Truths from Flamingos, Research, and Fun Women’s Events

Show of hands: Who knows why flamingos are pink?

I didn’t know the answer until I was keynoting a recent women’s retreat in Florida. The title of the retreat was “Faith in Full Color: Thriving as God Intended,” and when I walked into the church I grinned in delight as I saw that the décor matched the name. The design was vibrant and lush, with flamingo decorations everywhere. Many attendees were wearing pink and were festive with the theme, so there were dozens of creative flamingo shirts, bags and earrings. It was so fun.

Then one of the event planners took the mic and told us why flamingos are pink—and why it mattered. We realized that this playful theme had a serious meaning. You see, flamingos don’t start out pink. They are gray. They become pink because they eat algae, shrimp, and beta-carotene; they are constantly absorbing a diet on the inside that makes them vibrantly colored on the outside. If they stop the rich nutrition, they lose their vibrancy and become gray again. But the more of the good stuff they absorb, the more vibrant their color.

Suddenly I understood the title the organizers had chosen for the women’s retreat. Because we are just like those flamingos.

The more we take in those things that feed our faith—like the Bible, regular Christian fellowship, and teaching based on truth—the more we thrive and the more vibrant we are to those around us. But as we get busy and distracted and just don’t prioritize those things, the color goes out of our lives and ministries.

So, in keeping with the flamingo theme, I thought I would share a few encouraging truths that might bring some color to your day. Each of these truths is in the talks I give at women’s retreats and conferences.  And if you are looking for a speaker for your women’s event, I would love to join you!

Truth 1: Yes, you have a ministry

Some of you might have looked at the earlier sentence about the color going out of our lives and ministries and think, “But I don’t have a ministry.” Oh yes, you do!

My Friday night retreat talk includes the truth that each of us has special callings straight from God—special Kingdom purposes (see Ephesians 2:10). There’s a deep biblical basis behind this that we don’t have space to get into here, but here’s the bottom line: You have your obvious job like getting the kids off to school each day, or preparing clients’ taxes, or helping Mrs. Jones rehab after her hip replacement surgery. But each of us—each role, each job, each relationship—also has Kingdom callings. When Mrs. Jones wistfully mentions, during physical therapy, that she misses having her children around and you ask about them and the grandkids and bring out a smile—that is ministry. There is a Kingdom purpose to that. You’re not just using your technical physical therapy skills; you are encouraging and bringing hope to someone God has put in front of you.

Truth #2: You can find rest even in a busy life

We women are always so busy and stressed. And one of the reasons I wrote my devotionals, including Find Rest, Find Joy, and Find Hope, was to help us connect with God and reduce that stress by finding beauty in the middle of the craziness.

One of the truths that most encourages women at these events is that we don’t have to somehow arrange six weeks of vacation time or have a big budget for spa treatments to find rest. The picture Jesus paints in Matthew 11:28-30 (“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…”) is that we can find His rest even in the middle of the busy-ness. We can be busy, but we don’t have to be stressed. And there are so many simple factors that will help—including living according to God’s design for us, rather than working against it.

Truth #3: Changing what you say changes how you feel

There are several factors that directly help in finding joy in our day-to-day life—and in having a vibrant “color” in a watching world. And one of those factors is being very purposeful about what comes out of our mouths.

I love bringing together science and scripture, and this truth is addressed extensively in both. Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” and multiple neuroscience and other studies have found how it improves your mood and your life when you are kind, including in what you say, when you stop yourself from venting, and when you thank and affirm others.

I love sharing this truth and watching all the women in the room (me included!) grapple with it. So much of our beautiful “color” to the world comes from building one another up. It is something we all want to do, but because it doesn’t happen naturally, we have to practice it!

I would love to share these truths and others with your group. If you’re an event planner, let’s start a conversation. If you’re connected to an event planner, please forward this email along. I’d love to work with your group of any size to help your women capture a vision of how we can live differently in this world. Invite me to your fall 2026 or spring 2027 women’s event and we’ll learn about faith, joy and hope. And who knows? Maybe even flamingos.

For an event like nothing the women in your church have experienced, consider bringing Dr. Shaunti Feldhahn for a one-night event or a weekend retreat. Loaded with fun and laughter, practical tips, and audience interaction, the event will leave your women ready to tackle life in a whole new way. Contact Nicole Owens at [email protected] for Fall 2026 and full-year 2027 booking availability.

If you are interested in having Shaunti bring research-based strategies, practical wisdom and biblical principles to your next event, please contact Nicole Owens at [email protected].

On our podcast, I Wish You Could Hear This, Jeff and I offer proven steps to help you thrive in your life, faith and relationships. In other words, we’ll offer the practical help you’ve grown accustomed to right here in this blog space.  You’ll take away specific steps that help you today. Listen, follow, and share with your friends on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms.

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