Rise & Shine Women's Retreat

Praise the Lord!

2011-11-02T16:05:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all of the women who attended Rise & Shine Women's Retreat '11on Saturday, October 29th. What a blessing it was to spend the day with you! Our hearts are still praising the Lord for all He did there!

For those of you who missed it, let us tell you, it was an amazing day. We were strengthened, challenged and stretched in our faith by the messages from our incredible guest speaker Susie Larson. We were educated on slavery and sex trafficking by Hannah Burkle from Rapha House. In addition, we enjoyed powerful prayer time, great worship, fellowship and fab food along with fun surprises throughout the day. Many women made a decision to follow Jesus Christ! It truly was an amazing day, and we give Him all the praise!

Be sure to come back, PICTURES will be posted soon!

In the mean time, here is a great reflection of the day that you can read, written by Starla Smith on the Friendships of Love blog.

Never miss a post: sign up for e-mail updates (in the right hand side bar) and follow us on facebook!

Susie Larson Interview

2011-10-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

Our guest speaker, Susie Larson, was interviewed this morning on Life 101.9 KNWS. It was a great interview! It was wonderful to hear Susie express her heart and share her enthusiasm about being at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat on October 29th! CLICK HERE to listen to the interview for yourself!

Also, you have just a few more days to get your registrations in...the cutoff is Saturday, October 22nd. Print out a registration form HERE.

Hope to see YOU there!!

It's going to be a BLESSED day!!

Moriah's Story and GIVEAWAY winner!!

2011-10-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to this very special edition of Testimony Tuesday. Not only do I get to share a testimony from Rise & Shine Women's Retreat with you, I also get to announce the BIG WINNER of our giveaway!! We wish we could give 2 free registrations to each of you, but we had to pick just one winner! We couldn't choose, so we used http://www.random.org/ to pick for us.

And the WINNER of two free registrations (one for you and one for a friend) is...

Congratulations Rachel Kauten (and her mom Miriam)!!!

(Expect an e-mail soon with details)

Our 2nd place winner gets a “Susie Larson Bundle”~ 1 copy of Susie Larson's message “The Uncommon Woman” on CD and 1 copy of her book “Balance That Works When Life Doesn't”

and the winner is... lin.smith@dnhcsd.org !

Our 3rd place winner gets a copy of Susie Larson's message “The Uncommon Woman” on CD

and the winner is... Robin!

Congratulations ladies! We hope to see all of our reading friends there on Saturday, October 29th! Remember to get the best registration rate you must register before Saturday, October 8th!
To print a registration form click here.

Now, on to Testimony Tuesday...

Today I am sharing Moriah's Story:

Strangely Moriah's testimony is intertwined with a testimony of my own. Let me explain.

The first time I heard about 14 year old Moriah was weeks before Rise & Shine Women's Retreat '10 when Moriah's loving mom, Cheryl, left a comment on our Giveaway post. Last year we also gave away two registrations...and Cheryl entered to win one for her and her daughter. Cheryl shared that their family had moved to Iowa only the year before. Although the move was a blessing, Moriah had faced some challenges that are typical for girls in high school. Cheryl shared only a few details and her longing for Moriah to feel comfortable and confident in who she is in Christ. The first time I read Cheryl's comment, my heart went out to Moriah. I prayed for her right then and there.

A few weeks later I saw Cheryl and Moriah's registrations come in the mail. It put a big smile on my face. They didn't win the giveaway, but they were coming!

Last year we prayed over every woman who attended Rise & Shine Women's Retreat specifically by name. We prayed many things for them...for their spiritual walk, for their relationships, etc. We also wanted to pray specific Scripture over each of them specifically by name. We felt directed to Galatians 5:22-23, The Fruit of the Spirit. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTROL.”

As registrations came in, we prayed the Lord would direct our hands to assign their names to a specific “fruit” that would be especially meaningful to them. Although we didn't know many of them women who were attending, we knew God did (and does) and He knew right where their names needed to be on that list. It seemed we were doing it randomly, but we know God doesn't do anything randomly, He is specific and personal! Boy, did He show Himself faithful to answer!

It really struck me that Moriah's name ended up under “Faithfulness”! In fact, one day when a few ladies and I were praying together for the women who would attend Rise & Shine, I mentioned to the others how this struck me...and we all prayed for her an extra length of time. Moriah's name stood out to us every time we prayed after that.

Rise & Shine '10 was wonderful! Lysa TerKeurst was our guest speaker. I knew God had answered our prayers. Still, I never got to meet 14 year old Moriah and I wondered what God did in her heart that day. I decided to e-mail her mom, Cheryl several days after the retreat.

Here is Cheryl's response:

Thank you, thank you for your faithfulness in praying for Moriah and myself. I have to tell you how I first heard about your retreat. I had been desiring (for some time) to attend a women's conference. So I looked on the P31 schedule site and found Rise & Shine. I was very confident that the Lord had led me to that and I was even more confident that God was going to do something really great in Moriah's life as well as mine. So I prayed and prayed (and you all prayed and prayed) and as expected...the Lord truly answered the cries of our hearts! He is so Good and FAITHFUL!!

I also was amazed when I saw that "Faithfulness" was the fruit of the Spirit that Moriah came under. You see, her middle name is Faith....& years ago when we were choosing her name, Faith jumped out at us so strongly and this was, has been, and is our prayer for her! She was also struck by this too!

Let me tell you about the work the Lord is doing in Moriah. Four years ago, November 5th, Moriah made a profession of faith in Christ, prayed the prayer, was baptized. Brian (her daddy) is a pastor, so she has 'heard it all' and seen the truth of Christ and His Word lived out in Brian and myself, but yet we never witnessed a real change in her, no evidence of Christ at work in her life, although she had all the 'right' answers to most of the questions you'd ask her. I realize only God knows her heart, whether she is a true follower of Christ or not.

As I found your retreat I knew that I was going to take Moriah and when I asked her about going she seemed really excited (kind of surprised! she's a teen you know!). So Moriah and I and another mom and teen daughter from church came on Sat morning. After Lysa's first session, Moriah turned around and looked at me with such conviction and tears. She talked and did a lot of confessing about the 'double life' she is living at school, bad language, thoughts, ideas, and choices and asked for forgiveness and said "as soon as I get home, I'm going to take all the garbage music off my i-pod" (something we have asked her to do since she bought it last December). We talked about her relationship with Christ and her need to 'grow up into maturity in Him' and not remain a baby.

She seemed to respond to God's leading with absolute obedience, but Brian and I were somewhat reluctant, waiting to see if these were just words or truly a 'heart' change. I am exceedingly joyful to tell you that we have both seen a great change in Moriah. She is in the Word daily and reading Lysa's (TerKeurst) "More than a good Bible Study Girl" and we have seen evidence of Christ at work in her life daily! It is amazing how just the change of one persons life in our home has created a more gentle environment. You see, we have 2 more daughters (younger than Moriah) and they were usually constantly bickering or fighting about something. But now there is a peace and gentleness throughout the house (Most of the time!! We are all still sinners, saved by God's Marvelous Grace!!).

So once again thank you!

Wow! Lord, you are soooo good!! You faithfully hear and faithfully answer!! Thank you for answering our prayers (and Cheryl's prayers too) for this precious young lady, Moriah, (and many other women) last year.

Thank you, Cheryl and Moriah, for sharing your Testimony with us and giving God the glory!

We are anxiously anticipating all God will do at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat '11!! This year we are praying Promises from Scripture over each woman who registers to attend. We pray YOU will join us...and be blessed on Satruday, October 29th!! Our guest speaker, Susie Larson, will focus on our theme "Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary"! We are thanking the Lord in advance for all He will do!

Maybe you have a teenage daughter you would like to take to Rise & Shine Women's Retreat '11! Did you know there is a student discount in place this year? Check the details out here. Remember ALL women (even young women)...women of ALL ages, in ALL stages and from ALL places are welcome to attend!!

Lovingly,
Rachel (and the whole R&S team)

You still have time...Enter our GIVEAWAY!!

2011-09-22T13:25:00.001-05:00

You still have time to enter to win a FREE Registration for you AND a friend!! YOU could win, but only if you sign up! :) CLICK HERE to learn more details. We will announce the winner on Tuesday, October 4th!

Testimony Tuesday ~ Omaha, Nebraska

2011-09-06T08:02:00.000-05:00

Suzanne League came to Rise & Shine Women's Retreat 2010 all the way from Omaha, Nebraska. Our Guest speaker was Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. Read Suzanne words about how she was blessed by our prayer room, the fellowship with other women and how a message Lysa shared with us that day has impacted her to this day. Lysa's words about looking at others, “You are not equipped to handle what they have - both good and bad.”

From Suzanne League:
God directed me to Rise & Shine Retreat through exploring Lysa Terkerst's, Proverbs 31 Ministries, website. I would have never found the Rise & Shine's site on my own. But more importantly the message I took home with me, the bonding with Christian women, with a true devotion to follow and serve our Lord. The love of Christ I could feel, especially in the prayer room. Humbling, anointed by the presence of our Lord.

We are rebellious carnal creatures, broken and wounded. Just because the "outside" appears like a pretty package, all together, everybody-can-count-on-us gal, is not usually so on the inside. Lysa told us several stories, but one that clearly remains intact in my mind.

The basic point of this story was, don't envy or wish that you could have the life circumstances of another. Because the Good comes with Bad for all of us in our circumstances. God is there and we need to be thankful, steadfast and supportive to each other.

Very much so looking forward to this years retreat. God Bless you (Rise & Shine team) for listening to Him, being Obedient to let Him lead you and us in a day of worship, fellowship and stretching, growing in our Lord and each other.

Thank you, Suzanne, for sharing how God used Rise & Shine Women's Retreat to impact your life! Your testimony is an answer to prayer. It's so exciting and humbling to see what God can do when we follow His lead. We are so grateful that you followed His lead to attend, and that God answered our prayers for Rise & Shine 2010. We prayed that He would draw women there (all who needed to be there) and He sure did...women from all parts of Iowa, from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and one all the way from Nebraska joined us that day! :) We also prayed that He would prepare the hearts of the women to receive from Him and clearly move in our midst to change lives. He faithfully answered! Glory be to God!

We are looking forward to what He will do at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat 2011!! We look forward to seeing you, and all of our reading friends, there on October 29th to share in another great day that is being basked in prayer! Our guest speaker, Susie Larson's, messages will be focused on “Making an Ordinary Life Extraordinary”...sure to be encouraging, relevant and applicable to our ordinary, everyday lives!

Click here to print a registration form. Note: Get your registration in before the fee goes up...early registration ends October 8th!

