She Speaks: Four Questions, Answered.

Chatty Kelly asked us to share what we learned at She Speaks 2011. It's been a week -- and I'm still sifting through the information, trying to figure everything out. This was definitely the most information packed weekend I've ever experienced... Now put that in context: I went to law school, studied for and passed the bar exam! I never would have guessed a weekend at a Christian women's speaker conference could be more informative. That's dedication. I can't thank Lysa or the team enough... Now to those questions:

1. What was the best advice you got at She Speaks?

Share your story! God gave you a unique story that only you can share. Don't be afraid to share it. In our speaker evaluation groups, it was almost comical how similar some of our topics were. We spoke on the same scripture, but each lesson was unique. So cool to experience!

2. What was the best lesson you learned in a session?

The one thing that stands out most is humor is a great tool for writers and speakers. Jenny B. Jones shared how she uses humor in a pre-conference session and throughout the rest of the weekend, I was more aware of the effect of humor in a variety of situations. Especially with heavy topics, humor offers a release from the tension. Loved that advice! (Learned so much more this question was hard to answer!)

3. What are you going to do with what you learned/what is your next goal?

Since coming home, I made contacts with some people to let them know I would like to speak at their events. I'll be speaking at MOPS this fall and have another engagement already in the works. Now, to develop those talks so they shine God's glory even more!

4. Anything else you want to share (good, bad or ugly)?

Soooo.... Friday night, we shared our testimonies. My problem? I tried to fit "my story" into Andy Stanley's formula -- in three minutes! Unfortunately, I took out most of me. It didn't flow from my heart, but was forced. (My dear husband identified the problem the night before I left, "What are you doing? That doesn't sound like you at all.") I tried to patch it back together, but... well... We can learn from mistakes, too. Right? Saturday night, I recovered somewhat, thanks to God and a supportive prayer from Melissa Taylor. It never was quite me, but it "felt" better and flowed more smoothly. From now on, I'll take Andy Stanley or anyone else's advice, but I will NOT allow it to change who God made me to be! Just improve who He made me! 

Still amazed. Always thankful!