Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the .MOM conference sponsored by Lifeway. It was hands down the best women’s conference I have ever attended. Tickets for next year’s event are available now … and I cannot recommend this conference highly enough. With over 60 (!) breakouts covering everything from Infertility to Parenting Adult Children {and sessions for grandmothers too} AND four incredible main speakers, .MOM is an opportunity for all mothers to be encouraged and challenged.
{That commercial was free ... Lifeway does not have a clue how much I'm pushing this event! LOL}
In case you are thinking I’m speaking in hyperbole, here are my top ten takeaways from the .MOM conference.
- Motherhood is beautifully devastating. ~ Angie Smith {I shared more from Angie’s session on my blog yesterday.}
- God gives you children to prune you, to help you understand life is not about happiness … it is about holiness. ~ Esther Burroughs {I’ll be sharing more wisdom from this incredible 74-year-old mom and grandmother on Thursday here on Parenting from the Overflow.}
- We tend to focus on behavior modification instead of heart examination. ~ Vicki Courtney {From the Parenting Teens panel which was just incredible!}
- They’ll hear your words when they know you’ve heard their hearts. ~ Catherine Hickem {More from the Parenting Teens panel. I’ll be recapping Catherine’s session on Thriving in the Teen Years Friday on TeriLynneU.com.}
- If you’re not hearing, “You’re the strictest mom in the world!” at least occasionally, then something is wrong. ~ Vicki Courtney {Again from the panel, but I’ll be recapping her main session talk Thursday on TeriLynneU.com.}
- Your best guide as a parent – the Holy Spirit. ~ Esther Burroughs {She is just such an inspiration!}
- Ask your children’s forgiveness. The gift of grace: “I’m sorry. Can we start over?” ~ Esther Burroughs {This, again, from the Parenting Teens panel.}
- Find a way to get with God in the season you are in. ~ Angela Thomas {Hers was the first main session … just brilliant!}
- Learn to care for your soul in the midst of daily life. ~ Angela Thomas {Powerful reminder that we must be parenting from the overflow of God’s work in our own lives.}
- Be there! So that when they are ready to talk, you are already there. ~ Dedra Herod {Also from the Parenting Teens panel.}
Convinced? So, so good. So good, in fact, that I’m using six posts on two blogs this week to recap. {Check out my recap of Priscilla Shirer’s main session talk today on TeriLynneU.com.}
Did any of these takeaways speak to your heart? Why?
{Tomorrow … It’s Party Time! {The Discipline of Celebration} as we continue our study of spiritual disciplines for a mother’s heart.}
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
fed my soul today. girl. so needed!!!
Oh good … I needed this conference in a way I didn’t even understand.
SO GOOD. I’m encouraged just reading those 10 quotes. Recently I’ve been thinking more and more about the idea that the Holy Spirit is our main guide. I mean, that’s SO OBVIOUS, right? But in parenting, I think we forget we’re not wrestling with flesh and blood. *whew*
Good stuff.
Oh my, yes, so easy to forget the real battle …
I’ll be chewing on these nuggets one at a time over the next several days. I so needed this today. Thanks.
I’m so thankful they spoke to you … it was an encouragement to my soul to attend and a joy to share just a portion of that blessing with others.
Wow, these are great, great words. I especially love to read to #5, 7, 8, and 10. I’m actually thankful for #5… I wonder sometimes if I am (or will be as my kids get older) *too* strict in some ways. And, yes, yes on looking at the heart. That can be difficult to remember in the middle of a situation, but so important. Thanks for sharing these quotes!
Thanks for the recommendation! I just received a flyer with next year’s dates from Lifeway in the mail. Good thing I added it to “my pile”. I’m going to check it out!
I appreciate all of your recaps!
Sweet blessings to you
Cindy
Thanks, Cindy!!