Good Morning Glories,
We are so looking forward to seeing you all in April!
Thank you to all of you who have already purchased your ticket!
Our hearts are so expectant with what He is planning to do for each one of us!
Here are the hashtags to use for TPE.
#thepearlevent #thepearlevent2015 #hispearl #butgod
Here is the link to purchase your ticket.
We have added lots of answers to FAQ's as well as pictures from a previous event and links to wonderful hotels and restaurants, etc. !
I wanted to share about the speakers today and link to their blogs and social media platforms, so that you can connect with them before the big day.
I am overjoyed to introduce these amazing women to you...
Lissa Whitlock
Speaker, Blogger and Photographer
My name is Lissa Whitlock, I've been married for 18 years and have two beautiful daughters. My oldest is a teenager this year, she is such a JOY. My youngest one is our tiny 11 year old that we refer to as our little peanut who is full of energy and keeps us laughing. I met my husband at church, I sang in the choir and he played in the orchestra. He often told everyone around him, including his mother, that he was going to marry me and I didn't even know his name yet! It turns out he was right, and 18 years ago I became Mrs. Whitlock. I would love to say that our life together has been all flowers and rainbows, but unfortunately we've known some tough times. I remember 6 years ago sitting in my brother's house as a lost woman. I had been a stay at home mom for so long, that I had lost who I was called to be and had no idea what my interests even were. He and his wife encouraged me to just start trying new things; I tried making jewelry, took a part time job, and other things that didn't take. One day, I found myself back in school in my 40s pursuing the art of photography. I took every class offered on the subject thinking that I would go into food photography. When I graduated I started getting requests to take photos of families and children around me without having ever dreamed of starting this type of business. I always say that this work belongs to the Lord because I didn't start it; He did, and he continues to bless me through it! Some days have brought tremendous stress because there is much to learn when doing something for the very first time. It has however also brought great moments of triumph! This is most certainly the hardest thing I've ever done, but God is teaching me who he's made me to be through it all. I could not do this without my husband, he's my dream maker, my right hand man and best friend! He pushes me to continue on every time I get discouraged and want to give up!
When I'm not working on my business, my favorite ways to decompress are cooking, nesting around the house, going to coffee, taking long walks, and opening my home to encourage moms around me. My heart constantly years to travel all around Europe! I love the sunshine and always prefer to be outdoors!
Walking through some hard years have taught me total dependence on the Lord. I've finally learned what it means to live as His daughter and every day He teaches me more and more about grace! I lived a long time trying desperately to do everything "right," checking boxes and living to please those around me. I thought I had it all together until one day my life crashed around me and I realized that all of those rules and checked boxes didn't save me from anything. In the deepest pit of my life I met Jesus and he's the one who changed my life and I love to encourage others around me with my story!
My husband is my very best friend and we've grown together over the last 18 years! I could not do this life without God first and then Neal right by my side! I'm so blessed to be able to share a little bit of my heart with you and I hope you'll find yourself encouraged!
Stephanie Holden
Speaker and Blogger
@honeyholden
Stephanie is a southern girl through and through whose been married nearly 26 years to her high school sweetheart, Nick whose also her pastor. They have raised three incredible daughters who are now all married to some pretty cool guys and she has three cute grandchildren who call her "Honey". After the dust settled on all the DIY wedding projects that kept her busy for the past five years, she learned to not merely endure the dreaded empty nest season but to actually embrace it. You can often find her enjoying Sunday naps with her man, group texting her daughters and driving across the country to hang out with her grandkids. She has learned the importance of being intentional when it comes to family, keeping everyone as close as ever even though they are all miles a part. She shares about these things on her blog, The Honey Pot, sprinkled with her love for fashion and her recent journey to a healthy lifestyle. Whatever adventure you may find her up to, her aim in all she does is to share the love of Jesus and the hope she has found in Him.
Rebecca Lyons
Speaker and Author
She is a mother of three, wife of one and dog walker of two living in Nashville. She’s an old soul with a contemporary, honest voice who puts a new face on the struggles women face as they seek to live a life of meaning. Through emotive writing and speaking, Rebekah reveals her own battles to overcome anxiety, depression, and consumer impulses—challenging women to discover and boldly pursue the calling God has for them. As a self-confessed mess, Rebekah wears her heart on her sleeve, a benefit to friends and readers alike.
