Got the Winter Blues?

Need a boost of encouragement today?

Check out the latest magazine online:

Click here: Winter 2012

For articles including:
Depression
Starting Over
New Beginnings
Insecurity
Low Self Esteem
Suicide
Escaping the Sex Industry
Grief
and more!

Cruising, Comedy, Lysa TerKeurst and Dogs

Hello, hello girlfriends!
This is pretty much a random 'catch you up' kind of post....

First let me share what it looks like here in Michigan:

Isn't that gorgeous? My daughter Stephanie took this while I was gone...

I can not believe that as I write this shivering in my office, that one week ago today I was sailing the ocean blue. No, I did not see the news about that OTHER cruise ship until I was about to come home thankyouverymuch.

Yes, Melissa Mashburn and I went on a cruise/writing conference. It was so much fun.

One of the best parts was seeing my son perform with 321 Improv. Sad to think I had to go all the way to Mexico to see him perform. I have seen him do his stand up, back when he won Funniest Person in Grand Rapids 2010, but this was the first time watching him with 321 doing improv. They were hysterical. Stomach ache hysterical.

Yes that's Chonda Pierce laughing at them too! I adore her. She is not only funny funny funny,

but also has a beautiful heart.

I had so much fun meeting online friends and making new ones!

 Heather Williams who Denise  interviewed for our latest magazine.

And the most hilarious and fun Mary Snyder who screamed "Sue Cramer is the bomb.com" every time I saw her. (She's also in the current magazine.)

I did not lay in the sun one time. I tried. I walked up on deck to get some sun and it was a bit cloudy so I jumped in the hot tub instead. Cue thunderstorm and I was back in the room sitting on my balcony with Mel.

One afternoon Mel and I ordered room service, all desserts, and sat on our balcony. Seriously, every dessert on the menu. When they delivered it they asked where the kids were...no kids just us. They smiled and nodded and told all their waiter friends that we were complete freaks. I know they did.

But we didn't care. We saw dolphins. Yes dolphins, jumping right outside our window. We screamed and called Matt. He ran up to our room but the dolphins went away. As you can see it was rough seas on the way back from Cozumel.

I also got to see and have breakfast with my sweet friend Lysa TerKeurst. Oh mercy I do love her. We have so much in common it's a bit scary and I've actually lived her post from this week.

And speaking of dogs, cause Lysa did...this is my neighbors dog looking in at me while I'm working in my office:

His name is Shadow and he's come over to make friends with my dogs. One of my dogs loves him, the other would like to put her shock collar on him and hold him over the fence line.

But when I bring our dogs in, cause it's downright freezing here, he barks at me, begging to let him in also. I try ignoring him but then he whines and crys and finally does this:

What's a mom to do?

Eventually I cave in and against my better judgement I let him in and this is what I get:

I suppose I could spiritualize this and talk about how God brings us in from the cold hard places of life and lets us rest in Him.

Cause He totally does.

Love you, hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Sue

PS: What would a post about cruising be without a pic of the fun towels they left in our rooms:

Thank you Royal Caribbean and Premiere Christian Cruises, you are awesome!



It's here~ Autumn 2011 Praise and Coffee Magazine

You can click on the cover to read!

And if you would like to be among the first to be notified (they got an email yesterday!) when new issues come out, sign up here: free subscription

I hope you like it.
Happy Autumn!

And just to remind you that Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 11:00 AM EST
We will host our first ever Praise and Coffee Radio Show ~"Conversations"

Our first topic is "Starting a Praise and Coffee Night in Your Community"

Whether or not you want to do that...stop in and say hello on the chat.
It's super easy and we'd love to hear from you.

Oh did I mention that Melissa Mashburn from Florida and Ronel Sidney from San Diego will be here- in my house. In my living room ya'll!

It may be completely obnoxious with no real information given, but I'm pretty sure it will be fun!
Click here on Thursday at 11:00 AM EST:
Blog Talk Radio Show

Have a wonderful weekend.
You are loved!

The Summer Praise and Coffee Magazine!

The Summer 2011 issue is published!

Again, I am so touched by the stories of women who walked through the hard times and clung to the God who loves them.

From a mother who saw her daughter engulfed in flames.

To a wife who while working in the mission fields of Africa only to find that her husband had been cheating on her. That same husband working side by side with her to help aids victims.

And the mom who faced the painful fact that maybe there was more to the story when her young son didn't make eye contact with anyone else. Maybe he was autistic.

All the while God is bringing comfort and healing in the midst of these painful trials. And eventually these wonderful women find a reason to laugh and enjoy the journey that they are on.

Real women ~ real stories.


Another very exciting part of this issue is a new column by Melanie Shankle, some of you know her as 'big mama.'
She debuts her Fashion Cafe with us, sharing 10 darling pieces that would look great in our summer wardrobe.
You will love her picks and her adorable personality. And if by any chance you've never met her online, please visit her blog. big mama I promise you will love her. If not, you can call me a liar and take a sharp stick to my eye.

