She Speaks Conference

I had the opportunity this past weekend to be a part of the She Speaks Conference put on by Proverbs 31 Ministries. I didn’t go as a participant. I was invited to attend in my role as a mentor at The Writing Spa. But that didn’t keep me from being impressed with the conference and changed by the few sessions I attended.

First, I was impressed not only with the professionalism of those running the conference and speaking at the sessions, I was also impressed with their accessibility, their humility, and their authenticity. They welcomed Leslie and I in as a part of their team even though they’d never actually met up before. We didn’t just meet colleagues; we made friends.

We did attend the three general sessions where we heard vibrant, relevant messages by Lysa TerKeurst, Angela Thomas, and Karen Ehman. I was challenged to pay attention to my reactions, to trust God with my calling, and to remain true to my First Love. In each instance I took away a nugget of truth I knew God meant for me.

But the thing I think I will remember the most about this was the weekend was that I didn’t pull away in fear when the Lord’s plopping me in the midst of a circumstance that challenged my comfort zone. Me, the introvert, spent 9 hours on Saturday consulting with writers I’d never met until they walked into the room. And every time I thought I had nothing to say, the Lord sent words careening out of my mouth—words of truth cloaked (I think! I hope!) in love.

Someday, perhaps, I’ll attend this conference and sit through all the sessions. But if I only go back in my Writing Spa role, I’ll be more than satisfied. After all, what could be better than a weekend spent as a vessel of the Spirit of God continually being emptied and filled.