Cold Season

I've been sick lately with this horrible autumn cold....icky is how I feel. What is it about September that brings sickness with it? I've heard from several, no, more than several people that they have colds, too. Ahhh, I hope I get over this soon!

Well, my speaking season began last weekend at the relaxing Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina. I spoke there with my friend Zoe Elmore and we ministered to a beautiful group of women from Greensboro, NC from Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church. Boy, were they are fun group! We laughed, cried, laughed, cried and laughed some more! The best part is their minister, Kristen, was there and she has no interest in clothes, fashion, etc. But she was such a good sport as I used her for a model for my "frame segment" and told her because of her small frame she was a "glamour girl". Well, the crowd hooted and howled because at that point I didn't know she was the pastor and it ended up that evening with the group putting her in wild makeup and dressing her up for a fun fashion show. I had gone by that time, but Kristen herself e-mailed me the photos on Monday! One of these days, I'm gonna learn how to post photos on here for you to see. It just goes to show you that girls just wanna have fun and even if we don't all like the same things or have the same interests, retreats are such a great time to bond together as sisters in Christ. Love ya much,Shari www.ShariBraendel.com

My Obedient Praying Friend

Well, God is at it again! I honestly don't know how people go thru life NOT being in relationship with the Living God.....they are missing soooooooo much. It is so much fun hearing God's whisper, watching Him act in our lives and joining Him as He moves. I have to tell you about something that happened in the last ten days. My friend, Heather McGinnis, prays for me. I mean REALLY prays for me. God gets her up in the middle of the night to pray for me. She has been journaling about what He has been revealing to her about me. Okay, this woman has FIVE kids, she homeschools them, she is in charge of the annual women's retreat at our church and she GETS UP in the middle of the night to PRAY FOR ME. I am humbled beyond words. Anyway, we get together every once in awhile so she can tell me what God's been revealing to her about me. Now THAT is fun! Imagine, a little peak into what God has in store....ahhh, I have chills right now just thinking about it! So, for sometime now, she has been telling me that my ministry is about to explode and that it is going to be bigger than I can handle by myself. So she started to pray for women to help me. Not just "helpers" but speakers...you know, women who do what I do, and travel and speak....because she said I will not be able to be in all places at once. She's also been praying for them to be in places spread out....not near me so the ministry could be covered. Well, in ONE WEEK'S time (last week!) I heard from THREE women who want a ministry like mine, speaking on outer beauty as it relates to inner beauty. Okay, I don't know if you realize the magnitude of that, but I've been speaking with P31 for almost 2 years now and have only ever heard from two others and they were spaced out over a 6 month period (yes, during Heather's praying time!) and now I hear from 3 in one week. So, I contacted them and find out that one lives in Oregon, one in Maryland, one in Pennsylvania and the one from 6 months ago is in North Dakota and one is here in Charlotte and she's been assisting me. Chills. God. He is soooo good. So, Heather tells me to seek wise counsel and contact the leadership at Proverbs 31; Lysa, Renee and LeAnn. So I did. They have all agreed that God is on the move. AND, next year at She Speaks, our annual conference for aspiring Christian speakers and writers, we are going to offer a speaker evaluation group for women who want to be in an Image Ministry. I will head this up to evaluate, connect, etc. And, the most amazing thing is, we are also going to offer it to the Next Generation of girls who possibly might want to speak to their generation on fashion, beauty, etc. I am going to ask a Next Gen girl graduate to lead it with me (McKenzie, you up to it?!) so she can evaluate the speakers with me. Then after the conference, we are looking to do Radical Revolution Conferences in the cities these gals are from so they can internship with a full conference for the NextGeneration of women!!!! I am sooo excited. This all because of ONE PRAYING FAITHFUL WOMAN who could care less about fashion, but cares EVERYTHING about being obedient and praying for her friend. I love you, Heather. Shari www.ShariBraendel.com