Poppy Smith - 'thrive' e-zine

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June 2009

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Thrive - an e-zine of spiritual encouragement with Poppy Smith

What Prompts You to Say Yes?

Dear Friends,

For seven years, when the Bible Study Fellowship class I taught ended each May, I would sit and stare vacantly out the window, caught up in a stupor of exhaustion! As the Teaching Leader, I not only put together a weekly 45 minute sermon (lecture), I was also responsible for training the leadership group, encouraging, mentoring, and equipping them for their ministry to the women and children in our class. I loved every minute and it was worth all the hours invested and the end-of-year exhaustion!

Years later, I am still so grateful that the Holy Spirit prompted me to say “Yes.” But let’s be honest with ourselves, not every ‘yes’ is Spirit-prompted! In fact, it might be that the Holy Spirit is calling you to say ‘No’ because your life is too hectic, stressful, and desperately short of satisfying time with God. Are you listening?

September to May is often our busiest time—so that makes June a great time to reflect on what has been filling our lives. To help you understand what might be prompting your choices, check out Espresso for the Soul, and discover why Savvy Girls Grow—by Learning to Say NO!

JUNE is also a month when you might be facing the soon coming reality of the EMPTY NEST, or at least having one of your teens move on to the next stage of their life. If so, take a look at the recent entries on my BLOG that are geared specifically to this topic: www.poppysmith.blogspot.com.

Lastly, be sure and read through the Want to Grow? column. Take one, or more, of the suggestions to heart and experience some breathing room this summer. You might also prayerfully re-examine your Fall commitments using the same criteria, making wise choices that will move you from survival to Spirit-led living.

Poppy Smith

Savvy Girls Grow -
By Learning To Say "No"

by Poppy Smith

: : : : :

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why can’t I just say NO?” Or maybe you’ve heard your husband or teenager say, “Why don’t you just say NO?” Most of us say ‘yes’ to more than we can comfortably fit into our lives, but to be fair, how much we can take on varies from person to person.

Would you say you thrive on a full calendar? Or does it leave you exhausted and needing down time to recover? Perhaps you’re a mix of the two. Knowing yourself is vital for finding a healthy pace for daily living. Different people have different energy levels, different capacities, different responsibilities and circumstances. Different seasons of life also affect how much you can comfortably take on—and so does having a husband or other family members whose needs or wishes merit consideration!

When we ignore or down-play our personal circumstances, we can end up living...[read more]

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Want to learn more from Poppy on this topic? Check out her June Bookstore Special!

Why Can't I Just Say No?

Examines why we let our lives get overly busy and what to do about it.

1 message available on CD: $6.00

June Sale: $4.00 - Save $2.00

Click here to place your order!

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION IN PORTLAND, OR

I’m delighted with how God is developing this opportunity to build into women’s lives right here in Portland where I live. Currently I meet with women for one hour appointments and am praying about giving more time to this supportive ministry. If you feel the need for help in deepening your relationship with God, I’d be happy to talk to you. Contact me for more information..

Welcome from Poppy

Espresso

Want to Grow?
Check Out Poppy's Tips

News, Trends & Events

Book Store Special

Upcoming Events

Forward this to a friend

Experience Some Breathing Room in Your Life:

1	List the demands that are part of your everyday life.
2	What roles do you play? Which ones are necessary?
3	Which activities have a negative effect on your family, or on you?
4	What are your time wasters?
5	Look over your answers to the above. What is God leading you to do?

Upcoming Events:

Denver, July 9-13 - Advanced Writers and Speakers Conference, and International Christian Resource Show.

Oregon, July 27-30 - Oregon Christian Writers Conference

Possible overseas trips in 2010: Singapore, February. Kenya, February.

March, 2010: Salem Alliance Retreat

October, 2010: Oregon Christian Writer’s Fall Conference, Keynote speaker.

Ask Questions - Get Answers from Poppy:

I'm asked questions about faith, life application of Biblical principles and spiritual growth everywhere I speak.

Now, for my online friends, I'd like to give you the same opportunity to ask questions.

I'll answer your questions and share comments in coming issues of "Thrive". Just contact me and let me know what you'd like to know more about...all at the click of your mouse!

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