Connie Shoemaker

Encourager ~ Writer ~ Speaker

Speaker Information

Comfortable Connections “Connie’s ability to draw parallels between the natural and spiritual is not only interesting, but thought provoking and…

Continue Reading

Connect!

Looking to Connect with Connie? If you are interested in booking a “Kissed by the Creator” comfortable connection or just…

Continue Reading

Booking

If you would like to book a speaking engagement or retreat, please fill out the form below and I will…

Continue Reading

From the blog

ROAD TRIP! ~ Life’s Playlist

Earlier this month we went on a vacation road trip. Our 17 year old brought along the soundtrack from Mama Mia! Here we go again.  It could have been worse.  The songs are ones we like and can sing along with almost like car karaoke…well A LOT like car karaoke. I’m fairly certain more than a few truckers got a large charge out of our rendition of “Fernando”.   Rachel made a vacation video using our theme songs.  I posted to Facebook which promptly muted it because it wasn’t “our” music despite it being our vacation playlist.

Returning to work the day after vacation both my husband and I found ourselves humming the show tunes throughout the day.  Brian sent me an email saying, “Why can’t I get The Name of the Game out of my head,”? Vacation was over but the music was still playing.  I remember thinking…If only scripture stuck this solidly in my brain.

Yesterday during worship, we sang a song with a very repetitive chorus.  The worship leader had us sing it over and over.  At one point my flesh was thinking “really?” but my spirit was singing along to Hillsong’s “Who you say I am”.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKw6uqtGFfo)

I am chosen

Not forsaken

I am who You say I am

You are for me

Not against me

I am who You say I am

This morning I woke up with those words running through my head.  At the barn, over coffee, in the shower, “I am who YOU say I am”. Over and over like a declaration – “I am chosen, not forsaken” “You are for me, not against me” – “I am who you say I am”.

Have you thought about the playlist for your life? What is your theme song or soundtrack?

The words we hear and say most often are what runs through our minds. My “Mama Mia experience” convicted me to be even more intentional about what I listen to and how often. It reminded me that I can use music and scripture to my advantage. Through repetition, I can control where my mind goes. The brain is a muscle and we can impact the muscle memory.   It convicted me that sometimes those repetitive worship songs can minister to my spirit long after the last note is played.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

(Colossians 3:1-2)

Hear me.  I am not bashing secular music. I like country music and 80’s rock.  But it’s much more beneficial to have “Who the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed I’m a child of God Yes I am”          looping through my mind during the day rather than “There’s gonna be a heartache tonight A heartache tonight, I know There’s gonna be a heartache tonight A heartache tonight, I know“.

When my kids were little, the Barney theme would get stuck in my head. The Veggie Tale theme can STILL be sung around the campfire with out missing a word. Why? We didn’t try to learn it.  We just heard it over and over. It got hardwired in there. What words are you hardwiring into your brain?

It’s important to censor the messages that are getting into our brains and our hearts. Critical and hurtful words spoken over us need to be filtered out with positive and truthful words of affirmation tipping the balance. Bathing minds and ears in God’s promises is essential to retaining and reclaiming our true identity.

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds, tie them as a sign on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.…”

Deuteronomy 11:18-19

POINTS TO PONDER:  What is the soundtrack of your life? Do you have a playlist? Does your playlist affirm who you are in Christ?

Catch us LIVE Monday thru Friday at 6:30am EST for #HOPEscope on www.periscope.tv Look for Connie P. Shoemaker or kissedbycreator Start each day HIS way.

 

 

Losing Sight Series: Symptoms of “I” strain.

(This is part two in a series about when we lose sight of God.)

How do we lose sight of Jesus or his plan for our lives? We’ve all no doubt experienced at least temporary blindness.101_9341

When I read the scriptures, I am astounded that even those closest to Jesus, those that walked, lived and ate with him…even lost sight of him.

The story of Mary and Martha recounted in the book of Luke chapter 10 speaks of one sister being caught up in details, losing sight of her Savior while the other sister sat eagerly as His feet. Jesus said to Mary Luke 10:41/42

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a]Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

What are some of the symptoms that we are entering into tunnel vision where we are focused more on “I” than on HIM.

