Mitzi Eaker http://mitzieaker.com Faith, Family, and Friends. Blogging about my life, children and family ministry, God's redeeming love, church/missions, human exploitation, and social media all with a spark of creativity. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:28:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 mitzieakerhttp://feedburner.google.com Blogging Workshop for Non-Profits http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mitzieaker/~3/uEd1RYi09IQ/ http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/blogging-workshop-for-non-profits/#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:11:49 +0000 Mitzi http://mitzieaker.com/?p=1791  

As many of you know, I have been working on a blogging workshop for non-profits. This plus writing a curriculum unit has been taking up much of my time this month. I hope to resume with “My Story” posts next week.

I’m teaching my first blogging workshop on March 1 from 9-12:30 at the Christian Service Mission in downtown Birmingham.

Why a blogging conference?
Long story short, as I began to seek opportunities to volunteer my time (one day a week) to non-profit ministries in the area I realized one of the greatest needs they have is someone to help them with social media, particularly blogging. In fact, the needs I saw were overwhelming. Non-profits, like many other businesses, have little time to focus on learning social media. Yet, this is one of the best tools they have to recruit volunteers, create community, and increase giving.

After doing social media consulting with Christian Service Mission, they wanted me to come and do a workshop for their staff. I knew there were other non-profits that would benefit, so with their support I opened the training on March 1 to the public with a minimal charge to cover my expenses and time.

On March 1, I will be teaching a small group of 10-15 participants the basic of blogging- how to start a blog, how to write a quality blog post, and how to maintain a blog (the hard part!). With my assistance, each organization will work to personalize a year long blogging calendar and outline the steps to launching social media campaigns throughout the year.

This will be a great opportunity for both individuals and organization teams to not only learn the basics of blogging, but leave with a vision and plan for implementation. Plus, network with like-minded organizations.

Please, tell you friends in the non-profit world about this opportunity (we have a few seat left). Also, I have a “No Time Wasting Guarantee”. If the workshop, does not exceed expectations I will refund your money.

Go here to register.

Also, stay tuned for more information about my small business workshop on April 5. Also, I’ll tell you all about this “Mitzi Jane Media” thing soon…

]]> http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/blogging-workshop-for-non-profits/feed/ 0 http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/blogging-workshop-for-non-profits/ Top Ten Things I Love http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mitzieaker/~3/5LbRYfaFe4A/ http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/top-ten-things-i-love/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:53:08 +0000 Mitzi http://mitzieaker.com/?p=1777 1. My Jesus.

My wild little Indian boy loves his daddy.

2. My husband Shane.

My two little Indian boys.

3. My boys.

4. My home. Even though it really doesn’t look like it at this moment.

Auntie Kiki at her and her DH's 10th Anniversary Celebration.

5. My family. Especially, the two sisters that I love that God gave me through law. Auntie Kiki (Katie Eaker) has just opened Olive and Jane Millinery this week! I’m so proud of her!!!

Helping Kristi with the Freeset booth at the DotMom Conference.

6. My friends. God has blessed me with dozens of incredible friendships throughout my life, but my two best friends are Denise and Kristi.

7. Assiting people reach their God given potential.

8. Social media consulting. I love to help people see how they can use social media to enhance their lives or their business. Especially, when it mean more mommy and daddy time for families. I have just started Mitzi Jane Media. My first blogging workshop is March 1.

9. Children’s and Family Ministry. It has been almost two years since I have been in an official church or para-church role, but I’m learning much more being in family and experiencing the real needs families have as I journey with other moms. I still have a huge place in my heart for ministry to families and their children.

10. The church at The Church at Brookhills. Sure Dr. David Platt is a challenging pastor (meaning you leave every Sunday challenged) and a gifted speaker, but my true love is a small group of couples that God has placed us in to figure out this “radical” stuff together in community.

 

What are the top ten things you love? Or maybe just one thing you would like to share…

 

 
Top Ten {Tuesday}
Linked up today at Oh, Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday.

]]> http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/top-ten-things-i-love/feed/ 0 http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/top-ten-things-i-love/ My Story, Part 10- The Dream Job http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mitzieaker/~3/rV0HFFJFbec/ http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/my-story-part-10-the-dream-job/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:42:28 +0000 Mitzi http://mitzieaker.com/?p=1768

Leading a Workshop in Eastern Europe

 

Getting connected with my dream job was a God thing.

I loved my job as a children’s minister, but I was getting a little restless. I had been speaking at women’s ministry events and leading retreats. At the time, women’s ministry was just starting to take off. I thought God was leading me to do more in that area.

I started attending a speakers group in Birmingham and went to a national speakers conference in Texas. I was asked by the national speakers conference to help with local PR with a conference in AL.

I really didn’t go to Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) that day to get a job, I went to promote the speakers conference. I had given a speech that day at my speakers group in Birmingham and I looked very sharp in my favorite red suit. I thought I would drop off a few fliers at WMU on my way home.

I knew a lot about WMU, but at the same time I didn’t know anything about the national headquarter’s organizational structure. I knew WMU had representatives that led conferences, so I asked to speak to the supervisor of that department.

I met the supervisor in the lobby and introduced myself to her and gave her my “sales pitch”. After I finished, she said “Did you say you were a Children’s Minister? We are looking for a Children’s Ministry Consultant. Could you submit your resume?”

I left that day knowing that was my job. I cried on my way home, as I saw glimpse of my past where God had prepared me for this job. God had used the Girls in Action (GA) organization when I was a child to give me a window to the world outside my own. In GA, I learned about a God who loved the world despite the lack of love I heard from sermons on condemnation. I rationalized if God loved the world he loved me.

I knew instantly that the Children’s Ministry Consultant at national WMU was the job God had for me, but it took WMU six months to come to that same conclusion.

