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We invite someone to our table so that they find out God’s invited them, too. No better way to live. All for heaven's sake.

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A heart that desires to know God and share His love with others through hospitality

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I’ve learned that we can change the world though a cup of coffee. Tea works too. 

8 Retreat Series

TOPICS & DETAILS

The eight retreat series can be modified to fit your scheduling needs. Each include outlines, small group discussion questions, and four weeks of email follow-up pages to encourage individual and community spiritual growth. Sue is willing to fit the theme and needs of your group depending on the time allotted and God’s leading.

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Romans 8:29 in The Message reads: “God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity He restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him.” We are to be like His Son. When we are, we are grown up. Of course, it takes a lifetime so we don’t need to get discouraged. We just need to get going.

Talk 1: Holiness vs. Happiness – Maturing For Jesus’ Sake
Talk 2: Growing Holy Hearts
Talk 3: Growing Holy Habits
Talk 4: Growing Holy Hands

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Growing Something Besides Old: Seasoning Our Lives to Perfection

If you are wondering if you are a good mentor, a good question to ask ourselves is: “Do I love Jesus more today than last year or last month?” A good mentor is more in love with Jesus today than before. Do you have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ? That’s it. That’s the main thing.I didn’t say a perfect relationship or sinless existence. Perfection and sinless-ness are for later on when none of us will need to mentor or be mentored. It has to do with progress and moving forward.

Talk 1: What is Mentoring and Why Should We Do It?
Talk 2: What Makes a Good Mentor?
Talk 3: What Is a Mentor’s Role?
Talk 4: How To Get Started in a Mentoring Relationship?

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Pouring Out: Mentoring to Connect the Generations to God and to Each Other

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Somehow the topic of needing strength came to me around midnight one night—it seemed quite natural and appropriate: we need strength because we’re exhausted. We may be doing too much, with not enough help and never enough money or time – and, then there’s the laundry. We find our strength in God’s Word, God’s People, God’s Call and God’s presence. Our journey is life as we know it, day by day, right now. Wherever you’re at right now, that’s your journey. Motherhood, grandmotherhood, fulltime or part time careers. Some of you may be in school, some married, some single, some single again. We need God and we need each other.

Talk 1: Strength in the Father’s Arms
Talk 2: Finding Strength Through His Word
Talk 3: Finding Strength Through His People
Talk 4: Finding Strength Through His Call
Talk 5: Finding Strength Through His Presence

*this series can be modified for four or five talks, depending on schedule/need

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“Hangeth Thou in There”: Finding Strength for the Journey

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Joy comes from knowing and trusting God, it doesn’t depend on events and people. We study faith—not so that we become super-women who can leap tall buildings and solve world hunger, while creating 3 balanced meals a day, swimming 40 laps every morning, and maintaining a smile when blamed for the track outfit not being washed in time for the track meet even tho it’s been under the bed for two weeks. No, our faith needs to increase for the sole reason of pleasing God and to live as He has planned for us to live as shown in Scripture. Hebrews 11:6 states: “For without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” We please God and we get rewarded. Sounds like joy to me!

Talk 1: Ten Facts of the Joyful Woman
Talk 2: Joystealers...Thieves in the Night (and day!)
Talk 3: “Faith, Mighty Faith” – What does it look like?
Talk 4: “Faith, Mighty Faith” – How do I get it?

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Joy and Faith: Two Peas in a Pod 

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The purpose of an appetizer is to make you hungry for more. To eat a little something at the beginning, is to appetize –or, to stimulate your hunger. We get our taste of God whenever we sit at His table and eat from His hand. Psalm 34:8 states: “O, taste and see that the Lord is good”—that’s an invitation. “Come on, everyone – come to the table. When you taste Him, you’ll know He’s good and you can find refuge in Him. Every time we come to taste God, it makes us hungry for more. Jesus is our Main Dish–how do we keep Him as the centerpiece of our lives?

