A recap

A week ago Thursday, we awoke to a nasty snow storm. E had a delay (again. She is no longer getting out of school June 2; in fact, her ‘last day’ is now unknown!) and it was a MESS outside. Every flight in our area was either cancelled or delayed. Which messed everything up for my Friday flights to Houston. I was already not looking forward to flying and, by 8am, we knew there was no way I could fly out of Wilkes-Barre – that flight was now landing after my flight to Houston was to have left! Last minute decision found Brian driving the boys and I down to Newark, NJ, for me to catch my Houston flight. On the plus side, it was only one flight and so four hours later, I landed in hot, humid Houston. A far, far cry from freezing cold, snowy PA!

After a run-around trying to just get out of the airport and find my ride, I finally made it back to my friend, Kristen’s, home. I was so grateful that a friend I haven’t seen since she was a young teenager was willing to shuttle me around and give me a place to crash for a few nights!

Saturday morning, she got me to the conference center – a giant mall connected to a beautiful hotel. I turned a corner and basically slammed into a wall of estrogen mingled with perfume! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many women in one place (744 attended the conference). I registered, got my coffee (praise the Lord), and found a seat along the edge of the large room in order to take it all in. Honestly, I just wanted to be alone. I wasn’t there to make friends; I wanted to learn.

The day was filled with long sessions given by Beth Moore herself, being extremely transparent and honest about her process and how she develops material, from personal quiet times through to publishing. It was the experience of a lifetime to learn from her.

In the afternoon, we had our choice of workshops and I chose the one on publishing – which ended up being taught by one of the publishers for Lifeway. She gave us the world’s fastest 45 minutes of insider info on how to get published. Elusive information I have never been able to learn. Invaluable content. This was worth every cent of that flight!

We wrapped up our day with a panel Q&A getting answers from some of my own personal heroes: Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Christine Caine. OH wow. They could have answered questions for HOURS! They were a pool of knowledge and answered questions I’ve always wondered. Phenomenal.

Oh, and the worship time – surreal.

I left there so encouraged. Encouraged to keep going. Encouraged to do something more. Encouraged that I can, in fact, actually do something more and possibly even succeed! It was the refreshment I needed – as a mom, a wife, a missionary, and a leader at our church. I really didn’t know how badly I needed some time away, alone, until I got it.

My plan now is to run what I have learned past a few of my other mentors and get their take and additional suggestions. I am going to quit waiting for that non-existent time frame when my kids are magically quieter and more easily occupied so I can write in my unaffordable writing nook. I’m going to write. I’m hopefully going to write a lot. And then we’ll see what happens from there.

Thanks for praying me through my trip this weekend. If you want more details, please schedule a coffee with me; I’d love to share (my “brief synopsis” to my mother took an hour and a half, just so you’re forewarned). And thanks for praying for Brian and the kids! Not only were they alive, the dishes and laundry were done and everyone had a great time!