Enter our Registration Giveaway by clicking here!! You could win a FREE registration for you and a friend!

Registration GIVEAWAY...for you and a friend!!

2011-08-29T16:23:00.001-05:00

Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat is quickly approaching and we know it's going to be a great year with Susie Larson as our guest speaker. Susie's messages will focus on this years theme, a topic she is passionate about: "Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary". Isn’t that what all of us want? Don’t we want to dare to "Rise" up and "Shine" as uncommon women, to see God at work in extraordinary ways in our ordinary, everyday lives? We know she is going to share messages that are powerful, relevant and encouraging to YOU on your walk of faith! Sure hope you can join us on Saturday, October 29th!!

Here is your chance to WIN a FREE registration for you AND a friend!!

This contest is open to ALL women, those with blogs and those without (anyone can leave a comment below).

We’re giving away other great prizes as well. Check it out!

First prize: Two FREE registrations…one for you and one for a friend (including lunch)!

Second prize: Susie Larson Bundle ~ 1 copy of Susie Larson's message "The Uncommon Woman" on CD and 1 copy of Susie Larson's book "Balance That Works When Life Doesn't"

Third prize: 1 copy of Susie Larson's message "The Uncommon Woman" on CD

To enter to win, leave a comment with the following information:

1. Tell us about someone you consider to be an "Extraordinary Woman"…her name, why you think she deserves to win a free registration/why you would like to attend Rise & Shine with her.

2. Tell us where you heard about this giveaway (ie: what radio station, what website, facebook, a friend, etc).

3. Tell us your name and give us your e-mail address so we can contact you if you win!

Don’t hesitate to register for Rise & Shine while waiting! If you register before the winner is announced and then you win, we will refund your money at the retreat.

Click here to print your registration form

We will announce the winner on Tuesday, October 4th (on Testimony Tuesday)! So check back then!!

Also, don't forget to join us on Tuesday, September 6th, for our next Testimony Tuesday post!

P.S. Don't miss a post on our blog, sign up to receive e-mail updates...in the right hand sidebar.

Testimony Tuesday ~ A Leap of Faith

2011-08-02T07:48:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our monthly event, Testimony Tuesday! The 2nd Tuesday of each month until Rise & Shine 2011 we will share a Rise & Shine testimony with you. This month we are going to hear from one of the Rise & Shine Leadership Team members, Rachel Beran.

Here’s Rachel’s testimony:

A Leap of Faith

It seems a little crazy that me, a small town Indiana girl turned Iowa farmer’s wife, is part of the leadership team for Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat…especially considering the fact that the conference is held 1 ½ hours away from my home.

It all began like this…

A good friend of mine, Jill, who is also a farmer’s wife up here in Northeastern Iowa, felt the Lord leading her to start a women's conference. She had felt this prompting for about 2 ½ years, but wasn't sure how she could ever pull something like this off. She kept praying about it, until it came to a point that she knew that it was definitely His idea and not hers. She shared the idea with her husband and a few close friends.

Long story short, Jill and her friend/mentor, Leanne, decided to take the idea to Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 2009. Leanne had just recently started attending OHC. They were thrilled when the church agreed to host the event.

Although Jill and I only live a couple of miles apart, go to the same church and even share a last name (we’re married to cousins), we really only became friends months before Rise & Shine began when we connected at a Bible study. During that same Bible study, the Lord started stirring up thoughts in my mind and heart, especially ones about what my role should be in women’s ministry. One day, I mentioned in the study that I wanted to do something “radical for Christ”. This started a personal conversation between Jill and I, our friendship blossomed from there. Later, when she told me about the idea of starting a women’s conference she said, “How’s this for something radical?”

Unbeknownst to Jill, also about 2 ½ years before this, I was at a women’s conference when I felt the Lord speaking to my spirit. It wasn't an audible voice, but I knew Who it was. It was like He said to me, "You're going to be part of something like this someday."

Yet, there I sat, I was pregnant with my first child, a farmer's wife living in rural Iowa…in the middle of “no where“. I thought, "What? ME? How could I ever do something like that?" I have to admit that I questioned the Lord. Did He get the right girl?! Still, joy rose up within me and I remember praying in my mind, right there in the midst of this huge conference, "I don't know how, but I believe that you will make a way, Lord."

I never told anyone about this. I actually filed it to the back of my mind. Every once in a while I would recall what He said, but still didn't see a way. I would say a little prayer about it and shove it back to it's little corner in my mind.

So, even though I know she expected me to be, I wasn't shocked when Jill came to me with this idea. I knew that I was suppose to be part of it, but I didn’t tell Jill. I just told her that I would pray about it...which I did. I was thrilled a few weeks later when she asked me to be part of the Rise & Shine team. Isn't this just the way that the Lord works? He opens doors where there doesn't even seem to be a door!!!

That first year was a real leap of faith for our team. None of us had ever planned a women’s conference before. We didn’t have any funds available when we started (not even to pay the speaker we had booked). We didn’t even know if anyone would sign up to attend . But, we prayed and felt the Lord prompting us on. We chose to step out in faith and obedience. We’re so glad we did! God answered one prayer after another, opened doors and showed us His faithfulness time and time again…and has continued to do so. I wish I could list all of the prayers He has answered, but I don’t know where I would start and end. This year we are planning our third Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat.

So many amazing people have come on board to make Rise & Shine happen each year, people who have such a heart to honor and serve the Lord. We’re just ordinary people who have been blessed to be part of something so extraordinary, something so much bigger than us. To God be the glory! He is so great, and greatly to be praised!

Appropriately, our theme for Rise & Shine 2011 is “Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary”. I am thrilled that our guest speaker for this year is Susie Larson, the “Uncommon Woman” herself. Susie is one of my personal favorite authors and speakers. I know she is going to bless our socks off, as she speaks the words the Lord puts on her heart and leads us to “Rise” up to who God created us to be and “Shine” His light with our lives. Believe me, you don’t want to miss it…and I would love to meet YOU there on October 29th!

In what area is God asking YOU to leap out in faith today? God will use you in ways you never thought possible, and will make a way when there seems to be no way, if you choose to trust Him, obey and follow His lead. I find that incredibly exciting!! How about you?!

To connect with Rachel, visit her blog by clicking here.

Maybe He’s leading you to attend a women’s conference on October 29th?! :) Print a registration form by clicking here.

Have a testimony to share? A question or prayer request? We would love to hear from you!! Send us a message at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com

Many blessings to you, friends! Thank you for taking the time to read. We're praying for you and hope to see you at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat on October 29th!!

Testimony Tuesday and Giveaway Winner!

2011-07-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our 2nd Testimony Tuesday! Each month (up to Rise & Shine '11) we will be posting a testimony from Rise & Shine Women's Retreat '09 and '10. Join us on the first Tuesday of each month for Testimony Tuesday!

BUT before we share this month's testimony, we need to announce our Registration Giveway winner!! Thanks to each of you who entered to win...and especially to those of you who listened to our interview on "Live the Promise with Susie Larson" on Faith 1090 in Waterloo last week. If you missed it, you can listen to the interview here. Wish we didn't have to pick just one winner! We hope to see each of you at Rise & Shine Woimen's Retreat on October 29th!

CONGRATULATIONS, CHRIS HARWOOD!!

You are the winner!! Hip Hip Hooray!!

(Expect to receive an e-mail from us with details shortly)

For those of you who did not win, you can print a registration form by clicking here. If you are in need of a scholarship, there are a few available. E-mail us at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com for details. AND there just may be ANOTHER REGISTRATION GIVEAWAY posted soon...STAY TUNED!!

Now, on to Testimony Tuesday! This month Jill Beran offered to share a little about the "History of Rise & Shine". We believe you will enjoy reading how God started something so extraordinary, in the heart of one ordinary, yet extraordinarily loved by God, young woman.

Here is Jill Beran's testimony:
Rise and Shine began as an idea in my mind nearly 5 years ago; at the time the thought of organizing a women’s conference was way beyond me. Honestly the idea seemed a bit crazy, so I tucked it aside and life moved on. As time ticked away, God continued to work and speak.

He assured me I wasn’t alone…there were (and still are) women who needed the opportunity to be encouraged, refreshed and renewed. But most importantly the opportunity to hear and understand what a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was all about and for their faith to grow.

Before “Rise and Shine,” the event, even became a reality, God was calling me to live the truth of these words. Me, an ordinary girl, who married a farmer and was raising a family. Me, a women who had attended a few faith based conferences, but never played any part in organizing one. Me, a child of God, who’s faith was growing, but was still a major work in progress.

He was calling me to rise - to step out of my comfort zone, to trust Him to do what I never could and to listen closely as He revealed the next step. Now as I look back, I see it was through my rising that He was shining - my steps of faith and walk of obedience allowed His light to shine.

So nearly 2 and a half years after God first put this idea on my heart, He convinced me it was time - time to stop praying and wondering, or perhaps to stop worrying, it was time to move forward. So in Decemeber of 2008, I started sharing the idea with others and plans started to come together.

By January of 2009, my close friend/mentor and I had found a church eager to support the event, had contacted Renee Swope about the possibility of speaking in Iowa and began hearing answers to the prayers we’d been praying. In February, we had our first team meeting which consisted of 5 ordinary women of various ages, from different places and in different stages. God had brought Leanne Anderson, Rachel Beran, Julie Ulven, Judy Walsten and myself together to do something extraordinary.

One of the first things we did was name the event and God used what He’d already been doing in my life to do just that! After discussing many ideas, I was reminded of the song I daily use to wake my children to start the day - I will say, “Rise and Shine” and after my pause they reply, “Give God the glory, glory, children of the Lord.” It occurred to us this was our purpose - encourage women to do just what these words say!!

I believe that is exactly what God has done! On October 30, 2009, the first ever Rise and Shine Women’s Retreat was held at Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls, IA. Renee Swope from Proverbs 31 spoke and nearly 250 women were encouraged, refreshed and renewed. And most importantly God was glorified!

This past October, Rise and Shine was held again and God perfectly arranged the day! Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 shared her story and God touched the hearts and changed the lives of over 330 women.

Jill (2nd from the left) with the rest of the Rise & Shine team, Lysa TerKeurst and her assistant, Holly, at Rise & Shine '10

The story doesn’t end there - plans are being made for Rise and Shine 2011! Susie Larson will bring the message and again we trust women will be encouraged, refreshed and renewed! We also hope one of the original prayers would continue to be answered - that Rise and Shine isn’t simply a one day event, but that it would become a way of life!

I know God hears and answers that prayer because He is doing just that in my life! This past January, He whispered something new to my heart, He asked me to step off a team I’d been afraid to begin. I’ll be honest I fought this step, almost as hard as I did the initial one, but He reminded me rising and shining isn’t always easy and it’s not just about the big, fun things in life either.

