Newsletter November 14, 2017

Newsletter November 14, 2017
Wednesday, November 15, 2017 by Cindy Sproles

Time is flying by!

***DISCLAIMER - I'm writing this after 2 brain surgeries and an update on my computer. Any typos are purely the fault of 1) autocorrect (who hates me) and 2) a brain that is not quite connected yet. Grace please.

REGISTRATIONS
WELLLLLLLL- Where do I start. Registration. Yep, registration. WE ONLY HAVE 5 OPEN SLOTS AVAILABLE. Isn't that amazing? We have no housing on campus, and only 5 off-campus slots left. I hope you see how God answers our prayers. We've been telling you all along that we begin the day after the conference asking God to send those He would have attend. AND LOOK. HE DOES. If you have any friends who want to come, grab them by the arm and sit them down in front of your computer. SIGN THEM UP! For me, this is so exciting. It's validation from the Father that we are walking in His footsteps.

INVOICES
I sent out invoices today via Pay Pal. I have subtracted away your deposits, so the only thing you are getting is the final amounts due. I encourage you to pay this quickly. We need all registrations paid by Dec. 31. If you have a larger amount, please email me and we will try to work something out. But all funds must be paid by December 31. We have to pay the Cove Jan. 3. If you have questions please feel free to contact me a [email protected].

Our conferees are wonderful to pay. We have never left a conference in debt. As a small ministry we step out on faith that provision will come and the bills will be paid. Help us by paying your final registrations promptly.

So here's what's coming down.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS - We will have Mary Denman, writer and professional photographer, who will be at the conference this year. Mary will be available to take head shots for you to use in your publicity and on your website or business cards. She will offer a couple of packages and a good price for you. This information will also come to you as we firm up our final plans. But if you are in need of a professional head shot, now is the time. Mary will be sending us pricing so you can plan ahead. You will be able to make appointments with her once you arrive at the conference should you choose to take advantage of her services.

The Badge of Honor Book Contest
Sarah Thomas heads up our book contest yearly. She does a wonderful job. One of the big challenges for many of our writers is gaining the courage to enter contests. This is great practice for you. Entering does two things: 1) when we don't win, it helps us to learn to accept a loss as a hiccup not a failure. 2) It pushes you to improve and make your work better.

Yes, it costs you a little money. Save your receipt as a business expense. In your writing career you will spend a little money in order to improve and move ahead. Besides, if you win, your book has the opportunity to go before the publications board at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Does that mean it will publish? No. But I can tell you that of the 6 years we have been doing this, 4 books have come to publication.

There are things to remember if you win. If the book should be offered an opportunity at a contract, YOU HAVE TO FINISH THE BOOK. Lighthouse does not accept partial manuscripts. Your manuscript doesn't have to be complete for the contest, but for it move ahead, it's important to know you will have to hop to it and finish the book.

So get with it. Step up to the plate. You can do this. I know you can. Mary Kay Ashe, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics once said, "Much is lost if not for one more ounce of effort." In other words, what could be a win becomes a loss because that last bit of effort to finish the task - never happens.
Try. Enter that contest. The guidelines are on the website at http://www.ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/bookcontest

Devotion Contest
Of course Christian Devotions will host a devotion contest. See the website for the guidelines. On this link scroll down to the information http://www.ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/bookcontest

MP3's
Each year our wonderful radio host, Scott McCausey, records our conference. We've been fortunate to have Scott do this for us. Our conference MP3's will be $25 this year. Every class and keynote is recorded. EVERYTHING EXCEPT WORSHIP. We cannot record the worship music due to copyright laws and we are simply to small to afford to pay the royalties. If you want to take home worship music, LaTan will her cd's you can purchase.

Don't leave the conference without the MP3s purchase. WHY? Because, you will have the entire conference FOREVER! Every conference I attend, I purchase the cd's or mp3s because it is my learning at home. ACWC provides you a very nice printed manual with all the conference handouts. This means, you can go to the classes you NEED, and still be able to take home the classes you missed. WIN, WIN. Plan now to purchase the MP3s. It's business smart. It's career smart. It's continued learning smart. If you plan now, you'll be prepared to purchase the MP3's as soon as you see Renee.

JUST A REMINDER
Please, please do not reply to this newsletter with your questions or even answers to questions I have asked. I cannot find all the responses. If you need to respond please email me at [email protected].

Remember, everything you need to know will be posted on the website, even these newsletters. We have a tab called CONFERENCE UPDATES. When you click updates you'll find information on registration, checking in at the hotels, contests as they progress. Any kind of update. Currently this page houses last year's information, but honestly, it won't change much. So read through it. Under Conference Updates you will also find NEWSLETTERS. You will be able to read every newsletter, so I encourage you to check in on this page and make sure you are getting all the upcoming news, needs, and happenings. As always, beginning in January we will offer a few weeks of emails with additional teaching for you. The closer we get to the conference, you will receive weekly letters. October through December, you will see monthly letters.

