today i got to take the day off. i left before anyone was awake and didn't come home until dinner was on the table. matt had all four kids for three meals for the first time - ever. it was really nice to have the mental break. i joined some of the girls from my good morning girls bible study for the women living well conference. there were about 300 ladies from like 16 states and canada. the conference was just a general overview of how to live a well-rounded, christian life covering home, personal walk with God, marriage, parenting, health, ministry and balancing it all. there were a few bloggers there who each spoke on a topic and then they would have a panel discussion with a few other bloggers.
it opened with this skit (by the same lady in the video - karen ehman - but this was just one i found online):
with that many women in one room sharing about their personal journey, there were tears. it is always comforting to know that someone gets you and that no one is perfect. i mean, you know this, but it is easy to believe the lie that you are the only one with problems. here are just a few of my notes from the sessions.
finding rest in your home - courtney joseph (womenlivingwell.com)
- we are not cookie cutter women so our christian homes are not all the same.
- what motivates you on a hard day? routine, "work before play" to motivate, take a break - it's okay
- move from a "have to" mentality to a "get to" mentality
your walk with God - angela perritt (goodmorninggirls.org)
- sometimes "fruits" take a long time - God is patient
- being a mom matters because you are investing in the next generation who might do great things
- jesus fed the five thousand with the lunch of a little boy, but who do you think packed his lunch? an unnamed mom!
- weary? we serve a lord who understands
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| good morning girls bloggers - angela, whitney, jenn and courtney |
- God says, 'it doesn't matter where you've been or what you've done - my grace is enough for you'
- marriage is like a dance, if there are two leaders then someone's toes get stepped on
- "it is not love that sustains our marriage, marriage sustains our love."
- the grass is green where you water it
- if you feel alone, you aren't God is doing it with you; your reward is not from your husband.
- two books were recommended - love & respect and finding the hero in your husband
your parenting - ruth schwenk (thebettermom.com)
- don't minimize your role - it is not about your place, but about your purpose
- don't misuse your time - say no, because that says 'yes' to your family
- don't miss the point - psalm 127:3-5 children are a "reward" (literally a "wage" and we are all happy to get paid) and we only have one chance to tell our story of faith
- am i awake?
- ask kids every six months (and write on a card to keep on the refrigerator) - "how can i best love you now?" - know their love languages
- a lot of my parenting problems are with me
- we are not after "good" children, we are after "godly" children
your health - clare smith (peak313.com)
- the proverb 31 woman had "strong arms" for her tasks
- discipline for a christian begins with the body - romans 12:1
- your health journey is different at each phase of life and it should look different from others
- "we cannot give our heats to God and keep our bodies for ourselves"
your ministry - janelle nehrenz (comfyinthekitchen.com)
- no one wants space when they are desperate
- pray for God's will for them and how i can help them
- a big show can intimidate guests, humble entertaining can be more fun for everyone
- more focus on God's love when hosting than on our/our home's appearance; ezekiel 28:17
- ministry can distract from our own troubles
- serving should be a joy and if it isn't you should step down and look for something else
balancing your family and ministry - karen ehman (karenehman.com)
- figure out your ministry - what gets you complements? what do you love? what do you loathe?
- being a wife and mother is your first ministry, but now your only ministry
- pray for God not to grow your ministry faster than your family and that God would bless your family in ways that wouldn't happen without the ministry
- ministry must glorify God ("glorify" - to make one famous); i am a mess - look at Him
- never break communication witht he Father while balancing
- are you "capable" or "called"?
- look at your calendar and ask, "what can only i do?" (i am the only one who can cheer for my son at his game as his mom) and let the rest go if you need to drop something.
they are going to post the videos in about a month and i will share a link if anyone wants to find out more about what was said. it was a wonderful day and i am so thankful to have gotten to refuel a little and be inspired. love.
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| some of my good morning girls - michelle, karen and me |
6 comments:
Thank you for coming! Love to you, Janelle
wow! it's like having a celebrity visit, janelle! thanks for checking out my post and thank you so much for the conference.
What a blessing to read your feedback. Glad you were there!
Ohhh LOVED meeting you this past week! Thanks so much for posting about the WomenLivingWell conference! I'm so glad I had the chance to talk with you!! :)
look at all the speaker love! you ladies are so sweet!
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