She Speaks {and I Didn’t Freak}

 

Well, whataya know. I didn’t run into one single Simon the entire weekend. The She Speaks conference oozed encouragement and kindness. My words received compliments and criticism, and all comments were beneficial, honest, and hopeful. I madly scratched pages and pages of notes and have lots of information to sort out in my noggin.

If you threw up a prayer in my behalf, I thank ya kindly! Through the majority of the conference, God’s peace prevailed and I realized half my fretting was due to making mountains out of molehills. Fear does that, making the small loom large like a shadow in a dimly lit room. Since it’s hard to see, it’s easy to assume what lurks in the shadow is big and scary.

Nuggets of Wisdom from She Speaks:

Lysa Terkeurst: If we want external self-control, we need internal seed of holy restraint. Sculptors create art by chiseling. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind and allow God to use the ugly stuff to chisel {Romans 12:2}. Treat ugly moments as holy territory.

Renee Swope: Man’s rejection is sometimes God’s protection. Don’t throw away confidence! If we can safely enter the Holy of Holies with confidence, we can enter anywhere with confidence {Hebrews 10: 19, 35}.

Micca Campbell: When I am jealous or envious, I am counting someone else’s blessings.

Emily Freeman: Don’t despise small beginnings! Anything that cultivates a seed of gratitude is not a waste. I am called to a message, not a method.

Ann Voskamp: No one receives anything unless it’s given from heaven {John 3:27}. I want to change my default from dissatisfaction to doxology. Believe not in what I have to do, but in what He has done. Live with hands wide open so my heart is wide open.

WORD.

The weekend held not-so-heavy moments, too. I loved seeing and loving on folks in person whom I’ve only been able to see online and love on in words before. Unfortunately, I only took a couple pictures the entire weekend. Boo on me.

I didn’t take this picture, I lifted it from Emily. 🙂 When I met Emily, I *may* have jumped up and down like a school girl. Not only have I adored her writing for-ev-uh (and her soon-to-be-released book Grace for the Good Girl ROCKS}, but she sweetly and graciously answered no less than 317 writing questions of mine. She is stinkin’ adorable, totally hilarious, and beyond kind.

I laughed ’til my sides hurt with these gals. Stephanie, Emily, Nester, and Shannan are da bomb diggedy!

I am much more extraverted than the average writer, so “jumping through my screen” and meeting these folks live and in person was super sweet! {I’m especially lookin’ at you, too, Jamie!} It did my heart good and I grinned all weekend. Amen.

I hope your day gushes grace and peace, sweet Dearies. Much love to you!