Thank you

Two weekends ago I had to privilege to enjoy two days of amazing music, tear-jerking and thought-provoking speakers and refreshing time with my bestest friend when Book Sneeze and Women of Faith sent us to the Women of Faith conference here in St. Paul.  And what a wonderful two days it was.  We laughed, we cried, we sang, we prayed, we laughed a little more, we cried a little more...it was fantastic.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to Book Sneeze and Women of Faith.

The music was provided by Mary Mary, Natalie Grant and the Women of Faith Worship team.  It was powerful and fun!
The speakers included Luci Swindoll, Sheila Walsh, Lisa Harper, Nicole Johnson, and Angie Smith.  I was particularly excited to see Nicole Johnson, as her dramas have been some of my favorites for several years now.  She, as you can imagine, did not disappoint.  She did her viral hit, the Invisible Women, which never fails to make me stop and really think about what it is that we as women do every.single.day.
I was most surprised by the powerful story of Angie Smith.  If you have been around the blogging world for a number of years, you will no doubt remember the heart-wrenching story of her daughter Audrey which was told authentically on her blog Bring the Rain. Angie and her husband and their daughters faced a trial that unfortunately is not all that uncommon - the loss of a child.  Angie paints the picture of her story exactly as it was (is) with grief and pain and questions and tears.  Nothing candy-coated or faux. Yet, as her words brush sharp color and rough textures across the canvas, it is evident that the canvas contains not only her strokes of the brush, but sweeping passes of the Father's brush as well.  Her paint weaves and blends with that of our God's to create a painting that reflects pain while being held in the arms of the Almighty.
Throughout the weekend, as the speakers shared their person stories, snapshots of their lives and the events that fill the pages of their memories, it was powerful to see the hand of God in each of the pictures in their scrapbooks.  Whether they could see Him in those difficult moments or whether is was only up reflection when they were able to see Him there, it was a reminder that God is always in our story.  If we are His, He is with us.  Always.
Thank you again Book Sneeze and Women of Faith for this amazing opportunity.  It was a wonderful time that I was thrilled to be a part of!