Sitting down on the first day of the Conference listening to
Anne Bogel following the Emily Freeman session was the first time I had felt my head was clear since arriving. She offered some amazing advice and joked with the room about being in love with Anne of Green Gables. Woman after my own heart right there.
I love Anne Shirley and her dramatic nature, her love for bosom friendship and the fun she and Diana have together. So right from that moment, Anne Bogel had my attention.
She talked about society and how there seems to be a right of passage to becoming an adult, you graduate college, then get married and have a baby. Then you buy a home and life continues through this pattern. When you don't meet the normal pattern, you feel as though you have failed.
Anne talked about how we don't have to be in a set place to be an adult, how life is about learning and growth, that the path is winding not linear.
She talked about real growth and how that can look a lot like being lost. That it takes time to put it all together!
She told the women in the room about how we should not please other people. That we shouldn't deal with the expectations of others as though we don't have God to turn to. As though we don't have value in His eyes.
She spoke about the importance of dealing with baggage. How we shouldn't ignore junk that is there but deal with it. Have a person we can talk to should the need arise from the events in our life which have affected us. Remembering that we all grow through the hard times in life!
I learned about the importance of not being a complainer, which is why I am cautious about what I write on this little space. No-one really likes to hear complaints, I need to be careful with my words, to encourage not tear others down. I don't want to ever regret things that are written or posted. So my plan is just to not write them.
My blog should be a safe place for those who love me. So for that reason, I won't write anything that would hurt them or make them feel unsafe. Just throwing that out there for clarification.
I understand now what Anne meant by growth can look a little like being lost. Because that's how I started the conference off. And I am still processing and growing from all the events and speakers' messages. Hopefully I won't end up sounding like a broken record as I unpack it all slowly for you.
Let me throw some cake in.
Yep that was after lunch both days. Cake really helps when you are feeling sensitive and vulnerable from being trained and taught so much in a short space of time.
After Anne's session and an amazing lunch.....we had
the life panel.
This panel was another one of the most influential sessions for me. Gather
Jessi Connolly & her husband,
Hayley,
Emily Freeman,
Sarah Matheny,
Rachel Kincaid and there is such wisdom from so many different walks of life.
We had Jessi and her husband talking about how you can't really minister to others online if you aren't both on board. How we should invite our families into what we are involved in online, like the
She Reads Truth community, its not an isolated thing when doing ministry through your blogging. Our families need to be on board and even involved. We need to protect them and make them a priority!
Emily reminding us that something it takes wrongly agreeing to do something in order to realise we need to actually say no. Saying a....
Brave Yes, Strong No.
'If Christ is in You, then He wants to come out.
The Gospel is good news, no matter where you are!'
~ Emily Freeman
I have never wanted to quote anyone more than Emily Freeman whose every other sentence was said in a way I could only hope I might someday be able to communicate.
I have also never heard anyone talk and automatically want to be friends with as much as
Rachel Kincaid, who is just an awesome woman! Her inside beauty just came pouring out as she answered questions in the session. Challenging each of us to live a poured out life with whatever the Lord calls us to.
I walked in wanting to know more about strategy and how to build my blog.
But spent my entire first day meeting God in sessions about life and His Gospel. Encountering some amazing women with incredible God-written stories along the way.
The icing on the cake for me truly was dinner that evening which would take a whole other post to write about how it came into being by the Lord's hand. But I spent the evening eating, talking and sharing encouragement with
Stephanie,
Mackenzie,
Megan,
Brooke,
Erin &
Brittany.
Talk about bosom friends. I love these ladies. Definitely a God-ordained highlight.
I didn't get to spend anywhere near as much time with these ladies as I would have liked.
So you should head over and say hi to them for me, and let them know they are awesome! =)
Thankful//For Day One of the Influence Conference.
Much Love,
L
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