Tiffini Kilgore
Speaker, Blogger and Shop Owner
@houseofbelonging
Tiffini Kilgore wants you to know that you are not alone in your mess!
After growing up in a broken home, she married at the tender age of sixteen.
Divorced and with three small children, she married again. The years that
followed held two more children, another broken marriage, chronic disease,
major surgeries and living in cycles of abuse. Life's pain drove her to Jesus
and her journals. Together, she and God began transforming her pain into
passion by writing a new story for her life -- one of healing, forgiveness,
and new beginnings.
Today, Tiffini is a mom to five -- four grown children and one teenager still
at home -- and a grandma to five. She and her husband will joyfully celebrate
their 20th anniversary this year. An entrepreneur by trade and an encourager
at heart, she is reaching out to share her story in hopes that the faith and hard
work that rescued her will encourage and inspire others to embrace the art of
living courageously.
Cherish Pinson
Speaker and Blogger
Speaker from The Pearl Event III
@southernsoulmates
Cherish Pinson is the author of Southern Soul Mates blog, where she shares her faith, love for all things Southern and coastal, and all things creative. Cherish is from Georgia where she graduated from UGA in 2009 with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. She is the owner of The Pink Flamingo, a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store in Macon. Cherish also loves decorating, designing, gardening, cooking, the beach, traveling and her Pug baby, Pearl. She considers herself an old soul, yet a modern day belle who believes in hospitality, manners, pearls and monograms. Cherish is passionate about encouraging women and shares the Word of God and her testimony at women’s events. Her story is adorned with mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love from the Lord. It’s a story of true redemption. Her message is one that is a source of tremendous encouragement to women. “I am broken yet God is relentless in mending me. My past and my brokenness do not define me, my salvation does. He is my Father, and proves daily that He is the only constant I will ever have, and really and truly, He is all I will ever need.”
Cherish is the wife of a veterinarian and practice owner, Brandon, whom she absolutely adores. They own Animal Medical Clinic of Forsyth in Forsyth, Georgia.
Together they share a passion and life mission of serving Christ through business ownership and veterinary medicine. They have been married almost 9 years and have 4 dogs and 3 cats.
Sarah Cantrell
Speaker and Advocate
Speaker from The Pearl Event II
@scantrell
Sarah is the mother of two precious babies on this side of Heaven and two babies on the other.
She is the wife of a wonderful man and an absolute lover of Jesus and His people. Sarah's testimony of faith in the tragic loss of her twin boys has allowed her the opportunity to communicate the love of Jesus through her story. The story of His unfailing, lavishing love, comfort and redemption. In her spare time she is actively involved in her church and community and enjoys planning parties and spending time with family and friends.
Jennie Hundley
Speaker and President of Three Strands
@jennie3boys
I had not planned on placing my son for adoption. I could not imagine leaving the hospital without MY baby! I already had a 2 year old son and could not imagine telling him I “gave away” his brother. But my reality was that I was in a very physically and emotionally abusive relationship. I realized I could not bring another precious baby into this life I was living. When I was about 5 weeks away from giving birth, I met with Sarah Jensen, the director of Adoption Center of San Diego. She listened to my story, and my fears. She told me about open adoption. I had never even heard of it. I realized in speaking and crying with her, that it was time for me to start making positive choices in my life! It was the hardest and most gut wrenching decision I have ever made, but the best decision I could have made for everyone involved. My Grandma wrote a quote on a notecard for me during that time in my life: “A life can only be truly changed when courage becomes more important than convenience”. Placing Liam did take great courage! That decision gave me the strength I needed to leave the abusive relationship, to realize I needed to be the best mom I could be for my 2 year old, Brian. That decision started me on a path of making selfless choices. I now am married with 3 sons. I have helped launch a nonprofit to serve BirthMoms called Three Strands. I am so thankful that I now have the opportunity to share my story of hope and redemption with other BirthMoms. I want to help them realize that they are heroes. They do not need to live in shame! I am so thankful for all God has done, and is continuing to do in my life!
