Gov. Palin urges women to live lives of faith, joy and purpose

“Thank God His outstretched hand is there.”
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Sarah Palin shared her faith testimony with thousands of Oklahoma women Friday, urging them to find their purpose in Christ, despite the critics and haters. Carla Hinton, religion editor for The Oklahoman, reports:

Palin made her remarks at the Women of Joy Christian women's conference held at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. The event, sponsored by Phil Waldrep Ministries based in Trinity, Ala., drew more than 9,000 women to the Jim Norick State Fair Arena.

[...]

[Gov. Mary] Fallin received a standing ovation as she gave a short welcome to conference participants and expressed her excitement about Palin's coming presentation.

“You talk about a woman who knows how to plant her feet firmly in the Word of God and to keep standing no matter what happens,” Fallin said of Palin.

Palin, in turn, expressed her appreciation for Fallin, a fellow Republican, by congratulating her on her election as Oklahoma governor.

“She's a mama grizzly looking out for future generations,” Palin said.

Palin spoke for about 40 minutes, her speech often laced with humor that drew laughter from the crowd.

She took the stage to cheers and a standing ovation from the audience and left it with the same rousing appreciation from conference attendees.

[More]

- JP

Gov. Palin at Women of Joy Conference in OKC April 15

At the State Fair Park Arena
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From The Journal Record:

Women of Joy is on the road again this year and, when the uplifting, spirit-filled event hits Oklahoma City, guest speaker will be Sarah Palin, the first female governor of Alaska and former vice presidential candidate. Dates for the local conference will be April 15 to 17 at State Fair Park’s James Norick Arena. Women of Joy will be making its first appearance in Oklahoma City.

[...]

The meetings offer panel discussions, speakers, musical entertainment and opportunities to worship together, develop friendships and express joy.

The Oklahoma City conference will open at 7 p.m. April 15 with music by Charles Billingsley... At 7:30 p.m. Sarah Palin will share her perspective as a Christian woman raising a family under an extremely public eye.

[More]

Call (800) 374-1550 for more information, or visit the Women of Joy website here. To register, click here.

- JP

Gov. Palin's speech electrifies crowd of Christian women in San Antonio

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Sarah Palin thrilled a crowd of evangelical women Friday night, speaking for nearly an hour in the main event of the Women of Joy conference's opening night in the Alamo City, according to a write up in the left-leaning San Antonio Express-News.

Instead of delving into the conservative, tea party-tinged politics she is known for, Palin largely focused on the themes of religious faith and family. The GOP's 2008 vice presidential candidate offered no hint of whether she is looking to run for president in 2012.

Still, she took a veiled swipe at President Barack Obama, telling the audience, “All of you (are) just proudly clinging to your guns and religion.” She was referring to comments Obama made during a fundraiser in 2008.

Palin then turned to the idea of American exceptionalism.

“Being an American means being exceptional because God shed his grace on this country,” Palin said, drawing a burst of applause. “Being an American is nothing to apologize for.”

Gov. Palin also discussed how her faith in God empowered her to cope with the challenges of having a son with Down syndrome:

But she won some of her most boisterous cheers when she turned her sights on the media. Directly addressing a cluster of television cameramen and reporters, she complained about her treatment at the hands of journalists and said: “May you be touched, may you be blessed with God's spirit.”

Predicting that some in the media would take her words out of context, the first woman to be both Alaska's governor and the Republican party's vice presidential candidate said she looked to the audience for support:

“I've got 4,000 Christian women who have my back.”

The San Antonio event is the second Women of Joy conference to feature Gov. Palin as the keynote speaker. She spoke to a crowd of 16,000 in Louisville at a similar gathering of Christian women in April.

- JP

Sarah Palin is coming to San Antonio in October

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San Antonio conservative talk radio station KLUP is partnering with Women of Joy to bring Sarah Palin to The Alamo City October 8. The Women of Joy Conference is a three-day event which will be held October 8 though 11 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Women of Joy is a conference ministry designed to enhance and energize the spiritual lives of Christian woman. It was organized by Phil Waldrep Ministries in 2004 to offer spiritually fulfilling experiences for women. Gov. Palin's appearance at the Women of Joy Conference in Louisville in April helped attract 16,000 women to that conference.

