I have to say a huge thank you to my Pastors, Chilly and Netta Chilton. Last week I was given the opportunity to attend Story, a conference at the Paramount Theater in Aurora, IL. I cannot say enough about my leaders, who continually inspire, teach, love and give me an opportunity to serve. I was so blessed and encouraged as a person, in my relationships, as a minister and leader, and also challenged as a communicator. Thank you!
Wisdom, insight and joy were among things added to my life through this conference. I’m not really into finding the latest and trendiest speakers and getting excited about the next event, but I went to this conference expecting God to blow my mind and He did. Again and again, every session (except one) was truly inspiring. One thing I know is that God speaks every time I open His word, and reaveals himself to us. There is no way that I could sum up everything in one blog post, but here are a few quotes that stuck out to me.
“Everyone wants to reach people, until you start reaching people!” Ed Young
“There is no one-size-fits-all; people are more complex than that.” Dave Gibbons
“Don’t be afraid of your pain. Surrender your falseness.” Mike Foster
“When there is vision, the means take care of themselves.” Skye Jethani, Preaching to the Imagination
“People are more open when we consider them. It is not only what we say, but what people hear.” Kem Meyer, Less Clutter. Less Noise.
“I’m a proud man (woman) seeking humility.” “…the intensity of my pride in creativity…” – Thomas Fluharty, Picasso Said
“Maybe you cannot change the world, but you could change it for one person.” – Mike Hyatt, What American Christians Can Learn From the Poor
The stories found in the Bible are amazing. The words tell stories of love, wonder, tension, hope, hurt, redemption. The Bible is all about the almighty God who wants to know us and wants our lives be part of His life. As I listened to various speakers and presenters at Story earlier this week, I was challenged with this idea that my life story intersects The Story. God made a way for my life to be meaningful, through Him. Without him, my life means absolutely nothing! Instead of just surviving, we can really live, because He is alive. This is the basic Christian Faith, but lately it’s been overflowing in my heart. Daily I thank God for his amazing love, salvation and His plan for me. Isn’t it amazing that a loving God would want me and you, and that He calls us to be like Him!? Wow.
By the end of two days my hand hurt from writing notes, my brain was tired from learning and my butt sore from sitting. It was so worth it. God was showing me how to see needs around me. How to have a heart for others and why I should take time to listen to their stories. Now I’m at home and more alert, living my life to tell His story!
For pictures of the Story Conference in Chicago, click here.





My husband, who is very smart by the way, introduced me to this site called
We just returned from Alaska. One week in the Last Frontier. I learned a lot. It was a great trip, full of adventures and fun times, but the challenge is how to put it all into words, do you ever feel like your mind is going so fast, but you can’t really figure out what’s going on? It always takes me time to process, so I’ll try to give a recap.