All that I can say is that Nika blew us away! I have helped with this conference for 7 years. We have had over 25 speakers. Nika is the first to have an OVERWHELMING STANDING OVATION.
Nika Maples
Featured Book
Hunting Hope: Dig Through the Darkness to Find the Light
by Nika Maples
Hope is not an accident. Sometimes it has to be hunted, and hunting it takes courage.
Hope hunters know how to excavate hope from hardship. There is dirt underneath their fingernails and sweat on their shirts. They rake through the rubble of an unwanted situation, digging into difficult circumstances because they have come to expect that adversity will produce good. They believe that light always triumphs over darkness. They have learned to walk through winter with their eyes on spring.
Nika Maples became a hope hunter after suffering a massive brainstem stroke that left her quadriplegic in her twenties. Doctors warned that she had as little as 48 hours to live, and-if she lived at all-she would never walk or talk again. There was no hope on the horizon. So Nika started to hunt for it. Today, she not only walks, but she speaks to audiences everywhere about the power of hunting hope when a situation appears hopeless. She says hope remains camouflaged in the daily mundane. If we are not looking for it, we will miss it, though it is right before our eyes.
Whether you or someone you know is going through a situation that feels hopeless, you will find encouragement in Hunting Hope. Whether you are experiencing a medical trauma, a financial hardship, or a relational crisis, you will find empowerment in Hunting Hope. As you read, you will cling to 20 truths about God's character and practice 5 daily disciplines that will develop your own character in crisis.
You will become a hope hunter.
Maybe it doesn't matter what causes suffering in our lives as much as it matters what suffering causes in our lives. Maybe we were all meant to be hope hunters.
Nika Maples
Featured Keynote Programs
Finding Our Way in the Dark
How God Works Through Depression
It is tempting to think that any and all darkness is not from the Lord, but the Bible tells story after story of faithful people who were led through periods of darkness for the purpose of preparation for greater tasks. "If darkness is not also of God, then the fact that winter exists is unfathomable to me. Look at the way that barren branches bring forth the buds of spring. Look at the way that cool, grey skies hold within them the promise of brightest blue. God uses our darkness, too, and usually to bring forth Life in us."
Square One
Following God Instead of Racing Him
Waiting on God may be the most difficult task we are called to as Christians. Time and time again we fall on our faces as we try to run ahead of, instead of following, the Leader. It is a relief to know that He is patient with our false starts and even helps us start over. “It’s okay if you are on Square One—you are supposed to be starting over in God every time you fall or fail. He gives believers new life in order to show the world that life without Him is certain death. And, by the way, you can claim your second chance as many times as you want to. He will never run out of new beginnings.”
The Frost on the Front Lawn
Finding Time to Feast on His Presence Every Day
The busier our lives become, the more we feel the hunger that comes when we do not spend time nourishing our spirits. With a look at God’s provision through manna in the wilderness, Nika focuses on the simple truth that we cannot go a day without the Bread of Life. “Notice that the Lord does not say, ‘Come away and eat.’ He says, ‘Come away and rest.’ He desires that we rest in Him for a reason. It is because He knows how hungry we are, and that only He can fill us.”
How to Become a Hope Hunter
Seeking Until You Find What You Need the Most
Hope is not an accident. Sometimes it has to be hunted, and hunting it takes courage. Hope hunters know how to excavate hope from hardship. There is dirt underneath their fingernails and sweat on their shirts. They rake through the rubble of an unwanted situation, digging into difficult circumstances because they have come to expect that adversity will produce good. They believe that light always triumphs over darkness. They have learned to walk through winter with their eyes on spring.