A women’s ministry gathering, the second annual Women of Grace Not Perfection event, sponsored by Blessedx3 Boutique, is scheduled for Sunday, June 23, from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. in the multipurpose room at the Mound City R-2 school, 708 Nebraska Street, Mound City, Missouri. For a $1 admission fee which will benefit the Holt County Cancer Fund, Inc., patrons will enjoy a variety of vendors, a fashion show, shopping, fellowship, food stands, and fun. Vendors or those with food trucks wanting to participate in the event may contact Angie Hunzeker at 402-245-7558.

The fashion show will begin at 2:00 p.m., followed by testimony from Nebraska-based author Lori Gottula at 2:15 p.m. Gottula will be sharing testimony from her book, “Broken & Chained: My First Thirty Days in the Hell Called Detox,” which was published on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Her presentation, titled “Breaking the Chains,” has a recommendation of parental guidance for children ages 13 and under due to adult subject matter.

“My husband, Randy, has talked a lot about Mound City because of his broadcasting connections. I am excited to give my presentation there, and motivate others to break the chains in their own lives,” said Gottula. “We all have that one thing, or sometimes several things, that keep us from living our dreams. It’s time to break those chains and pursue our best lives.”

Gottula wrote her book in 2012 after going through the detox process because of an addiction to prescription painkillers due to a chronic back injury. She just recently found the courage to publish her work.

“God just kept poking at me to share my story, and I couldn’t ignore His mission for me any longer,” Gottula said.

Gottula was afraid to publish the book because she and Randy are very visible in southeast Nebraska and the region; however, she felt the need to share her story to help others fight the chains in their own lives, no matter what those demons are.

“If sharing my trials will help others understand what it takes to break the chains of any addiction, then I’ve got to do it,” said Gottula.

Gottula, who now lives with her husband on their family farm between Elk Creek and Steinauer, will have books available for purchase and will autograph them that day. The book is also available at Blessed x3 Boutique in Mound City and Falls City, Nebraska, and through Amazon and other online booksellers. For more information, or to hire Lori to speak at a school, organizational meeting, convention, or at a church, contact her at gottula79@gmail.com.