So…I just got back from the Ragged Edge writers conference with none other than THE Ted Dekker as well as Tosca Lee, Eric Wilson, Robert Liparulo and Steven James. The time with these writers was invaluable as it wasn’t your typical writers conference…it was more like being at a dinner party with the aforementioned and the entire dinner party was all about encouraging me to do what God designed me to do.
The thing is … there were dozens of “me’s” in the room! The event was small (around 120 I would guess) and each person had been drawn there by the ever present need…desire…compulsion to write. We received many, many tips – but more than anything we received permission to follow our dream as well as a charge to do so. I met some pretty amazing people.
I used to think my need to write was selfish or self-centered…not anymore. God created me to write. God has provided me with life experience to write about – not to mention a vivid imagination. And man does He give me some interesting dreams to work with as well. I have a computer full of stuff I have written but never pursued!
What this does mean is that my primary focus will be to write and my blog will be to “dump” thoughts on the page…what you can continue to count on is that I will always be real with you!
Today’s real is that I think I already know who my biggest fan is…yesterday I said to my 18 year old daughter, “I need your opinion on something, I went to this writer’s conference…and met all these great people…so now I’ve been thinking about what I should do…do you think I could…”
Before I got another word out of my mouth she all but yelled, “Yes! Mom you can do anything!”
I have heard it said that children learn by observing – doesn’t matter what you say, it’s what you do that teaches them life’s lessons.
She has seen the years of volunteer work I have done. She was watching back in 2007 when I had a dream to start a blog of moms to speak into the lives of other moms. She watched as I worked to get MomLife Today set up in 2008, and as I have asked other moms to get involved, and as I have been given the opportunity to interview amazing women. She has seen my dream and that a lot of hard work with other talented people has led to a dream come true.
It blesses me to know that as she heads off to college this Friday she is taking with her the knowledge that her mom was once a kick-butt career woman, who retired to become a devoted mom who fully poured her life into her family and as time allowed successfully followed her dreams.
I honestly believe God honored my sacrifice by blessing my current successes and hope that my daughter too will learn to follow her dreams, but in the process hear God’s voice the loudest in how she goes about it.
The world will tell her it’s all about her…it is so not, it’s all about what He can do through her and her willingness to bend to His will through the process.
So great!
I love this Tracey! I am going to share it!