As I’ve stepped away from something I really believe in, have grown to love and truly enjoy God has shown me so much. Not only can God do something extraordinary through an ordinary women, daily He wants me to be extraordinary in my ordinary life. So as He has me cut back in every area outside the walls of my house, He is constantly asking me to Rise and Shine!

Friends, honestly sometimes that’s harder to accomplish in front of my husband and children than it was when I stood on a stage in front of you at Rise and Shine. The last few weeks I’ve found myself wondering why things have unfolded like they have and even this morning I asked God, “Why do you have me taking a break from ministry?”

I didn’t hear His voice, but He whispered to my heart, “It’s not a break, I’m building your ministry.” It’s true my number one ministry is growing, we’re weeks away from meeting baby number 5, but I believe He means more than that. When we find ourselves in a season we didn’t expect or a time we don’t understand, God doesn’t change - He still calls me, and you, to Rise and Shine!! As we obey, He builds our faith and strengthens us to “Rise” so we can “Shine” His light! Our ministry may not always look like we expect, but it’s all about His ministry not ours!!

Rise and Shine has made an eternal impact on my life and I pray the same is true for you!! I look forward to what extraordinary things God will do during this years ordinary event!

THANK YOU, Jill, for sharing your testimony with us today! It's so encouraging to know that God can use each of us ordinary girls to "Rise" up and "Shine" in extraordinary ways, if we will just trust Him and follow His lead...wherever He leads! To connect with Jill, visit her blog by clicking here.

We hope that each of you reading will join us at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat on October 29, 2011. Our theme this year is "Making an Ordinary Life Extraordinary" and we will be blessed to hear from Susie Larson, the Uncommon Woman herself. Believe us, you don't want to miss it!

Join us for our next Testimony Tuesday on August 2nd!

Join us on Facebook or sign up for e-mail updates in the right hand sidebar to keep up on important matters like registration giveaways. :)

REGISTRATION GIVEAWAY!

2011-06-29T15:00:00.003-05:00

Hello to all! And welcome to our Faith Radio listening friends!

Leanne and Rachel from the Rise & Shine team were blessed to be guests on "Live the Promise with Susie Larson" today. And our whole team is excited that Susie Larson is going to be our Rise & Shine Women's Retreat 2011 guest speaker! If you didn't win the Registration Giveaway on the show today, here's another chance!!

One winner will receive a FREE registration to Rise & Shine Women's Retreat on Saturday, October 29, 2011! (Including lunch)

Anyone can enter (whether you heard the radio show or not). All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog or on our facebook page with this information:

1. Your name and e-mail (so we can contact you if you win)
2. Where you heard about this giveaway (ie: Faith 1090)
3. Why you want to attend Rise & Shine Women's Retreat?

We will announce the winner on Tuesday, July 5th which just happens to also be Testimony Tuesday here on our blog. So be sure to come back on July 5th, not just to find out if you've won, but also to read an uplifting Rise & Shine testimony!

While you're here, feel free to take a look around to learn more about the retreat. You can even (just in case you don't win) print off a registration form by clicking here.

We would love to see YOU at Rise & Shine on October 29th!!

Never miss our posts: sign up to receive e-mail updates (in the right hand sidebar).
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Listen In!

2011-06-27T16:02:00.003-05:00

This Wednesday, June 29th at 3:00pm two of our Rise & Shine Leadership Team members will be guests on "Live the Promise with Susie Larson". Leanne and Rachel will be sharing with Susie Larson (our 2011 Guest Speaker) about Rise & Shine...and there will be a GIVEAWAY involved!! You can listen on Faith 1090 AM in Waterloo or, if you can't listen on your radio, you can listen online by following this link: http://www.life1019.com/on-air/listen-online/

We're praising God for this great opportunity and praying that the show will be a blessing to all who listen that day. Don't forget to join us on Wednesday, June 29th at 3:00pm on Faith 1090!

GIVEAWAY Winner!

2011-06-10T10:09:00.000-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS, Jennifer Jensen!

You are the winner of the CD message "The Uncommon Woman" by Susie Larson,

our Rise & Shine '11 guest speaker.

Thank you for your comment on our very 1st Testimony Tuesday post.

We know you are going to be blessed by Susie's message. Enjoy!

To all of our reading friends, check out this recent post on Susie Larson's blog entitled "Performance for Acceptance vs Obedience Because of Love..." It's an excellent post and something many of us women need to read...and have truly penetrate our hearts.

Come back for our next Testimony Tuesday, July 5th. Jill Beran, one of the women who started Rise & Shine Women's Retreat, will share her testimony with us. You don't want to miss it!!

Testimony Tuesday ~ For Goodness Sake

2011-06-07T08:42:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our very first Testimony Tuesday!!

From now until Rise & Shine Women's Retreat '11 (October 29th), the first Tuesday of each month will be dedicated to sharing a testimony from a woman who attended the retreat.

This month we are sharing a beautiful testimony from our friend Starla Smith.

Please read Starla Smith's words below...and stick around for a GIVEAWAY at the end!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Starla (on the right) and her best friend, Tina, at Rise & Shine '09

For Goodness Sake by Starla Smith

Rise and Shine is a blessing to me.

My BFF and I have attended the last two years and loved it!!!

But something MORE happened this year for me.

At the end of the conference we were instructed to write ourselves a letter that would later be sent to us. I wrote it, addressed it, licked the envelope and shut it. .. and forgot about it. I didn't remember what I had written. I figured it would be revealed later the significance of doing that.

Off we went for the drive home, mulling over all the details, repeating to each other what we thought and heard within (so we can remind one another when a connection comes –so we don't miss puzzle pieces on this Holy Spirit journey train )

And we wondered why God gave us our particular fruit word –the fruit of the Spirit that is!!!

When I had left the R&S Conference I was armed with the word : GOODNESS (and I thought ME ..needing goodness…ME!!?? I'm GOOD!!!) HA!!…God was about to show me some stuff! and stretch my thinking of what is GOOD.

These sweet R & S ladies prayed this word over me months before the conference, little did I know what an impact this word would have on me. More of that in a minute…

So, Here is what I wrote to myself.

Starla,
Choose to do good.
Do the work…
What is Beneficial for yourself, for your husband, for your children?
Seek HIM in prayer about those daily things that seem to overwhelm you and let HIM be your daily portion!
See what is consuming you in thought. Is it GOOD? or BENEFICIAL to HIS work in me? and to that circle about me?
Be joyful for you are truly blessed, be thankful, cultivate it.
The Joy of the Lord is my Strength.
Starla

I got my letter in the mail. I read it. Thought HUH?? ( –ehem!! I mean selah ..lol) and tacked it up on my cork board above my desk. The other day I looked up and read it. I was AMAZED. In the months since R&S, God has brought me through situations that have cause me to have to answer these questions, and deal with these things.

(Did these ladies know that they had set up a situation for the prophetic to work in the writing hands of His Jesus Girls!!??) :0)

Now to this word GOODNESS. Not only was it all over my letter to myself and was my prayed over fruit but it would continue to BLOOM and GROW ….

CHOOSE TO DO GOOD and DO THE WORK

I found that after R & S I had entered the school for “Doing good” and I found that it is more than just smiling and being nice to people. Choosing to do good meant that I had to:

“Choose to behave like a Daughter of THE KING”...and that meant WORK!!

(Remember those dreams of being a princess, having servants, and living happily ever after … oh how we love the end result but forget the in between part!! A princess…a daughter means being a servant, loving others, and finding that this works joy into your life by not being a snobby princess---I think we learned that lesson with the element of evil step-sisters in the movie Cinderella...right??!!)

My first lesson turned out to be: Listening.

I have tried and failing and gotten up and tripped and tried again more times than I can count. But here is what God said to me: Say what I say, Go where I say go, Do what I say do! Have you ever tried to do this?? It is HARD. Sometimes it meant saying what I didn't want to say because I was afraid to say it. Or to Go where I was afraid to go. Or to Do what I was afraid I couldn't do.

“Doing Good” meant Listening to God. OUCH! ( you mean, I wasn't listening well??! :0/ ) I wasn't expecting that (because I was so good you know?!)…but what blessings have come. The relationships restored, the ability to be a blessing and be blessed, and I am stepping into places I had only dreamt that I could reach.

WHAT IS BENEFICIAL FOR YOU, YOUR HUSBAND and YOUR CHILDREN?

Beneficial means helpful, meeting needs, kindness. This one was hard for the HOUSEWIFE in me when I reread this.

(I was like WHAT!!, I do all that!?) But the truth is I am a lounge around in the house kind of gal. Yes, my house is clean and the laundry gets done and put away eventually. But I like to read, write, and listen to music. They are my favorite things. So I was LESS than ACTIVE. Exercise was NOT in my vocabulary and I didn't want to look it up either. Well back to that Go where I say go thing : I joined the gym. I LOVE IT!!! I have a lot more energy. I think better. I am not as stressed. It was HELPFUL to me…and my love life. I feel better about me and so I don't hid from him because I am feeling embarrassed if you get what I mean? So this one was “doing good” for MEETING NEEDS also. And for my kids... Momma was not, as my son says to me (because I said it to him) being “driven nuts” anymore. I was able to be more calm. Instead of being a drill sergeant and commanding my 12 year old to MOVE IT when she was not getting her chores done or wasn't ready for school, I began to ask and be more patient. ( training of the mind is also needed here…exercise alone didn't do that but definitely helped in the CALM department. Oh how I wish being patient was as easy as excersize. ..lol ) and I learned how to answer the infamous 3 year old question “BUT WHY MOMMY?” with because sweetheart ….. in a teaching and loving tone instead of “BECAUSE I SAID SO!” grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! ( anyone been there!!?)

Seek HIM in prayer about those daily things that seem to overwhelm you and let HIM be your daily portion!

See what is consuming you in thought. Is it GOOD? or BENEFICIAL to HIS work in me? and to that circle about me?

These two go together…

Learning to pray always about those little things… anger, irritations, racing thoughts, worries, hurts, and other peoples problems and issues. Doing this daily allows me the freedom to become a NON-VOLCANO!! It is wonderful!! Trusting that God can take care of anything better then I can. (What can we do with it anyway? - if we are hanging on to it –it ends up in the mind recycler and just drives us crazy!) Better to give it to God. Do what you can and let God do the rest. Learning this has given me less drama, less anxiety and MORE PEACE and JOY! A big part of this was reading the book THE GIFT IN YOU by Dr. Caroline Leaf and I started her second book called WHO SWITCHED OFF MY BRAIN? These books are all about how you think, how the thought life affects the body and what to do, to think well to be well. These books have been amazing tools in this part of my learning process. Gaining knowledge of what these thoughts do to the body, emotions, and soul has allowed me understanding that fueled change.

