She Speaks Conference, in review

So....

The Proverbs 31 Ministries She Speaks Conference was held in Concord, NC July 21-23. I attended on the writer's track and was most pleased to get in since this was a short notice decision for me. Not only did I get to attend, but I also met with a publisher and literary agent. Did I mention this was my very first writer's conference?

Our family decided to make it a whole vacation by traveling from Texas by car. Our first stop was in Birmingham, AL to spend time with loved ones. Next we set off to Tennessee, Nashville by way of Chattanooga, to spend a few days with family. After that we were off to the races! OK, so that eludes to the fact that Concord is pretty famous for their race track..... Moving on. We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge and plan on staying there again next year. Let's get to the meat of it shall we?

Upon my arrival at the conference I had extremely high hopes. I was dressed to the nines with red shoes and red lips to match, everything else was black and white. I was happy and intent on making loads of new friends. Now, it must be said that I get over excited about possibility of any kind AND I am a self professed morning person. Upon entering the facility, I felt anything but welcome. It seemed as though glares and stares were coming at me with great force. I though this was preposterous and I simply needed to press ahead. So, I found an unsuspecting victim for my friendly behaviour. Long story short, I was quickly shut down on any friend making attempts and left outside calling my husband for a ride back to the hotel. I skipped the conference and just made my meetings that day.

My question then simply became, "What is the DEAL?" Was I an awful person? Did I look untrustworthy or unfriendly? Did I smell funky? Hey, you never know... Have you ever had these feelings? Like you know you are where God intended you to be, but everybody there seems to think otherwise?

This can happen throughout our journey and we need to take into account that though we will come up against adversity, even from within the church, we must press on towards the goal. It is times like these that I open up the life of Paul and pour my heart out to God. He does not intend for us to suffer, but if we do so on His behalf we are blessed.

Rest assured I did attend the conference the next day and made my sessions. I'm so grateful I did as I was able to meet Tom Davis and attend one of his sessions for writers. Truth be told, that one session was worth the cost of the whole conference and I am forever grateful to have crossed paths with HopeChest. That single session laid out my life for Christ as it should have long ago.

I spend the remainder of my days living to a higher calling than I ever thought possible for me. What God puts into motion can become like a roaring avalanche if we are willing to let go and just come along for the ride. I commit to stop being the driver of my own life. After all, what good is a wild ride if you're the one driving?

Are you ready to change your world?

Michelle