BIOS for our ROSTER
For those returning, you know the drill. We need a new photo and a short (50 word bio). Please send those to [email protected]. You may put your bio in the body of the email, but attach your photo as an attachment. Please label your email in the subject line BIO, so we know to send it to me. If you are new. I need a 50 word bio, written in 3rd person, and a photo of yourself. Please make your photo of you and not your entire family. We just don't have the space in our roster for large photos. Please keep your bio down to 50 words. Add your email address. This will be your networking tool. Every year I ponder whether to do away with this but then I realize what a valuable tool it is, so we trudge ahead. Start sending those. It doesn't matter if you sent one last year. SEND A NEW ONE THIS YEAR. We do not have the time to dig through last year and find your bio. To my knowledge, we are the only conference that provides this networking tool. Help us make it successful.

LOOKING FOR A VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT
If you are good with Word, Publisher, and Excel. I'm looking for an assistant. It is a volunteer position. But you feel a calling to help, contact me at [email protected]. We have the Conference manual that we put together along with some tweaks on other needs. Please, ONLY CONTACT ME if you are knowledgeable in Word, Publisher, and Excel. Think on it. Pray on it. If you feel God is leading you to help PRE-CONFERENCE, let me know. You will not be required to work during the conference. This is all PRE-CONFERENCE.
Finally
Pray for this conference, for our faculty and for the conferees God will send. This is so important to us. Like I said, we began praying for you the day the 2017 conference ended. Begin to prepare your hearts. I'm working on some new things for the conference this year and with this surgery...I need your prayers.

Our faculty will be as follows:
Our headliners: Bob Hostetler (we all love the Bobster) and Tim Shoemaker (Tim is the most amazing man - you will really love him)
Our teachers: Edie Melson, LaTan Murphy, Andrea Merrell, Sarah Thomas, Anna Floit, Lori Hatcher, and Lin Johnson
Our mentors: Yvonne Lehman, Larry Leech,Linda Gilden, and Edie Melson
Agents: Diana Flegal, Les Stobe, and new agent for the Steve Laube Agency, Bob Hostetler
Publishers - Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and also from the Christian Communicator - Lin Johnson
Magazine - Lori Hatcher

Please read the site. I am still updating information so it can't hurt for you to read through the classes and faculty a couple of times. Things change. Stuff happens. So make your life easy and read through the site. :)

ONCE AGAIN
Send your bio and photo to [email protected]
Talk us up
Pray for us
PREPARE YOUR HEART

FINALLY, let me share where God is leading us this year . . .

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ~ 2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV

"Much is lost if not for one more ounce of effort." She spoke with such grace and elegance and I was lucky enough to not only meet her, but to spend time with her in a teaching class.

Every Mary Kay consultant longs to have the opportunity to meet the honest to goodness Mary Kay. I was no different some 25 years ago. I had that privilege before she passed away. Just to hear this successful woman tell her story was an inspiration. It gave me, a single mom with two little ones, hope. Hope, that I could press on and be successful at whatever I did . . . be it a Mary Kay consultant or a waitress.

I worked hard to win the opportunity to spend a luncheon with Mary Kay, the lady. She was a joy . She sat across the table from me and as she worked her way down the table asking names and offering encouragement, I wasn't sure what I would say when she reached me. After all, I really was just a plain person. Nothing special.

But when she came to me, she stretched her hand across the table and took my hand. "Tell me your name." She smiled as she spoke. I stuttered, but got my name out.

"What's your dream?" She asked. I was taken back. No one had ever asked me what my dream was. She stared sweetly into my eyes. "It's not to be a Mary Kay director is it?"

I choked. "No ma'am."

"So what will this career do to help you reach your dream? Everyone doesn't have to be a Mary Kay director. What's your dream?"

"I . . . I . . ."

"Yes." She rubbed my hands. "Go on."

"I want to be a writer."

"That's wonderful. And I know you will be. Just take to heart all the things you learn as a consultant. Persevere. Learn. Knowledge is golden. And pray for God to lead your path."

Surprisingly enough, Mary Kay Ashe, gave me permission to be a writer. She encouraged me to follow my dream, even if it wasn't within her company.

Peter reminded us of this same thing. A ladder, so to speak, of rungs with steps that lead us to be a better person in Christ. Goodness, then knowledge. Self-control and then perseverance. Godliness and then mutual affection. And finally, love. He never encouraged us to be quitters or to stall half way up the ladder. Peter gave us the steps we needed to spiritually accomplish anything we wanted to do. All we have to do is obey.

Spiritual success comes when we are full and joyful in Him - whether or not earthly success ever arrives.

As you prepare for the Asheville Christian Writers Conference, remember first and foremost, your place under His wing. Then climb that ladder to spiritual success. Earthly success is temporary. Spiritual success is eternal.

It is my hope as you prepare for this conference you will begin to pray, just as Mary Kay told me, for God to lead your writing path. He has already brought you to the conference. I can't wait to see what He has in store for you.

Much love,
Cin