Among those also appearing with Sarah Palin in San Antonio will be Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman, winner of more than 50 Dove Awards, 5 Grammys, an American Music Award, 2 certified platinum and 10 gold albums, 10 million total albums sold, and 45 #1 radio hits.

Online registration for the San Antonio conference is here. For more information go here.

- JP

Benyamin Korn: Jews have nothing to fear from Sarah Palin's religion

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Benyamin Korn, director of Jewish Americans for Sarah Palin, has an excellent op-ed in today's edition of the New York Sun. Mr. Korn exposes how the media's gross misquoting of Gov. Palin's "Christian Nation" remark. Some excerpts:

Governor Palin’s Kentucky speech, to a group known as the Women of Joy, is being claimed by her critics as proof that she is too Christian. But a careful look at the speech reveals, in fact, how close to Judaism and the Jewish people she is.

To judge by some accounts in the major news media, it sounds like she made a Bible-thumpin’, foot-stompin’ appeal to the unwashed fundamentalist masses.

[...]

Here’s the key sentence: “And then, you know, hearing any leader declare that America isn’t a Christian nation, and poking an ally like Israel in the eye, it’s mind-boggling to see some of our nation’s actions [in] recent days, but politics is truly a topic for another day.”

[...]

In her speech to the Women of Joy, Palin included a few quotes from the New Testament. But Jewish scripture figured much more prominently. She quoted twice from Psalms, as well from Proverbs and Malachi. She spoke to Piper about how Esther, an orphan, overcame steep odds and difficulties in order to save the Jewish people. And she took issue with President Obama’s policy of “poking our ally Israel in the eye.”

Fear-mongers with political agendas want to drive a wedge between Governor Palin and American Jewry. Sometimes they do it with quotations that leave out key sentences. Sometimes they do it with distorted depictions of her religious beliefs.

Jews have nothing to fear from Sarah’s Palin religion. But we have plenty to fear from those political leaders who not only have no interest in Esther or Proverbs, or Sarah, but who think that poking Israel in the eye makes for good foreign policy.

Read Benyamin Korn's unedited commentary at The Sun.

- JP

What did Sarah Palin mean by 'a Christian nation'?

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Sarah Palin's remarks to the Women of Joy conference April 16 in Louisville have the secular left all wee wee'd up. She is quoted by the Washington Post/Newsweek as saying:

"Lest anyone try to convince you that God should be separated from the state, our founding fathers... were believers. Hearing any leader declare that America isn't a Christian nation... It's mind-boggling to see some of our nation's actions recently, but politics truly is a topic for another day."

If we want to split hairs, the governor was correct that the founders overwhelmingly were believers. But were they Christians, and did they found a Christian nation? R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, mildly chastises both sides in the long-running debate:

"America is not Christian by constitutional provision or creedal affirmation — but its people are overwhelmingly Christian by self-affirmation. Thoughtful evangelicals will not overestimate the convictional character of this self-identification. Secularists ought not to overestimate its superficiality."

But in Faith of Our Founding Fathers, Tim LaHaye, co-author of the Left Behind series, claims that Americans are being robbed of their spiritual heritage by revisionist secularists (Gregory Koukl disagrees, writing, "The sad fact of the matter is that cultural authority was not stolen from us; we surrendered it through neglect"). The Founding Fathers were not, as secularists claim, mostly deists or agnostics. Only a few were deists and even fewer agnostics. LaHaye's Faith examines the values and beliefs of thirty-eight of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Through their writings, LaHaye makes a case that America's founders built their nation on religious principles (though John Eidsmoe makes a more effective argument in the similarly-titled Christianity and the Constitution: The Faith of our Founding Fathers). Other authors trying to make the opposite case have ruled out some of the most compelling evidence -- the letters and journals of the Founding Fathers. How convenient for the secularists to ignore the personal correspondence and deepest thoughts on matters of faith expressed by the founders!

