Relevant 2010

It has now been almost two months since I attended the Relevant Conference in Harrisburg, PA. The experience was so amazing that I doubt I could ever adequately put it into words, but I can't attend a blogging conference and not blog about it, right?

As I drove myself to Harrisburg, I was overwhelmed by feelings of excitement, nervousness, and a fear of the unknown. After all, what on earth was I, with my little blog, doing at a blog conference? But then I reminded myself: this was not your typical blogging conference. Rather than figure out how to tally up more "followers," Relevant was about helping me determine God's purpose for my blog. Rather than introduce me to the many avenues of social media and how they can increase my visibility, Relevant was about examining my priorities to ensure that my blog and my blogging were in their proper place. And that is why I was driving to Relevant.

Rather than give you a blow-by-blow of the conference, I wanted to pass along some of the highlights:

• I met Angie Smith of Bring the Rain. I still can't believe this one. When Carey and I lost our baby earlier this year, the 2 books that helped me process and deal with the experience were the Bible and Angie's book, I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy. Her honest, faith-filled walk with the Lord through her journey with her daughter, Audrey Caroline, was inspiring. There were so many times when I felt that Angie had somehow manged to put into words exactly what I was feeling. On more than one occasion, I actually had to stop reading her book because it struck such a nerve and I knew that the Lord had exposed another raw spot in my heart that needed healing. And if hearing Angie's keynote address wasn't enough, I had the chance to speak with her as I was leaving the conference. (I wasn't feeling well, so she rolled my suitcase into the elevator for me.) Her smile and her kindness are so genuine - it was truly a blessing to meet her.
• I listened to Crystal Paine of Money Saving Mom talk about balancing priorities at the opening keynote. My goodness, this was exactly what I needed to hear. One statement that she made struck me throughout the conference and still resonates with me today: Anyone can be a successful blogger, but only one person can be wife to your husband and mother to your children.
• I found myself challenged by Courtney Joseph of Women Living Well. Her desire to please the Lord and walk with Him is infectious, and her views on wives as help-mates to their husbands is something that will challenge me each day. I remember tweeting right after Courtney's morning devotional that if we could bottle up her joy and enthusiasm for the Lord, then no one would need coffee in the morning!

I could go on and on - the wisdom of Sally Clarkson, author of The Mission of Motherhood and blogger at I Take Joy, the honesty of Kimba from A Soft Place to Land, the charity of Kristen at We Are THAT Family. This was truly a blessed weekend and, even though I became ill and had to come home early, I walked away with so much more than I ever could have imagined.

First, I believe that my blog is right where God wants it to be. I had always wondered about my content, Blogger versus WordPress, monetizing, etc. But after attending Relevant and speaking with the Lord about it, I truly believe that my blog is fulfilling its purpose.

Second, I was spending too much time on my blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Using social media is not a bad thing in itself, but I see now that my priorities were skewed. I'm still working on finding the right balance of my priorities and managing my time, but I'm aware of those areas that still need work.

Third, it struck me how much of a ministry blogging actually is. You never know when someone might stumble across your blog, needing to read the "message" of one of your posts. This has reminded me of the importance of really reflecting on whatever posts I decide to put on my blog - Am I writing this post to simply put something up, or is there a message that I want to convey? Is this post honest, yet respectful of those mentioned? Does this post reflect who I am as a person and blogger?

As I said, Relevant 2010 was truly a life-changing experience. It inspired me, gave me clarity, and challenged me as a blogger, wife, mother, and child of God. Relevant 2011 is in the planning stages, and I can't wait to see if God will call me to attend this conference again...

Seriously?

Is it October 21st already? After so many months of waiting and planning, the Relevant Conference is finally here! I will be in Harrisburg, PA for the next three days, meeting other Christian women bloggers and trying to discern how God intends to use my blog. I cannot wait! There are so many wonderful women attending this conference that I'm afraid that I might walk around tongue-tied the entire time!

I'll definitely post about the conference when I get back. But, in the meantime, for those of you looking for some Abigail cuteness, here's a picture Carey took when we went to pick out pumpkins on Sunday. We picked out a "big" pumpkin for the house, and then Abby saw the miniature pumpkins (dubbed "lil cuties") and asked for one. "Look, mommy! My size! Abby size!" How could we say no? :-)

Please Pick My Mommy!

