SPEAKER INFORMATION, BIO AND TOPIC LIST

If you like energy, real life anecdotes with a little humor sprinkled in, you will enjoy Darlene Snyder as she speaks on topics such as family, care giving, faith, marriage and friendship. She offers real life experience and encourages women to make needed changes in their marriage, in their church life and in choosing friends wisely. Darlene offers ready to use tools that can be applied immediately. The unfortunate event that made it necessary for her to care for her then ailing husband, guided Darlene toward an opportunity to offer hope and help to caregivers. Her speaking style and passion in sharing her triumphs gives her a unique ability to encourage and motivate women.

Darlene has over thirty years experience in team development, organization, mediation, coaching women in the workplace and in the church setting.  She is the author of  Casting Bread Uon the Water the history of Kirksville Baptist Church and the Kirksville Community. She is author of several articles related to family, marriage and faith. Her website and blog are dedicated to the preservation of family memories and local church history. Through online contacts, she answers emails from women who have read her articles and are seeking advice in regards to their marriages. In her spare time, Darlene writes for her blog and contributes to several on-line magazines.  She is the Director and Event Coordinator of  EDM (Extreme Diva Media) Speakers Bureau.

Teaching others to become Realistic Christians is her passion. Living realistically as a Christian simply means that we realize we are human and have human emotions and reactions to situations that occur in our lives. The difference is that we have the Bible as our guidebook. Occasionally our day brings things that rock our foundation. As Christians, we need to learn to fall into the arms of Jesus for support.  Darlene believes too many speakers aim for mere inspiration and motivation rather than approaching subjects from a realistic view. Through her talks and her life, she encourages women to live a Christ like life, respond to life's difficult situations with grace and offers help on becoming more of a Realistic Christian. 

Endorsements:

Ruth Hayes of Mt. Sterling , Kentucky says, "Thank-you for being our guest speaker for the women's ministry Mother's Day luncheon this past Saturday.  Your encouragement to mothers to raise children to serve the Lord was wonderful.  Your personality and energy brought us laughter and your heartfelt words had some of us shedding a few tears."

Linda Cates, Madison County Circuit Court Clerk says, "I gladly recommend Darlene for groups interested in a high quality speaker who shares from the heart.  Her testimony will bring you encouragement and will motivate you to serve the Lord to a greater degree."

Reverend Ronnie "Butch" Pennington pastor of Kirksville Baptist Church in Richmond KY says, "I highly recommend Darlene as a speaker to any group who wants to hear Christ centered ideas and motivation."

Presentation Variety: Darlene's offers the standard one-hour presentation, several messages over the course of a day or can speak at weekend workshops; she will work diligently to meet the needs of event coordinators.

Topics:

Friendship

Best Friend Basics

Darlene has been lucky in that she has enjoyed the friendship of many women. Her longest friendship has lasted for over forty-five years – since her grade school days.  In addition, she and the person she considers to be her best friend enjoys a relationship that has lasted over twenty years.  In this presentation, Darlene shares the four basic elements of a best friend relationship. They are,

• Don't expect perfection in the other person.  All of us are human and have peculiarities that can be an annoyance. Getting beyond unrealistic expectations will help the relationship grow.
• Learn to discern.  As your relationship grows, be keenly aware of changes in your friend's body language, tone and conversations.  If something is off, you will likely make better decisions as to how to offer help.
• Listen.  Sometimes the best friend is a sounding board.  Listen to your friend when she needs to talk.  Don't feel you have to offer instant fixes.  Just being there and listening may be all that is really needed.
• Be open, honest and ready to share your life. True best friends are able to share confidences, can speak honestly without reproach and are comfortable enough with each other that they share secrets. The relationship should never be one-sided

This topic is a 45-minute session and is geared mostly to women.  It is suitable for Christian women of all ages as well as non-Christian.

An Introvert's Guide to Building Stronger Relationships

A Three-Step Plan

In her role as a Supervisor, Darlene has counseled many of her employees regarding building stronger relationships.  Many of the women she's counseled confide that they sometimes feel uncomfortable around people and just don't know what to say. Many problems in the workplace are due to communication issues.  Darlene offers a three-step program for building relationships.

