On Saturday afternoon at 4, you would have found me sitting on a piano bench against a conference hall wall with my face in my hands crying to a friend.
This conference newbie had officially become overwhelmed.
I was worried going into Allume that I may miss out on a session and while I did miss many wonderful sessions, at 4pm on Saturday it was clear the speakers God had led me to had struck a chord.
On Thursday night Phil Vischer made us laugh and cry with his story about Big Idea Productions and reminded us to love God more than any dream we have.
Sarah Mae reminded us to keep our life more than any blog.
On Friday morning, Sarah Markley inspired me, reminding me to find God in the every day. She taught me how to tether truth with story and made us cry when she read her story of how she found God in a fish.
Darren Rowse humbly presented lessons he’d learned in the past 10 years of blogging. What a blessing for him to share. He gave me a laundry list of to-do items including knowing our audience. But in the midst, I couldn’t help but feel a wee bit small knowing I started this blog 6 months before he started his first. Or knowing his eBook sold $70,000 in 7 days and mine, well, didn’t.
Friday afternoon Trina Holden was just what I needed. She encouraged us to find our kingdom-driven why of blogging. She reminded us smaller bloggers that it was a gift we had that we could interact so intimately with our current readers and that’s just what we should do. Making even a 1% difference in 1 life is impact.
The Nester inspired by teaching us about how to find our purpose and helping us to say no when it’s needed.
On Saturday Darren captured the crowd with his story of blogging. And the one person I had compared myself to reminded me I should only compare me to me. Celebrate the growth that’s there. He reinforced Trina’s comments to care for the readers I already have. He challenged us to take small actions even if the big picture was daunting. And most of all, he encouraged us to feast on the Lord.
Stephanie Bryant was a treasure of insight on creating and managing your online brand.
Tsh Oxenreider encouraged us once again to find our purpose in blogging, work smart and be real. She inspired us to think outside the box and think about eBooks, training or podcasts. She encouraged us to get an editorial calendar and delegate what we could.
And finally, Kat Lee burned with a passion as she spoke about knowing our audience and having a passion for their needs. She talked about the body of Christ marching into the darkness and letting God shine.
It was then I walked out, managed to get some coffee with a friend, and then sat on a piano bench in a hall with her and cried.
The speakers were so full of wisdom. I’ve spent nearly an entire month here posting about its benefits and I so wanted to soak it all up and do every single bit. What is my purpose? Who are my readers? eBooks? Training? Auto-responders? Online brand? I was overwhelmed with wanting to serve you well for the Kingdom’s sake that there was no clear starting point.
I’m just a girl with a blog that loves Jesus and wants to share life with people she loves.
After the tears and the big breaths, I escaped to my room but managed to come out for dinner and the closing session.
Ann Voskamp closed with an absolutely beautiful, timely message. I scratched on my notebook quickly every few sentences feeling as if I were scribing another chapter of Proverbs—you know, that one about blogging. Most of all, she reminded me to turn my ear towards Christ. Lean on the Guide not the guidebook. If indeed I do have a place in blogging, He will guide me.
I flew home yesterday, eager to get to my family realizing this was a lesson for all of us. Life is overwhelming but God is in control. We never know where to start or what to pick to do or what people think of us but if we’d just turn our ear towards Him, He has the answer.
The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in God protects you from that. Proverbs 29:25
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I was an obsessive note-taker at Allume. Could I serve you by typing them and sharing as a PDF? Please let me know and I will be happy to and share on our Facebook page. UPDATE: Doc is posted to the Facebook page! Enjoy!
Thank you for reading, my dear readers. Please know you were thought of intensely all weekend.
I want your notes! 🙂 I also want to grab coffee with you soon and hear all about your time at Allume!
Becky recently posted…A Little Reflective
YES! Definitely need some coffee dates to process!
Amy, this post made ME cry! I love how God just gave us a big word ribboned thru the whole weekend.
You have such a voice and platform and story–and I’m excited to see how God continues to use you for His glory.
Love you and miss you!
a
ohAmanda recently posted…How To Listen To Your Kids
Oh, Amanda! I wish I could hug you today. Thank you for being a light in my life and letting me room and eat dinner and late night chocolate with you. It’s so exciting seeing things happen for you!
