<p style="text-align: center;"><img title="Photo: Anita Keaty @ www.Joyshop.org" src="http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv65/ANOTHERNEWSEASON/Screenshot2010-01-31at85559AM.png" alt="" width="227" height="93" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: Anita Keagy, <a href="http://www.joyshop.org/" target="_blank">Joy Shop Ministries</a></span></p>


Last weekend I spent 2 nights with a bunch of super fun and encouraging girls at a woman's retreat. I'm still recovering. I have to say that this was the best woman's retreat I've attended. The speaker, Anita Keagy, lead the workshop, or should I say <a href="http://www.joyshop.org/" target="_blank">JoyShop</a>. Anita has a powerful testimony and her story was a blessing to all of us.
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What is a JoyShop? (Taken from Anita's website
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<blockquote>JoyShop – (n) ‘joi-shap’: a place to build, to  fix, to take apart and start over.
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All of us reach  points in our journey with God where we realize that we need to fix some  things in our life. Sometimes it’s as simple as learning new techniques  that will help us in building a relationship with God. Or maybe we have  believed some lies and we need to tear them down, and start building  our life on truth. Either way we can all use encouragement along the  way. When those who had attended a JoyShop were asked to describe it in  one word, they responded:
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SIMPLE, POWERFUL, MOTIVATIONAL, SPIRIT-FILLED</blockquote>
<div>The focus during the workshop is to Seek Him First - first thing in the morning. Early. Morning. I remember hearing a slight groan come across the crowd when she began to encourage us to get up early and spend time reading and studying the Bible. I was in that crowd, I groaned, I was not feeling very excited. Even though getting up early and reading through the Bible this year is one of the BIG Goals that I have for 2010, I still dreaded it every morning. I was looking at the whole thing wrong.</div>
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As Anita shared her testimony, intimate details of her past and how God used those situations to speak to her and guide her in her life. I was floored... I had been looking at this whole "quite time" thing wrong.</div>
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<div>Here are some of the things that really hit home for me, and encouraged me:</div>
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<div>1. The Bible is filled with letters inspired and written for us.
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2. God is trying to establish a connection with us, He want's us to know Him
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3. Spending time with God should come first, not squeezed in as an afterthought. How would you feel if your friends just "squeezed you in" to their schedule?
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4. We spend time building relationships with other through so many ways with other, face to face, on the phone, e-mails, text, facebook... what about our relationship with the Lord. Are we SEEKING HIM? Seriously, are we putting effort into this relationship?</div>
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<br>I am participating in the 21 day Challenge... you can read about it <a href="http://www.joyshop.org/page.aspx?id=169931" target="_blank">here</a>. I'll be reading one chapter of John every day for 21 days. My attitude has changed immensely. It's not "I have to" anymore. Reading and studying, seeking God is a opportunity. 
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My alarm clock is now my OPPORTUNITY clock. When it goes off I'm reminded that I have an <em>opportunity</em> to learn more about my God.</div>
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<p class="alert">If you live in the Central PA area and would like Anita to speak at your church, woman's group, conference, please contact Anita at <a href="http://www.joyshop.org/" target="_blank">JoyShop.</a> You will be blessed - oh, and bring the tissues, she has one amazing testimony.</p>
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