By affiliation with religious denomination, only three of the more famous founders -- Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine -- were in fact Deists, yet even Jefferson, who was raised as an Episcopalian, donated a significant amount of money to building Episcopal churches and even attended services in Episcopal parishes. It is significant to note that Jefferson had an Episcopal minister come to his bedside before he died. It was Franklin's views which are usually considered the least orthodox of the founders, but even he attended church and tithed. But Franklin believed religion was a positive force in society, and he said, in a motion before the Constitutional Convention:

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move-that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that Service.

So much for the separation of church and state...

But there is a denomination, often overlooked by those who write American History texts, that was significant in the nation's founding, though none of the more famous Founding Fathers were among its members. In an excellent essay which is part of his "Crash Course in Jewish History," Rabbi Ken Spiro notes the influence of Jewish Americans on the Founding Fathers. One of their most important contributions to the American Revolution was that Jews financed a considerable portion of it:

The most important of the financiers was Haym Salomon who lent a great deal of money to the Continental Congress. In the last days of the war, Salomon advanced the American government $200,000. He was never paid back and died bankrupt.

President George Washington remembered the Jewish contribution when the first synagogue opened in Newport, Rhode Island in 1790. (It was called the Touro Synagogue and it was Sephardic.) He sent this letter, dated August 17, 1790:

"May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in the land continue to merit and enjoy the goodwill of the other inhabitants. While everyone shall sit safely under his own vine and fig-tree and there shall be none to make him afraid."

Note the reference to the "vine and fig-tree." That unique phrase is a reference to the words of Prophet Michah prophesying the Messianic utopia:

But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow to it. And many nations shall come, and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for Torah shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.' And he shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide concerning far away strong nations; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it.

Rabbi Spiro points out that when the War of Independence broke out, there were an estimated 2,000 Jews living in America, yet their contribution to the cause went far beyond their numbers. Nearly every adult Jewish male fought on the side of the Americans in Charleston, South Carolina. And the first patriot to be killed in the war in Georgia, Francis Salvador, was a Jew.

The Jewish influence in the founding of the United States was deeply ingrained in the faith of the new nation:

The creation of the United States of America represented a unique event in world history – founded as a modern republic, it was rooted in the Bible, and one of its earliest tenets was religious tolerance.

This is because many of the earliest pilgrims who settled the "New England" of America in early 17th century were Puritan refugees escaping religious persecutions in Europe.

These Puritans viewed their emigration from England as a virtual re-enactment of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. To them, England was Egypt, the king was Pharaoh, the Atlantic Ocean was the Red Sea, America was the Land of Israel, and the Indians were the ancient Canaanites. They were the new Israelites, entering into a new covenant with God in a new Promised Land.

Not only in the reliance on the Old Testament was the Jewish impact on America evident, but also in the symbolism adopted by the young nation:

Numerous examples can be found which clearly illustrate to what a significant extent the political struggles of the colonies were identified with the ancient Hebrews.

* The first design for the official seal of the United States recommended by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas [Jefferson] in 1776 depicts the Jews crossing the Red Sea. The motto around the seal read: "Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God."

* The inscription on the Liberty Bell at Independence Hall in Philadelphia is a direct quote from Leviticus (25:10): "Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."

* Patriotic speeches and publications during the period of the struggle for independence were often infused with Biblical motifs and quotations. Even the basic framework of America clearly reflects the influence of the Bible and power of Jewish ideas in shaping the political development of America. Nowhere is this more evident than in the opening sentences of the Declaration of Independence:

* "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Whereas, these words echo the ideas of the Enlightenment... without a doubt, the concept that these rights come from God is of Biblical origin.

Considering the rich contribution of Jews to not only the American revolution but the nation's culture, it is clear that the United States is not just a Christian nation, but largely a Judeo-Christian one, or at the very least a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles. And as such, it is unique in the world. Which brings us to the present day. Are we still a Judeo-Christian nation?