Be joyful for you are truly blessed, be thankful, cultivate it.

The Joy of the Lord is my Strength.

Just being thankful, allowing myself to see the blessings that I have in God. He has given me everything. Even Himself. I began to praise more, worship more, adore Him more. Realizing that the JOY of the LORD is my STRENGTH. There is A LOT you can deal with if you have JOY! Its not about "acting happy" its about PRAISING WHO HE IS even in the middle of a mess. He just starts to fill you up when you trust it is the right thing to do.

Life is not easy. We all go through valleys, cross rivers, climb mountains, suffer drought, famine, and even encounter death but through it all, this GOD who loves us…LOVES US ABUNDANTLY!!

Since R&S conference I have joined them in praying for the ladies who serve, those who will minister to us, and for those who will come next year. If you haven't been :

FOR GOODNESS SAKE - COME GET YOUR SOCKED BLESSED OFF YOUR FEET

AND FIND THAT WHEN YOU GET HOME YOU HAVE BEEN WASHED IN THE WORD,

ENCOUNTERED CHRIST AND MEET SOME AMAZING WOMEN!

For those of you, who have enjoyed the pleasure of attending R&S …I know I will see you there again.

Until then…

Starla Smith

To connect with Starla, you can visit her blog by clicking here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are so incredibly grateful for what God did in Starla's heart at Rise & Shine '09 and '10..and what He has continued to do since!! He answers our prayers! He deserves all the glory, all the praise and all of honor!

Thank you, Starla, for sharing such a personal part of yourself...and encouraging each of us to "Rise up" and "Shine" as daughters of the King!

Looking forward to what the Lord will do at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat '11! We are praying and believing that women will once again be blessed by what takes place that day. We are especially looking forward to hearing Susie Larson, our Rise & Shine '11 guest speaker, share with us! We know she is going to share messages that are powerful, relevant and encouraging to women in all stages of life!

To enter to WIN a copy of Susie Larson's, message

"The Uncommon Woman" on CD

(believe us, you want this CD!!),

answer ONE of the following questions,

either by posting a comment here on the blog

or on the link to this post on Facebook.

How did you relate to Starla's testimony?

What was your favorite aspect of Rise & Shine '09 or '10?

Why do you want to attend Rise & Shine '11?

We will announce the winner on Friday, June 10th...so come back to check that out. Better yet, sign up (in the right hand sidebar) to receive e-mail announcements each time we post on our blog, so you'll never miss a thing! :)

Then, don't forget to join us next month for Testimony Tuesday on the first Tuesday of the month, July 5th.

(If you have a testimony you would like to share, please e-mail us at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com)

Giveaway Winner and a Devotion

2011-06-01T09:04:00.001-05:00

Wow, thank you, ladies, for commenting on our GIVEAWAY post! What a blessing to read your answers to the question, “When you hear Extraordinary Woman what images come to mind?"

If you didn’t get a chance to read all of the comments on last week’s post, you should take the time do so; exceptional answers from women whom, undoubtedly, are seeking to daily rise above the ordinary to become extraordinary women!

We wish we could give each of you a copy of Susie Larson’s fabulous book “The Uncommon Woman: Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary” and a $10.00 Starbucks gift card, but we had to pick only one winner.

However, don’t despair, you have another chance to win! On our very 1st Testimony Tuesday, June 7th, we will be offering another GIVEAWAY!! That day we will be sharing a testimony from a real woman, Starla Smith, who attended Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat in both ’09 and ’10. You won’t want to miss it!

Since we couldn’t choose a winner from all of those great answers, I wrote each name on a slip of paper, put them in a bowl and had my 4 year old son draw one out. How is that for random?! :)
And the winner is…..

Congratulations, Hannah!!

Just e-mail us your mailing address (to riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com) and we’ll get your copy of “The Uncommon Woman: Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary” by Susie Larson AND your $10.00 Starbucks gift card in the mail to you. ENJOY!

~~~~~~~

So how do you think God defines an “Extraordinary Woman”? You shared some great answers, yet I also love what Susie Larson, our Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat 2011 guest speaker, wrote in her book, “The Uncommon Woman: Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary”:

“The uncommon woman believes the wonderful truth about herself” (who she is in Christ, how He defines her). “Moreover, she has the capacity to view others from this same heavenly perspective. Bursting from her heart is the conviction to do something about the injustices in her world. She walks with a purity that allows her to see God everywhere. And the kingdom of God is so strong in her life that everywhere she places her feet suddenly becomes an uncommon and holy place -- because she’s there.”

Wow! Does that give you goose bumps or what?! Isn’t that just what all of us Christian women want?! That definition is extraordinary, definitely uncommon! (And, by the way, that’s just an excerpt from the “Introduction” part of her book, gals!!)

In chapter one of her book, Susie Larson shares that one of the first steps to becoming the “uncommon woman” (or extraordinary woman) is to humbly accept God’s acceptance, “understanding that we are everything to Him…yet we are nothing without Him”. She shares more, “Accepting acceptance means having the courage to face your foibles without it diminishing your value. Accepting acceptance means refusing to let others define you, because God already has. Accepting acceptance means cherishing the fact that you’ve been bought with a price, and thus embracing the call to become more and more like Christ every day.”

None of us are perfect, but we can be extraordinary...as we learn to humbly depend on Christ, to walk in holy confidence and daily seek a closer walk with Christ!

There’s so much more that I would love to share from the remaining eleven chapters of this phenomenal book! But, I believe this gives you a good glimpse into not only what an “Extraordinary Woman” looks like, but also into what’s in store for us at Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat 2011! I’m looking forward to Susie Larson sharing with us, aren’t you?!?! She will share more that day, October 29th, about how you and I can be that “Extraordinary Woman”; the woman God created each of us to be!

Don’t forget to come back on June 7th for our 1st Testimony Tuesday ever, to read Starla Smith's testimony and to enter to WIN another great prize!

We love YOU and are praying for YOU, dear sisters!

You can purchase the book "The Uncommon Woman: Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary" by Susie Larson at a good price HERE.

Announcements and a GIVEAWAY!!

2011-05-27T13:40:00.000-05:00

We’re excited to announce our theme for Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat 2011! It is: Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary! This is the sub-title of Susie Larson, our 2011 guest speaker’s, book “The Uncommon Woman”.

Isn’t that what all of us want? Don’t we want to dare to be uncommon, to see God at work in extraordinary ways in our ordinary, everyday lives?

We’re looking forward to Susie Larson sharing at Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat 2011, showing us how to RISE up and SHINE as extraordinary women in everyday life.

Keep your eyes open, we’ll be posting our 2011 registration form in the coming weeks!

~~~~

A couple more announcements, then on to our GIVEAWAY!!

First, we are dedicating every Thursday to thankfulness on our Facebook page. Thankful Thursday is a time to brag on God and to recognize all of our blessings.

For those of you who attended Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat in 2010, you will remember Lysa TerKuerst speaking on I Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances…” Let’s put these verses into practice!

Join us on Facebook for Thankful Thursday each week. We really enjoy reading your comments and having the opportunity to interact with you!

Then, the first Tuesday of each month starting in June we will be dedicating to testimony sharing right here on our blog. On Testimony Tuesday we will be sharing a testimony from Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat. These will be real life stories of inspiration and encouragement. You won’t want to miss them!

