Postcard from SheSpeaks

Oh, dear friends, I can’t thank you enough for being the means of God’s provision to send me to this conference!

I have experienced God’s presence in so many ways, and I am so blessed to be here. I thought it would be fun to share what I’ve been up to.

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Wednesday

Bonny picked me up on the airport. Have you ever wondered if it’s weird to finally meet someone you’ve known only online? It wasn’t weird at all. Bonny picked me up at the airport, and we were so busy talking that we ended up taking the scenic route because we missed exits.

Wednesday night, we had dinner with Gaye from Calm.Healthy.Sexy. Have you ever wondered what the conversation is like when three women who blog about intimacy get together? Well, we did talk about intimacy—but mostly, we talked about our families, our churches, and the effect of humidity on hair. After dinner, we went to the grocery store together.

 

Poor Bonny has had her hands full with my hair. Despite my fun with hair straightening, I have been letting my hair go natural. Much to my surprise, my hair is curly! And I have absolutely no idea what to do with it. I am constantly seeking reassurance that my hair is acceptable. Bonny helped me do my hair this morning.

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Thursday

I was able to attend pre-conference workshops. The opening session began with three worship songs. I was in tears within the first minute of the first song. Through that song, God spoke to me about every bit of self-doubt and insecurity I’ve had. Well, almost. He didn’t speak to me about my hair insecurity. Other than that, though, God dealt with me on a whole lot of stuff.

I attended two on blogging and one on Pinterest. I came away with lots of ideas. My note-taking will drive some of you nuts, but here’s what I had after the second session. I have ideas for some blog posts (including notes for this one), brainstorming for Heart Craving, and a to-do list.

I am still processing the Pinterest session. Whoa. I learned that I know nothing.

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Friday

Lysa TerKeurst spoke about the “rhythm of rush.” It is amazing how God uses others to speak into our lives. Each of us had a small scroll at our table with a scripture that had been prayed about for us. Mine was 1 Chronicles 28:20:

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.”

Our centerpiece of hydrangeas was quite beautiful.

Women were able to add their prayers to unrush on a big board.

I spoke with so many women about their ministries and about mine. God is using women in amazing ways, and it has been such a privilege to get to know such amazing women.

I got to attend two sessions that featured Shaunti Feldhahn. She spoke about her experiences of becoming a writer and what led to For Women Only.

The food has been amazing. One of our dessert options was coconut cake. Oh. My. Totally yummy.

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Bonny is amazing. We have built our friendship with near daily Facebook chatting and occasional text messaging and a phone call. Yet here we are, hanging out in our hotel room on our laptops. We’re in our cozy clothes with our bare feet propped up. It feels like we’ve known each other for years.

And truly, I can’t thank her enough for her hair help.

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We have another full day tomorrow, and I’m excited to see what else God will do. My brain is very full at the moment. So is my heart.

You can read what Bonny has to say here.