Sorry, I'm a little slap happy after being on the computer for the past 24 hours straight to finish the magazine on time.

So, enough listening to me- click on the cover to view the magazine!

And have a wonderful weekend.

Plainwell, MI ~ Praise and Coffee Night

What a great night!

Last October I met Kim deBlecourt at the Breathe Writers Conference in Grand Haven, MI. She highlighted her story in one of the classes and I was immediately drawn to her.

Adoptive parents always feel a sense of kinship with other adoptive parents and I couldn't wait to get to know Kim better. Kim had experienced a nightmare while trying to bring her son home from the Ukraine to Holland, MI and I was compelled to know more about her and her story.

She graciously wrote about it for the magazine and then came out last night to tell the whole ordeal at our Praise and Coffee Night.

You can read about it in our magazine here: Spring 2011

Or wait for the book "Until We All Come Home"...which is coming...AND they are in talks about a movie.
It will be an incredible movie!!

Kim, thank you so much for sharing your story with us!!



Connect with Kim on Facebook: Kim deBlecourt



Stacey Davis, Sue Cramer and Char DeMoore






Deborah Brine, thank you for sharing your Stella & Dot with us before heading back to Australia!








Denise Dykstra and Kim deBlecourt




Andrea Creech and her sweet Mom!


Anne Kirby and her best friend!

Check out our website if you would like to start Praise and Coffee Nights in your area! http://www.praiseandcoffee.com/

April Giveaway and Spring Magazine launch!

Hello friends,
I'm so excited about our giveaway this month! It is Mandisa's CD "What If We Were Real" (releasing April 5th) And then we have our awesome coffee from Barista deCasa!

Have you checked them out on Facebook yet?
Here is their page:
Barista deCasa
AND, don't forget to follow them on Twitter too:
Barista deCasa on Twitter
Click on the logo to go straight to their website and pick up some delicious coffee!

To enter the drawing, it's simple:

1. Leave a comment on THIS post.

2. Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win, or check back to see if you won.

3. If you have any of my blog buttons on your blog, let me know in your comment and you will be entered twice.

AND....check it out...we have some *NEW* buttons available now, update your sidebar!

4. Note: Past winners are eligible to enter again 1 year after they win.

Please tell your friends on Facebook and Twitter about the giveaway and thank you if you do!!

The drawing will be on the 10th and the winner will be posted to THIS post so check back!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, now for the news you're been waiting for...the Praise and Coffee Spring Magazine is here.

Click here to read! Praise and Coffee Spring Magazine

Enjoy and we pray that you are Connected ~ Encouraged & Inspired!

Edited to add:
The winner is Leslie! The random number generator picked the first comment!
Congrats Leslie, email your home address to me :)
Sue

The Winter 2011 Magazine is here!

It's here!
The latest edition of our online quarterly magazine!!

Click to read: Praise and Coffee Magazine
You can subscribe on the website (right below the magazine) to receive the updates in your email.

I am having a blast with this magazine, it's my most favoritest thing of all I do!!
I hope you enjoy and give me reason to keep putting them out.

Thanks to the great team of women who wrote for it, and especially my sidekick and coffee guzzling buddy Denise Dykstra.

Happy New Year, how about a giveaway?!

Hello and Happy New Year Girlfriends!!

I pray that 2011 is your best year ever. I hope you fill your life with the ones you love and live as one that is loved by the God who created you!!



I am busy working on the upcoming winter Praise and Coffee online magazine and so very excited about it and the opportunity to inspire and encourage you through this new venue!

It should be out the second week of January...watch for it!
Read our first issue here.
And if you would like to submit something, check out this link.


Once again we are starting the month and New Year with a giveaway!
Praise and Coffee for you, because we love you!

The winner will receive the WOW 2011 CD!



AND some delicious COFFEE from our friends at Barista de Casa!!!
Check out their fabulous coffee.

Follow them on Twitter: Barista de Casa

To enter the drawing, it's simple:
1. Leave a comment on THIS post. Drawing will be January 10th and the winner will be posted on THIS post then.

2. Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.

3. If you have any of my blog buttons on your blog, let me know in your comment and you will be entered twice.
AND....check it out...we have some *NEW* buttons available now, update your sidebar!

4. Note: Past winners are eligible to enter again 1 year after they win.

Feel free to tell your friends on Facebook and Twitter about the giveaway and thank you if you do!!

Drawings will be on the 10th and I'll post the winner to this post.

EDITED to ADD:

My sweet online friend Dori won this month!!! Congrats girlfriend!

Launching Praise and Coffee the Magazine!

It's here!
I can hardly believe it.

I've had a dream of starting a magazine for years! Praise and Coffee the Magazine will be published online every season with the next one due out Winter 2011.

If you have attended or host a Praise and Coffee Night and would like to contribute to the magazine I'd love to hear from you!

Hope you like it...

Praise and Coffee the Magazine