Uplifted at She Speaks Part I

"She Speaks" has been one of the best things I have done for my soul.

As I approached Concord, North Carolina (the location of the conference) tears were trickling down my face. Attending this conference has been in the works for 6 years. Ever since, I first heard a short little 60 sec. message from Proverbs 31 Ministries on my local radio.

My dear husband asked me a few times how I felt. Honestly, it felt like all my nerves cells where ignited dancing all over my body. After reflecting on my feelings, I was able express my self. I felt that attending She Speaks was my yes to God. My yes to God, that I will take this desire he has placed in my heart to speak His Truth and His love to others. Next to my wedding, where I said yes to marring Joey and accepting all the children as gift from God, there has not been another time as distinctive as attending She Speaks.

July 31st, 2009... I checked in to the fanciest hotel I had ever stayed in. It was beautiful, what stands out most in my mind was the fact that the bell man (the luggage helper, greeter man) wanted me to let him do all the work of bring my luggage (all of it!) to my room all by himself. He even was a little frustrated that I tried to bring one of my own bags by myself... however he accepted when I told him it was a large purse not a bag. As I write this, I remember one other person who wants to carry all my luggage, not some of it, but all of it. Jesus says lay all your burden down and I will give you rest. He wants to carry all the burden for us. Oh! How I try to lay all of them down, and then pick one or two back up. Just like the bell man was slightly frustrated with me, I am sure Jesus wished we would just leave the luggage with him. You see it was truly much easier to enjoy the beauty of the hotel, and easier to say Bye to Joey without the luggage I had been trying to carry by myself. How I pray that I might truly be able to leave all my luggage/ baggage with Jesus in order to truly enjoy the beauty around me and concentrate on loving those around me.
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Big huge, metal flip chart from the 1980's (which I nickname the "Canadian PowerPoint") and a women speaking to herself in front of a mirror and a timer going off was what my dear roommate walked in to find. How God worked to match us together was incredible. Me from Ottawa, Canada; her from Salt Lake City, Utah. I am not sure if we would of met any other way, but I am so bless to have had the privilege to meet this incredible women of God who I truly love as a sister. Both of us had wanted to attend last year, however due to circumstance where unable to do so. She was attending the conference with the Writing track and I with the Speaking track. I had debated over taking the writing track or the speaking track. But as I was not yet ready with my book idea, I choose the speaking. However, my dear roommate was able to share so much of the writing information. We prayed together, laughed together and like girls do so well talked for hours and hours - leaving little time for shut eye. Thanks for everything Sarah.

So much great things occurred on the Friday, that I simply cannot share in details...
However some of the highlights:
-was finally getting Lysa TerKeurst books (what happens when Women Walk in Faith; What happens When Women say Yes to God; The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained:How to Defeat Mommy Stress.) I am thinking and praying about leading a bible study at my house with the help of this last book if any is interested let me know.
-meeting some of the women who have been fundamental in my walk with God. These are ladies from the Proverbs 31 Ministry team and being able to thank them for all their great work in the Lord.
-Meeting all sorts of wonderful ladies who truly love God with their all who also are busy with young families and/ or other things in their lives.
-most of all soaking in God while in the Chapel. The ladies on the conference team had been praying for each one of us since the moment we registered. They placed our name by one of the names/ titles of God. I found my name by the title: "The Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Armies"... with scripture reference reflecting this title and the topic of my 5 minute talk I had prepared for the conference. It all so spoke so much to the heart of a mommy who was worried about having left her children for a whole week. I once again decided to put my trust in God at that moment, and to decided to trust God every time I worried from that moment on.

The topics I attend that day were: -
1)A compelling 15 minute radio Interview - where I not only learned a lot but I also met another Canadian and some women from Africa.
2) The main conference opening message: remarkABLE where God taught me that my choice is what matters. We might have the same situation as others but how we choose to react makes or brakes us.
3)Fear Not!: Where I learned and realized many things including that as long as I am walking with God and not ahead of him, I have nothing to fear. I also think that this is the session where I started learning that the credentials I need I will not obtain by having some letters behind my name (or in front of it) but the credentials I need I will gain by spending time with Jesus.
4) I met with my evaluation group: A group of 12 other ladies, including my evaluator. We all shared our 3 minute stories. It was a great time of getting to know each other, and breaking out of our comfort zones. We all did well. I was the most nervous I had even been speaking in front of a group, but I did well.

then the socializing occurred and the talking until the little hours of the morning with my roommate. I will post more soon,... including the infamous Uplifting experience ..soon