February 3, Assignment 4 NEWSLETTER

February 3, Assignment 4 NEWSLETTER
Friday, February 3, 2023 by Cindy Sproles

Four weeks to go....

Well, we are ticking off the weeks. Denise and I spent Monday night sorting through "THE BOX" which holds all the conference stuff. We made a list, checked it twice, and I still feel like I've missed something. Anyone who has ever directed a conference or a retreat knows the "back in your mind" thought keeps nudging that you've forgotten something. I'm hopin' I ain't done that! lol.

All that said, Denise and I went down the list, and I think we've gotten our ducks in a row. So, let's dig in...

First, I need to make sure that you know how to contact me, and I ask that you please stick to this method to contact me.
*Please use [email protected]. Please don't contact me through Facebook. I don't always go to Facebook. Don't call me by phone. I'm one of those who don't answer unknown numbers. If you need me, please contact me via email. I am checking that continually. That is where everything is for the conference. I cannot guarantee I will see your correspondence if you don't send it where I will see it. Just sayin'...

*Today's additional writing assignment is up on our blog. Our sweet faculty member, Pepper Basham, has taken the time to write The 5 Cs of An Elevator Pitch. Do you know what an elevator pitch is? Now is the time to learn. Pepper guides you precisely through making a great elevator pitch. Check out her blog post, study on it and take it in. A pitch is a step in learning the publication process.

*Again, we have our conference update page up and running on the website. It's called...get this...CONFERENCE UPDATES :)
Any changes or updates will be here. We do have a temporary schedule up on the schedule page, and we've even added a pdf where you can download and print it. Just remember, this schedule could change again if meal seating changes at the Cove.

*Our contests are completed and judged, and our contest directors are tallying the results. We're always excited to share these winners on Sunday of our conference. It's such a scary thing to put your work out there and not know how it will be received. Get this...it's always scary, regardless of how many books you may have in print. It's because our work is being looked at through subjective eyes. So, congratulations to everyone who entered our contests. We're so proud of you.

*Those 15-minute appointments - Terri will go over the sign-up for 15-minute appointments on Friday night. Don't worry. You'll have an opportunity to make those appointments. We ask that you remember the following rules:
1) It's perfectly acceptable to hover quietly behind the person in front of you at an appointment IF IT'S TIME FOR THEIR APPOINTMENT TO END. Hovering allows the faculty member to see the next appointment is there, and it helps them finish their current appointment. DON'T HOVER TEN MINUTES EARLY. Hover when it's about two minutes before your appointment time.
2) Be mindful that your appointment is only 15 minutes. Have everything ready BEFORE you arrive. If you have to sit and dig through a briefcase, hunt, and peck to find things, that 15 minutes ticks away. Have your cards, work, and questions in your hands before you sit down to your appointment.
3) When your 15 minutes are up. Be kind and end the appointment. Remember, there are folks waiting in hover mode behind you.

Image by wammerl from Pixabay *Our bookstore will open on Friday after supper. Feel free to browse, but our staff is not ready to sell until after supper. They are checking in inventory, adding it to our inventory in the Square, and making sure things are priced. Keep in mind there are times the internet will be slow at the Cove with the hundreds of folks using it. That does, at times, affect how quickly our charge cards run. Don't grow frustrated with our staff, they have no control over the internet speed. Just chat with the folks next to you for a minute, and things will go through.

*Remember, check-in is NOT UNTIL 3 p.m., BUT you go to Shepherd's Inn to get your name tag. Our staff will meet you at the door. You can leave your luggage in your car until check-in. If you are being dropped off, you can park your luggage in a corner of Shepherd's Inn.

*Please do not try to come on campus before 11:00 a.m. You can come on campus at 11:00. Classes begin at 1. That leaves you time to visit the Cove bookstore on the first floor of the training center or to visit the Billy Graham Chapel. You must get your name tag from Shepherd's Inn, or you cannot enter the 3rd floor to the conference in the training center.

*Please do not ask the Cove staff if you can rent your room for the day after the conference. Long story short, NO, you can't. You can only stay on campus when your conference is in progress. The Cove sets a contract in place with us for housing, and we cannot veer from that contract. Save yourself the embarrassment of being told no, and just don't ask. I wish it wasn't that way, but this pertains to their 501c3 compliance as a "retreat center."

