***Warning, this is a LONG post :)***

I wasn’t even planning on writing a post about last week… probably my laziness kicking in right there… but as I was reading other women’s posts, talking about their experience, I felt called to do the same this morning. Nothing about this blog post was planned… I just sat down and started typing. The speakers from last week had some powerful words and if me typing them out and getting real with all of you for a little can hit home to even one person then this blog post was worth it.

Where do I even begin…

Two years ago I watched through facebook and instagram as 100 and some women got ready to experience the Pursuit31 conference for the very first time. I dreamed of the day that I would be sitting there among these amazing women. Little did I know that God had plans for me to be there the following year. Last December I talked to a close girlfriend of mine, Sara, about this amazing photography conference full of christian women and asked if she would be interested in flying to Georgia with me that following October. She said YES, and so the planning began.

Sara and I just got home on Friday from this amazing conference and it was more than I ever could have expected. For as long as I can remember God has laid on my heart that I was made for something greater… greater than waking up every morning and doing the same old routine… greater than just being that Sunday Christian… I was made for something bigger than the life I’m living. You would think that since God has laid this on my heart for many years now that my life would be some big adventure full of amazing stories of how God is using me to touch others lives, but you know what… I’m a stubborn child, always have been… just ask my mother, and as much as God tells me to live greater, I look at him and agree yet sit and do nothing. I think I’m finally getting the message though. Everything in life right now is screaming at me that I was placed here for far greater things than I can even imagine, if I only allow God to work through me despite my fears or laziness. From the series that our church, LCBC, is doing right now called Greater, to every single speaker at Pursuit31… each one preached this topic loud and clear. Coincidence… I think not.

As I’m home again, I’m just trying to wrap my head around everything that was spoken to me this past week. It was a lot to take in and I’m so glad I took notes. I’m going to leave you with some of the statements that hit home the most for me.

Karen Stott – Founder of Pursuit31

   – “Do the best that you can, with what you have now, right where you are.”  

I needed to hear this… so many times I get caught up in the “well we can’t start helping there because this isn’t in place yet, we don’t have enough money yet, or we don’t have enough time yet.” We need to start doing the best that we can with what we already have, right where we are NOW!

Bob Goff – Author of Love Does

   – “Love God, Love people, Do stuff!”

     – “We have to START good things for Him to finish good things”

     – “What if we stopped DOING loving things for one another and BECAME love instead”

     – “Do you want to just keep agreeing with God or do you want to do stuff?”

Bob told a story about how he was once flying his small plane and as he was activating the landing gear for landing he noticed that only 2 of the 3 green lights came on, indicating that only 2 out of the 3 wheels were down. Meaning, he might have to land the plane without the front wheel… It was dark outside but he asked the guy in the control tower to watch as he flew by to see if he could see the front wheel. Bob flew by several times but it was too dark for the controller to see if the front wheel was down… it came to a point where Bob had to land his plane no matter how many green lights he had. It turns out that his front wheel was down the whole time and it was just a small light bulb that needed replaced…. but the point Bob made with this story was how many green lights do we need before we land our planes. We all have different planes, but lets strive to land them… no matter how many green lights we have.

Promise Tangeman – Creator of SITEHOUSE Designs

 – “If we are just doing art for art sake or business for business sake we are missing the point”

     – ” What if it was not just business to get rich but business to bless?” 

Can I get an Amen!

Lara Casey – Founder of Making Things Happen and Southern Weddings Magazine

Lara was one of my favorite speakers… she pushed all of us to new limits and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room when she was done.

 – “No where in the Bible does it say to follow YOUR dreams…it says to follow HIM”

 – “The goal is not happiness, it’s His glory”  In his glory you will find happiness…

 – “Your playing small does not serve the world”  This hit me hard…

 – “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”  Both Mike and I need to live outside of our comfort zones way more than we are.

 – “You can’t bring everyone to Jesus, but you can bring Jesus to everyone” 

Lara and her team, Emily and Gina, held a mini Making Things Happen conference with all of us. If you have never heard of this look it up and go to one… you won’t regret it.

Hannah Brencher – Founder of the World Needs More Love Letters

I had no idea who Hannah was before she stood up to speak but man did she rock my world. This girl has a heart for God and his people that is so inspiring to me.

 – “May God bless me with enough foolishness to believe that I can make a difference in the world, so that I can do what others claim cannot be done.”

This was her last slide from her speech…

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