allume

Earlier in October my sister-in-law Val told me that she was going to a Christian women's blogging conference at the end of the month.  This is the same conference that I have secretly desired to go to but never took the initiative to look into.  Well, within minutes (or at least it seemed) of stated that I would like to go, Val found a ticket for me for this sold-out conference.  She's like that - she will get 'er done!  So a few weeks later I met up with her in Greensville, South Carolina for Allume.  And it was fantastic!

Now, I didn't really go for the blogging.  We all know that I don't need any help with my blog.  I mean seriously, I could pretty much lead the conference.  (that was to be read with a huge amount of sarcasm, in case you didn't get that!).  I went mostly to see Val.  The fact that it was a conference aimed at Christian women was a bonus.  And the fact that it was for blogging was kind of cool too.  It almost, not quite, but almost motivated me to take on the hard core blogging that I have debated doing for at least four years now (but I'm still not thinking it is what I am to do yet…. I'm not feeling that I should take it on.  Maybe it'll come some day, but right now I don't believe I am to put the time and energy into it.)

(picture is at the Greensville airport)

The theme of the conference was Hospitality.  I didn't know this before I went but I felt like it was clear that I should be there as hospitality has been strongly on my heart ever since we started looking for a house.  I spent a good deal of time and heart energy praying for the right neighbour hood for our house purchase.  I wanted for us to buy a house were we could be hospitable to our neighbours and hopefully make a difference in their lives.  And that is very much what much of the conference was about.  Of course, most of it was put into the context of blogging but it was easily translatable to real life on the street (that sounds like I'm some hard core, street living, drug fighting thing or something).  Much of it was just very reaffirming for thoughts I had already been having.

One of the coolest things was this one lady who has a blog called "The Turquoise Table".  And she basically did what I was already thinking of doing - like the exact same thing - and now has this big movement going from it.  She bought a picnic table, painted it turquoise, and put it in her front yard.  It is now a gathering place for her neighbours.  She started just hanging out there occasionally, to be able to interact with her neighbours more and now it is a big connecting point and place with her neighbours.  Other than the paint colour (I hadn't thought that far, but I really like turquoise!), I had already envisioned doing that exact thing.  Crazy.

Anyway, it was motivating and encouraging that this really works and can create great community.  And the whole conference emphasized so much of that reaching out stuff.  Stuff that has been kicking around in my heart for a while.  I was so thankful and encouraged.

And to top the whole weekend off, I found a husband for Maddy!!

They had this band, "Judah and the Lion" do a concert.  It was fabulous.  Great music.  I bought their discs and listen to them frequently. You could tell that the guys loved Jesus (well, mostly the lead singer, Judah, since he was doing the talking…. but you make assumptions about the others, yes?).  So my plan is that Judah and Maddy get married.  He doesn't know that yet, and I'm sure, because he is super talented, loves Jesus, has that I-love-my-mama southern charm and is rather handsome, he probably has several other moms hunting him down for their daughters.  But once he meets Maddy, I'm sure there won't be a question.  Now, just how to introduce them…..

Everything else about the conference was great as well.  Sessions, 12 free books, introduction to great ministries and outreach groups, the hotel, the food.  It would be hard to beat.

The conference was from Thursday to Saturday so early Sunday morning Val had to head out.  It was sad saying goodbye as we had such a great time.  I miss that one an awful lot.

I didn't head out until Monday because it was much cheaper, but I had to go to a different hotel (that was much cheaper!).  There was a little chaos getting to the hotel, but once I got there, I dumped off my stuff and spent the day getting going on some Christmas shopping and such things.  I also got to have Chipotle for lunch and Panera Bread for dinner.

I'd go back again to Allume next year in a heart beat.  But please let it be with Val!