I was young, confident, and I knew my stuff. I felt like I knew Southern Baptist missions, children ministry, and speaking/training. I dove into the job and I loved it. I was good at everything, but the writing.

At times, it was very debilitating working in publishing with my poor writing skills (My writing is the thorn in my flesh). I never recovered from the foundational years of language development that were lost to a child who suffered deafness and dissociation. Yet, my creativity made up for my writing skills and God blessed me with a great editor and copy editor.

Within 3 years of being hired as a ministry consultant, I was made the team leader of the Children’s Resource Team.

Our team thrived! We did a successful redesign of the Girls in Action and Children in Action curriculum. Together, we created and launched Children’s Ministry Day. We developed partnerships with other organizations to strengthen children’s mission education.

I had an amazing team!

I also continued in my role as the Children’s Ministry Consultant. I was in charge of programming national training events and training state leaders to train their state, association, and church leaders. I spent a lot of time traveling. And I loved it!

I loved consulting and leading the team. And I was fairly good at both. I put my heart in the ministry.

On top of this,
I got married,
wrote a book,
had a baby,
wrote a book,
had a baby,
and then…a break down…

 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (ESV)

 

]]> http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/my-story-part-10-the-dream-job/feed/ 0 http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/my-story-part-10-the-dream-job/ My Story, Part 9- The Fairy Tale http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mitzieaker/~3/jPzd7sfm_Yc/ http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/my-story-part-9-the-fairy-tale/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:01:31 +0000 Mitzi http://mitzieaker.com/?p=1741

The Fairy Tale

 

Shane and I talked of marriage before Shane left for Europe, but neither of us were really ready to literally jump into marriage.

He left to serve in Europe as part of an anti-terrorism team.

That year was hard for us both. He had crazy hours with little sleep. I got my dream job, moved to Birmingham, and got involved in a singles’ group.

We talked on the phone weekly. I visited him Christmas and we toured England and Scotland.

Then in August, he payed for me to come visit him for my birthday. We had a great time in London sightseeing and going to plays. He also flew me to Paris for a weekend trip to celebrate my birthday. We toured all the hot spots- The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Eleysses, and visited The Palace of Versailles.

Yet, Shane was preoccupied with something besides the beauty of Paris or me the whole time.

Finally, the morning of the last full day in Paris we went and sat in the middle of the Notre Dame Cathedral to pray (I think we went there every morning for prayer). We were surrounded my hundreds of tourist as he grabbed my hand and led me in prayer.

Then he turned to me and asked me if I would marry him.

Of, course I said, “Yes!”

So, he gets down on his knee, put the perfect ring on my finger, and asked me to marry him.

I said yes again. At that exact moment, music filled the Cathedral as a choir began to sing. Their voices sounded like angels. We were surround by hundreds of people yet we were in our own little world. The rest of the day we were swallowed up by the beauty and romance of Paris. It was a magical day. At the end of the day, we decided we should call family to share the good news.

Six months later we were married at the church where we first met.

Shane return home the day before Thanksgiving.

We didn’t have a church home in Birmingham, so we went to a professional marriage counselor for premarital counseling. I was glad because he was able to talk to us about how being abused as a child can trigger emotions as an adult. We talked about issues that we were both bringing into our marriage. The counselor gave us insights and tools to help start our marriage with a strong spiritual foundation.

Being married was great! It was so much easier than dating. We enjoyed being together.

I had my dream job. Shane was getting adjusted to being back at his job and taking on leadership roles. We were both very career driven and we loved that about each other in the beginning.

We found a great church.

And they lived happily ever after... living their American dream.

Yet, the jobs that drove us would drive us…

 

His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. Song of Solomon 5:16 (ESV)


This is the song we prayed bent knee on our wedding day.

]]> http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/my-story-part-9-the-fairy-tale/feed/ 0 http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/my-story-part-9-the-fairy-tale/ Five Fabulous Fun Finds Friday- Valentines http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mitzieaker/~3/0ZCrmrO8w1M/ http://mitzieaker.com/2012/02/five-fabulous-fun-finds-friday-valentines/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:36:31 +0000 Mitzi http://mitzieaker.com/?p=1749 I wasn’t planning on doing any “finds” until I was completed posting “My Story“, but I could not resist Valentines! There are so many fun Valentine ideas on Pinterest and I love Valentine’s Day! It is such a great time to let others know that you love them and that God loves them.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Valentines- Card

Source: metrobabyblog.com via Mitzi on Pinteres

I love doing this idea for my boys to take to school. The free printable tag that goes with it is so cute. Plus, you can customize the tag with your child’s name.

 

Valentines- Breakfast

 

I always cook pancakes for my husband and the boys on Valentine’s Day, but I love this idea even better! Adorable!

 

Valentines- Snack

 

A fun and healthy snack of the big day.

 

Valentines- Cookies

 

I must say, when I saw this at Walmart it made me happy. It is a sure-fire way to get cookies baked and decorated for Valentine’s Day. Decorating cookies is such a fun project to let the kids do. The only thing left for mom or teacher to do is clean up. Sweet!

 

Valentines- Love

Source: skiptomylou.files.wordpress.com via Mitzi on Pinterest

What a fun and encouraging thing to do for your kids or spouse (bathroom mirror) to wake up to in the morning. You could also include scripture verses. You could do them all on Valentine’s Day or do one a day throughout the month.

 

I hope everyone has a Happy Valentine’s Day. Lavish love on your family, but don’t forget about those that may be alone while the world seems to celebrate couples. Encourage the single and widow by taking them one of the items above to let them know that they are loved by you and God.

Remember, you are loved.

God loves you and so do I.

 

Please, share ways, in the comments, that you share your love to others on Valentine’s Day.

 

 

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