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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Read An Excerpt: Chapter 1 & 2

Extraordinary Women, Extraordinary Weekend & a Monday Give-Away!

I’m so excited! I had an extraordinary weekend, I am going to my first Extraordinary Women conference in 5 days, and I’ve got some fun stuff to give-away!

I got to spend time this past weekend with some of the sweetest, Jesus-loving, extraordinary women in New York! But finding them wasn’t easy. Extraordinary things never are. You see, the church where I was speaking had graciously rented a car for Leah and me to drive from the airport to our hotel and the event. Although we are grown women who should be able to handle that kind of thing, let’s just say we’re not as grown up as we look!

We usually get picked up so I think we forgot to get directions or a map. Leah brought her personal GPS system but it had PMS and quit working, on our way to the event. We had no clue where we were going and we couldn’t get in touch with my event leader, Liz, because she was running around trying to finalize everything at the church.

We were supposed to arrive an hour beforehand to set up resources, train volunteers, eat dinner and do a sound check. Not so much. We got there 10 mins before the event started!

As I got out of the car, taking deep breaths while walking in the rain towards the front doors, I was saying some serious, “Jesus, help me” prayers. And amazingly, He did just that. His peace washed over me in an extraordinary way – like only He could. My Friday night message felt more like I was talking with friends over coffee than like I was standing on a stage talking to women I’d never met.

I love how God in His extraordinary ways can completely fill in our gaps and overcome our obstacles, giving us just what we need when we let go and surrender ourselves to Him.

This weekend I was in a vulnerable place, feeling hard pressed on ever side. On top of my stuff, Leah’s parents had both gotten really sick so she was trying to make plans to get to TX after we got home from NY. We were both burdened for each other and a bit frazzled. Friday night, Liz and her husband, Pastor Chris, shared with us they had experienced intense spiritual warfare leading up to the weekend. I knew then that our struggles were spiritual attack. I smiled and thought, “God must be up to something good.”

Saturday morning we got to see His extraordinary grace at work!!! As I was finishing my message, the Holy Spirit nudged me to invite women to respond to the message of God’s love and grace by praying to receive all that He offered through Jesus Christ. Afterwards, I asked them to raise their hand slightly and make eye contact with me if they had prayed to receive Christ. I opened my eyes and was overwhelmed! I almost started bawling as I looked out at the 150 women there, and saw one after another raised her hand. Tears blurred my vision, keeping me from being able to count, but there had to have been at least 15, maybe 20, women who accepted Jesus!!!!

This morning God reminded me of His extraordinary love lavished on me and them. His extraordinary provision and love from friends like you who were praying for me and the women I spoke to. Thank you for your prayers and word of encouragement. I don’t always get to reply but I read each one. They mean more than you know! And, I want to publicly say “thank you” Jesus for giving Your extraordinary love and grace to such such a ordinary girl like me.

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This weekend I also met Colleen, who gave me a pound of coffee and green tea from her roasting company called “Coffee for the Christ“ I’m giving the pound of “Ultimate Blend” coffee to one of you! (Be sure to check out Colleen’s site at Where to Buy Fair Trade Coffee.)

Also, I have 2 tickets to give away for the E-Women conference in Greenville, SC where my friend Lysa will be speaking this weekend, along with Karen Kingsbury, Julie Clinton, Angela Thomas, Sheri Rose Shepherd and Chonda Pierce. (Thanks to my friend Mary Snyder and Extraordinary Women!!)

I’m really excited that I get to go and I would love to meet you there (and introduce you to some P31 friends who are going, too)!

So, leave a comment telling me if you’d like to win the tickets to the E-Women conference in Greenville, SC or the coffee. And if you announce this give-away and link to my blog from your blog or facebook page, leave a comment telling me and I’ll enter you two times!

PS. I’ve got a very exciting give-away worth over $500 on Wednesday!!

Comments

  1. I would love to win this, I would love to be taught, by these women of God. And I would love to acquire the knowledge, and opportunities that this seminar would offer me. Thank you so much for the consideration!
    Monica Gwin
    [email protected]

  2. Praising God for this "My Friday night message felt more like I was talking with friends over coffee than like I was standing on a stage talking to women I'd never met." and for the twenty or so who gave their lives to Our Savior.

    I like coffee.

  3. I so love reading about when you and Lysa speak and women respond to the Lord! How exciting! 15 or more women getting loved on like never before right now!!!! Makes my heart rejoice with you! 🙂 And then I think of all of the people they can then go and touch…a ripple of blessing!!!!! 🙂

    How sad that you will be so close, at a conference not far from me at all, and I won't be able to go!!! I will be patient. 🙂 I'll get to hug you in person in just a few months!

    Love to you! K 🙂

  5. Renee, I would love the tickets to SC. I could use some girl time!! Thanks for being such an inspiration!! I am posting this link on my twitter account (lgrace2) as well as my Facebook page!!

  7. I would love the coffee since I am in NH which is unfortunately too far to travel for the conference.
    THanks for sharing your experience and how God worked!

  8. Thank you Renee for sharing the blessing that you received from the Lord on a day that Satan was trying to steal! Thank you for all your hard work and Thank God for allowing you to speak through him to us.

  9. I would really love to win tickets to the conference this weekend. Greenville, SC is close to my home town of Clinton,SC. My family and I now reside in Charleston,SC but would love to drive up for the opportunity to meet you and Lysa. You both are such an inspiration.
    [email protected] or [email protected]

  11. I just wanted to thank you for sharing- I love those reminders of how God is in control and working everything to His glory! I would love to win tickets to the conference, but since my husband has one this weekend, I'll go for the coffee! 🙂

  15. I'd love to win the tickets to the conference in Greenville, SC to give to my BFF Maggie that lives there. She is going through something right now and needs a pick me up full of Jesus.

    Blessings.

  16. Hi Renee,
    Thanks for sharing about what the Lord did!! How exciting. I would love the coffee. I am praying for your upcoming weekend.
    Debbie

  18. Actually I'm not sure I could make it for this weekend. I'm supposed to go to Beth Moore's Insecurity telecast event at a local church. But if I was picked, I'd try.

    If not, I'd love to pass the blessing onto someone else.

  20. I'd love to win the Extraordinary Weekend. My daughter is headed on a retreat with her youth group for the weekend so it would work out great! The coffee would be great as well. 🙂

  21. I would love to go to the retreat. I teach Sunday School and a Women's Bible study at my church and I need refreshed. Sandy Bowman

  22. I would love the coffee. BUT more than that I would love to plan a retreat with you as our speaker… we need some inspiration and a shot of Holy Spirit….. Blessings….
    Tracey Kirch

  23. Sounds like a wonderful weekend! Blessings on your week. Would love the coffee! Now on my way over to check out the coffee website~

    Shannon

  24. Had the blessing on worshipping with you in Warwick this past weekend. Thank you for your relevant teaching and encouragement. So blessed!

  25. I'd love to win tickets to the conference. I'm not much of a coffee drinker though…unless it has lots of syrups, steaming milk, whipped cream 🙂