According to Newsweek's own poll taken one year ago, a majority (62 percent) of Americans disagreed with President Obama's statement that the U.S. is not a Christian nation. The majority of Americans who considered their country a Christian one was even higher during the Bush Administration at 71 percent. But look beyond religious denominations, and Newsweek's survey confirms that we are overwhelmingly a nation of believers:

The number of Americans with faith in a spiritual being—nearly nine in 10—has not changed much over the past two decades, according to historical polling. Seventy-eight percent said prayer was an important part of daily life, an increase of 2 points since 1987. Eighty-five percent said religion is "very important" or "fairly important" in their own lives—a number that hasn't changed much since 1992. Nearly half (48 percent) described themselves as both "religious and spiritual," while another 30 percent said they were "spiritual but not religious." Only 9 percent said they were neither religious nor spiritual.

David Waters, editor of On Faith, the Washington Post religion blog, writes that in her statement to the Women of Faith, Gov. Palin may have meant that a majority of Americans are self-professed Christians. We're confident that she did not mean that America is "a Christian nation in the way that Iran is an Islamic nation," that "the primary purpose of America is evangelical" or that "the primary allegiance of every American is to Jesus." She may have meant something else entirely, such as that America was founded by mostly Christians on Judeo-Christian principles, and it remains overwhelmingly a nation of the faithful, although the recent actions of its government clearly demonstrate that in the purview of foreign policy at least, those principles are no longer being applied. We can't speak for the governor, but unless she says differently, we assume that the latter of those concepts was the essence of what she was talking about.

- JP

Mrs. Palin Goes to Washington....Illinois

- By Whitney
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It's not everyday that you have opportunity to go with your personal heroine to hear your political heroine speak, but Saturday, April 17th was such an opportunity for me, as my mom and I attended Governor Palin's speech in Washington, IL. If I were to say one thing, I would say it was definitely a barn burner of a speech, and in central Illinois, there are a heck of a lot of barns to burn!

To give context to the speech, it took place in Washington, Illinois, a small town of about 13,000 people in central Illinois just outside of Peoria. The town of Eureka, home of Reagan's alma mater, Eureka College, is just a short 10-15 minutes from Washington. The event was a fundraiser for Five Points Washington, the town's community center. Some of the funds raised were also to be used for a scholarship program as well. During the question and answer session following the speech, the Governor mentioned that she chose to speak at this event because she knows what a blessing such community centers bring to a town, referencing the sports complex built in Wasilla when she was mayor.

The topic of the speech was " You Don't Need a Title to Make a Difference" and was the inaugural speech in a series on Lessons from Leaders. In her own signature style, the Governor effectively wove this topic into the speech also highlighting her political platform, record, and worldview, all while truly making the speech applicable and personal to central Illinoisans. She brought up at least three examples of people who made and are making a difference without a title. She began her speech speaking of Trig, who is turning 2 years old today. She spoke of how he may never hold a title, but he wakes up everyday in applause, bringing perspective and joy to those around him. She also spoke of how Reagan saved 77 lives when he worked as a lifeguard on the Rock River in Illinois when he was young, before he had a "title". She had the words "Lifeguards Needed" written on her palm. She also spoke of how we, as Americans, can make a difference without a title through our voice, our vote, and our freedom.

Regarding leadership, she spoke specifically of three former Presidents: Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan. She spoke about Washington's leadership--how true leaders respect the will and wisdom of the people and often were reluctant leaders who did not seek office, but the office sought them. She spoke of Lincoln's use of his stovepipe hat as a "traveling office" and how if it was good enough for Lincoln to store his notes in his hat, it was good enough for her to use her palm for her notes. She spoke quite a bit about Reagan, calling him a "son of Illinois". She spoke of his politics of both personality and conviction when it came to foreign policy, saying also that America needs his "Midwestern common sense" and "relentless optimism". Governor Palin, in a jab at President Obama, spoke of how a Eureka educated politician plays better in Peoria than a Harvard educated politician. At one point she stated during the speech that the next Lincoln or Reagan may be sitting in the audience. In my head, I thought, "the next Reagan is standing behind the podium!"

