TOPICS FOR YOUR RETREAT, CONFERENCE, CONVENTION OR MORNING OF REFLECTION:
“Your accolades are well deserved. God has given you a wonderful gift
and great talent. We are so glad you are using it to serve Him.”
Choose from Jean’s most popular programs for your next Retreat, Women’s Morning of Reflection or as a conference Keynote. Whether she’s speaking virtually or face to face, you can be assured that she will deliver fresh insights and ideas, inspiration and encouragement, laughter and joy. As a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend, Jean connects with women of every age and at every stage of life. Then she helps them open their minds and hearts to recognize and value what they all have in common – no matter how different or diverse they are.
Unwrapping God’s Gifts in Your Life
Remember that time when you received a most wonderful gift? Before you could fully appreciate it you had to unwrap it to discover what was hidden inside. God’s gifts to us are like that. Because we are each unique, we often take them for granted because they’ve become part of who we are. But there’s always more to unwrap because God is so generous! What special gifts has He given you that you haven’t unwrapped yet? As you begin to “untie the ribbon” you may discover the Gifts of Choice, Prayer, Trust, Family, Friendship, Tradition, Knowledge, Self-Care, Self-Awareness, Solitude, Forgiveness, Healing, Happiness, Determination, Encouragement, Service – and much more.
Have you ever received a gift that took you totally by surprise – that made you think, “What in the world am I supposed to do with this?” Maybe the giver (or God) saw something in you that needed that gift at that very moment – something you didn’t even see in yourself.
Your life is shaped not only by what you let go, but what you let in. When you open your mind and heart to receive His gifts, blessings and graces you allow them to flow into your life and into the lives of others. What will you do with your gifts from God? How will you use them to bring you closer to Him and allow Him to work through you? Sharing her faith journey honestly, Jean weaves God’s word together with original stories and gentle humor to help you decide.
“I strongly recommend Jean for any event that calls for a vibrant, spiritual and inspirational speaker. If you want to engage your audience, Jean is the woman to do it!”Jessica Harvey, CDA Regent
Court Genevieve of Paris #2496
Refueling Your Spirit When You’re Running on Empty
All of us can feel “empty” at times, especially when we’re feeling tired, stressed, overwhelmed, alone, frustrated, angry, sad or even hopeless. It might be because of a person or recent event, or simply where we are on our journey at the moment. No matter who we are, how old we are, where we live or what we do, our lives are filled with challenges. But why should that surprise us? Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us a perfect life on earth. What He does promise is everlasting life with Him, and He promises to be with us as we make our way on our journey.
Jean’s “7 Step Plan to Refuel Your Spirit” empowers women with the courage and confidence they need to face their daily fears, anxieties and worries with faith, hope and trust. The steps in her plan are interconnected with faith as the foundation. Faith and prayer are important, but God wants us to get involved!
Blending generous doses of humor with her message, Jean shares the many ways God encourages us to step up, take His grace and take action. She explains how to develop advocates and allies, make good choices, practice forgiveness and maintain healthy relationships. Jean’s personal stories about how her faith has helped her during difficult times provide inspiration and encouragement for women of every age and every stage in life.
“Jean’s message is truly about knowing who we are and being in right relationship with God so that we know the plan and purpose He has for our lives.”Conference attendee
Dealing with Difficult People with Wisdom, Courage and Grace
We know that God loves every person He created. But have you ever wondered, “Who ARE some of these people? Why did God put so many of them in my life?” (“And why are most of them my relatives?”) All humor aside, living and working with other “imperfect” people can cause us to feel frustrated, impatient and stressed. What we’re really thinking is, “Why can’t they just be more like me?”
While you don’t have the power to change a difficult person, you can learn to adapt the ways you communicate and interact with them to deepen your understanding of “where they’re coming from.” Some are not trying to be difficult. They simply have needs and priorities – different than yours – that must be acknowledged and addressed. Maybe they’re feeling angry, frustrated or confused. Sound familiar? Ever been there? Or maybe they need an encourager to listen…to be present… to understand. Are you that person?
In this program you will learn how difficult people manipulate us to get what they want. Discover how we all “reward” them. Identify and resolve conflict. Handle complainers and negative people. Learn how to disagree with respect. Discover how to lead positive and productive conversations.
God wants us to be in safe and healthy relationships. He also wants us to be aware of our own attitudes and behaviors that may be contributing to our problems with other “imperfect” people. Jean blends her gentle humor with insights and real-life stories to help you see Christ in everyone you know… because difficult people are everywhere!
“Jean understands the challenges we face every day. She formed a bond with us and delivered her message with wisdom, humor and truth.”Conference attendee
Let Go and Let God!
