AMAZING!!!

OK, I can't even describe how amazing this conference has already been! On Sunday we went to a worship service that was led by Anne Graham Lotz and worship led by the Daniel Doss band. I had never heard Anne and she totally brought the Truth down on us! She was truly a blessing to me and God used her to speak to me personally. The Daniel Doss band is brand new...but utterly awesome! Jay and I got a free new preview CD today and met them for a little while and they are truly worship leaders.

That afternoon we congratulated Vicki Courtney as she won the CBA award for best youth book o the year! Go girl! We had a chance to chat for a while with her afterwards since we have the same blog designer. I was so glad she won!

Then, we headed straight to a concert time about the power of music. It was led by Nicole C. Mullen and we got to hear not only her but Jeremy Camp (who rocked!), The Annie Moses Band (a classical band who is ringing the Renaissance style back to churches...can't wait until there CD is out in October) and several other new released bands. It was powerful and we had front row seats which made it seem like they were in our living room singing!

A truly God moment that has stuck out to me and will stay with me is when I went to the bathroom and saw Karen Kingsbury (HUGE fiction Christian writer) and her mother standing outside the concert. They were must hanging out along with her assistant. I smiled at her (knowing who she was but hating to just run up to her) and she said "hi there". I walked over to her and she began to ask me about my book (our badge is an author/artist badge). She and I along with her mother just talked about how good God is, how powerful His Word is in our lives, and women's ministry today. She asked if her assistant could take our picture together for her website (I am dying at this moment!) and then I went back inside. I felt an instant connection and reality about my time with her.

Well, today she was signing her book...and I know my friend Paula loves fiction (don't tell her I got this for her...she doesn't read my blog) so I stood in her line which was about a mile long. When I got a few people away she waved at me and her assistant came over and talked with us. As I got to her...she beamed and hugged me. Then, with about 100 people still in line she pulled me close and began to give me Godly counsel and advice. She invested in me this weekend.

I tell you all this for a very important reason. I realized today that we all have God given influence. We can either focus that on ourselves...or we can invest in others around us. I was very moved that she took time to focus on others and to use her influence for others instead of just being too busy or too famous to talk to women.

I haven't ever read one of her fiction books...but her name is well-known. She made an impression on me this weekend of a woman God has used in outward ways, but has kept humble in the inside. Wow...she is a mentor for me and others by how she acted. I even have tears right now seeing how precious her walk with God is and how she loves others.

I say this to give you a glimpse into some of the hearts of those people on the backs of the books you and I read. Yes, there are many who are about self. But, I was convicted that I have made blanket assumptions about the Christian market that are not always true.

I have another awesome woman that I met today who took time to bless me...literally. She placed her sweet motherly hands on my face and told me she was proud of me. It was Kay Arthur. We were in the hall and I giggled like a stupid school girl when I saw her. Her assistant stopped to say to say they liked my coat and I just smiled...what do you say to Kay? But, she saw the badge and asked what God was doing in my life...and I told her in the few words I could muster up. She took my face with both hands and blessed me. She told me that she was grateful for younger women who might take the baton as she gets older. Later her assistant came over to Jay at the New Release book signing tonight and asked for our Bible study! I didn't even know about it until afterwards...what a cool God we serve. I am totally overwhelmed right now.

Gosh, God is showing me that there are AWESOME Godly women behind these resources and books. Truthfully, I had been quite discouraged by the "Christian machine" that is the media market right now. I was wrong in that. I pray that you will read this...not as a chance to say I met Kay Arthur and Karen Kingsbury...they are just women. They are lovers of Christ just like us, but isn't it great to really, really, really, know that these women are humble servants of God looking to be a blessing to others? It has changed me. It has challenged me. It has convicted me.

This is super long...but I had to process today. There were a lot of other life changing events and amazing women I have connected with who have blessed me. I love hearing their stories and sharing our passion for the Word of God to take over our lives and those around us! This post is mostly for me as I want to always remember the women I met today that are blessed to be a blessing. But, for now...I go to bed...