It was so wonderful to read this and be able to hear your sweet voice and heart in the words. I am so glad we met at the airport. You are a treasure!
Jen (Balancing Beauty and Bedlam) recently posted…Lessons I’ve Learned from My Red Neck Freezer
LOVED meeting you, Jen. You were an instant comfort to the entire weekend!
How did you do that? You just summed up the entire weekend of wonderful in one post! There’s so, so much here. And I love your idea of sharing your notes as a PDF. You are wonderful and brilliant, and though I’m sad the overwhelming-ness of it all made you cry, I’m so thankful you shared it all here with us (and with me in our room)!
Also? I miss you. 🙂
Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect recently posted…The conference is not the boss of you.
Mary, I wonder how I’ve gone this long without you? I knew we’d be instant friends and we were. Even though I cried, you made me smile and laugh enough to make up for it. MISS you already!
Wasn’t it just an awesome weekend! Love, Traci http://www.ordinaryinspirations.blogspot.com
Traci Michele recently posted…Feast On Jesus
Wish I could have gone. But I am still hiding in my little hole over at The Broken Quill. Ha.
You made me want to get out more …
~Brenda recently posted…My Great Physician
Amy, I wish I could have been there! I had no idea you were a conference newbie–maybe because when you said you were going my response was “of course you are!” I would have loved to have been able to meet you there. ONE DAY it’s gonna happen though 🙂
Thanks for this beautiful recap. And by all means, a PDF would be much appreciated by this girl who couldn’t be there 🙂
Anne @ Modern Mrs Darcy recently posted…Books That Make Me Want to Hug the Author. And Big Changes.
Anne, I got to meet hopefulLeigh and we were talking about you 🙂 All good things, of course. I don’t know how I’ve gone so long blogging without going to a conference but it really did take this long! Definitely want to sit and chat one day!
Working on the PDF now so look for it this evening on FB!
Ah, now you’re just rubbing it in. 😉
Anne @ Modern Mrs Darcy recently posted…Books That Make Me Want to Hug the Author. And Big Changes.
I’m so glad you went (and might say, you look super fab in every picture I’ve seen of you:)! I was praying for you while you were there and still that you simply follow where He leads.
Dani, I got several compliments and always explained they were my very awesome friend’s. Thank you again.
Oh, I know this feeling, of holding so much new information and how it can be beautiful and overwhelming to hear so many people’s journeys. I came home last year pretty confused, and have gradually found a rhythm this year that works for me – and it has been in the slow and the small and the listening to His voice that I’ve found the peace in my sporadic posting. Praying you find peace as you process & the good seeds planted this weekend grow strong.
Annie Barnett recently posted…On Listening and the Eight-One Percent {Allume Post}
Annie, it is very good to hear that you can find a rhythm after this. I honestly was close to shutting it all down it was just too much. Thank you for the encouragement.
I missed many of these session (except one, obviously) thanks for the recap and sharing your notes! Such a gem!
Kat Lee recently posted…My Allume Recap and 10 Blogging Tips for Changing the World During Naptime
You are very welcome! Thank you again for your session, it truly impacted me.
This post of yours makes me wish I was there. Attending a conference is now on my 2013 wish list. Thanks for sharing your notes, sweet friend!
Jamie recently posted…Cornstarch Should be Mixed with Cold Water & Other Facts
Jamie, I wish you had been there! Maybe we can get to one together next year.
I would LOVE to see your notes, Amy! I was at Allume last year and I’m still affected by that gift. Hoping to make it work again next year. This year …. there was just no way. =)
Beth Zimmerman recently posted…Allume – From One Who Didn’t Go
Beth, I uploaded the notes and they are posted on the FB wall. I think it’s 2 posts down.
Amy, what a beautiful recap of the weekend. And your experience of it.
I love when you say “I’m just a girl with a blog that loves Jesus and wants to share life with people she loves.”
What better mission could there be, Loving God, Loving your neighbor.
Melanie recently posted…Comment on It’s Not About the Pumpkin- Day 29 by denise
Thank you for the encouragement!