Want to Speak Professionally?

So many people will come up to me after presentations and say, "I want to do what you do!" If you have a message to share that will inspire, motivate or inform, professional speaking can be a great part-time or full-time career/calling.

Here I am with a role-model in the speaking profession, Barbara Glanz. She is beautiful on the inside and the outside. We are in the Phoenix airport, about to get on the same flight after the National Speakers Association's annual convention. The event is always a morale-booster. Imagine how you would feel after hearing the world's best speakers, hour after hour for four days straight!

If you want to get better at speaking, or get over your fear of speaking, join Toastmasters International. But if you're a good speaker and are getting paid for your speeches, join NSA. You'll love the encouragement, mentoring and advice that members give each other. It's a giving, loving profession.

Here is Sandy at six months old! I was struck by how much she looks like the yellow labs doing great work for veterans and law enforcement. Check out www.PuppiesBehindBars.com.

It seems like a wonderful organization.

Sandy Update

My birthday present has gone from huggable to huge! Remember that sweet little seven-pound puppy? She is nearly seven times that size now and still growing. She has learned how to bark at strangers, and she's mostly house-trained... stay tuned.

Follow Me on Twitter

Yesterday at work, we saw a Twitter presentation about an employee who died too young. His short messages, strung together, painted a picture of a sweet husband, a fanatic father and a praying ice cream lover. If his tweets could inspire people to be better, get creative, love God and be kinder, then I want to do the same. Follow me at www.Twitter.com/LorriVAllen and let's encourage each other!

Kindness

We all want to be kinder, right? Or maybe more accurately, we all want to be treated more kindly. I was excited to find out about The Kindness Revolution, which is taking the idea to companies and schools. The organization is looking for representatives--can you do the job?

I'll Dance at Your Wedding

Most of my childhood summers were spent with my arthritic grandmother. I loved being with her. It was a win-win. She made me feel special, and I carried, ran errands, cleaned up. She didn't make me work too hard, though. Sometimes, she would even preface a request with the phrase, "I'll dance at your wedding." Never mind that I would do the task anyway. Never mind that we worshipped at an old-fashioned church that didn't approve of dancing. And never mind that if there were dancing at my wedding, she'd be doing well to walk to her seat.

Just the idea of my grandmother dancing, got me moving quickly to do whatever she wanted doing. The first time she said it, I remember asking, "Really, Marnie? You'd dance at my wedding?" I liked the idea of her being able to dance, and if putting her shoes in the closet or carrying the dirty clothes to the washing machine would help, I wanted to do my part.

When I finally did get married at age 33, Marnie had been dead eleven years. And there was no dancing at the ceremony or reception. But I like to think that maybe she was dancing in Heaven, with two strong, unbent legs, fulfilling a promise.

The Spiritual Weight Room

Our preacher encouraged us Sunday to get in the spiritual weight room if we wanted spiritual growth. He said people had to see us sweat to see Jesus. Hmmm, I'm pretty sure he was being figurative because when people see me sweat on the running trail, I don't think it makes them think of Jesus.

My husband was listening closely. A few minutes after the sermon, we took our friend to check out of her hotel room. While I was helping her finish packing and carry her baggage back up to the lobby, Mark met a homeless couple in the parking lot. When we saw him at the front desk, he was paying for two nights so that Stephen and his wife could rest, shower and regroup.

I thought for just a moment about how we have two mortgages and lots of repairs to do. But my husband was sweating. The smile on Stephen's face showed that he saw Jesus in Mark. So, we may put off a few repairs for another month or two. We are blessed to have jobs and a God who puts the weights right before us. We don't even have to join a gym.