*Keep in mind the Cove is Alcohol and Smoke-Free. If you are caught with these things, their security will ask you to leave. You must go to your car if you are a smoker.

*Our dress code for the weekend is casual. It's cold in February, and we want you warm. Jeans and sweaters are perfect. But please, allow the holy factor to only apply to the Holy Spirit. Dress with dignity, and though the conference is casual, be wise.

*Visit the CONFERENCE UPDATE to view our liability release. We ask that you read this ahead of time and be prepared to sign it when you meet our staff at Shepherd's Inn. Though we have event insurance, we are still required to ask you to sign a liability and conduct release AND SPEAKING OF CONDUCT, we are all adults and it is important that our behavior reflects that. Please do not put yourself in a situation that could be misunderstood or if you feel as though someone has acted inappropriately toward you, notify myself, Eddie Jones or Terri Kelly immediately. Do not wait for months. These situations can only be handled as they happen. We trust things will be perfect because we know God has only sent us angels! Seriously, I shouldn't have to say these things but I am required to do so.

Choose to Be Happy

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! - Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

This happens every year. In fact, we've come to expect it. Spiritual attacks. The closer we get to conference time, the more things begin to happen that - well - we can only deem as a spiritual attack. I am not one to throw the term spiritual attack about loosely. Here's why. I think it has become an easy out for many of us when we hit a rough patch or when we make a bad decision and suffer the consequence. It's just easier to blame it on a spiritual attack than to think we may be walking in the wake of a rough patch.

Secondly, what I do believe is that Satan doesn't loosely throw his attacks around, either. I believe when he sees God taking hold and using a person, and when that person says yes to the task, that it's a direct hit on the prince of darkness. (and for your grammar nuts, I don't capitalize prince of darkness by choice. He doesn't deserve the privilege.) When he gets a direct hit, he goes into full attack mode. And he attacks because he is a coward - afraid of the God of the universe. When Satan sees those folks who are working hard in the Lord, he specifically and wholeheartedly attacks.

I've already been receiving notes from conferees about these attacks. In fact, I've had my own attack this week. It was a hard blow to the gut. Now, I'm a worrier. I admit I worry over stupid things I cannot control, but the God in heaven who made me knew this about me when He created me. So He uses my worry to His benefit. When my attack came this past Tuesday, it knocked me to my knees. (What a great place to be knocked - heh?). Oddly enough. I wasn't worried.

I walked outside and stared up into the morning sky, and said, "Good Father, I'm not worried. Shouldn't I be worried?" He responded to my heart and said, "Maybe, but I got your back. I took that burden from you this time."

"Wow, thanks. But what am I to do?" I asked.

"Well, what do you choose to do?" He responded. I thought, typical God response. But I felt His arm reach around me and squeeze, and I felt His body shake from His chuckle.

"I choose to rejoice in You."

"Good choice. And I am with you. I promise, and we both know I don't break my promises."

I tell you this because when we experience these hardships, it's easy to fall into sadness or anger. It's easy to dwell on the bad rather than the good that always comes from a bad situation. When you are hit with spiritual attacks, when Satan flings his spears at you, REJOICE IN THE LORD! Take Paul's advice because when we rejoice in the hardship, it knocks those spears of attack straight to the ground. Satan does not have the hope of OUR ETERNITY anymore and it makes him angry. But when you rejoice in Christ your efforts are made useable, and your heart is filled with His hope and promises. You receive the strength that is only found in a relationship with Christ.

If you are hit in the next few weeks with spiritual warfare spears. Laugh in the face of evil and lift high the banner of God, for He has your back. I promise. He promises. And to quote Him..."I never break a promise."

Put on your armor. Prepare. For we are soldiers of Christ, chosen to use the pen as a sword.

Much love,
Cindy

Comments

Edwina Cowgill From Newnan Georgia At 2/3/2023 2:10:11 PM

Cindy, thanks for the info on the conference. I appreciate the article on spiritual attacks and how to fight them. We should put our armor on every morning! Blessings!

Reply by: Asheville Christian Writers Conference

Glad you liked it.

Melody Morrison From Mooresville, NC At 2/3/2023 11:19:25 AM

Thanks for this article and today's assignment. For the first time, I was able to come up with what I THINK is a good elevator pitch AND a paragraph and I was able to hone my synopsis down by a page. I am so grateful. Yep, he sure does keep his promises!!