Have you ever had a day when your life wasn’t going exactly as planned? Maybe it was more like a week… or a month… or a year! You’re feeling pulled in a dozen directions at once. Small problems become big problems. You’re so busy meeting others’ needs that there’s no time for YOU! How are you supposed to create a balanced life when you hardly have time to breathe? Weaving God’s word together with original humor and personal life experiences, Jean shows you that “letting go” really isn’t about what’s going on outside of you, but what’s going on inside of you.
We all know that life isn’t always fair. You may have to make tough choices when it comes to being in healthy relationships, working on your marriage, raising your kids, caring for your aging parents, caring for yourself and struggling with finances, health issues and other challenges you have faced – or will face in the future.
We can’t be in charge of everything that happens to us, but we can be in charge of how we choose to respond to life’s events. God has given us the gift of free will. So we have two choices. We can choose to whine and complain and give up. Or we can choose to trust, to pray and to look up, as we ask God for His help and guidance.
Jean’s message brings women together – old and young, married and single, retired and career focused. You’ll laugh while you learn how to bring Balance – and JOY – into your life, and to take care of yourself in mind, body, spirit and heart.
“I’ve never received as many compliments on a speaker as I did following your presentation. Thanks for making me look so good as the Chair of our event!”Retreat Leader
Clean Out “the Junk Drawer” in Your Mind and Heart
Most of us can admit to having at least one junk drawer somewhere. Even though we have every intention of clearing the clutter, we hang on to it. We can hang on to “junk drawer thinking” too – those attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that keep us from being our best, make us doubt ourselves and add stress and anxiety to our lives. “Junk drawer thinking” may involve a negative idea we’ve been carrying around that’s keeping us from becoming better, facing our fears, or becoming the person we want to be (or used to be).
It may include feelings of anxiety, fear, frustration, discouragement or disappointment. And it can encompass feelings of fear, loss, holding a grudge, or being unable to let go of anger. While all of those feelings are valid, they keep us from moving ahead. We can only move forward when we’re willing to finally let go.
We don’t always get to choose what life sends our way. We do get to choose to ask God to intervene, guide our choices and help us to create a better life. Although we can’t be in charge of everything that happens to us, we can make choices every day that dramatically impact our lives and our relationship with our Lord. And that’s where God comes in to help when and where we need Him.
The results are definitely worth the effort: peace of mind, healthy and respectful relationships and a new outlook on life as we redirect our energy to make God our center and concentrate on the people that matter most. Jean blends Scripture with her personal stories to help you to handle life’s challenges with faith, wisdom, courage and a sense of humor.
“Jean held my attention the entire day! You may come to her program feeling stressed and anxious, but you leave feeling confident and trusting in God’s plan.”Retreat attendee
Have Yourself a Stress-Free Christmas… and a Stress-Free Life!
“The holidays” can evoke feelings of excitement, anticipation and joy… along with thoughts of over-commitment, added stress, not enough time and not enough money. Sound familiar? Do you eagerly await the start of the holidays and then count the days until they’re over and your life can get back to normal? Even with our best intentions, it’s tempting to get caught up in “the holiday experience trap.” We get so busy meeting others’ needs that we sacrifice the very things we need to survive – including prayer, solitude, rest, relaxation, healthy food, exercise, time for ourselves and time with the people special to us.
It’s easy to get distracted and lose sight of “the reason for the season” – the celebration of the birth of our Lord. In this entertaining and fun-filled session Jean shares 12 special “Gifts” you can give yourself – and they require no shopping, spending, wrapping, cooking, serving or decorating! And the best part of all is that you can apply Jean’s ideas to any holidays… whatever you call them, and however and wherever you celebrate.
You’ll laugh until your sides hurt as Jean shares her hilarious holiday stories along with a wealth of practical ideas you can also apply to your everyday life. Discover simple yet rewarding ways to enjoy your holidays and your life, as you use God’s grace to appreciate your blessings and to focus on the people and relationships that really matter – not just during the holidays, but all year long!
“You can always gauge the ‘enjoyability’ of a speaker by the number of times you check your watch. When Jean Gatz is speaking, you don’t even realize you’re wearing a watch!”Morning of Reflection attendee
Taking Care of YOU!
When you’re so involved in meeting the needs and demands of others at work and/or at home, you often put yourself at the bottom of your priority list. You’re feeling anxious, stressed or exhausted! While you’re busy taking care of others, who’s taking care of YOU? Jean blends inspiration, encouragement and humor with practical ideas to help you find balance, communicate clearly to get your needs met, resolve conflict, reduce your stress, keep your sense of humor and discover simple ways to add joy to your everyday life. Whatever is going on in your life at the moment, this session has something for everyone!
“You were so engaging, authentic and relatable. It was obvious that you’d put a lot of thought and research into your session. Your energy and indominable spirit inspire me.”Attendee, Alzheimer’s Services
Special Session for Caregivers