• The way you dress, your stance and your facial expressions are the first thing people notice.  Dressing neatly enhances your confidence. Standing erect shows strength and your facial expressions will help others be more relaxed around you.
• Speak up.  While you may not be a vocal person, you must communicate with others.  Communicating your thoughts helps those around know where you stand on situations and doesn't leave them guessing.
• Fake it.  Don't show weakness.  Showing others your vulnerability invites problems in relationships. Faking it doesn't mean you are dishonest, it is just a way of protecting yourself against attracts. 

This topic is a 30-minute session and is suitable for most groups of women – Christian as well as non-Christian.  I think smaller gatherings would gain the most benefit.

Good Neighboring

Tips towards becoming a Church Grandma or Neighborhood Grandparent

Grand parenting or fostering children in your church, neighborhood and family is a way adults can show compassion and help children grow knowing they are loved.

This is also a way of protecting our children, by being there when they need a safe haven or an adult friend. Be warned though, you might become known as the church grandma just as I am.

• Show love to and shower attention to all children, regardless of race, appearance or family background.  Every child needs love and attention and we should never make a difference over one child in front of other children.
• Be willing to open your homes to children.  Darlene encourages people to be cautious –particularly when dealing with troubled children.  She encourages adults to always have permission of the minor's parent or guardian before undertaking to include any child not your own in an activity-particularly in your home.  
• Activities can include anything from carrying special surprises in your Bible bag for children at church to adopting a neighborhood family to mentor and help with the children in that family.  Darlene offers examples from her own life.

This topic is a 30-minute session and is suitable for male and female alike.  The age range that would receive the most benefit is the over forty crowd.

When Choosing Friends – Be Choosey

Six Rules to Follow

In order to choose friends wisely, there are certain standards we must follow. We should begin by applying 1 Corinthians 15:33 -- "Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'" We should realize it is better to have a few friends, even just one, who will be the right kind of friends than a multitude of the kind who could cause us to lose our souls (Matt. 16:26).

We must choose friends who will be good examples to us and others. In that light, we should choose friends who:

• Have good morals (1 Cor. 15:33)
• Are modest (1 Tim. 2:9)
• Abstain from drinking alcohol (1 Pet. 4:3)
• Can bridle their tongues (Jas. 1:26)
• Are honest (Luke 8:15)
• Are law-abiding (Rom. 13:1-7)

We must select as friends those who respect God and things spiritual -- those who regard spiritual things as more important than material things. We must not be deceived into thinking that we can choose otherwise and not be affected.

This topic is a 45-minute session and is suitable for Christian women of all ages. I have enough material that if needed, I could make this a two part session.

Family Topics

Preserving Family Memories

Darlene has a website dedicated to teaching others how to preserve family memories.  Willingly sharing her expertise, she stresses the importance of preserving family memories.  This presentation is not about genealogy, it is a practical how to guide. Some of the areas covered are:

·       Choosing your target.  Who will you interview or talk to that likely will have buried treasure deep in the memory cave?

·       How will you record the memories?  There are a variety of methods that can be used such as, audio recording, note taking or video recording individual family members.

·       Interview techniques and sample questions.  How to set up the interview, what questions to ask and what to avoid during the interview are all areas covered in the presentation.

·       Other tips such as photo journaling are included.

This topic is a 45-minute session and is suitable for women of all ages-Christian and non-Christian alike. I have enough material that if needed, I could make this a two part session.