JOYLESSNESS:  Are we losing joy in our noble pursuits? Martha was stressed. Jesus didn’t say that Martha was distracted by Pinterest or Facebook (zing!) He said, “with much serving”. We need to be mindful that even good and Godly things can become a distraction if we take our eyes of Jesus. When joy seeps out of service we need to ask ourselves some questions. Do our efforts cause stress for us or those we love? More importantly…do our noble efforts replace our relationship with our Creator? (more…)

Losing Sight

So I got a call from Google that said I was going to “lose my site.” But it really made me think about losing sight and why I have not posted in a year.

I’ve spent a year trying to gain some focus on where God wants me to be.  Did I run ahead of him?  Was I walking in the direction he wanted me to be…had I detoured?

So blogging hit the back burner and I took up some things that were more relational and more intentional. I spent time looking inward and upward.

Setbacks can do that.

They can cause us to look inward and … upward.

I have a friend who recently lost her sight.  She knew it was coming and she prepared and trained for what it would be like to not be able to navigate with her eyes. She put her career on hold and was proactive about the inevitable.  She did all she could do to equip herself.

She had a warning that she was losing her sight.  It didn’t come from google it came in the form of Cancer and it wasn’t a warning that she could fix, but that she should prepare. Now her gaze is permanently fixed upward to where her help comes from.

When we begin to lose sight of where we should be do we get a warning? Is there a gentle tug or a feeling we may be off track or veering out of the center of God’s will? These are the things I will be exploring and sharing with you in the next few posts.

I hope you will tag along as we explore how loss shapes us.  How losing can be freeing as well. And what the gentle and not so gentle warnings to us are when we begin to lose sight of what God’s plan for us is.

The most awesome thing is – God never ever Loses sight of us.

Thankful that though we lose sight of the Son, he never loses sight of us.
Thankful that though we lose sight of the Son, he never loses sight of us.

 

Have you grown as a result of a loss?  Please comment below and encourage others. (commenting also will let Google Know – we are still here)

About Connie

Who? Who?

Unraveling the mystery of me is an on going process, one I enjoy.  I was born with a passion to communicate and connect.  I’ve been talking as long as I can remember but also listening even longer.

God is the author of me and is at the center of all that I create whether it be in written or spoken form.  He has ignited a passion in me about his amazing creations.  Through communicating the goal is to connect people with their Creator.

A natural born encourager without the pom poms or megaphone, I weave biblical truth and life experiences together to motivate, inspire and encourage.  The end result is to have God glorified and lives changed and refocused on the Creator.

I am a mom to three and a wife to the same guy for more than 25 years. As a homeschool mom for a decade and a business owner, now a mom to teens and a 20something I’d say I’ve amassed quite a few life experiences and survived thus far by the grace of God and his unrelenting love for me.

I’ve spent time in the Wilderness on the Appalachian Trail and in the Boundary Waters/Quetico Wilderness Area in Canada, but also experienced time in the emotional and spiritual wilderness that also comes with the territory of being me.

The basic 411:

Author: “Beside the Sea with Thee” – prayerfully published soon. The first in the “Kissed by the Creator” Series

Speaker: See speaker page for details

1988 Graduate of Grove City College * Worked at Rodale Press * Cowles Media * National Character Education Foundation  * Reporter for the Butler Eagle * Creative Promotional Services * Certified Substitute Teacher

Kids: ages 21, 20, 15

What they say:

“Really? What can I say about  mom, she’s amazing.” – # 1 child (boy)

“My mother is a strong, crazy, nature loving person. She is faithful to God and loves living in his wonderful masterpiece.” – #2 child

“My mom always loves me, even when I am not nice. She loves God and that’s where she gets her strength.” -# 3 child

What the audience says:

“She shares with great knowledge and insight; she is informative and humorous at the same time.” – Becky F. CrossWay church

“She reminds us to look a little deeper into all that God has put here on earth for us and appreciate every moment and breath we’ve been given. ”  Diane E. Allison Park Church

Testimonials

  • “She reminds us to look a little deeper into all that God has put here on earth for us and appreciate every moment and breath we’ve been given. ”

    -Diane E., Allison Park Church
  • “Connie’s ability to draw parallels between the natural and spiritual is not only interesting, but thought provoking and challenging.  While she’s deeply spiritual, her easy manner captures the attention of those who are not.  Her willingness to share life experiences makes her real and relevant.”

     

    -Tammy W. – North Way Christian Community – Wexford PA
  • “I’ve heard Connie Pilston Shoemaker speak on a variety of topics and can say that whatever she is speaking about she comes from a place of passion — passion for the love of our Lord.”

     

    – Brenda P. – Sharpsburg  PA