Mountain High, Valley Low: 2011 in Review

Part 2: She Speaks

Hey! Glad you stopped by for more of Mountain High, Valley Low: 2011 in Review.

What a year, right? This year, I finally had the opportunity to attend a conference I’d wanted to attend since 2005 – the She Speaks Conference presented by Proverbs 31 Ministries.

I don’t think I can ever again express my thoughts and feelings surrounding my attendance any better than I did in the post I wrote entitled The Epicenter of Destiny. Click here if you missed it.

The conference was transformational, to say the least. While confirming the desire I’ve had for years regarding becoming a published author, at the same time, it changed my thinking about things like what my personal path to publishing may look like and who God’s intended audience may be. Those things are still taking shape, even as this year comes to an end and the next one awaits its cue to begin.

My experience at She Speaks compelled me to ask myself probing questions like, “Do I want to be a New York Times best-selling author?” Absolutely! “Will I keep writing even if I never make it?” Yes, I will. “Will my measure of success be number of books or number of lives, understanding that lives weigh far more than books?”

Hmmm, good stuff, huh?

The prayer room was no doubt the highlight of the conference. It blessed me so much that I had to write about it over two posts. Click here and here if you missed them. Each name of the 650 attendees was individually affixed to a name of God, chosen by the She Speaks staff and lovingly prayed over by them, as well. My name was attached to Jehovah, the great “I AM”!

The words written below the name were:

 “I Am”: The one who is the self-existent One

God never changes. His promises never fail. When we are faithless, He is faithful. We need to obey Him.

Exodus 3:14, Exodus 6:2-4, Exodus 34:5-7, Psalm 102

About nine days after attending the conference my father died. Sometimes I still can’t believe it. Needless to say, now more than ever, I need to be reminded that God never changes, His promises never fail, He is faithful and by His grace, strength and power I will be able to keep moving.

So, will I attend She Speaks again in 2012? I’m strongly considering it (Writers conferences aren’t cheap, my friend, lol). If I do choose to go, I’ll be better prepared and more aware of what to expect. These days, I’m boiling over with ideas for program and curricula. One of my most pressing goals for 2012 is to get these ideas on paper in a Habakkuk 2:2 kind of way by July. Who knows? Maybe next year someone will read them and want to run with me to help bring them to pass.