This past weekend, I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend the annual conference for MACHE--MN Association of Christian Home Educators--in Duluth. What an awesome experience!! It was my first opportunity to go, and it will take an earthquake to keep me away next year!
I and my sister in law, Maia, left on Thursday afternoon. After we deposited our total of 9 children at various grandparents' homes, we headed north, positively giddy at the thought of nearly 3 days OUT! I love my life, I love my home and children, but this is the first time I've ever had an extended outing like this, and boy, did I need it. We went out for chinese food (yum!) and then headed to our hotel, where two other friends met us. We stayed at the Edgewater, so Thursday evening was spent at the waterpark. It was fun, and we got into a war in the lazy river and surprisingly weren't asked to leave. :o) Suffice it to say, we were all quite ready for bed that night.
Friday was so encouraging. I shopped at the used books sale and in the exhibit hall, and God spoke so clearly to me about what I should and shouldn't buy. I know some of you will think I'm nuts, but I could literally hear the Lord say "yes" or "no" to each and every book I picked up. My favorite purchase was 6 albums of Adventures in Odyssey for $20! They were brand new and on clearance for $3/album, when they usually cost $17 apiece.
When I got there, I was still undecided about which seminars to attend. The only thing I knew was that there were a couple I was NOT going to go to. Guess which ones I ended up in?? Yep. Those. It turned out to be just exactly what I needed. How does God DO that?? So, the day was really encouraging an equipping for me, and I was ready for a new start at home. I went to bed on a high that night, from all I had learned and discovered about myself and life in general. Then came Saturday. Ugh.
I got to the DECC Sat. morning with great anticipation. It turned out that my first seminar hit really close to my heart in a way I never expected. It was one of those moments where the Lord lays my heart bare and shows me what's really there that I'd either been hiding or been unaware of. I left the DECC after that and spent a good share of time sobbing and writing in my journal, processing, repenting, asking forgiveness, and then being loved and refreshed, and given a new direction. That's the thing about God. . . he never points out a problem without also giving the solution. I went back for the remaining two seminars, though I was pretty much spent by that time and just sitting there, still thinking and processing. I am so grateful to have had friends there who listened to me talk and cry, and then prayed for me and understood what I was feeling.
All told, it was a life-changing experience, and I thank God he worked it out for me to attend. Now comes the hard work of implementing in my day to day life all that I have learned. . . but HE will be faithful to walk before me, behind me, and beside me as I work it all out.
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