...but this time, the yearly pilgrimage away from the home front led to a strong desire to connect, to meet with women of like-minded vision and purpose. To not be considered odd.
And so, I stole away to the Relevant Conference last weekend. A carved out place and space of time for women who write :: who pour their hearts out to a screen, click, and pray that the message has meaning, brings hope, or somehow stirs the soul.
My words are often timid ones, shared with shakiness of spirit :: writers understand this fragile nature of our pen to paper {or fingers to keyboard} experiences. And in the space of forty-eight short long hours, I found grace among sisters in Christ who write.
Kindred spirits who connected with the shakiness and yet the desire to shape an audience's mind and heart with words. The only response is to give thanks to the unseen One who knew the felt need for sisterhood among authors, speakers, and yes...bloggers.
I am grateful.
I am changed.
Wisdom graciously shared from the speakers ::
"You can't give away what you don't have in your heart. It's the living of life, not the writing of life that means something. Crafting a message that will change hearts includes words of truth plus a life of integrity."
Sally Clarkson, Whole Heart Ministries
"There's a difference between being encouraging vs. painting a picture on our blogs of a life that doesn't really exist. It's too easy to be filled by the affirmation of others (in comments & such) instead of by the Lord. Be authentic, having a deep sense of littleness."
Angie Smith, Bring the Rain
"We don't always get to pick our story, but we can all show God through it."
Serena Woods, Grace is for Sinners
"We do not achieve our identity in Christ, we receive our identity in Him. We serve with our writing, our blogs. Give to God the deepest parts of yourself and share in writing pieces of what God has done :: yet always write for an audience of one, Him alone."
Ann Voskamp, A Holy Experience
photo from conference: Dayspring's wooden book crops
