Christian Communicator's Conference 2016, part 2

As promised, here are some snapshots of my favorite parts of the conference, along with a short intro to some of the ladies I met there.

My favorite things

Many things were covered during our short time there, but one of my favorite topic was the one on Body Language. We learned how to display positive body language, and how to read body language in others.

Did you know you can tell if a person is dishonest by the way they shake hands? Mrs. Knefely shared a few tips she had learned through years of working in the corporate world. After coming to an agreement with someone, she would always insist on shaking hands. Their grip would let her know if the proposal was an honest one, or a cupped palm could cue her that something had been overlooked.
Sneaky, huh? I thought so too.

We also had a high tea on Friday afternoon. It was so much fun!!

Amazing people

There were so many amazing women there. The directors only accept 30 applications for each conference, because they want it to be a more intimate setting. I really appreciated that.

While there, I was privileged to get to know several of the ladies there, along with their stories.

I met:

- A modern day woman with an issue of blood. She had endured the awkwardness of getting a colonoscopy every year for over 15+ years, until the Lord completely healed her.

- An incredibly joyful woman who - I was surprised to discover - had lost her husband to colon cancer five months before. I also learned her son passed away last December, just months before her husband's diagnosis. Her story was one of trusting God's goodness even in the middle of great loss.

- An attorney whose humor and business sense made me want to sit up and write everything she said. No, really. We were supposed to critique each person's five minute presentation, but when she spoke, I just wanted to take notes!

- A woman who stood and shared that in the last year, she had dropped 126.4 pounds. As she paused, an approving murmur of surprise swept the room. A moment later, everyone erupted in laughter when our Comedian confessed: And that was just when I dropped my daughter off for college this last fall! Well, I guess there's more than one way to drop the pounds!

- A published author with four college degrees who brought everyone to tears with her 5 minute speech. Afterwards, I hugged her and said, "Welp, you ruined everyone's make-up!" It's obvious the Cerebral Palsy diagnosis she received as a baby has not limited her ability to touch hearts.

- A fiery redheaded woman who had been through the foster system as child, and many broken relationships as an adult. Every time I saw her, I was struck by her beauty - inside and out. I'm hoping to share one of her poems with you later- it's the reason I ended up buying her book!

- A 75 year old lady who confessed: My goal is to leave this world with an empty bucket. I want to pour out all the wisdom and love God has showered on me...

Guys.

This is just a snapshot of the crew there. Every woman had a story to share, and it was beautiful.

Conclusion

I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to attend this amazing conference. I learned many things about marketing, social media, refining my message, and other practical tools, but the greatest part of this conference was getting the chance to glean wisdom from women who are already using their gifts, and getting to hear the stories of those who are headed that direction.

I leave you with the prayer we were gifted with at the end of the conference,

penned by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930):

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, 

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

.................

I'm not sure I can honestly pray that last section (who wants to be set aside??), but that first section strikes a chord with me.

So be it.

Christian Communicator's Conference 2016, part 1

Well, looks like that fortune cookie was right.

Last week I returned from a speaker’s conference at the Billy Graham Training Center in North Carolina. I came away from our time feeling overwhelmed- there was so much information to take in! After a quick consult with the team's efficiency expert, I broke out my spoon and decided to tackle the elephant (aka my to-do list) one bite at a time.

I will not share everything that was covered, but I will share some moments that stood out to me personally.

Incredible facilities

The first day I was there, I took time to walk around the hallways. They were a memorial of sorts, since every wall was covered with photos of Billy Graham and his family, with short blurbs about the work he has done, and the places he has ministered in. On the inside walls there were glass display cases filled with gifts that he has received from people in various nations. Jewelry, vases, native art, and other items were arranged according to the country they had come from. 

I was so touched to see the many decades of service he had given, and confessed to the doorman that I needed to retire to my room and cry for a bit; I felt so overwhelmingly blessed to see his years of service. Those halls represent 80+ years of loving Jesus.

Faithfulness really is beautiful to behold.

My roommate

I was blessed to room with Doris Jean Shaw - or DJ, as some people called her. I meant to ask her age, but never got around to it. We enjoyed many late night conversations together, and I got to share one of my not-so-secret life ambitions with her.

Anyone who knows me at all, knows that my lifelong goal is to one day become an amazing Grandmother. I absolutely adore older women, and enjoy getting to be around them – to hear their wisdom, to learn from their stories, and pray that their beauty will rub off on me. Having DJ as my roommate was like getting a little love note from God.

At the end of the conference, I was happy to share with her There's no one else I would have rather roomed with. Here she is, with her Certificate of Completion - you go girl!

Emotional upheaval

Before arriving, several women had shared (via e-mail)  they felt like they were under attack spiritually. Some experienced physical challenges, some were dealing with the sickness of loved ones, and others questioned whether they should come at all.

I experienced none of those things.

Until day two, that is.

Day two is the day I put my face on (as in, full make up) three separate times.

I found myself heading to my room during morning break and again at lunch so I could flop on my bed and cry all my mascara onto the freshly laundered pillows. Then I sat up, took a deep breath, and prayed. I submitted my emotions to Jesus, (Yes, we can do that) and asked him to HELP! me stay focused. Then I got up, washed my face with cold water, had a visit with Miss Maybelline, and headed back to class.

During the last session of the day, I wanted to slip out unnoticed. I still felt like a like a wet sponge, ready to spring a leak at the slightest nudge, but the leaders decided to change things up a bit and have us move to a different table.

Now I would have to make a scene to retrieve my belongings if I decided to go. So instead of drawing attention to myself, I stayed. Good thing I did, too. We created an inspiration board from magazine clippings and shared our stories with one another. It was invigorating.
I love crafty/creative projects!

photo credit: Mary Freeman Denman

I thought everything was over until one of the leaders asked me to come up front.
"Most of you have seen Mekeisha here the last day or so. I want three of you to tell me what you think about her."

Across the room, people flung their hands in the air and began responding with popcorn phrases across the room.

She has a gentle strength.

It makes me happy just being around her.

I love her laugh, it makes me smile.

When she talks to me, she shares what God thinks of me, and it's good.

She has a powerful prayer life.

She's a great listener.

She is just adorable.

I stood silent as the words flowed over me. I can't recall all the words that were spoken, but they were nourishing- a gentle reminder that even though I hid my sadness from everyone else, God saw.

Afterwards, I went to Tammy and asked, "Why did you do that?"

"Well, I've seen it done before and I liked it. I asked God to show me who I should invite up, and I just kept coming back to you."

I thanked God and this sweet woman for her obedience. Those words refreshed my soul, and freed me up to fully engage for the last half of the conference.

...............

Tomorrow, I'll share my favorite parts of the conference, along with some short stories about the people I met there.