(Note: if you have a testimony that you would like to share, please let us know. You can e-mail us at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com )

~~~~

GIVEAWAY Question: When you hear “Extraordinary Woman” what images come to mind?

Everyone who answers this question in the comments here on the blog OR on the link to this blog post on facebook gets entered to WIN a copy of Susie Larson’s phenomenal book “The Uncommon Woman: Making An Ordinary Life Extraordinary” AND a $10.00 Starbucks card!!

NOTE: Anyone can leave a comment here on the blog. If you don’t have a blogger account: simply click “comments” at the end of this post, type in the white box, include your name and e-mail address and choose “anonymous” as your identity.

We will announce the Giveaway winner and a short devotional about how God defines an “Extraordinary Woman” on Wednesday, June 1st.

Come back on June 1st to see if you’ve won. Better yet, to be sure you don’t miss it, subscribe to our e-mail updates in the right hand side bar. It’s a great way to ensure you will never miss one of our blog posts!

Happy commenting, dear Rise & Shine friends! :)

Announcing Guest Speaker for 2011!

2011-02-11T17:12:00.000-06:00

We are excited to announce our Rise & Shine Women's Retreat 2011 guest speaker...

Susie Larson

Deeper Life in Christ. More Powerful life on earth.

Ask Susie Larson about her conviction for women, and she'll tell you, "The two pillars in my ministry, the two things I care most about are for women to be drawn into a 'deeper life in Christ' that they might live more 'powerful lives on earth.' When we pursue a thriving, personal, intimate walk of faith, we can't help but be compelled to make a difference in our world."

Susie is the author of six books, one of which is The Uncommon Woman: Making an Ordinary Life Extraordinary and is currently working on two more book projects.

She is the host of her NEW daily radio show, Live the Promise with Susie Larson. She is also a featured media voice for Moody Radio.

Susie worked as a freelance writer for Focus on the Family, and published over fifty articles with them. She has been featured on radio and TV programs across the country

Susie and her husband Kevin just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They have three wonderful grown sons, and now, a new daughter-in-law.

We are so excited about having Susie Larson speak at Rise & Shine 2011! Susie comes with a passion to share the love of a Savior who will never let us go. We know she is going to share messages that are powerful, relevant and encouraging to YOU on your walk of faith!

To learn more about Susie visit her website. She posts on her blog every Wednesday (and it is always so good!). She is also on Facebook where she posts powerful words of encouragement and has lots of fun give aways!

Looking forward to all God has in store for us at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat 2011! Hoping to see YOU and your friends there!!

(Registration information coming soon)

Prayer Requests for Rise & Shine '11

2011-02-05T08:20:00.000-06:00

(Image: Lynnette Harter Photography)

We're excited to tell you that information about Rise & Shine Women's Retreat 2011 will be coming soon!! We think you'll be just as excited as we are when you hear the details...so stay tuned!!

In the mean time, I'm writing today to share some prayer requests with you. Some changes are taking place this year.  Changes that won't change the quality of Rise & Shine Women's Retreat. No, you can still count on a day full of blessings which includes a terrific women's speaker, great worship, fabulous food and some nice little details to pamper you throughout the day. But, things are changing a bit behind the scenes. We thought Rise & Shine's faithful fans would be interested in knowing. And we're hoping that you will be willing to pray with us as well.

Jill Beran from the Rise & Shine leadership team has prayerfully chosen to step down from her position for this year. Those of you who attended the first Rise & Shine Women's Retreat in 2009 had the privilege of hearing Jill Beran and Leanne Anderson share "The Story Behind Rise & Shine". And from that you know that the idea of a women's conference in this area was one God originally put on Jill's heart. She was instrumental in getting this whole thing started and for that we are all very, very thankful!

Jill felt the Lord prompting her heart again recently. This time to "cut back".  Although she wrestled with the decision, after a lot of prayer and consideration she felt this was the right thing to do. Read more about Jill's decision in her own words here.

Although we're going to really miss Jill on this team, we're thankful that she is being obedient to what God is placing on her heart. We know God has great plans for her life and that following His lead is the best thing she can do. We also know that she will continue to take a great interest in Rise & Shine. She will be a cherished advisor and prayer partner. We love you, Jill!

Our prayer requests ~ please pray for us, Leanne, Judy and Rachel (the remaining members of the R&S leadership team), for wisdom as we move forward. Please pray that God will guide us as we choose new leadership team members.  Please pray also that He will guide us as we try something new this year, filling some new positions...various committees who will work along with the planning team. Please pray with us that new leaders will rise up to fill all of these very important roles!

To plan an event like this it takes a lot of time and dedicated people. We're so thankful how the Lord has answered our prayers at every turn throughout the past two years. We have no doubt that He will do the same again this year!

Check back here in the days to come and become a fan on facebook to keep up with the latest details on Rise & Shine Women's Retreat 2011. It's going to be a BLESSED day...and you're not going to want to miss it!!

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.I will advise you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8

Made to Crave

2011-01-05T15:24:00.000-06:00

Just a quick not to let you know that Lysa TerKeurst's new book, "Made to Crave" is now available!!

There are two online Bible studies available if you are interested in joining one...

This one begins on January 16th with Melissa Taylor

This one begins on January 18th with Lelia Chealey

Both should be great!! Read more about "Made to Crave" here

Many blessings Rise & Shine friends!!

PICTURES from Rise & Shine 2010!!

2010-12-16T12:33:00.001-06:00

Just a few pictures from Rise &; Shine 2010...sorry it took us so long to post them! There are more pictures posted on our Facebook page if you would like to check them out! Thank you to all the ladies who attended. We praise God for you and keep you in our prayers! We are so thankful God faithfully answered our prayers for Rise & Shine...the event and the people!! He is so good!! If you have any comments, questions or prayer requests please feel free to e-mail us at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com

Enjoy the pictures!

We were blessed by the teaching of Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 Ministries!!

Ladies were able to connect on a more personal level in the breakout time...

Worship and Praise!! The worship team did an excellent job and we were so blessed!

The prayer room. Thank you prayer team!!

Who could resist the coffee bar?! (Not to mention the fab cinnamon rolls)

Oh, and look at that lovely cupcake bar!! The lunches were FANTASTIC!!

Thank you Natalie Brown from Scratch Bakery!

We even got to "Meet and Greet" Lysa at her book table at the end of the day.

Did you get your book signed?!

What a great day! Thank you, LORD!!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his

mighty power at work within us,

to accomplish infinitely more

than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20

IMAGES: Lynnette Harter Photography

Thank you for the wonderful photographs, Lynnette!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!

2010-11-01T09:16:00.001-05:00

Rise & Shine Women's Retreat is over for this year...but we are still basking in God's GREATNESS, FAITHFULNESS and all that He did at Rise & Shine!! Lysa TerKeurst was such a blessing to us as she spoke words of Truth to our hearts! Thankful for all He did in and through her to draw women into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ! So many details to share and we will post more in the days to come.

Thank you to each person who volunteered their time to make Rise & Shine such a success! Thank you to each woman who was obedient to the promptings of God in their hearts to attend the retreat. We pray you were as blessed as we were. God was so faithful to answer our prayers!! We will continue to pray for each of you in the days to come. If you have any questions or comments that you would like to share with us, you can post them here or send us an e-mail message at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com or if you need to talk to someone you can call Rachel 641-220-0811 or Jill 641-985-2972.

PICTURES from the retreat coming soon!!! Come back to see them...you may be in one!! :)

For daily doses of Truth and encouragement...and updates on Rise & Shine 2011, follow us on facebook!

You can still register, but...

2010-10-22T08:40:00.001-05:00

There's still time to register for Rise & Shine Women's Retreat, but time is running short!! You must register before Tuesday, October 26th! We will not be taking walk-ins on the 30th. If you would still like to save your place at the retreat, please call or e-mail us today to check availability! We hope you can make it, it's going to be such a great day to be encouraged, refreshed and renewed...
and blessed by the Lord!! :)

Call: Jill Beran 641-985-2972 or
Leanne Anderson 641-435-2213
E-mail: riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com

Ch. 18 - Forever

2010-10-05T21:35:00.003-05:00

We've come to the end of "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl" by Lysa TerKeurst and even though this is the third time I've worked through this book, I believe I could read it again! This truly has been one of the most challenging and convicting books I have ever read, and that is a good thing!!

This last chapter is so good! The story about the wedding really touches my heart and is a great picture of what is to come. It saddens me to know I've read this twice before and yet the power of this picture fades away, why do I need to be reminded? Why do I get so caught up in the little things that really don't matter? Why do I know what I need to do, yet fail?

Don't worry I'm not beating myself up, I know I'm human and so are you. Realizing we fail short (daily) and admitting we don't have it all together is part of the on-going becoming more process. As an athlete and coach I loved the quote, "Success is a journey, not a destination." And now as a Christian I truly believe we can say the same about faith - we will never arrive, this side of heaven. There is always something more to learn, there's that thorn in our side, but the great thing is with Christ living in us and changing us we can become more!!

Lysa's words as she closes the book really sum things up; she says, "Becoming more than a good Bible study girl means that we desire God's revelations in our life more than we desire our own carefully constructed plans. So easy to say, so hard to actually live out."

Can you relate? As a former teacher, I remember the days of lesson plans - by Friday of one week I had the next week entirely mapped out. Well that usually didn't work in the classroom and I'm learning that it never does as I walk in faith. I'm thankful I'm beginning to accept life's daily interruptions, so much so that I'm beginning to ask God for them! I pray you are doing the same! Friend, I'm thankful for the journey we've taken together as we strive to become more than a good Bible study girl! Though the book is over, may the journey continue for us all!!

Giveaway Winners!!

2010-10-05T09:48:00.000-05:00

It’s October 5th! Do you know what that means?! It’s time to announce our BIG WINNERS!!

Before we do so, we want to say thank you to all of you who entered the giveaway! We read each of the comments and were so blessed by your openness and sincerity. We pray that each of you will be able to join us at Rise & Shine Women's Retreat on October 30th!! If you haven’t registered yet, you can still do so! You only have 10 more days…until, Friday, October 15th to get the early registration rate of $35.00. However, remember seating is limited…so it would be a good idea to register TODAY!! Click here to print your registration form now!

We thought all of you were deserving to win and SOOOO blessed to have such wonderful women in your lives…so we had to use http://www.random.org/ to pick our winners!

And the GRAND PRIZE winners are… DRUMROLL Please...

**********

Virginia Hillmer and

her daughter-in-law

**********

BOTH of you have won a FREE registration to Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat on October 30th!!

Congratulations you two!! We’re looking forward to sharing the day with you!

Virginia, you will receive an e-mail shortly with additional information. If you have any questions feel free to contact us at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com

**********

Second prize winner gets a copy of Lysa TerKeurst’s newest book

“Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl”.

Congratulations Suzy Duryee, you are the second prize winner!

**********

Third prize winner gets a copy of Jill Beran and Leanne Anderson’s book “Letters From Leanne”.

Congratulations Emily Hill, you are the third prize winner!

**********

Each of you will receive an e-mail shortly requesting mailing information. If you have any questions feel free to contact us at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com

It’s soooo fun giving stuff away!! Thanks again for entering the contest, your comments were such a blessing to us. Praising God for each of you…and praying that you are able to attend Rise & Shine 2010!

Remember you can still register!! Seating is limited so register TODAY!!

Want to print a registration form? Click here
Need directions or hotel information? Click here
Want to learn more about our guest speaker Lysa TerKeurst? Click here

