The Send Conference was hosted in Nashville, TN just earlier this week. I was there with 13,499 of my closest friends. 14 of those people were from our own church! The hubs and I came up a day early and had a wonderful date at Burger Republic and also at a fabulous coffee shop, Barista Parlour, before meeting up with the rest of our team at the conference on Monday.
The North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board collide to host this conference, which sold more tickets than they ever dreamed of this year. Both leaders - Kevin Ezell and David Platt - were there to open us and draw us in to the vision of calling and being on mission for Christ.
Breakout sessions led us to explore different areas of calling, often hearing stories of people who are living their life on mission, of ways we can be on mission and ways to reach the next generation.
It was 36 hours of worship, testimony, preaching, and networking. I have been to conferences before - Passion and Catalyst mainly - and each of those have played unique roles in shaping this girl and influencing my calling.
My pastor husband has a calling. He is called to administrate the finances at our church. He does other things under that calling, but that's his main role. My role is to support him in that calling...and that continues to be my main role. I get other cool tasks like raising our children, being the primary care taker for them when they were little and now as they go to school, I am the one who picks them up each day and spends the afternoon with them. All under the umbrella of calling...
Over the last few years one of the things I have said to God is - Whatever. Whatever you want or ask of me, I will do. I have found out that sometimes He asks us to do some very crazy things...no surprise there. And sometimes...He asks us to step out and do something that isn't exactly what we had in mind. I thought my life would be completely different than it is now. I never dreamed I would be back at work 30 hours a week, juggling two kiddos at two different schools, keeping up with Jeremy's jam packed meeting schedule and late nights, being a baseball momma...wait, I did dream of that. :) But I think you get my drift. I also never dreamed that God would ordain those exact steps and moments to be used for His glory. Going back to work was easy when it was back to a family of people whom I so dearly love. It was even easier when God opened the door for me to return for more hours and days...and then, when Satan thought he was going to knock my boss out with cancer for a while, our office rallied and everyone took on more, and God was glorified with all of our obedience...and He healed my boss. No Cancer. No Evidence of Cancer. THAT is for His glory.
My pastor husband has a calling. He is called to administrate the finances at our church. He does other things under that calling, but that's his main role. My role is to support him in that calling...and that continues to be my main role. I get other cool tasks like raising our children, being the primary care taker for them when they were little and now as they go to school, I am the one who picks them up each day and spends the afternoon with them. All under the umbrella of calling...
Over the last few years one of the things I have said to God is - Whatever. Whatever you want or ask of me, I will do. I have found out that sometimes He asks us to do some very crazy things...no surprise there. And sometimes...He asks us to step out and do something that isn't exactly what we had in mind. I thought my life would be completely different than it is now. I never dreamed I would be back at work 30 hours a week, juggling two kiddos at two different schools, keeping up with Jeremy's jam packed meeting schedule and late nights, being a baseball momma...wait, I did dream of that. :) But I think you get my drift. I also never dreamed that God would ordain those exact steps and moments to be used for His glory. Going back to work was easy when it was back to a family of people whom I so dearly love. It was even easier when God opened the door for me to return for more hours and days...and then, when Satan thought he was going to knock my boss out with cancer for a while, our office rallied and everyone took on more, and God was glorified with all of our obedience...and He healed my boss. No Cancer. No Evidence of Cancer. THAT is for His glory.
While at the conference three of my chicks went with me to the If:Gathering breakout. I love the IF girls and they have fueled my fire for spending time with my chicks...more than they will ever know. Now, you gotta remember that my chicks are in high school. Their calling is to get up every day and go to school...they aren't particularly fond of that calling right now, but I do hope that something resonates with them about what their future looks like based on the things God lavishly calls them to right now.
I attended a breakout session led by Thom Rainer with the majority of our youth about Reaching the Next Generation. Huge deal for Jeremy and I and that was one of the best talks I have heard. It's not surprising his statistics, the question is what do we do as a church and how do I participate in reaching them. It occurred to me that I am the only Gen X youth leader on the Third Floor...I mean, aside from our youth minister. Everyone else is in the Generation above mine - the Baby Boomers. So, it was eye opening to see and hear what our own youth had to say about the information.
I had such a fun few days in Nashville - any time I can spend with my husband and our youth at the same time is fun, in my eyes. Our whole group had dinner together at the Old Spaghetti Factory and that was yummy and lots of laughs were had. I am looking forward to processing all that was said there and what it means for the Church moving forward.
No matter what, God will be glorified.
Love,
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