On a local level, Governor Palin praised central Illinois for being people who "cling to guns and religion" and who understand what she meant when she says, "don't retreat, reload". Politically, she spoke of how Obama's policies are affecting the region. The construction machine company, Caterpillar, is based out of nearby Peoria and employs quite a few people in the area. Governor Palin spoke of how President Obama came to Peoria last year claiming that the stimulus package would prevent Caterpillar workers from being laid off, which was not the case. She spoke of how the "economically illiterate" health care bill will cost the company $100 million in the first year alone.

More broadly, she spoke of the problems of a quadrupled national deficit, a $3.8 trillion budget, and the "mother of all unfunded mandates": the health care reform bill. Governor Palin criticized the President for bowing to world leaders and alienating allies like Israel.During the question and answer session, she mentioned that the President's comments about America being a military superpower, whether we like it or not was the statement that had taken her most aback of anything during President Obama's administration. However, her political rhetoric was not limited to criticisms, but included a great deal of what she called "time tested" solutions. She spoke of how prosperity cannot be legislated from Washington D.C., but must be earned through hard work ethic and by government getting out of the way. Additionally, she mentioned that more every day people, not politicians, are needed in government.

In sharing such solutions, she was very effective in tying in her record as governor and mayor , highlighting several of the examples that she mentioned in Going Rogue. Specifically, she mentioned how she lowered taxes and improved infrastructure as mayor as part of a pro-business, pro-economic growth strategy. She mentioned the main principles by which she governed Alaska. Government must live within its means. Resource development must be expanded. Money must be saved for the future, and earmarks must be slashed. During the question and answer session, Governor Palin spoke of how important it is that politicians realize that they are spending OPM (other people's money), and she highlighted that she fired the personal chef and the sold of the jet.

The Governor has an amazing way of connecting with the people with whom she is speaking. After the speech, my mom said, "it was like you were listening to your best friend. She talks to you, not at you." I concur with this statement whole heartedly. Governor Palin spoke with such conviction, sincerity and optimism. I was also struck by how often she used the word "blessed". She seems to see every opportunity and experience as a blessing. I was amazed how focused and personal she made it for the audience she was speaking to by pulling in Reagan's ties to the area and the effects of the Obama administration on a large local employer. It truly was a blessing beyond words to hear America's point guard speak with such optimism and conviction.

So, this begs the age old question. Does Governor Palin play in Peoria? You betcha!

To see more pictures, albeit not high quality, see here.

- WTP

- Special guest blogger Whitney is editor of The LOTUS and is a contributor to The Palination and the Palin Twibe blog.

Saturday Morning Sarahcuda Bites for April 17, 2010

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Louisville Slugger: An after action report on Sarah Palin's grand slam home run speech at last night's Women of Joy Conference can be found at All Sarah All the time.

Saturday night's not all right for fighting: Washington, Illinois law enforcement officers have been preparing for Sarah Palin's appearance at the Five Points "Lessons from Leaders" event:

Washington Police Chief Jim Kuchenbecker has the unenviable task of making sure ticket-holders and the expected protesters co-exist.

Kuchenbecker said he's been contacted by three groups of prospective protesters. One obtained a permit to demonstrate from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in the downtown square. The other groups plan to protest outside Five Points, 360 N. Wilmor Road.

"As long as those who plan to protest at Five Points stay in the public area and don't obstruct traffic or bother people coming to the event, we won't bother them," Kuchenbecker said. "We're not going to trample on their First Amendment rights, but they can't break the law."

All 20 full-time members of the Washington Police Department and 10 of 12 part-time members will work Saturday, including 18 assigned to the Five Points area in the afternoon and evening. Five Points, not Washington taxpayers, will foot the bill for the extra police services.

Here's hoping the town won't have to witness the vile sort of Leftist violence that was shamefully on display in New Orleans last weekend.

Co-Stars Fell on Alabama: Fox affiliate WBRC has a good story about the father and son duo of Chuck Heath Senior and Junior tea partying with Alabamians in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover, AL.

Got Schadenfreude? Washington Post magazine contributing editor Cathy Areu gave a demonstration of why the political left is increasingly being viewed with disgust by independents when she appeared on moonbat-crazy cable network MSNBC:

CATHY AREU: Sarah Palin could do no wrong for so many people. I mean, she is a female Larry the Cable Guy, minus the class and intelligence.