For daily doses of Truth and encouragement become a fan or Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat on Facebook. Click here.

Ch. 17 - Praying the Dangerous Prayers

2010-09-28T21:12:00.002-05:00

Once again Lysa TerKeurst gives us a glimpse into her life as she opens chapter 17 of "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl" with a story straight from her life script. After sharing the details, she writes, "I suddenly came to understand a slight flaw in my prayer life. As I thought about the way I prayed, I realized how often my prayers seemed to center around ways I wanted God to bless me. Now none of these are bad prayers, if there even is such a thing as a bad prayer. They are honest prayers, heartfelt prayers, common prayers, the prayers of many women who are rising to the daunting task of caring for their families.

But they are slightly flawed prayers becasue they set my expectations of God to be what I want without taking into consideration the possibility of God's bigger plan. I make God into One who stunts my growth with convenience and comfort rather than One who grows me into a woman of character, perseverance and maturity."

Take a minute and think about your prayers. Are they prayers asking for blessing, comfort and safety? Like Lysa said, there is nothing wrong with that, but do you take it to the next step? Are you satisfied with comfort and convenience when He's longing to give you growth and greatness?

If you answered "yes" to that last question, ask God to give you the strength and desire to pray the dangerous prayers. Knowing doing so may inconvenience you and stretch you, but ultimately it will help you become more and be the woman He created you to be!

A couple of things to remember -
"We want the promises, but we don't want to get any dirt under our fingernails in the process."

"Power enters our prayers not by sounding powerful, but by listening for even the slightest whisper from the One who is all-powerful."

Ch. 16 - Finding God in Unlikely Places

2010-09-21T19:03:00.002-05:00

Where do you see God? Do you find yourself putting Him in a box? Do you look for HIM or expect Him to show up? Lysa TerKeurst addresses these questions and more in chapter 16 of "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.

She shares, "You see, in my journey to live completely with God every day, I have learned the treasure of expectation. I ask God to help me live in expectation of seeing Him; therefore, I do."

After sharing about an experience of really seeing God, she wrote, "My encounter with Tracey was yet another reminder that the more we follow Jesus, the more we fall in love with Him, want to obey Him, experience life with Him, and become a beacon of light to others through Him."

Take some time and think about the questions she asks, "Do you feel a tug at your heart to live completely with God, but are still uncertain about pursuing it? Why not ask God to reveal Himself to you in the coming days and confirm exactly what He has for you? The adventure that follows just might blow you away.

Will it be inconvenient? Maybe.

Will it cost you ways that stretch you? Sometimes.

Does it force you to live life with a less self-centered outlook? Yes.

Does living to follow Jesus at every turn bring joy that you can’t get any other way? Absolutely.

It is the very thing your soul was created to do. It is the most daily way to discover your purpose in life."

Ch. 15 - "A Glorious Sense of Possibility"

2010-09-14T16:13:00.001-05:00

This week we join Lysa TerKeurst in chapter 15 of "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl." The chapter is titled, "A Glorious Sense of Possibility," and as I read her words I am reminded of the limitless possibility of our God!

Lysa writes, "The Bible tells us, 'God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God' (Psalm 53:2).

Seek as defined by the dictionary literally means, 'to go in search of, to try to find or discover, to attempt, to ask for.' It is a word rich with activity and a questlike attitude. To seek God means to actively look for Him and anticipate His activity in everything.

That's why rereading of Psalm 53:2 breaks my heart. I wish the verse said, 'God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see the many who understand, the many who seek God.' But the word is 'any,' not 'many.' Which gives me a clue that those who understand and seek God are a rare few."

Read the verse again. What does God say to your heart? Is He calling you to be one who seeks Him? My friend, I believe He is. He is looking down and longing for me, and for you, to understand Him and seek Him.

Ladies will you commit with me to seeking God more today than you did yesterday? No matter where you are; He is there!! (Psalm 139:10) Look for Him and He will make Himself known!

What blessings does God provide when you seek HIM?? I pray today you are encouraged by the glorious sense of possibility our God provides!!

Ch. 14 - "Learning to Simply Like Me"

2010-09-07T07:09:00.003-05:00

We pick up where we left off in Lysa TerKeurst's book, "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl." In the midst of her section of becoming more in our thoughts we focus in on our feelings about ourself. She opens with the question, "Do you like yourself?" Take a minute and think about that...

Lysa admits that question takes her on a walk down memory lane and I have to admit the same is true. As I look back at the days gone by, I see myself answering, "no" to that question quite often. Often times I lived my life constantly playing the comparison game and since someone always looked better, was smarter, more successful, more popular, you get the idea, I never measured up. I wanted to be someone else, so no, I didn't like myself.

Then in my early 20's I surrendered my life to Christ and I've been on a journey ever since. One that has me learning more about Him and has provided me with the opportunity to really know HIM. As I walk this road, I'm also constantly learning more about myself, beginning to know who I am and realizing whose I am. Slowly my answer to Lysa's question is beginning to change.

I believe that's part of the journey of becoming more. We must move beyond our past, our insecurities and our wrong feelings about ourself. I love how she sums up the chapter -

"The more we see our life's purpose unfold...
...the more we'll be secure in the person God has created us to be.
The more we become secure in the person God created us to be...
...the more we'll be able to make peace with liking who we are.
The more we make peace with liking who we are...
...the more we'll be able to untangle self-distracting thoughts.
The less entangled we are...
...the more effective we'll be for Christ."

It's a GIVEAWAY!!

2010-09-01T13:43:00.001-05:00

Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat is quickly approaching and you have an opportunity to win a FREE registration for you AND a friend!!

This contest is open to ALL women, those with blogs and those without (anyone can leave a comment below).

We’re giving away two other prizes as well. Check it out!

First prize: Two FREE registrations…one for you and one for a friend (including lunch)!

Second prize: A FREE copy of Lysa TerKeurst’s newest book “Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl”!

Third prize: A FREE copy of Jill Beran and Leanne Anderson’s book “Letters From Leanne”.

Ready to enter to win?! Here’s what you need to do, leave a comment below with the following information:

1. Tell us about your friend…her name, why you think she deserves to win a free registration/why you would like to attend Rise & Shine with her.

2. Tell us where you heard about this giveaway (ie: what radio station, what website, facebook, a friend, etc).

3. Tell us your name and give us your e-mail address so we can contact you if you win!

Don’t hesitate to register for Rise & Shine while waiting! If you register before the winner is announced and then you win, we will refund your money at the retreat.

Click here to print your registration form

We will announce the winner on October 5th! So check back then!!

Ch. 13 - What do I do when I don't feel God?

2010-08-30T21:34:00.002-05:00

Lysa begins this chapter talking about the idea of being chosen; remember this playing out on the kickball field back on the playground?? Lysa vividly remembered that scene and more which led her to say this, "When I first heard the word 'chosen' in relation to God's feelings toward me, I couldn't process it. In human terms, it seemed quit presumptuous to think God would pause to pay attention to me."

I have to say I can relate to how she felt. We can easily look back at times in our lives when we were not chosen and those memories can make it difficult to understand how the creator of the world would choose us. But again and again the Bible tells we are chosen - "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12 And in John 15:19, Jesus says, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world."

Friend, He is talking to you and me. The King of Kings has chosen you, you are HIS!! It is true, but like Lysa says sometimes in the reality of life we don't feel God. Ever been there? Questions without answers, pain that leaves you broken, loss you don't understand, financial strife...the list could go on - life is hard, but the thing is no matter how much things around us change (jobs, relationships, finances), God never does!! But our feelings do...

And for whatever reason, when we don't feel close to God, we must remember He is not the one who moved! No that would be me or you. And it's then we must get back to the idea of choices; except this time the ball is in our court - we must choose to recognize God is close! We must choose to draw near to HIM. We must choose to believe HIM. We must choose to trust HIM. We must choose to remain in HIM.

So what do you do when you don't feel God? What does choosing HIM look like for you??

Meet the Rise & Shine Team

2010-08-30T20:56:00.005-05:00

The Rise & Shine team is made up of four women, Leanne, Judy, Jill and Rachel. Like the women who attend Rise & Shine Women’s Retreat, the Rise & Shine team members are women of different ages, in varying stages of life and are even from different places. Yet, we all have one thing in common, a desire to minister to the hearts of women. We are grateful for the way God has worked in our own lives; we want others to experience His hope, love and peace as well. To God be the glory!!

Our goal is to encourage women to “rise” up to who God created them to be…to help refresh women on their walk of faith…to help women renew their strengths to “shine” His light.

Leanne Anderson lives in Nashua, IA. She is a fabric designer with her own kit and pattern company. She and her husband, Ed, have three grown children and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first grandchild in December. She has spent many years leading high school youth and enjoys her current role in youth ministry at Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls.

Judy Walsten lives in Cedar Falls, IA. She retired from the children’s ministry staff at Orchard Hill Church last year. She enjoys spending time with her family, participating in mission work and traveling with her husband, Mike. She and Mike have two grown children, two grandsons and are looking forward to welcoming their third grandchild in December.

(Note: Leanne’s daughter and Judy’s son are married. The grandchild Leanne is expecting in December is the same one Judy is expecting in December. Now that’s one blessed baby!!)

Jill Beran lives in rural Lime Springs, IA. She is the wife of Job, a farmer, and the mom of four children, J.D. (7), Joy (5), Jaylyn (3) and Jed (10 months). She home schools her two oldest children, is the local MOPS group coordinator and teaches women’s Sunday school. To learn more about Jill visit her blog click here.

Rachel Beran lives in rural Elma, IA (she and Jill are married to cousins, hence the same last name). She is the wife of Alan, a farmer, and the mommy of two boys, Andrew (3) and Noah (4 months). She enjoys being a stay-at-home mom and wife, working in women’s ministry and teaching Sunday school. To learn more about Rachel visit her blog click here.

Both Jill and Rachel attend Saratoga Presbyterian Church, a small church in Saratoga, IA.

Along with the Rise & Shine team are many others who make Rise & Shine happen...many volunteers, production team, sound person, worship team, special music providers, reflection time facilitators, prayer team, decorator, food service providers, etc. Rise & Shine could not happen without so many people working together to "rise" up and "shine" His light with their talents!

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us a little better today. We are praying for all the women who will attend and look forward to seeing YOU at Rise & Shine 2010. If we haven’t already met face to face, come up and introduce yourself! In the mean time, you can contact us at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com with any questions or prayer requests (or call one of the phone numbers below).

Leanne Andrerson 641-435-2213 or Jill Beran 641-985-2972

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Ch. 12 - When God Hurts My Feelings

2010-08-24T11:44:00.002-05:00

Once again Lysa blesses us with a wonderful chapter in "Becoming More." This week we wrap up the section about our struggles and look at the times when God hurts our feelings. One step we must take in these moments is to be honest with God; remember ladies He is always honest with us and really He knows anyway. Like Lysa says, "The bolder I am with pouring out my heart to God, the bolder He is with His responses to me." He will help us make sense of what is going on and if it's a situation we don't understand, going to Him will remind us who is in control.

Sometimes our feelings are hurt in everyday life happenings, but others is through major events - one like Lysa described as she shared about the loss of her baby sister. She shares the questions she asked, "Why did this happen? Why didn't You stop this, God? Why were my prayers not answered? Why?"

"Asking why is perfectly normal. Asking why isn't unspiritual. However if asking this question pushes us farther from God rather than drawing us closer to Him, it is the wrong question. So if asking the why question doesn't offer hope, what will? The what question. In other words: Now that this has happened, what am I suppose to do with it? Good can come from any loss if we make the choise not to resist the birthing process required to bring this good to life."