My mommy is going to attend the Relevant Conference in October. (She talks about it a lot - she's really excited!) Earlier this week, she found out about an opportunity to model in a DownEast Basics fashion show at Relevant. She wasn't sure if she should enter to participate, so I've decided to do it for her. Today, the blog has been taken over by me, Abigail, to show you why my mommy should be chosen to be in the fashion show.

My mommy always makes sure that I look cute. She puts me in cute little outfits with cute little shoes and cute little "pretties" in my hair. But what does my mommy wear? T-shirts. Lots and lots of t-shirts.

Wearing a t-shirt at the park...


Wearing a t-shirt when we go out for ice cream...
(I feel that I should mention that my mommy has had that t-shirt longer than she's known my daddy, and they've been married for over 6 years!)


Wearing a t-shirt at the aviation museum...


Wearing a t-shirt at the playground...


In the winter time, wearing a long sleeve t-shirt...


Wearing a t-shirt at the fair...
(Don't know if you can see it, but it's a Lucky Charms t-shirt. Really, mommy, Lucky Charms???)


Wearing a t-shirt to mow the lawn...
(Okay, okay, I suppose that's okay...)

I want my mommy to look cute, just like me! Know what I think would make my mommy look super cute?

The Mod Girl Top in Soft Pink (she loves pink!).
With the Style Storm Skirt.
And, well, since it's going to be October in Pennsylvania, I'd add the Infatuation Cardigan in Black.

That would make my mommy look super cute! Plus, if you pick my mommy for the fashion show, then no one at Relevant would have to see her in a t-shirt... :-P

Thanks so much for considering my mommy!
Big hugs,
Abigail

On Her Way to Relevant...

As you know, I'm attending the Relevant Conference this October. A fellow blogger, Megan at Half-Pint House, is sewing her way to the conference and asked for a little blogger-love from her fellow attendees. Why not stop by her shop and look at some of the beautiful items that she's made? (I love her Very Hungry Caterpillar Zippy Bags!) You get a beautiful, handmade-with-love-and-care item, and Megan gets to attend Relevant 2010. It's a win-win! :-)

Understatement of the Day: I am Excited

That's right, folks. This is an understatement. A huge understatement. A gigantic understatement. To simply say that "I am excited" does not do justice to the feelings of anticipation that are currently brewing all up in here. I am ecstatic. I am flying high. I am over the moon.

What on earth has gotten me so excited? Well, I have a big birthday coming up in August (30, here I come!), and Carey told me that he wanted to get me something special for my special day. Yesterday, there was quite a bit of buzz on Twitter regarding Relevant 2010, an upcoming blogging conference. I did some research and when I read the mission statement for this conference, I just felt like I needed to be there.

Our Mission Statement:

The Relevant Conference exists to offer a place of face to face interaction with Christian women bloggers who want to be relevant in the larger blog and social media world. Our goal is to go beyond the surface into intentional blogging and real life living. We support women turning their hearts toward home and using their blogs to bless their families while also engaging the world for the glory of God. Relevant is a one-of-a-kind conference that seeks to engage women by teaching blogging techniques and social media skill while also urging and encouraging women to live fully integrated lives with their faith and family.

Exactly. I want my blog to be a blessing to my family and friends (and anyone I don't know who might pop in for a visit!). I want to learn more about blogging from folks who have been doing it longer than I have and who do it better than I do. Most of all, I want to meet other woman who are trying to find balance between their faith, their family, and their blogs.

So, last night I sat down with my wonderful husband and asked him if I could go. I wasn't sure how much he was planning to spend on my 30th birthday, so I volunteered to supplement the cost with some of the money that I'll be getting as part of my bonus at work this year. And what did wonderful hubby say? He looked at me, asked me if this was important to me, and, after my affirmative reply, he told me to register as soon as I could. SO EXCITED!!!

So, at the end of October, I will be off to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I'll journey to the conference with an open heart and mind, a desire to learn from an amazing group of women, and (not to sound too much like a stalker) the hope that I will get to meet some of the wonderful women whose blogs I follow and am inspired by.

So, am I excited? Nope. I am WAY more than excited. :-)