Talk 1: The Appetizer: Invitation to Taste
Talk 2: The Bread: Invitation to Rest
Talk 3: The Main Dish: Invitation to Abide
Talk 4: Dessert: Invitation to Serve

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Recipes for Life: Four Courses to Know God Better

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Maybe some of you have experienced the challenge of a Remodeling Project. I became so used to it that often I forgot to explain to new guests, “Oh, the reason we don’t have a ceiling is because we’ve been remodeling for 9 years but the good news is that we are still married!” Ephesians 4:14 in The Message reads: “No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for imposters. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love – like Christ in everything.” There’s our definition of spiritual growth: God wants us to grow up -- like Christ in everything. A life-time building project.

Talk 1: Essentials of Remodeling
Talk 2: Building a Holy Heart
Talk 3: Building a Grateful Heart
Talk 4: Building a Growing Heart

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Remodeling 101: Building a Heart Like His

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The good thing about our journey with God is that He not only made the map for our lives, He knows just where we’re going and how to get us there. He never says: “I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are.” The problem is not with the GPS, the problem is with the person on the journey. The issue is neither the Map nor the Map maker, the issue is the traveler—that’s you and me. Have we decided to be on the journey, wholeheartedly—to embrace the journey? Do we refer to the Map once when we first begin, and then, tuck in the side pocket – getting it out only for emergencies? And, most importantly, do we really trust the One Who made it?

Talk 1: Traveling Confidently – Get Out the Map
Talk 2: Traveling Light – Rest Stops on the Way
Talk 3: Traveling Gratefully – Joy in your Journey
Talk 4: Traveling Strong – Growing Up While Going On

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Road Trip with God: Embrace the Journey

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God is the Ultimate Host and He invites us into intimacy with Himself. With every welcome comes an invitation. With God, of course, there are many, and we’ll consider these four invitations: an invitation to know God deeper, an invitation to rest, an invitation to know him by name, and an invitation to serve. There is never a chill in the air when we step into His presence. He doesn’t have to put on a good appearance or fake His love for us. God doesn’t grumble all the way to the door when we start knocking. He is not a reluctant Host, irritated by the interruptions of His children and we don’t catch Him by surprise. When we understand His welcoming heart, we find we can’t help but pass along His welcome to others. We are invited to invite.

Talk 1: Invitation to Intimacy
Talk 2: Invitation to Rest
Talk 3: Invitation to Know Him by Name
Talk 4: Invitation to Serve

The Welcoming Heart of God: Invitations to Know God and Make Him Known

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Pouring Out: Mentoring as a Way of Life

God’s blessed us to be a blessing and come alongside those who need to grow in their faith. How do we make it a way of life, enriching the kingdom of God by pouring into another what God continues to pour into us as we abide in Christ?

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Contentment In a World of More

God wants us to be content to prove His goodness and power. How do we cultivate a heart of contentment that brings Him glory and delight?

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Growing Something Besides Old

Developing holiness is a lifetime process, but it’s one we all need to be on! Growing in Jesus is a privilege and a partnership between our passion for God and His work in our lives.

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Becoming a Woman of Welcome

Hospitality is God’s idea – not Martha’s – and He loves it when we invite others to our table, whether a picnic on the floor or hamburgers in the back yard. Explore God’s hospitality and how we can engage in showing His welcome to the world. (This works well as a one-time keynote as well as a half-day workshop.)

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A Mother's Legacy

Parenting is the biggest adventure of faith – and the most challenging! Much of what happens is out of our control, but we do have control over what we pass on to our children: tools to help them live out their own adventure of faith.


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The Friendship Connection

Women encouraging women is how God shows His love to us and to the world. Steps on how to build gospel-community starting today.

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Retreating with God

Oswald Chambers said, “My worth to God in public what I am in private.” Gaining strength for our daily journey comes from digging deep with God, consistently and intimately, with the ultimate goal to know Him better and love Him more.


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The Heart of Christmas

God chose the perfect gift for each of us and He didn’t need help from Nordstrom or Sears catalog. The Christmas season busyness can make even good activities be counterproductive to what God really wants to accomplish in and through us. It helps to ask God what He wants –to do the one or two things that would show his love best.