Longevity in Marriage

The One Thing That Will Kill a Marriage and Fifteen Others That Can Help Save It

Learn what one thing will surely destroy a marriage.  More importantly, discover the advice Darlene shares that will help couples have longevity in their marriages. Darlene is passionate about helping women resuscitate their marriages.  Drawing from her parents and in-laws' combined 100 years plus marriages and the thirty-three years she has been married; she shares knowledge, and tips towards a stronger marriage. Darlene has interviewed women who have been married for thirty years or more and five years or less. She shares what she has learned from those women.  A few tips covered are:

• Laugh-Learn to laugh –don't take yourself so seriously. Laughing is a release and can lighten your mood. It can break the tension in a stressful situation. Be careful not to laugh at your partner-laugh with him.
• Spend one-on-one time with each other. It is important to spend time alone with each other. Light the candles and have a quiet dinner together, or dance, or walk hand in hand down a sandy beach or along a country lane.
• Love his family. For some, this one may seem impossible. I've seen many relationships end because one of the parties didn't like, couldn't tolerate, or continually fought with their partner's family. You may not like his family, but do your best to be considerate of his feelings and show them respect.

There are many more tips offered in this area.

This is a 60-minute session and is suitable for women of all ages – Christian and non-Christian alike. I have enough material that if needed, I could make this a two part session.

Wedding Crasher

A Fun Look at How Far Some Mothers Will Go In Trying To Keep Their Children From Getting Married.

Planning a wedding for a child or other family member sometimes is a harrowing experience.  So much so that the wedding is ruined before it even starts.  What can a parent do to keep from crashing the wedding?  Darlene offers practical advice, humorous antidotes and wisdom on what not to do.  Areas covered are:

• Don't whine to the future bride or groom -going on endlessly about how sad you are or how had it will be at home without them.  My own mother did some of this to me.  I felt a little defensive and little sad, but never really knew what she expected me to do.
• Don't take over the wedding plans.  Remember, you aren't the one getting married.  Allow the couple to plan and do their own thing.  If your opinion is needed, they will ask. Even if you are paying for the wedding, remember who is actually getting married and whose day it is,
• Stop trying to talk them out of getting married.  U nless you know of something concrete that would bring harm to one of them, allow them to enjoy the moment.  My sister-in-law worried her daughter to death about whether she was making the right decision or not and she continually tried to talk her daughter out of marriage.
• The worst thing for a mother or future mother-in-law to do is to offer put downs of the bride or groom.  If the couple has come to a point of love and trust enough to marry, then these put-downs will place a large wedge between you and them.
• Don't plan their life for them.  I wanted so much to plan out my son's life for him.  As his mother, I thought I knew what was best for him.  Our children won’t listen to parents who are trying to tell them how to live their lives. 

This is topic is a 45-minute session and is most suited for mothers who have young-adult children.

Giving Caregivers Hope

A Serious Look Into The Life of a Care Giver

This topic encourages caregivers at every level to deepen their faith, to not give up, and to look towards the ultimate Caregiver (Luke 9:11 -13) as our model.  Caregivers need the strength and encouragement that can only be found by spending time in the Word. Darlene also shares her personal story as a caregiver and currently care manager to her husband and in what she refers to herself as being a reluctant nurse. In the beginning, she experienced bitterness and anger because of the role forced upon her. Finally adjusting, she received strength to endure and a peace only a forgiving God could give. Darlene will offer caregivers, hope, encouragement and helpful suggestions on dealing with the stresses that caring for others brings.  She offers handouts with information on locating helpful resources.

This topic is a 60-minute session and is suited for all age groups of women who have found themselves in the position of caregiver.  I have enough material that if needed, I could make this a two part session.

Raising Children to Serve

Take Responsibility For Your Children – Please!

Darlene encourages women to raise children to serve Christ and offers suggestions on ways to accomplish this goal. Darlene induces mothers and fathers to be Proverbs 22:6 parents. Her only child is a pastor, a volunteer counselor in a drug rehab center, a community volunteer, a trained foster parent, a husband and a father. Her audience will learn from her successes as well as her mistakes and be motivated to raising a child to be servants of Christ.  Darlene uses 1 Corinthians 4:1 as her guide, "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God." (NIV) 

This topic is a 30-minute session and is suitable for young Christian mothers.

