What an amazing trip! I'm home from Chicago, a bit foggy and overtired, but in that happy, post-adventure sort of way that is always worth it.
I was at a conference of women from Vineyard churches all over the country. My friend Grace was one of the keynote speakers, and the theme of the conference was this idea from the Bible that we all have a race to run in our lives--something we're specifically designed to go for, to work towards, and to accomplish. Admittedly, there are all sorts of distractions and discouraging events that tempt us to stop, or turn around, or give up completely, essentially derailing our entire lives. Each of the speakers offered their thoughts on what it looks like to get past these distractions and keep running. None of them wasted our time with pithy slogans or empty pep talks (you know, the stuff that sounds so great when you first hear it, but then leaves you just as lost as before when you get home and think about it for more than 5 minutes?) Instead, these women shared real stories about walls they've run into (walls we're likely to face ourselves) and how they found their way around/over/through them and kept going. It was great.
Perhaps my favorite story came from a woman in her late 60s, describing in total candor some of the steps she and her husband have taken in the past few years to keep their marriage vibrant, fun, meaningful, and sexy. I mean, talk about inspiration!?! Who wouldn't want a marriage like that, one where the "happily ever after" part is still right at the center, through all the stages of life? Sign me up!
On a personal note, I also learned that microwaving a chicken pot pie for dinner in your hotel room is a bad, bad plan...
14 comments:
Where do I sign for happily ever? And sorry about your chicken pot pie, lesson learned. LOL!
Learning from true life stories of others can definitely be inspirational. So, what the first thing you're doing (or continuing to do) with your life?!
Sounds like a great trip to Chicago...I would love to visit. It sounds great! Why is microwaving a chicken pot pie for dinner bad? What happened?
wow. i would definitely write down her tricks. :)
I would have loved to have heard that story. I still believe that Happily Ever After can last forever, if you work at it.
did the microwave dinner turn out bad because of the tinfoil pie pan?
um, yeah, you might not want to microwave chicken pot pie, ever! and apparently never in a hotel!!! Glad your trip was good, and am looking forward to the book!
Those stories of real life experience are the things that God used to pull me in close. I wish I could have gone to that conference.
You rock.
That sounds like such a great trip!! Let me know if you go on something like again...maybe we could meet up! I would even cook for you, sweet friend:) Thanks so much for your constant encouragement! You bless me!
Ohhhhh, I am SO glad you had such a good time! It sounds amazing!
Did you microwave the chicken pot pie still in the tinfoil container? Maybe that's what happened?
Ooooh, an elderly couple working on their sex life...fabulous!!
:-)
(1) Sounds like a great trip.
(2) Sounds like a great trip I wish I too experienced.
(3) When I turned thirty, I decided to accept my flaws instead of fight them. And by flaws I mean dimpled thighs that touch. I think you just might need to accept the fact that you should NEVER EVER NEVER be in charge of food prep.
Inspiration and burnt pot pie!! What a perfect juxtaposition.
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