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Holiday Hospitality, All for Heaven's Sake!

What better time than the holidays to use our homes to show off the heart of God? People expect invitations at Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving – so why not invite intentionally so that others find Christ at your table and sofa – no matter what that table or sofa may look like. God is the centerpiece, and He gives grace, strength, and guidance as we commit our lives and homes to Him.

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A Cup of Joy

To be a joyful woman, we need to understand that joy and happiness are not the same. In fact, if you’re not happy, it’s really no big deal! Joy is not a personality trait. It comes from the Perfect Joy-Giver, God Himself.

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No Ordinary Home

Wisdom, understanding and knowledge top the list for the best building materials for our “Dream Home.” When we focus on these, we can’t help but create a home filled with treasures designed by the Ultimate Decorator.

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Stress Relief

We all have stress and one of God’s best resources is His children: believers building up other believers, with the common goal of nurture, emotional healing, and becoming a bridge to Christ.

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Remodeling 101: God’s Redesign for Your Life

Lessons learned from a three-year remodel easily translate into homespun wisdom on how God may want to tear down, rebuild, and redesign our lives for His pleasure and purpose – even it means going down to the studs!


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Turning Over a New Leaf

God is in the business of fresh starts. He likes the word “new.” and He loves it when we decide it’s time to “turn over a new leaf.” He even knows the leaves that we need turning over the most. And, He’s our biggest cheerleader while we do it.

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Making It Count: How to Live on Mission at any Age or Stage

As followers of Jesus, we never need to wonder if we live a life of purpose. God gives the purpose and the power to live it out no matter what vocation or stage of life.

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One Thing Needed

What’s to our advantage, becomes an advantage to another. It’s a win-win-win—God gets my attention, He pours into me, and I pour into another. Jesus said, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.” Luke 10:41,42

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16 Keynote Topics

TOPICS & DETAILS

Let Sue know how one or more of these keynotes can help your group grow in their relationship with God and with one another. They work as conference keynotes or workshops. Each talk is approximately 35-50 minutes in length  and, an outline and small group questions will be emailed in advance.

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Sue is so genuine and her messages were perfect for our group. Her biblical knowledge is excellent and her understanding and insights into our common daily struggles and triumphs are surely God-given. Sue’s humor was a bonus that delighted us all. 

Sue was wonderful to work with…..from the early planning stages throughout the event and even follow-up after the event. We were all left with down-to-earth, concrete, practical and, most of all, biblical applications of God’s truth and plan for our lives.
When He brought us to Sue, we knew that we had found the one that we had been looking for.

Lori Connolly and Roselyn Connolly
Grace Bible Church Arroyo Grande


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If I had to name the top three character qualities that describe Sue they are: humility, wisdom and humor. Sue knows her Bible and speaks from a heart that desires to know her God, and share His love with others. Her passion for hospitality, and using whatever the means at hand to open your home to others, has had an effect on our women. There are women stepping out to host an event, or just invite a friend in, no matter the state of their home. Sue is a speaker of integrity, in that whatever the topic she reveals her own struggles and triumphs relating to the subject matter.

I highly recommend Sue as a speaker and look forward to having her back with us in the near future!

Emily Head, Director of Women’s Ministry, Canyon Creek Church, San Ramon, CA

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It’s my pleasure to commend Sue Donaldson to you! Sue is an excellent and accurate Biblical teacher. She studies hard and takes the text seriously. It’s obvious she believes in the power of God’s Word to change lives. She’s real, engaging, interesting, clear and downright funny. She aims to make her hearers both think, feel and act. Our women here at Grace Church, San Luis Obispo are always eager to hear Sue open God’s Word. I guarantee you’ll be challenged and built-up by Sue’s content and style.

Pastor Tim Theule, Grace Central Coast
San Luis Obispo, CA


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CONTACT SUE

SUE'S BOOKS

READ THE BLOG

You can start hospitality
today!

We invite someone to our table so that they find out God’s invited them, too. No better way to live. All for heaven's sake.

resources