Faith Topics

Living a Life of Service

Simple Things We Can Do

Christ is the greatest model to follow when it comes to service.  It only takes a few minutes into the New Testament to find examples of His service to others. In this topic, Darlene shares tips on living a servant life at work, at home and on short-term mission trips. Some tips offered are:

• Be the best you can be at home.  Service starts at home.  You must show kindness and respect to family members before you ever step out the door to be a service to others.  Some ways to serve at home are, going an extra step to help a spouse, child or parent. Volunteering to take on an unpopular chore or job in the house is another way to serve at home.
• In the workplace be known as someone others can count on for help or assistance.  Don't be afraid to work.  Volunteer whenever possible, your conduct should be above reproach.
• Short-term missions – a great way to serve others and share Christ.
• Give Gifts – kindness, prayers and cards are simple ways to serve.

This topic is a 45-minute session and is suitable for Christian women of all ages. I have enough material that if needed, I could make this a two part session.

Sharing Christ in the Workplace

It's Not as Hard as You Might Think

It is the calling of a Christian to represent Christ to people, even those in the workplace. We need only to look at Matthew 28:19-20 - the commission to all Christians to be witnesses. In addition, God has placed us where we are with definite gifts and the potential to proclaim His truth in our world, which includes our workplace. Darlene offers tips for sharing Christ in the workplace.

• Get to know the people with whom you work. It is easier to witness if you know their background, beliefs and personalities.
• Look for common interest. If one likes basketball, talk to them about your favorite team.
• Show them you are interested in their life by listening. Ask questions. You can't expect them to listen to you if you aren't interested in what they have to say.
• Attend events and functions with them. This shows you are involved in other things outside the church.
• Your actions, attitude and behavior in the workplace can influence others. Be sure to think before acting or reacting. Others are watching.
• Integrate your faith into your work. Bow your head, asking the blessing over your food before eating. Read your Bible during breaks. Let Co-workers know you are praying for them when difficulties arise in their lives.
• Invite people to church. Don't harass them but if the opportunity arises during conversations, don't be afraid to invite them to attend a worship service. Volunteer to pick them up on your way.
• Handle difficulties in a Christ like manner. Perfection is not expected nor required. Even Christians face difficult times. The manner in which you respond to the complexities of your world, speaks more than any words you have to say.
• Your work is important to God. When you have a bad day, turn to Christ for solace and encouragement.
• Share your story. Your experiences might be just what a co-worker needs to hear.

This topic is a 60-minute session and is suitable for Christian women of all ages. I have enough material that if needed, I could make this a two part session.

A Thirty Day Prayer Challenge

Praying for Others

Christians are not praying as mandated.  Because Darlene was dissatisfied with her own prayer life, She searched for something that would motivate her towards praying for others more consistently and without too much difficulty.  After polling Christians in her work place, church, family and eventually those Christians who regularly read her blog, She discovered that she was not alone in her dissatisfaction.  She found also that most Christians were embarrassed and reluctant to talk honestly about this personal area of their life. Of those who responded to her inquiry, all were completely unhappy with their uninspiring prayer life and wanted to learn of ways to bring freshness to this area.  This is a topic that Darlene is passionate about and excitedly shares the results of a self imposed thirty day prayer challenge. 

This topic is a 60-minute session and is suitable for all age groups of Christian Adults. I have enough material that if needed, I could make this a two part session.

Help in Planning a Short Term Mission Trip

Practical Advice, Moving Stories and Helpful Resources

It's final, after much prayer, you've decided to take youth from your church on a mission trip.  "Now," you may ask, "what do I do next?" Drawing from her experience of planning mission trips, Darlene offers a systematic plan that can be implemented easily and successfully.  Some of the steps offered are:

• The first item of business is prayer.
• The next step would be to set the date for your trip.  Most places are flexible enough to work with you on the trip date if you begin your planning soon enough.
• Putting a team together is somewhat difficult.  Rules and guidelines should be in place well in advance of the trip.  Once you decide where you are going, the missionaries in that area will help you in deciding the dress code, expected rules of conduct etc.

These are just a few of the easy to follow steps that Darlene offers.  Resource information is also provided.

This topic is a 60-minute session is suitable for anyone planning a mission trip or thinking about organizing a missions group. I have enough material that if needed, I could make this a two part session.

Contact Information: Telephone 859-200-5979 or email darlenesnyder@ bellsouth.net