The Sweet Life

Today was a Ladies Day at our congregation. The theme was The Sweet Life. I was a speaker! I have never spoken formally in front of people and I was so so so nervous. I've known about this for months, but I have never gotten comfortable with the idea of speaking. Why did I do this you ask? Well, I felt like it was something that I needed to challenge myself with. I knew I had good intentions with what I was hoping to do. I knew I could hopefully uplift people with what I wanted to share. I knew I could put a lesson together. I knew the theme was something that could encourage all ages. It's the getting in front of everyone and presenting it that took a few years off of my life! But, I'm all about challenging self and getting out of our comfort zones and boy did I do that today. Fortunately it went wonderfully. I spoke for about 30 minutes on the topic of how to obtain the sweet life as a christian. To simplify it, I had three points and they were, #1 seek wisdom, #2 study your Bible daily, and #3 pray often. I know these aren't new concepts but I tried to give real life ways to actually DO these things and hopefully it spurred at least one person on to be a better Christian! I know I gained a lot from it. I was also in charge of the take-home object. In the past, it's been anything from a church cookbook to a pretty bookmark. This year it was a big lollipop with a verse having to do with the theme, on it. Since the take-home was also the main decoration, I headed up the decorations too, though I had a few other creative heads to help me make it all come to fruition. I thought it turned out really cute. We got a lot of positive comments on the decor as well as myself and the other speaker. It made all the months of worrying and stressing worth it! I can't say I'll ever have a desire to speak again in front of a big crowd like that, but I definitely know it's possible now!

The fellowship hall

This was the centerpiece for each table and the take-home was the big lollipops.

I may not look like I was enjoying it, but I guess I was just really concentrating in this picture...plus it's not posed...I was speaking so I wasn't smiling really big.

True to form...I think this is my new favorite picture of myself.