Prior to launching Three Strands, I devoted my time to caring for my family. I also spent some time caring for young children as a preschool teacher.
Stacy Coleman
Founder and Director of Three Strands
@threestrandsinc
Out of great pain, an even greater passion was born!
During our 7 year journey to become parents, we had the unfortunate experience of coming very close to adopting a baby boy after bonding with him, feeding him and loving him for two days. Unfortunately, we did not leave the hospital with that precious baby boy due to Social Service intervention beyond our control and beyond the control of the BirthMom who desperately wanted us to care for her baby boy. The pain was so great in my darkest moment and yet, I felt the strongest connection I’ve ever felt with this BirthMom. For it was in that very moment, my indescribable pain turned into an even greater passion for his BirthMom. My focus shifted from my great pain and loss to hers. She was also leaving without a baby, but her story was one of going back into the same environment with no support and no family to love her through her time of grief and loss. She would still experience all of the physical changes and emotions of having a baby and yet somehow go right back to bartending and taking care of the 5-year-old she had at home, while alone and with no other options to make better choices for her life and that of her son.
In that dark moment, in a hotel room in Oklahoma City, flat on my face through the tears, it all came together like a movie being played out in my mind. My previous work and relationships with Dave Ramsey (Financial principals), John C. Maxwell (Leadership principals), Florence Littauer (Personality Profile training) and my knowledge of the Strengths Finders testing was ALL FOR BIRTHMOMS! THAT was my defining moment! I could choose to wallow in the greatest pain of my life OR choose to walk into an even greater passion that was birthed inside of me! I was simply to be a conduit to bring these amazing life skills and opportunities to BirthMoms to make better choices; to provide them with the option to choose a different path. Why was I given these opportunities in my life? Why was I working with these leaders in their areas of expertise? Why was I provided with an amazing foundation, loving parents and life skills to pursue my sweet spot in this short time I have on earth? I believe it was so that Three Strands would be birthed in order to see BirthMoms served, loved and honored for choosing life and making the brave, selfless choice of providing the best for their child when they were in a place in life that they could not.
We serve BirthMoms as they realize their value in the Three Strand cord of BirthMom | Child | Adoptive Mom. Without two very brave amazing women who are the BirthMoms of my two boys, I would not be given the incredible gift of being a Mom today! We will turn the light shone us, the Adoptive Moms, to the real heroine in the Three Strand cord – the BirthMom!
Prior to founding Three Strands, I was Vice President of Conexus Group, a company my husband and I ran for 8 years and worked for Dave Ramsey and John C. Maxwell.
Becki DeVries
Worship Leader
Becki is originally from Seattle, WA where she grew up and polished her singing at a young age. After graduating high school in the Pacific NW she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music as well as a degree in voice from Belmont University. Before graduating she was already super busy singing writer demos and Background vocals on Amy Grant’s record. About two weeks after graduation she moved to LA where she was playing clubs, writing songs and becoming a highly sought after session singer working with Producers such as Dennis Matkosky, Guy Roche, David Frank, Desmond Child, Darrell Brown and Cliff Magness. Her Major Label record vocal credits include Hilary Duff, Clay Aiken, Delta Goodrem, Amy Grant, Meredith Andrews, All Sons and Daughters, Desperation Band, Lulu, Holly Valance, Capitol Records Kids Country Hits 1,2,3 (leads and backgrounds) and several others. Her national TV exposure includes the Emmy Nominated NBC Today show theme “It’s a New Day” (Lead and backgrounds) as well as American Idol and All American Girl. Feature film credits include the song “Alive” (lead and backgrounds) in the film Flicka (20th Century Fox) and the soundtrack. Her National commercial singing credits include Tresemme, KFC, Atlantis Resorts Bahamas and many more. Her vocal arrangement credits include Jump 5’s “Beauty and the Beast” Disney release as well as the A-Teens (UK). In addition to her session singing/songwriting career Becki has also found herself leading worship all over the US, Europe and Uganda. She has released an independent worship record called Make a Way and most recently a Worship EP called Pictures and Frames. Currently she is a signed songwriter to Watsky Music Publishing, develops artists, is a mother of two and lives in Nashville.
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