I'll be honest I've asked the why question myself plenty of times. But like Lysa said that's OK, if it draws us to God. As I draw closer to Him and find that same question on my mind, I feel Him reminding me of Who He is. The One who holds the world in the palm of His hand, the One who knows the beginning and the end, the One who is so big and so worthy.

Friend if the question "Why?" is on your heart today, share with Him, ask Him, seek Him and trust He will supply the answer you need. Which just might be no answer at all. And then dare to ask the next important question, "What now?" Regardless of what has happened and the reason behind it, He has something for you to do and become because of it.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Ch. 11 - How Jesus Helps Me Get My Groove Back

2010-08-16T21:53:00.000-05:00

Have you ever found yourself complaining and grumbling about your situation only to realize in the grand scheme of things it really wasn't that bad? Yeah, me too! Lysa discusses this very thing in chapter 11 of Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.

As we read about Jesus helping us get our groove back, she talks about "God making a way for us to live our lives based on truth rather than on feelings." She goes on to say, "Instead of letting my thoughts get swept up in the troubles and inconveniences of the here and now, I can choose to focus on temporary those troubles and inconveniences are in light of eternity. In addition to reminding us of our position, praise and thanksgiving remind us of our promise. God is faithful, and I want to live like I really believe it."

Think about that final statement - it can be easy to say and maybe even believe that God is faithful, but can you honestly say you always live like you believe it? I want to live that way, but honestly there are times I don't. So what do we do to become more and live that way more consistently?

We do like Lysa explains, "A person whose life is characterized by constant praise and thanksgiving despite their circumstances will shift from just verbalizing their praise and thanksgiving to living it out loud through their courageous stance for Christ."

I pray someday I will join Peter and John and constantly echo their words from Acts 4:20, "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." I hope you will join me in praying that prayer for yourself. Not to simply live this way when life is good and things go your way, but always, daily in the moments that test your patience, the situations that ruffle your feathers and the circumstances that leave you hurt. And remember it's not just our words that speak, our actions do as well.

Ladies, what have you seen GOD do? What have you heard HIM say? How can you share that today? Praise HIM. Thank HIM. Then Rise and Shine for HIM!!

Ch. 10 - When my ugly comes out

2010-08-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to our study of "Becoming More," this week we start the section titled "In My Struggles." And yet again it's an area I can relate to and if I were to guess I'm thinking you could do the same. This week chapter focuses on the struggles that happen in the reality of life - the moments things don't go as planned, someone gets on your nerves and the meal gets burnt. Moments when our ugly comes out, we say things we shouldn't and do things we regret. In the end moments we are not proud of.

After describing some of these moments Lysa shares what to do with them, "I wanted help. Real help. Jesus help. I picked up my Bible and got honest with God. Help me in this moment. Please, Lord, intervene in my natural-flesh response right now. Block me from acting how I feel like acting and show me how to diffuse my frustration and anger."

Lysa goes on to share a wonderful passage, "." Psalm 103:1-5Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's

She continues with her response to this Psalm, "this passage outlined everything I needed to do in my ugly moment: praise the Lord and remember how He forgives me, heals me, redeems me loves me, has compassion on me, satisfies my desires in good ways, and renews my strength."

Has God ever spoken to you in the heat of the moment? How has He changed your heart when the uglies were coming out? Do you find it difficult to praise Him in your struggles? Why or why not?

Cross my heart and Close my mouth

2010-08-03T15:28:00.002-05:00

Today we’re joining Lysa TerKeurst in chapter 9 of “Becoming More” She begins the chapter by sharing a story from her younger days - one including pinky promises and the phrase, “Cross my heart.” Can you remember the days???

She goes on to say, “The woman who is more than a good Bible study girl is so secure in her relationship with Jesus that the graceful way she interacts with others makes following Him look appealing. People can trust her Jesus because she has proven herself to be trustworthy. Her witness for Christ is powerful and effective because her words are saturated with His authentic love. Now that is a woman other women want to be around.”

Take a minute and think - is there a woman like this in your life? What difference does she make? Are you a woman like this? Let’s commit to being women who share His love with words and actions!!

Lysa continues, “For others to meet the reality of Jesus in our lives, we must be women of carefully chosen words. There is just no way around this and no justification for not doing it. What comes out of our mouths is a telltale sign of who we are, who we serve, and what we truly believe. It requires that we refuse to gossip, choose not to judge, and become secure in our unique calling.”

This week will you join me and really make the effort to consider what comes out of your mouth? Listen to yourself…do you talk too much or not enough? Do you guard your tongue or allow it to get you in trouble? Are you lifting the name of Jesus or tainting your witness with words?

As you do this remember three questions Lysa shared, “Are my words kind? Are they true? Are they necessary?” If you can answer “yes” speak from the heart and share His love with others!

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity." Proverbs 21:23

She likes me, she likes me not...

2010-07-27T14:12:00.001-05:00

Welcome back for this week’s discussion of Lysa’s book, “Becoming More.” We are moving into the section on relationships and this week’s chapter is titled, “She Likes Me, She Likes Me Not.” Pause for a moment and drift back to your younger years…remember the game - pulling petals off of a flower and uttering those very words. Now come back to present times, chances are you’re no longer on the playground saying the words out loud, but there’s a possibility those same words still echo in your mind.

As Lysa says, “There is a fundamental need inside most girls to be liked.” She goes on to explain this need stays with us even when the junior high days come to an end because “NO amount of worldly achievement whisks away insecurities and that fundamental desire to be accepted. I know. I’ve tried.”

She continues, “If I want to make peace with inadequacy, I must face head-on those things that trigger such feelings, stop looking at others for validation, and learn to truly depend on God. Let’s call it like it is and say it out loud: I sometimes feel insecure and inadequate. No person or achievement can fix this. Only God can help me, reassure me, and fill up my empty places.”

This is true for Lysa TerKeurst, the president of Proverbs 31 and nationally known author and speaker, and friend the same is true for you and me as well. Though our minds may still play the game from time to time, let’s ask God to strengthen us and move our faith to a place where it doesn’t matter if she likes me or if she likes me not. And when those words from long ago replay in my head ask Him to remind us to use our insecurity as an advantage. Or in Lysa’s words, let it “prompt you to rely on God more fully.”

I’ll leave you with this, “Can you imagine what might happen if we let God show us how to use our insecurities and feelings of inadequacy as His prompts to love others more? I mean, really think about the simplicity of simply loving others and yet the absolute impact that is could make. And it is possible.”

Please feel free to share your thoughts via the comment section of the blog!! We look forward to hearing from you and growing because of your insights.

Unlikely Lessons from a Pineapple

2010-07-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

Hello again and thank you for joining us on the journey of becoming more! We are on chapter 6 of Lysa TerKeurst’s newest book and look forward to the discussion that lies ahead.

After sharing a story about fresh pineapple versus the canned version, Lysa goes on to compare this idea to the Bible. At times we settle for the canned version of God’s word when there is so much more that it has to offer! Here are a few of her thoughts…

“After all, don’t we get into God’s Word so it can get into us? So that it can interrupt us, change us, satisfy us? How sad to simply settle for learning facts about the Bible when it was meant for so much more.

Becoming more than a good Bible study girl means pursuing God’s truth so passionately that it actually becomes part of our nature. The apostle James writes, ‘Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.’ (James 1:21-22)

The only time tested, foolproof instruction for how to get our basic soul needs met is found in the Bible. But it’s a two-part process. We must not only read and study the Bible but also develop the habit of living out its message in our everyday lives. If people say that Jesus and His biblical truths don’t work, I am quick to ask how consistently they’ve applied what they read. People fail; truth never does.”

Then Lysa goes on to do a study of the life of David, really digging into His story and learning from his life. She challenges us to apply lessons from his life to our own. He went back to the fields after being anointed; God will prepare us in the events of our everyday life as well!!

So in closing today, I wonder what man or woman from the Bible has touched you? How has their story impacted your life? What lesson from Noah, Jonah, Abraham, Sarah, Paul, Ruth, fill in the blank has made a difference on your walk of faith??

Devotion Time Blues - Ch. 5

2010-07-13T10:44:00.002-05:00

“Why is it so important to spend time with Jesus every day?” This is a question Lysa TerKeurst asks in chapter 5 of “Becoming More.” And today I challenge you to ask yourself this question…don’t just read it and quickly move on to the next paragraph, no I encourage you to really think about the answer. I believe if we do that we will be more likely to make the effort to spend time with Him.

Have you answered the question? Chances are your thoughts are a bit different than Lysa’s or mine or anyone else and that’s a good thing, remember Christ wants a personal relationship with YOU!! Now that you’ve formulated your response read on to hear Lysa’s…

“Because He will give us the exact instruction and comfort we need to handle all He sees coming our way--how to act and, even more challenging, how to react in every situation. When I take the time to meet with Jesus each morning, I am prepared to face life with much more peace than if I just rush into my day without Him.”

If I were to guess, I’d say your response was in a way similar to Lysa’s - we know starting our day with Him makes a difference! That is true, but yet why is it something that can be pushed to the side or at times becomes one more thing on our to do list?

Again another question that has endless answers - lack of time, too many interruptions, I can’t get up any earlier, I’m not knowledgeable enough, the excuses go on and on… I have to agree with Lysa, “we underestimate the power made available to us when we spend time with God.” And I love her encouraging words, “Remember, devotions don’t have to be perfect to be powerful and effective. Jesus wants a willing soul to come to HIM!”

Are you struggling with your devotions? Seek Him and He will answer. Have you struggled in the past? Would you share how He has helped you overcome? Remember you don’t need a blog to comment, just do so anonymously! And if your thoughts are longer leave a link to your blog, we’d love to hear what you have to say.

I’ll start…the close of this chapter was very powerful for me as Lysa focused on Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Her words took me back to when I first heard her share this story nearly two years ago. Days later, her prayer, “teach me your way O Lord” became mine. And as I walked through a miscarriage He did just that. You can read more of my story here.

Friends we want you to know we are praying for each and everyone of you! Together let's move past the devotion time blues so we can RISE and SHINE!! Blessings to you today!

Beyond Sunday Morning - Ch. 4

2010-07-06T06:57:00.003-05:00

"When I decided to follow Christ, a shift took place in my life that rattled my soul in the best kind of way. I made a commitment to 'clean up my act' and 'study the Bible.' I had a checklist in my head that contained all the right and wrong things a Christian woman should do. And, boy, did I ever pursue trying to be a good Christian woman!" Lysa TerKeurst from "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl"

Thank you once again for joining us, this week we look at Chapter 4, "Beyond Sunday Morning." Think about those words - beyond...Sunday...morning - they hit home for me! Beyond means lasting longer, going past, so ask yourself this question, "Do you desire your experience at church (worshipping your creator and being filled with His Spirit) to go beyond Sunday morning? I do, but experience tells me that won't happen naturally!

No, in reality life happens and I'm tempted to blow it before we make it home (and we only live a couple miles from church!!) And the truth is little kids or not, what we receive Sunday morning will not sustain us for the week. Though God uses our Sunday morning experience, He doesn't want it to - remember He wants a personal relationship with us and that requires spending time with Him!!

Like Lysa says, "we'll never grow to our full potential unless we jump in and get serious about studying Scripture. There are three things we need to do when we read and study the Bible for ourselves: pray, discover the context, and read the passage phrase by phrase."

