Welcome to my wonderful Colorado, sweet friends.
"Do not neglect the assembling of yourselves together....."
As I ponder the life of Christ, I see that his ministry was all about people: eating meals together with his closest friends, walking along the way, gathering on the private hillside where breezes blew to talk intimately with his closest friends, the disciples. Influence comes from investing in real friendship, making time to look at one another face to face, sharing moments, listening to hearts.
So, many years ago, I decided that not only did I want to gather like-minded women together in large conferences, but I wanted to invite women in my home to share meals, to gathering on my porch, to teach the word, to share life together. Discipleship is at the heart of these gatherings. Shaping faith in Christ together with women by investing time and shaping an environment where friendships can grow and Christ shows up in our fellowship together. These years have created some of my closest friendships with those who were able to share these days with me.
i have a sweet team of friends who have been walking along side me for 9 years, and they help me decorate, make meals, organize every aspect of our weekends together, so that all who come will be cared for like queens. I could not do it all without them.
We set tables throughout my house so that at every meal, women can talk and enjoy friendships. Meals are shopped for and cooked ahead of time. Tables were set before I even took my last trip. Sheets were washed, rooms cleaned little by little so that we could have 8 with me here.
As with Jesus, so with us. As we ate meals, giggled, rested, talked of our values, studied scripture together, prayed, we, too, were refresh in our ideals. Now, we can go back to our worlds with renewed vision, hearts filled with the love of sweet friends.
Always tea and coffee!
Speaking about things eternal, present, life.
Please, please let me come in to be with all of your friends!
Even Darcy Dog wanted to be a part. :)
Sharing parts of my new book, Different: The Story of an Outside the Box Kid and the Mom who Loved Him, gave me an opportunity to share my excitement about the messages God has been building over the last months and to talk about a Different Kind of Parenting--shaping an out of the box acceptance for each unique child God has given to all of us. We all ended up in tears together as we thought about the fragile relationship between a mother and her children.
These mini-gatherings are like our conferences, only they are smaller. Renew Your Heart will be gatherings of like-minded women who need to get away, to restore, refresh. I hope many of you will be able to join us.
I wanted to share one of the talks I gave to these precious ones this weekend about the character of a leader. Hope you enjoy being a part of our time that went on here in my home. Hope to see you at one of the conferences. Now all of us want to be a part of a team that will help refresh your hearts and souls.
Go here for more information for how to register at a conference nearest you. (Portland registration coming soon!)