After some 8 hours in airports and delayed airplanes, I am finally home from Orlando.  I greeted our children and spent 20 minutes with them before our babysitter arrived – for coming-home day was also our 13th wedding anniversary.  For a Mom who shuttles between Target, school and grocery stores, the past weekend was notedly different.

Here are a handful of highlights from the weekend:

 Room-mate Fellowship

Spending time with my sister-in-law was both fun and helpful.  Fun, because 2 women on the loose is bound to be an adventure.  Whether at the pool, in our room or on the elevator, we managed to experience absurd moments made more hilarious by the sharing.

And helpful, because within the realm of mothering, the need to process is often greater than our time allows for.  But this weekend, we had time to spill our words.  And we did.

Challenging Speakers

 Did you manage to listen to any part of the Gospel Coalition livestream?

If so, whose seminar did you most enjoy?

Though I enjoyed the varying angles of each of the plenary speakers, the joy pouring from both the words and the countenance of John Piper, was what challenged me most.  Piper loves, enjoys and celebrates the Gospel.  As he stated poignantly from the stage: “What I want almost more than anything else is to never sin again”.

To hear Piper speak is to be renewed by the beauty of God’s Word.  And to think all the while, I want to be more like that!

 

The Empty Bookshelves Project

Aileen and I were able to donate a stack of books to a project which Gospel Coalition is under-taking: The Empty Bookshelves Project.  2,000 stacks of books were brought to the conference, to be distributed to pastors overseas.  The purpose of the project is to training pastors theologically, so that they are shepherding their churches in sound doctrine and truth.

Most pastors in poor nations lack access to formal seminary training, and often do not have extra funds to purchase books which would assist them in learning.  By the time we left Orlando, all 2,000 book stacks were sponsored and bundled, ready to be distributed.  Praise God!

 Friendship

There is a small group of women who write in varying places.  This weekend we met up for coffee and in-person fellowship.

 

 From left to right:

• Gloria Furman – author of Glimpses of Grace and Treasuring Christ When your Hands are Full
• Lindsey Carlson, who writes for True Woman
• Christina Fox, who writes for To Show them Jesus, Desiring God and The Gospel Coalition
• Tara Barthel, who has writtenr Living the Gospel in Relationships, co-author of Peacemaking Women and Redeeming Church Conflicts, and who blogs at TaraBarthel.com.
• Trillia Newbell, author of United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity
• Melissa Kruger, author of The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World
• some obscure blogger
• Courtney Reissig, who writes for The Counsel on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

These women are shaping hearts and minds through their giftedness, and it was a privilege to meet {and hug} them, finally.

Writer’s Seminar

On Saturday evening, Aileen and I were invited to attend a workshop for 100 women who write.

Though I knew a handful of book give-away’s might be on the menu, I was not prepared for this:

Books were squished into ever crevice of luggage coming home, but books are books – you make room for them!  In the coming weeks, I hope to review many of these for you.

Book Tables

Many publishers were available at the conference with books at 40% off retail. For the nth time, I kicked myself for bringing a tiny suit-case.

Because of limited space, I made my focus kids books, and I managed to snag a few to read with them this Summer.  Again, as we progress with our reading, I will review and recommend here.

Coming Home

There is nothing like returning to the place where you are loved best and love the most.

Greeted by hugs and “I missed you” and little cards – this is where the world turns best.

The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference did not disappoint.  It was more than I hoped for.

But it is also good to be home.