Ok, ok - so I was wrong! We got many inches of snow last night and it's still coming. Everyone around here is excited. Anyway, this is my post for the "She Speaks" Contest. Happy reading!

Going to “She Speaks” was one of the first ways I said “yes” to God after He called me to speak publicly about what He had done in my life. I am not a traveler and worried about how I would come up with the money and how I would get there, but because it was God’s will, I was there. I had thought about the conference for months and it was finally happening. Not knowing what to expect, I went to register early and then entered the main conference room. I was greeted by the few women who were also early and felt myself relax as we chatted. When the room was full and the conference began, I was overwhelmed at the presence of God. I never knew that I could feel connected with 400 women at the same time.
The conference was wonderful and I returned home with excellent information and a renewed heart and soul. In fact, the things I learned helped me to kick start what God had called me to do for years. But I was impacted the most by the women that surrounded me. Encouragement and inspiration flowed from the Proverbs 31 team, the instructors and each attendee I met. I was well worth the 13 hour drive.
Let me share just one (there were many) Godcidence that happened while I was there: As God continue to strip the ungodly parts of me, I went into the prayer room to pray. As I prayed, I heard someone else enter the room. When I was finished, I glanced over to see a woman sitting alone. As I walked out the door, God told me to go back and pray with that woman. I stood there arguing with God, telling Him that I would look like an idiot – I just walked out and He wanted me to go back in, besides I didn’t even know this woman. Once again God laid it on my heart even stronger to go back and pray with the woman. I entered the room and laid my hand on her shoulder. As she looked up at me, she began to cry. When I asked her what was wrong, she explained to me that she had just asked God to send someone to pray with her. We then, both began to cry. She told me that she needed someone who would understand what she was going through. She felt overwhelmed by the way God was working in her and by Him asking her to step out of her comfort zone. God had sent the right person – I also was overwhelmed and could really understand her struggles. I had recently been broke down to nothing so that I could learn to only rely on God. I always had people to rely on, but I had to be taught to be content with only having God. He also was showing me to love others and regain my old soft heart that had become hard over the past few years. We talked, cried, laughed and prayed together. Before leaving the prayer room, we exchanged information and made the decision to keep in touch and keep each other accountable. During our talk, she shared with me the following story:
There was a little girl that loved her plastic pearl necklace. She wore it everywhere she went, even to bed. One night as her daddy tucked her into bed, he asked her if she loved him more than her plastic pearl necklace. She assured him that she did. He preceeded to ask her to then to give him the necklace. She couldn’t do it. The next night, her daddy asked her again if she loved him more than the plastic pearl necklace. She told him that she did, but she couldn’t give him the necklace. On the third night, they had the same conversation and her daddy went to bed. He later was awakened by the breath of his daughter above him. When he opened his eyes, he saw her holding out her hand to him with the plastic pearl necklace inside. As she gave up her most prized possession to her daddy, he smiled and handed her a beautiful genuine pearl necklace in return. If we stop holding on to what we love and give it fully to God, He will bless us with so much more than anything we could of expected. Give up what you are holding on to and trust in your Daddy.
This is an experience that I will never forget and it was all because the time I spent at the conference was centered on God. The Proverbs 31 team is a group of godly women who want you to experience God. Every aspect of the conference is precisely thought out and prayed over.
Taking the speakers track was a blessing to me and I was able to apply the instruction over my last year of speaking. This year, the writers track is where I’ll be headed. I want to take every opportunity that God gives me to inspire others to say “yes” to God. By writing and speaking I will be able to touch more people for Christ.
I am so excited to be a part of it again.