Inspire Me
Devoted Conference 2013
First I would like to start off by saying that this was my first time attending the full conference. It is easily one of the best experiences of my life. I have walked away feeling refreshed and a new zest for life. I recommend that EVERY WOMAN attend.
The speakers; Christine Caine, Lisa Bevere, Sheila Walsh, and Sharon Kelly graced the stage humbly. They shared deeply personal stories with hundreds of woman. They enlightened, encouraged, and inspired all of us with their words.
It will be impossible for me to SHARE the experience with you(you can get your own set of DVD’s or CD’s). It was LIFE ALTERING. I can share with you some of the major points that spoke to me in hopes of you gaining a touch of what I did. **This blog is based on my personal experience, personal notes, and in my own wording. No one related to the conference, whether speakers or hosts, should be held accountable for any misconceptions you create in your own head.
1. BLESS YOUR ‘NOT ENOUGHS’: too often do we find ourselves complaining….our job does not pay enough, our clothes are not trendy enough, our marriage is not fulfilling enough, our children don’t do good enough, I don’t get enough appreciation, my weight is not good enough, etc., etc., etc. We must stop condemning everything. God cannot bless what we curse. He cannot multiply what we do not recognize.
2. BRING IT INTO THE LIGHT: When we are hurting, we have anger, or deep rooted disappointments, we sometimes PUSH those feelings and thoughts in a deep, dark hole hoping they will never be seen again. This leads to bitterness, resentment, and problems for our future. We MUST bring those things out and SHINE a light onto them. It is the only way to HEAL completely. You cannot put a band aid over every boo-boo. Every single person has a past, a story, a struggle. There is no reason to feel shame or guilt for yours.
3. WHEN IS ENOUGH?: The world today is programmed to make us believe that we need MORE! That if we have THAT THING we will be happy. The catch is that there is always another THAT THING. We need to understand that our joy should not be dependent on our external circumstances. There is not an external modification that will make us happy. Our happiness comes from within.
4. STEP OFF THE THRONE: If we do not already have ourselves on top of a throne, then we create idols in our life that we place there. When they bring on discontentment we replace them with yet another thing or person. We must tear those IDOLS down and REMOVE ourselves from this throne. We set EXPECTATIONS so high for the people around us and ourselves and we continually are let down. If you don’t set the expectation then there will be no disappointment. People will rarely let you down and you will rarely be upset with yourself. We destroy relationships by placing people on pedestals. We set them up to disappoint us. In marriage, for example, we are there to do life together, to build a life together, and NOT to have all our needs met by one another.
5. SHINE ON: We all have a light within us. When we don’t learn to be content then we DIM OUR LIGHT. We cannot transform the world around us with a dim light.
6. UNITE AS ONE: Calling all WOMEN….UNITE! We are in the time period where everything is under corruption. A world that is constantly growing darker. We must UNITE AS ONE, with ONE VOICE, to STAND as a UNIT. If we could all see that WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY and come together imagine the difference we could make. If we stopped turning our backs on each other and stood as one, imagine how STRONG we could be. If we stopped talking behind one another’s backs, stopped pursuing another’s man, stopped ridiculing each other…IMAGINE how we could CHANGE the world. We must REFUSE to compare ourselves; to stop seeing our ‘co-laborers’ as competition. We are the ones that will teach our children, who will teach their children, what it is to be a WOMAN. Let’s get our PRIORTIES straight.
7. RESOURCE YOURSELF: We must resource ourselves with books, classes, seminars, CD’s, DVD’s, workshops, etc. We need to TURN OFF THE ELECTRONICS and educate ourselves. (Yes, it sounds condescending when I say electronics and CD’s/DVD’s in this way, but you know what I mean….the MIND NUMBING JUNK that CONSUMES US!)
8. GO WITH YOUR GUT: Your intuition is your compass to life. It tells you when you are heading into trouble or making a good decision. It tells you if something is possible or too impractical for the situation. When you know, you just know. LISTEN.
9. PRACTICE MAKES BETTER PRACTICE: You must carry yourself every day in the light. Be HUMBLE, speak KINDLY, have FAITH, do not harbor OFFENSE, STAND strong, LISTEN to your intuition, UNITE with others, LIVE in the PRESENT, find JOY in all things, BLESS what is not enough, BE CONTENT, but not COMPLACENT. These things DO NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT because you wished on a star or said a prayer. No one else can do it for you. You can have friends who help to hold you accountable, but ultimately you have to make the choice every day when you wake up. AM I JUST GOING TO LET THE DAY RUN ME? OR AM I GOING TO TAKE HOLD OF THE DAY AND MAKE IT MINE?
10. JESUS IS THE ANSWER: He is the ONLY answer. Jesus is our HEALER, PROTECTOR, and PROVIDER. It is His word that becomes our WEAPON. We can use it to speak into our lives and situations and we should wield it with BOLDNESS. We have been studying His word, but now need to DECLARE it. Jesus is ENOUGH. He will always be there, always love you, no matter what your PAST looks like, no matter what you have done. He has the POWER to CREATE something out of nothing. “I can do ALL THINGS through Him, who gives me STRENGTH.” We must stop thinking that when we get THERE, to that point, THEN we will be ok to come to Jesus. ITS NOW. It’s always a NOW. “In this world you will have trouble, but TAKE HEART for I have OVERCOME the world.” He makes us HOLY; we do not make Him unholy. When God tells you something He puts it on the table and walks away. It’s up to you to take the next step. Is He speaking to you now?
I hope that some light has come from reading this. Thank you.
For more resource on the 2013 Devoted Conference and Speakers, please look to the following:
www.devotedconference.com
www.wavechurch.com
www.christinecaine.com
www.thea21campaign.org
www.womenoffaith.com
www.messengerinternational.org
www.sheilawalsh.com
Joie De Vivre- the joy of living. Not just a feeling, but a lifestyle. I want to help you achieve it!