference Center and invite your friends–you’ll meet with military spouses from across the nation and you will be uplifted and encouraged by the program we’ve put together.
And if you are in a family reeling from the effects of battle-induced PTSD, also sign up for the intensive retreat at Glen Eyrie in November.
Military Spouses–this is your year!!! Go for it!!!!
Posted in conference, mil spouse info, tagged help for military spouses, military spouse, military spouse conferences, PBS, Stephen Robinson, This Emotional Life, wings for women, wings4women on March 15, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Over the weekend I had a great conversation with Stephen Robinson, a military brat and Army veteran who shares his vast military lifestyle knowledge and experiences in This Emotional Life, a documentary on PBS (learn more about what the program is doing for military families here). Stephen is an amazing advocate for veteran’s affairs and has testified before the House and Senate on PTSD, suicide, mental health and the resiliency of the force. He found out about Wings for Women on the web and gave me a call to talk about what we are doing for military spouses. It made my day!
We’ve been working so hard at Wings for Women to create a conference that empowers and uplifts military spouses. My husband has been so great about funding this organization until we get the sponsorships we need to run affordable conferences for military spouses across the country. Sometimes it is a lonely journey working long hours, creating programs, lining up speakers, finding sponsors. Half the time I honestly wonder what I was thinking; I literally woke up one day and said, “Okay, let’s do this! Let’s make it as big as the vision I believe God has given me to bring healing and hope to military spouses.”
Some days I think I must be crazy, creating this thing out of thin air; I get discouraged by the obstacles and frustrated by the people who don’t understand why military spouses need Wings for Women Military Spouse Conferences–why we need a place to talk with others who know; a place to laugh, cry, talk and hug; a place to get together and heal. But I keep pressing on because I so passionately believe that we military spouses need this!
Military spouses aren’t weak and we aren’t victims. But we are tired. We need each other. I know that these conferences are exactly what military spouses need. I know we are filling a gap. And I know that when we strengthen the military spouse, we help everyone!
So when I get calls from people of Stephen Robinson’s caliber, I know we are doing what is right. When I receive notes from military spouses telling me how long they have waited for something like this, it makes a difference. When I see spouses registered for our conference who are flying in from across the country, I’m inspired. When I get calls from people from PBS and other military ministries, I know we are being blessed and will be able to bless others.
I am so grateful for the many business professionals and military spouses who are coming along beside Wings for Women to make this conference happen. It is only 60 days away and I can’t wait to meet all of you crazy amazing military spouses who are attending! Keep spreading the word–let’s pack the house and party in May!
If you haven’t registered for the conference yet, there are only a few more weeks to do so! Follow this link and register today! (It’s only $32–but it has a value of $125)
See you soon!
Posted in conference, tagged alane pearce, Colorado Springs, conference, deployment, fort carson, marshele carter waddell, mililtary spouse, peterson, PTSD, wings for women on February 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Posted in conference, tagged conference, military spouse on January 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Posted in conference, tagged Colorado Springs, communication, conference, deployment, marriage, military kids, military spouse, PTSD on January 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »
with:
2010 Workshop Breakout Topics:
Marriage and Communication
Successful marriages don’t just happen–especially in the military. They take some creativity and lots of hard work. Get the tools you need to create intimacy and communication in your marriage before, during and after deployments for a successful and fulfilling military marriage.
The Aftereffects of War (PTSD/TBI/Suicide)
PTSD is the new reality for military families facing multiple deployments during this long war. Talk with a panel of experts in the field and get the resources you need to identify PTSD behavior in your spouse, know what to do to keep yourself and your family safe and/or diffuse the situation, and recognize secondary traumatic stress symptoms in yourself.
Surviving Deployment
How do you get through single parenting while your married? The long nights alone? The empty space at the dinner table? We all have different methods to cope. Talk with a panel of military spouses who have been there–many times. Find out how God wants us to use our time during a deployment and discover creative ways to keep the family in touch while he’s gone.
Helping our Kids Cope
Often our children are the forgotten heroes; they must learn how to cope with frequent moves, long distance daddys and other challenges of military life. Listen to stories from other military spouses and get new ideas to help your children thrive in their adventurous military lifestyle.
Finance Management for Military Families
Finances can be a strain on any family, but couple financial challenges with a down economy, moves and deployments and the challenges can be overwhelming. Get practical tips and advice from financial professionals on eliminating debt, saving for the future and having a cushion for those unexpected expenses.
Mobile Careers
One of the most challenging tasks for a military spouse is finding meaningful work or volunteer opportunities. Not anymore! Hear from professional career coaches on what it takes to create a niche for yourself in your mobile lifestyle. Whether it is working, school or volunteering, this session will help you realize your strengths and talents (as well as what you should avoid), and help point you to the best opportunity out there by giving you the skills and tools you need toland that perfect position–one that can even move with you.
Learn more about Wings for Women here
Follow our blog: www.Wings4Women.wordpress.com
and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook @Wings4Women
*It is and always will be our goal to keep this conference affordable for any military-associated woman who wants to attend. This is made possible through many local businesses and donors who are supporting this conference through sponsorships and scholarship donations.
"When War Comes Home [Don't] Retreat" coming November 2010!
Wings for Women Conference for Military Spouses 