(God) Bless You

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:

• Around 100 bright and beautiful women from around the country laughing, crying, singing and growing!
• Amazing speakers who shared with us how to live a Delicious Life, how to get more from our prayer lives and how laundry day relates to our spirituality! In fact, there was a lot of talk about underwear…hmmm!
• Breakout sessions helped us connect to one another and get some ideas, tools and resources for specific military life challenges.
• Funny skits from Ertha and Bertha–including karaoke!
• Great worship music led by Kim and CJ–who knew a 39-year-old mother could rap like that! (here’s a link to her rappin’ on YouTube from another event if you want to see it).
• One exhausted and exhilarated Conference Founder! I was so thrilled to meet so many of you that I’ve spoken to on Facebook or by email; I love looking at the pictures of your smiling faces. You bring me great joy!

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!)

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The Conference is Almost Here!

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!!

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On Conferences and Retreats

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!!!!

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Don’t miss out!

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Can you help me out?

We want to make the 2010 Wings for Women Military Spouse Conference the best ever. We also want to make sure we meet your expectations. Will you take a minute to fill out this brief survey and help us with our market research? Pick the top three reasons you like a conference. Thanks so much!

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Tickets on Sale Now!

Finally! A Conference for Military Spouses!

Wings for Women Military Spouse Conferences
a non-profit corporation

Presents:

Take Cover!
Colorado Springs 2010

Treat yourself to a fun weekend made just for YOU

with:

Amazing Speakers
Workshop Breakout Sessions
Friendship and Laughter
Great Worship Music
Fabulous Food
and
Fun Entertainment

Geared specifically toward the issues military spouses face~

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.

All this for only $24* (early bird registration here)
Onsite childcare provided for $8.50/day/child

Make it a weekend retreat and stay the night for $88!
(follow this link to register for a room–just mention you are with Wings for Women!)

Join us May 14-15, 2010
At the Cheyenne Mountain Conference Resort
for the time of your life–
for military spouses by military spouses!

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.

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Coming Soon!

It’s 2010, and tickets go on sale soon for the biggest Colorado Springs Wings for Women Conference yet!

Keep your eyes and ears open…there are many great things in store like a special promotion on Facebook! Be sure to Fan “Wings4Women” to get in on a really great prize opportunity!

See you soon!

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Counting Down

Only five more months to go until our biggest conference yet in Colorado Springs! That may seem like a long time for you to wait, but here behind the scenes we’re busy getting all the details hammered out for the best conference experience possible for our Military Spouses! We’ve even heard rumors that some spouses will be flying in from out of state to attend. There is a lot of excitement stirring so be sure to get your tickets early! They will go on sale January 5th for an early bird price of only $24! Unheard of! It is and always will be be our goal to keep the ticket prices under $30 for as long as we can so any military spouse who wants to attend can afford to do so. We also have some organizations that are offering to pay for spouse scholarships!

Here are some of the exciting details: Our General Sessions will feature humorists, military spouses, great music (also from a military spouse), and lots of fun and laughter. We have some great videos to show you as well. We won’t be afraid, however, to talk about the challenges of military life with you–not to gripe about it, but to find solutions together so we can all live to our fullest potential in the position that we have been placed.

We’re also putting together five workshops that will be led by experts and military spouses. Some of the topics will include: Marriage and Communication, Helping our Kids Cope, What to do when your spouse comes home different (dealing with PTSD/TBI and secondary PTSD as a spouse) and a workshop of career/volunteer opportunities to enhance your expereiences. We will also have care teams available for counseling should anyone need to talk an issue out.

For your enjoyment, we’ll have free chair massages, books and other items for sale and a whole pool of resources for military spouses including such organizations as, Just Moved, Wives of Faith, Christian Military Wives, Pikes Peak Leadership, Back Yard Bible Club, Talking with Heroes, and more!

We are currently looking for volunteers to help us with registration, some administrative duties and a bunch of critical roles at the conference itself. When you volunteer, you can attend the conference at no cost! If you are interested in helping us out–and helping other military spouses–please let us know!

By the way, as soon as funding allows, we’re also putting together a special event for military husbands–a day-long video game tournament! So spread the word and keep your ears open to hear more about this wonderful event!

Looking forward to seeing you all in Colorado in 2010, in Colorado and Texas in 2011 and across the nation soon!

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Work, Work, Work

Well, here’s an update on our nonprofit; The IRS has received our application and we are awaiting response. It should go well, as I had some great help putting the package together. My Director of Business Sponsorships has been contacting businesses all over Colorado Springs–many of whom are so excited to support this great endeavor so we can keep attendee’s costs down. Misty Taggert of VideoTrailers in Los Angeles is working on a great video for us. Can’t wait to see it at the end of the month. I am in the process of writing PR, marketing, fundraising, branding, media and strategic plans for the organization. Does anyone know of a fundraising professional who would want to help us? How about a military spouse who would want to volunteer to give me a little admin assistance? Let me know–I’d love to get you involved! I’m actually thankful that my schedule has eased up a bit (because of our move) so I can get some of this important groundwork accomplished. If any of you have ideas to help us be more successful at our conferences, I’d love to hear from you! Thanks!

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Whew!

What a wild two weeks! It has been five years since we moved last and boy did we accumulate some shtuff! We usually clean out every move, leaving behind those items that didn’t get used during that tour. After five years we had over 300 boxes to unpack. Way too much! I already have three boxes I’ve loaded up for another garage sale. That being said, my husband picked up a great home for us (his first time finding us an abode without my input). My son has made friends in the neighborhood and acclimated well to a new school. Things are good and I’m ready to start the conference planning and fund raising (so we can keep the cost down for military spouses).  I’ll be updating you on the details!

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