Grand New Day- Part 2

Sheila Walsh started the morning off at the conference. She told us what she has been going through the past two years, I couldn't even believe it! Here is the short version of the story-her husband spent all the money they had, everything, college savings fund, retirement, and had also maxed out a few credit cards. Can you even imagine this happening to you? She talked to her husband and had asked is there anything else that I need to know, he said no I already told you everything. So she sent him to a week long class in California to get help with his spending. When he returned Shelia found five bills that he hid in a drawer with his magazines which were for their house. The last bill was stamped with a huge red stamp was the last notice and they had so many days to get out of their house. When her husband returned she was so frustrated, angry and just couldn't understand why he was doing this. So when he walked through that door, she held up the five bills, and said I don't love you and I can't believe you could do this. He said well I thought I already told you. So, that night her husband went to sleep and as she was putting her son to sleep which was about five years old at the time she was worried how he was feeling-since kids can see a lot more of what is going on then we as adults realize. She was concerned about him and wanted to know how he was doing and feeling. He told her that she had to forgive his dad because he felt really bad and he needed to get past her being mad at him to get better. Right then and there she didn't know what to think, so she went for a walk and was praying and asking why and then all of sudden she hit a wall, and right then and there she forgave her husband for what he had did. She walked home and woke her husband from a dead sleep to tell him she forgave him! I can't even imagine this, and being able to forgive something that big. I guess for me forgiving is hard but I realized you need to do this to get on with your life and start living in the future instead of the past!

If any of you have watched American Idol you know who Mandisa is. She didn't win the show but she should have, she had one of the best voices there. Well, she did sang and did a concert there and also opened up about her life. She was molested when she was 13 and was raped at 15 or 16 and her new album Freedom is about her breaking free from all of it. Let me tell y'all she can sing!

This is Luci Swindoll-she was another one of my favorites. Her main point was about living life to the fullest. Not worrying about what others think of you but what God thinks. She also had advice about money, she listed 5 things:
1. Spend some
2. Invest some
3. Tithe some
4. Give some
5. Do without
She said her dad taught her this and it really does work. Always live within your means and buy used. She was a bundle of energy and reminded me of one of Ray's aunts.
There was a couple of speakers I didn't mention, but the ones that I did list were my favorite.

I bought a couple of souvenirs, which were T-Shirts, 1 for me and 1 for my friend that wasn't able to make it. I love you Laura, and I feel like you are one of the close fireflies in my life and I really missed you over the weekend.