You're hanging in there...

So glad you're hanging in there. January is when folks start reconsidering their decision to attend and we begin to lose conferees. True to form, we have lost a few. That's why I'm prompted to remind you that it's when you make a good decision for yourself or your career, roadblocks start popping up. You'll start to question whether or not this is something you should do. Let me stop you right there. Anytime you make a decision to work for the kingdom, you're gonna start to get doubts. It's just how Satan works. I kinda like to call him Satin, not because I want to make him look good, but because he is so SLICK! Don't be caught up in doubt. Just don't! Stand firm. You are a writer and this is what you are called to do. Stay the course.

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EXTENDED LEARNING - The new extended learning is live on the site. You can visit the blog and get Andrea Merrell's post on being WORDY, WORDY, WORDY! She has some great insight for tightening your writing. Click either link above and get in your additional learning for this week. Remember, we can't touch everything in such a short time, so we want to keep handing you information. Take advantage. Practice these. Visit our blog and glean through the learning available. Thanks to Andrea Merrell and, next week, Denise Loock. They are amazing editors who give of their knowledge freely.

DEVOTION CONTEST - is still open. Enter. Don't be afraid. Each devotion, whether winner or not, will be published on ChristianDevotions.us. And the win here, is it becomes an official published work and writing credit. So, enter. Time is ticking. Contests are so good for you to enter. They force you to stretch, meet deadlines, and introduce yourself. DO IT!

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INVOICES WENT OUT LAST WEEK - Denise and I worked several hours getting our final invoices ready. They went out last Monday. If you owe on your registration, we encourage you to take care of that as soon as possible. We are due to make a payment for our housing. If you paid a $25 deposit, that has been deducted, as well as any online registration payment. Your invoices should be current. Thank you for taking care of this in advance. Also, if you know you owe funds and did not receive an invoice, sometimes the Square gets thrown into your trash or spam. Please contact me if you did not receive your invoice, and you know you owe funds. The Square will continue to send reminders automatically. That is not me hounding you, it is simply the program. 

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ON-CAMPUS HOUSING - We have one single room available for anyone. And ladies there is one double that could be shared with another female. We'd love to see these on-campus rooms fill. So, if you wanted to stay on campus but missed the opportunity, then raise your hand. Now is the time. The difference in money for a single is $264. To share the Double that is available $136 (This is based on having already paid for off-campus). If you have someone who has not registered, the single is $680, and the double is $532. If they are brand new and not registered, pass my email to them so I ?can get them the link to pay. That email is: [email protected].

On that note, we still have a number of open off-campus slots available. Help us fill this conference to capacity. The off-campus link is available on the website. www.ashevillechristianwritersconference.com

We know that yearly, God sends those He'd have attend. He never fails. So, lift this conference up before Him and ask Him to send those He'd have attend, and that they will accept His nudge.

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THE COVE - Over the last two years the Cove has gone through a number of position turnovers. Our regular planner has changed positions and then HELENE hit. At that point, things stopped for the Cove on their regularly scheduled activities in order for them to open up and care for first responders and Samaritan's Purse Rescue Responders. The Cove only reopened its doors to its regular conferences on January 1. Needless to say, we are a little behind on the details of which hotel you'll be in on-campus. There are two and so we have to wait just a bit longer to be sure which hotel we will be staying in. Our conference will take place in the Billy Graham Training Center on the 3rd floor. 

We are hoping for the hotel adjacent to the Training Center because it is just steps from the center. But we could end up in the lower hotel, which is equally as beautiful and comfortable, and the Cove runs a bus every ten minutes, so you don't have to walk more than a few steps. It's only a stone's throw below the Center, and it's really not a problem. They make your to-and-from so easy. They'll pick us up at the door of our hotel and drop us off at the door of the Training Center. It's literally only a few hundred feet from the lower hotel...so don't panic. Everything is ADA-approved and prepared for those who need assistance. NO WORRIES. 

As soon as I hear from our planner, I'll be able to let you know which hotel we will be staying in.

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WHAT TO WEAR? - It's generally chilly. You may need a jacket. You are welcome to wear comfortable jeans, tees, and sweaters. We ask that your jeans be wholely whole without holes and that your dress be modest. We are representing our Savior, so though we do not require you to go whole hog in your dress, we simply ask that you look comfortable and modest. You will want a sweater inside the Training Center. It sometimes gets a little chilly inside.

MP3s - I can't believe I nearly forgot to remind you about the MP3s. We hire a firm via the Cove to record all our sessions. The cost is $50. We've been $45 for years, but the cost went up this year. So, while you are at the conference, you will be able to purchase the recordings of all the keynotes and sessions. We always recommend you do this because you will have the conference teaching at your fingertips forever. You'll download the mp3s to your desktop, and boom, you have the conference to refer back to. I hated to raise the price this year but our cost went up several hundred dollars. Still, at $50, these are a lifetime investment. Anytime you attend a conference, ours or any other, purchase the mp3s or CDs. I do this at every conference, and it's my continued education for years to come. These will be available through our bookstore during the conference. We may offer you a link closer to the conference to pre-purchase these so you don't have to worry about it at the conference. We'll see how that pans out.

BOOKSTORE? – We do have a bookstore that has faculty-only books available. We just don't have the space to add conferee books. I'm sorry. But our faculty, who are all amazing, do have books for you to purchase. This is also where our Bob Box will be located.  ?We encourage you to come prepared to purchase a book or  CD or two. You'll want to add some of these to your library.

FINALLY --- 

When You're Tempted to Back Out

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. - 2nd Timothy 4:7 ESV

"Well, it's been five years. Are you ready to let me help you?" Those were the words of my doctor. I have lived with neuropathy in my feet and poor circulation in my legs for several years. The pain was manageable, but in the last year, it has heightened. When it heightened, it sent my blood pressure soaring, and sleep became almost non-existent, but I plowed through, continuing to walk most days, joining the YMCA gym, and researching simple fixes to keep me away from surgery. 

When my doctor asked me how much sleep I was getting, my health watch tattled and got me a stern warning. "If you don't address this, you're not going to be able to walk...and you're only in your 60's."

I'm typical. If I don't have to do something, I won't. Until I'm forced. When I went for my first of six surgeries on the veins in my legs, I told my prince, "I've fought the good fight!" To which he responded, "Look where it got you." Ouch.

My point is we do tend to avoid doing the things we know we should do. The attempt to make things better is taken into our own hands, and that rarely concludes in our best interest. We're easily convinced that skipping the best advice of very knowledgeable folks is silly. We all fall prey to this belief. 

You've registered for this conference. It's drawing closer and closer, and now the self-doubt and excuses start to fill your head. "I really don't need to do that," or "It's costly." Pushing ahead can be filled with tons of blocks. Whether it's a conference or taking a doctor's advice, it becomes a race. The question is, do you plan to finish the race? Paul's race was life. He'd served so faithfully, and he knew that his demise was near. Through all he survived in his ministry, he continued to push ahead. He continued to fight to spread the Word. When things got dicey, Paul didn't back out.

I feel sure he was just as tempted as the rest of us are, but he saw what spreading the Word would do for mankind, and he marched ahead until he finished the race. Paul won some folks, and he lost some, but he finished.

When things begin to crop up that make you want to slip away from this call, God has a place in you to write, stop. Shake it off. Then move ahead. God knew before you were formed how YOU could impact His Kingdom. When things get rough. Finish the race. 

Much Love,

Cindy

Credit for Photo 1 Melinda257 and Pixaby.com