Hope Spoken 2015



If I feel the need to blog about something after all this time away from the blog, you know it must have been good!!  It's been almost 2 weeks since Hope Spoken and I'm still processing it all.  I still can't believe I actually went!  It is so unlike me to sign up for a retreat of any kind but I am so glad that my friend Thuy convinced me that I needed to go.  I went with the HOPE that God would really speak to me through all the amazing women speakers and WOW!  He did not disappoint!  I also wanted to get out of my comfort zone a little and connect with other women that just love Jesus and desire to live life differently.  I was so blessed by my tiny leap of faith!

 

There was so much to love about the weekend!!  They did an amazing job with every little detail.  Everything was so pretty...I wish I had taken more pictures!  The food was great.  The music was AMAZING!  Like, really AMAZING!!  The speakers were crazy good.  JEN HATMAKER, people!  For real!  She was good.  So good.  I was super inspired by so many of the breakout session speakers too.  I can't stop thinking about what Jodi Mockabee had to say on discovering spiritual gifts in our children and Stephanie Holden had me in tears on the last morning.  I think I might be her biggest fan.  I might be stalking her on IG a little too but don't tell her.  She is just so awesome!  She's got the best southern accent.  And she is beautiful.  And her grandkids call her Honey!  AND she is so incredibly blessed as a teacher of God's word.  SO GOOD!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED hearing about Neighbors Table.  There just might be a table for 20 in my future!

I think the thing I was most scared about was the small groups.  I'm usually not a fan.  It was not as scary as I thought it would be.  These women were so beautiful inside and out.  I missed them like crazy by Monday morning.

 

I don't think I realized how much I needed to be there until I got home.  It hit me like a ton of bricks on Sunday night when Nathan asked me how it was.  I was overwhelmed and I'm sure I seriously freaked him out when I just sat there and cried.  I can't really put it into words but more than anything I just know that I want to do a better job of being a representative of Christ.  I want to live differently.  I want to love and serve others.  I am so grateful for all the women there that were an example to me of what that looks like.

did I mention that the praise and worship music was so good??