Independents have grown weary of this stuff. They want to hear an explanation of why their friends and family members can't find a job, but all the left wants to do is trash prominent conservatives, Gov. Palin most notably.

And to demonstrate MSNBC's lack of credibility, the network's Peter Alexander claimed Friday afternoon:

"Areu said thanks but no thanks to Fox. Saying she wanted to appear right here on MSNBC. We don't blame her."

Alexander's hubris was short-lived however, as Areu showed up just hours later as Bill O'Reilly's guest on Fox's "The Factor."

Go Canada: The full transcript of Gov. Palin's Charity of Hope speech, as delivered Thursday night in Hamilton, Ont. has been posted on the Web by Canada's newspaper of record, The Globe and Mail.

Sarah Palin, Blogmeister: Frances Martel, in a Mediaite piece which only rates about a 2.3 on the Snark-O-Meter, describes Sarah Palin's Facebook page as "arguably the most newsworthy Facebook page of all time." Martel also says it's "the most influential policy blog in America," but why that is the case remains a "mystery" to her. You really need to get our more, Francis. Spend a week far from madding elites in flyover country, and you might begin to get a clue about why Gov. Palin's message resonates so well with ordinary Americans. Martel also dubs Sarah Palin "the most powerful blogger in America." Hey, looks like we Palin-blogger types are in good company!

- JP

Courier-Journal: Sarah Palin speaks to crowd of 16,000 at Freedom Hall

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Peter Smith of the Louisville Courier-Journal reports on Sarah Palin's appearance at the Women of Joy Conference:

Sarah Palin told a Freedom Hall crowd of about 16,000 Friday night that she was there to inspire women in their faith, not to talk politics.

But... Palin — now a best-selling author and headline speaker at tea-party tax protests — did plenty of both in the course of her nearly hour-long talk at an evangelical Christian women’s conference.

“This nation needs you,” Palen told the women. “Know the facts. Stand for what’s right. Don’t be discouraged by the mocking of those who want to claim we just cling to our religion. I’m the first to admit — yeah, I do cling to my faith. That’s all I’ve got.”

Palin mixed stories of personal struggles, calls for women to be good mothers and good citizens and criticism of President Barack Obama — without ever mentioning him by name.

She asked for the women — who greeted her with an enthusiastic standing ovation — to provide a “prayer shield” to strengthen her against what she said was “deception” in the media.

She denounced this week’s Wisconsin federal court ruling that government observance of a National Day of Prayer was unconstitutional — which the crowd joined in booing. She asserted that America needs to get back to its Christian roots and rejected any notion that “God should be separated from the state.”

“Hearing any leader declare that America isn’t a Christian nation and poking at allies like Israel in the eye — it is mind-boggling to see some of our nation’s actions recently, but politics truly is a topic for another day,” Palin said.

The event became sold out quickly after Gov. Palin was announced as a speaker. According to Waldrep, the event drew only about 5,000 last year.

Read the full C-J story here.

Sarah Palin booked for Christian women's event in April

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Gov. Sarah Palin has been booked to speak at an inspirational Christian conference at Louisville's Freedom Hall in April, according to the Courier-Journal. It will be her first visit to the area since a campaign stop October 29, 2008 just across the Ohio River in nearby Jeffersonville, Indiana:

Palin, whose 2009 autobiography Going Rogue is among the top-selling political autobiographies of all time, will speak at a "Women of Joy" conference, which is designed "to enhance and energize the spiritual lives of Christian woman." The conference, sponsored by Phil Waldrep Ministries, is held in multiple cities each year, but Palin is only speaking at the Louisville gathering.

"We are excited to be welcoming the Women of Joy conference to town again this year," said Jim Fraser, 88.5 WJIE general manager. "This will be Mrs. Palin’s only appearance with the conference, and we are thrilled she chose to do it in Louisville."

Since the event was announced, "this has been one of the biggest responses I’ve ever seen," said Chris Crain, promotions director for the Christian radio station. He said he's received a steady stream of callers seeking ticket information.

Ticket and lodging information is here, and those who plan to attend the event can register here.

- JP