She goes on to share about Paul, a man transformed into a passionate follower of Christ. One who "understood how to get beyond church just being a routine and into living every day totally sold out to God."

Have you been transformed? How do you take church beyond Sunday morning? If you have children, how do you help your kids move past the "church routine?" Please do share, we can grow together as we hear from one another! Remember you don't need a blog, simply click on comments and post anonymously - we look forward to hearing from you!

Rise and Shine friends and keep praying, "God, I ask now, and I'll keep asking, that You give me a Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so I can know you better. I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened that I may know the hope to which you have called me, the riches of your glorious inheritance in the saints, and Your incomparably great power for us who believe. In Jesus name, Amen"

When I feel like I don't measure up (Ch. 3)

2010-06-29T09:36:00.002-05:00

Welcome back for this weeks look at "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl" by Lysa TerKeurst. Once again the chapter, "When I feel like I don't measure up" was a good one. Lysa sure has a way of making things real! As she shares about her attempt to earn the "superMom" award, which only led to failure in the end she brings up many good points and asks some powerful questions, she wrote,

"Satan delights in our feelings of inadequacy. He wants to help us stay there. He wants us to go to Bible study, learn the deep truths of God, leave all encouraged, and then come home and have a complete meltdown over ninety-seven brownies that didn't make the bake sale cut. He wants us to entertain a very dangerous thought: "Why doesn't Jesus work for me?"

She continues, "You see, if Satan can get us asking these kinds of questions, then we can easily justify distancing ourselves from God, once more reducing our relationship with Him to items on a checklist...But "Why doesn't Jesus work for me?" is never the right question. Instead, when circumstances shift and we feel like we fall short, we should ask, "How can I see Jesus even in this?"

The only way I can ask myself this question is when I pull back from whatever situation I'm facing and separate my circumstances from my identity."

Have you been there? Have you allowed your failures to define who you are? Have wrong thoughts and questions pushed you further away from God? I have. And if your honest my guess is you have to.

The wonderful thing is you don't have to stay there - that's the idea behind becoming more, God is constantly calling us, equipping us and maturing us. He doesn't intend for us to stay where we are at! As we journey towards more, we may fail again, but our situations will never change who we are - His daughter, one He loves!

So my friend, "we can take courage in John 15:9-11, where Jesus says, 'As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete."

When you don't measure up, how do you remain in Him? Please share and join us again next week for a look at chapter 4, "Beyond Sunday Morning."

Chapter 2 - Flitting To and Fro

2010-06-22T17:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to our discussion of "Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl" by Lysa TerKeurst. If you are just joining us, we're glad you are here. Each week we plan to look at a chapter from Lysa's book - today we're at Chapter 2 - Flitting To and Fro.

Lysa shares stories from her journey of discovering what she had to offer God and how in the process of wanting to serve Him she also was looking for fulfillment. She said, "I had said yes to Jesus being my Savior, but didn't have a clue how He could be the answer to my emptiness." Ever been there??

She goes on to explain how we each have a heart shaped cup, which at times we try to fill in the wrong way. "No person, possession, profession or position ever fill the cup of a wounded, empty heart. It's an emptiness only God can fill."

Take some time today and think about some questions Lysa asked, "Do you have an empty, heart-shaped cup? If so, what (or who) have you asked to fill it in the past? What might you be asking to fill it right now? I've matured in this area and yet can still find myself slipping back at times. Why is it so tempting to look to things of this world for fulfillment?"

Personally, I have too many answers for some of these questions! As a people pleaser I wanted others approval, but all too often relied on that to fill me up. Like Lysa, I'm thankful God is maturing, but am aware the temptation is always there. What about you? Please do share...how do you avoid the temptaion? I appreciate Lysa's response as she closes the chapter, "I must continue to pursue truth that keeps me grounded and God's love that keeps me filled."

Will you share a truth that keeps you grounded even when it's tempting to flit to and fro??

Becoming More - Join the Discussion

2010-06-15T09:02:00.002-05:00

Thank you for joining us today for the online discussion of Lysa TerKeurst's latest book, "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl." We begin the journey of becoming more in our heart and Lysa opens with a chapter titled, "Trying To Be Good Enough."

She shares, "The false perception was rooted in this one flawed thought: You, Lysa, are not acceptable the way you are. Have you ever let that flawed self-perception negatively affect you? It sent me into an identity crisis as my mind swirled with possible solutions: Since you aren't acceptable, you must find some things upon to hitch your identity."

Have you been there? If so, how have you moved past that? If you're in the process of moving past this, how can we pray for you? Please share - simply leave a comment (you don't need a blog to do so) and let the conversation begin! What from the chapter touched you, encouraged you or challenged you?

Remember if you are a child of God and know Christ as your Savior you don't have to try to be good enough, you are!!! As Lysa says, by saying yes to God, we are taking a step towards our true identity that won't shift or fall apart under life's strains. A step toward becoming "Lysa, a fulfilled child of the one true God."

Join us on a journey to become more...

2010-06-04T11:31:00.004-05:00

We would love for you to join us on a journey to become more! In a couple of weeks we will begin reading Lysa TerKeurst's latest book, "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl." Each week plans are to read a chapter and share thoughts on what her words mean to you. We pray this will give us an opportunity to encourage one another, to get to know Lysa a bit better and ultimately become more as women of faith and sisters in Christ. Make plans now - you can order a copy of Lysa's book here, read the first chapter and come back on June 15th to join the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing what God has to say; we trust as we each become more, we will truly Rise and Shine!!

Please leave a comment and let us know if you are interested, we'd love for you to include your name and email - we will be praying for you! And don't forget to come back on June 15th when the journey will begin!

Pictures!!

2009-11-06T10:18:00.003-06:00

A great BIG thank you to Lynnette Harter at www.lharterphotography.com!

If you attended Rise & Shine there's a good chance you are in some of these pictures! There are 52 pictures on 3 pages...so be sure to scroll through them all! To view the pictures go to Lynnette's flickr account by clicking here.

Thank you to all of the ladies who attended Rise & Shine! We're so glad each of you precious ladies were there to share the day with us. If you attended and were blessed by the day, please don't forget to leave a comment here. We would enjoy hearing from you!

Comments Please!

2009-11-03T07:51:00.012-06:00

The Rise & Shine Team is still rejoicing in the events of the day! We pray that all the lovely ladies who attended are as well! To God be the glory!!

We will post pictures from the retreat very soon, but that process is taking a little longer than we anticipated.

In the mean time, we would SOOOO enjoy hearing your story! If you attended Rise & Shine Women's Retreat and you were blessed by the day, please share with us...and others who visit. We have been blessed to receive a lot of postive feedback so far. We welcome your comments and suggestions below!

Anyone can leave a comment. Simply click the word "comment" below and choose to "comment as" anonymous (if you do not have a blog). Leave your comment...you can sign your name and even leave an e-mail address if you'd like (totally optional) to recieve feedback from others. This could be a great way to connect with other sisters in Christ...or just to leave a quick comment. It's up to you!

We appreciate your feeback!! AND don't forget to return to see pictures from the retreat...who knows, you might be in some of them!!

If you would prefer to send a personal message to the Rise & Shine Team, e-mail us at:
riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com

The Rise & Shine Team
Leanne, Jill, Rachel, Judy

The Rise & Shine Team with Renee Swope and her assistant Leah DiPascal...
From left to right
Leah, Rachel, Jill, Renee, Judy, Leanne

Read what others thought about the day:
To read Jill's blog post click here
To read Rachel's blog post click here
To read Leah's blog post click here

Did you post about it on your blog or website. Send the link to riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com and we'll post it here!

Coming Soon!

2009-10-31T21:46:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe the retreat is over, but what an awesome day in the Lord!

Soon we will be posting pictures from the retreat, sharing some thoughts and encouraging the ladies who attended to share how they were blessed by the events of the day!

More to look forward to ladies! Please check the blog again soon.

You Can Still Register!

2009-10-17T07:37:00.005-05:00

*****UPDATE*****

Posted on 10/28/09:

If you are still interested in attending Rise & Shine Women's Retreat, please call Leanne at

641-435-2213 or e-mail riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com. Thank you!

Late registration ended October 15th...and we have been receiving a lot of inquiries as to whether seating is still available for Rise & Shine on October 31st. Yes, we DO still have seats available and will continue to take registrations.

However, to avoid the cut-off date for lunches we highly recommend that you mail your registration forms no later than Wednesday, October 21st (the registrations must be in our hands by October 23rd). Any registrations received after the cut-off date will not get a lunch included. We apologize for any inconvenice, but our food providers need to know final numbers in time to prepare all those scrumptuous meals and treats. For anyone registering after the cut-off date, there will be restaurant recommendations and directions available on the day of the event.

We pray this information is helpful. If you have any further questions feel free to contact us at riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com or call Leanne Anderson at 641-435-2213.

If you haven't registered, get those registrations in ASAP so that we can enjoy the day being encouraged, refreshed and renewed along with you on October 31st! It's going to be a great day in the Lord!

We have a WINNER!

2009-10-01T09:42:00.006-05:00

It’s October 1st …you know what that means?! It’s time to announce the BIG winner of the registration giveaway!

Before we do so, we want to say thank you to all of you who entered the giveaway! We pray that each of you will be able to join us at the Rise & Shine Women's Retreat on October 31st. Just remember that if you haven’t registered yet you can still do so…mail out your registration today to get the $35.00 rate. Otherwise, you have until October 15th to register at the $45.00 rate. Remember seating is limited! It’s going to be a day full of God’s richest blessings, so we pray you’ll come out and join us to be encouraged, refreshed and renewed!

We used http://www.random.org/ to pick our winner.

And the winner is… DRUMROLL Please...

Laurie (stutz10@juno.com)

Congratulations, Laurie!!! We’re looking forward to sharing this day with you. You will receive an e-mail shortly with additional information. If you have any questions feel free to contact us at
riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com

A couple of other things we’d like to share with all of you:

There is a possible scholarship opportunity available. If you or someone you know will not be able to attend Rise & Shine due to financial reasons please send us an e-mail with a short explanation as to why you believe you or the person you’re recommending should receive the scholarship along with contact information to riseandshineretreat@yahoo.com We will notify the possible scholarship recipient by e-mail.

Our guest speaker, Renee Swope, and her family will be leaving for Ethiopia tomorrow to pick up their new, adopted daughter (but she will be back in time to share with us at the Rise & Shine Retreat). Please keep Renee and her family in your prayers as they travel and bring home their precious baby girl! We’re excited about all she will have to share with us at Rise & Shine!
To read more of Renee’s story click here.

We, from the Rise & Shine Team, have been so encouraged by the outpour of love, support and enthusiasm that so many of you have shared with us! We’re looking forward to sharing the day with you on October 31st! Click here to meet the Rise & Shine Team.

Print your registration form now! Click here
Need directions or hotel information? Click here

Give-Away!!!

2009-08-19T11:35:00.007-05:00

The Give-Away is now complete. We announced the winner on Ocotober 1st.

To see who won...click here.

The Rise and Shine Women's Retreat is quickly approaching and you have the opportunity to win a registration!!!

This contest is open to anyone and everyone! Those with blogs and those without! You can even enter if you've already registered - if you win we will refund your money at the retreat. Simply leave your name and contact information (our suggestion is your email address) in a comment below. We will post the winner on October 1st! So check back then!! Blessings to you all!!