Making “Relationship Resolutions”

Special thanks to The TODAY Show for having me back to New York last month for a “Relationship Roundtable” discussion with Kathy Lee Gifford, Hoda Kotb, Saturday Night Live comedian Finesse Mitchell, and Lesley Rotchford, editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. The segment aired this morning, but can be watched here too. Just go to the home page and click on the January 2^nd MSNBC video.

Shannon‘s 2009 Resolution:

To Help Aspiring Writers & Speakers Have a B.L.A.S.T.!

If you’ve been familiar with my writing and speaking for very long, you know that I focus primarily on three passions: Sexual Integrity, Sexual Intimacy, and Spiritual Intimacy. Although I get dozens of questions each week pertaining to these issues, some of the most common questions I receive have absolutely nothing to do with any of them… questions like:

· I feel called to speak, but how do I get started?

· What’s the best way to go about writing the book I have in mind?

· How can I get a publisher to look at my book?

· I want to reach more people with my speaking and writing. What do you suggest?

Trying to answer such questions can feel almost as impossible as explaining to someone in 200 words or less how to successfully perform open heart surgery. Oh, how I’ve wished I could connect a set of mental jumper cables from my brain to someone else’s and download all that I’ve learned over the past decade!

The publishing industry is incredibly complex and difficult to break into. As my writing mentor said years ago, “You can feel like a tiny grain of sand on an entire continent of beach when you’re trying to get published!” Boy, do I remember that feeling. And I sense that there are lots of you who are experiencing that feeling right now. Perhaps God has tapped you on the shoulder and said, “I want YOU to be my voice!” If so, I sense God tapping ME on the shoulder and saying, “I want YOU to teach them how!”

In response to this calling, I’m launching a new one-year program starting this September called B.L.A.S.T. (Building Leaders, Authors, Speakers & Teachers). I’ll meet one day per month with a select group of aspiring writers and speakers, attempting to teach you all that I can about bringing your own ministry and publishing dreams to life!

If you’re interested in learning more about the program, go to www.shannonethridge.com and sign up for the monthly E-newsletter.  There will be lots more information in the January edition (to be released within the next few days, or if you miss it, go to the e-newsletter archives for the January 2009 edition).  There’ll be a place to click in the e-newsletter for a complete informational brochure and application packet. Also, feel free to email your like-minded friends who’d be interested and let them know about the program. There is an ONLINE version, so no matter where you live, you can have a BLAST with us!

Who knows? Perhaps this will be the year that YOUR resolution for getting that book started or that speaking ministry launched finally becomes a reality! If you’re ready to see that happen, I’m ready to help BLAST you in the right direction.

Happiest of New Years to you and yours,

Shannon