Jesus died to redeem your entire life. Embrace His transforming work in your marriage.
Speaking
Shellie Arnold is an author, speaker, and teacher. She tells others she’s living proof God can redeem, heal, and restore anything. More than once, she’s experienced exactly that it in her life and in her marriage. Consequently, Shellie truly believes if both parties listen to God, any marriage can be healed and thrive. She loves to share truth she’s learned the hard way, and see that truth bless others.
A multi-published author, she has written articles, Bible study/devotional curriculum, and contributed to several non-fiction works. She has keynoted at women’s retreats and taught in workshop, Sunday school class, and small group settings. Shellie is a gifted speaker whose transparent communication style has been described as “…a velvet-covered brick. She slides in the truth, then hits you over the head with it.”
A home school mom of over twenty-three years, Shellie knows the unique challenges stay-at-home moms face. As a sexual abuse survivor, she understands the long-term effects trauma can have, even if one is a believer. She longs to encourage those with deep hurts that God is near and offers all they need to completely heal.
Shellie is available to speak at church events, women’s event, retreats, writers groups, home school groups, and other events. She teaches at writers conferences and home school events. She is comfortable with both inspirational and instructional formats. See below for some of her most popular topics.
Shellie has three published novels and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube agency.
Teachings and Talks
Offered for women’s groups, marriage retreats, conferences, or other events.
On Christian living...
God is More – What happens when the only thing left to offer God is your attitude?
Hear Shellie’s intriguing testimony. Stricken with a mysterious neurological illness after an anaphylactic reaction, Shellie experienced many progressive and eventually debilitating symptoms that left her virtually paralyzed on one side. Hear how God helped her face challenges in her family, faith, and body. You will be encouraged as Shellie shares her struggles during that time, what God taught her about faith, and the greatest miracle of all.
Duration: (short) 35 minutes to (extended) 1 hour 15 minutes.
A New Well – Has grief, tragedy, or trauma tested your faith?
Shellie knows the discouragement of feeling forgotten by God. Of wondering if He’s not paying attention and the Bible is true for everyone else. In this teaching, Shellie delves into three scriptures that confused her for many years—as they seemed to contradict her life circumstances—and shares how during her most painful season God opened her eyes to the truths within each. You will be comforted as you learn to see proof that God’s provisions are endless and limitless.
Duration: (short) 35 minutes to (extended) 1 hour 15 minutes.
On Home Schooling...
No Angel Came to Help Me: Three Things I Wish I'd known About Being A Home School Mom.
Do the endless assignments and deadlines of home schooling leave you feeling completely overwhelmed? Shellie knows the frustration and discouragement of seemingly endless days of assignments, and the heavy burden of responsibility the home school mom faces every day. With humor and transparency, she shares several perspectives God gave her during her busiest years. Perspectives that relieved some of her burdens and enabled her to continue her home schooling journey.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes.
A Long-Term Vision – Has home schooling left you feeling like a failure?
Shellie has twenty-three years of experience as a home school mom. When Shellie’s oldest son reached kindergarten age, God made clear to her he was calling her to home schooling. But that wasn’t her plan. For many years, Shellie begged God to let her stop, yet God’s mandate she continue was clear. Hear how God finally revealed to Shellie the reasons behind His call to home school, and the peace she found during the most painful season she’s ever faced as a parent.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes.
On Marriage...
Seminars can be restructured and/or combined to fill several sessions for a conference or retreat.
The Best Thing You Can Do for Your Marriage –
Need a bottom line? A final answer for the million dollar “how-to” marriage questions? Shellie has a new spin on one of the most popular biblical passages regarding marriage. With scriptural insight and candor, Shellie will introduce you to a principle that always works, no matter the situation.
Duration: (short) 45 minutes to (extended) 1 ½ hours.
The Power of Submission – Does the term "submission" set your teeth on edge, cause your eyes and stomach to roll?
Wait until you hear what Shellie has to say about the true meaning of submission and how it can revolutionize your spiritual and marital life. With poignant examples and brutal honesty, Shellie shares a new perspective on submission that will strengthen any marriage and spiritual walk.
Duration: (short) 45 minutes to (extended) 1 ½ hours.
Writing Topics
Topics offered for writers groups, writers conferences, or other events. Contact Shellie for availability and rates.
Plotting and Storytelling
What makes some stories weak, while others seem to grab our attention? The stories that captivate us are the ones we don’t forget. They’re unforgettable because they’re relatable and believable and take an honest look at our humanity. We all know life doesn’t only happen outside ourselves, but also inside. That’s why our characters must have an inner journey and an outer journey. But weaving those journeys together can be tricky. In this teaching, I walk writers through a repeatable process they can customize to create great, unforgettable stories.
Duration: (short) 1 hour 15 minutes to (extended) 2 hours 30 minutes.
Premise
Premise: What it is, why you need it, and how to use it to maintain your novel’s focus. Premise can be the key to keeping your book on track and producing a quality product. Attendees will learn how to identify the premise in each of their projects and produce tighter, more focused writing. No more wandering plots or useless rabbit trails in narrative.
Duration: (short) 1 hour 15 minutes to (extended) 2 hours 30 minutes.
Emotion & Impact in Fiction: The Care and Feeding of Your Readers
(This teaching is a great sequel to PREMISE—mentioned above—but can stand alone.)
At the heart of all writing is this goal: connection. We want to connect with our readers and have them connect with us. As writers, we have a responsibility to honor the fragile trust given us by readers when they open our books and read our work. This teaching joins the theories of great storytelling with actionable tools to improve craft. We look at the why, how, when, where, and what it takes to connect with our readers, establish trust, and be a faithful steward of that trust to the very last page.
Duration: (short) 1 hour 15 minutes(extended) 2 hours 30 minutes.
When the Writing Gets Tough
If you’ve ever been discouraged as a writer, or if you’re completely overwhelmed by what you feel called to do, this class is for you. This class is not about jump-starting your creativity, but rather re-energizing your spirit, your spiritual connection to writing, and how that relates to God’s call on your life. We will look at our strengths and weaknesses, how those influence our “first love” of writing, and how to maintain an attitude of obedience to God about every aspect of our creativity. Come be encouraged and rejuvenated.
*Great as a devotional, opening, or closing session at a writers conference
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Writing Women's Fiction
Writing Inspirational Women’s Fiction can be an extremely rewarding endeavor. In this class, we will define and look at the specifics of this genre. We will discuss common pitfalls, practical tips for writing, and how to establish an emotional connection with your reader. We will examine how women’s fiction can be used for effective ministry, and how to glean speaking topics from and capitalize on other marketing opportunities that coincide with your fiction. Most of our class time will be spent discussing character arc, which is the most important component of women’s fiction.
Message-Driven Fiction Instead of Memoir
Do you want to share from your personal journey with God, truths He’s shown you, and lessons you’ve learned—but you don’t want to write a memoir? Writing message driven fiction might be right for you. With the right approach, fiction writers can use stories to connect with, challenge, and even teach readers. This three-hour workshop will cover determining your message for a book or series, making your character’s journey believable, avoiding common storytelling pitfalls, and connecting your fiction to your platform. Time will be given to brainstorming, planning, and refining your novel ideas.
Duration: 3 hours.