Flashback Friday - from Ridgecrest to Richmond!

It's been a long and crazy week, but a really good one! I've spent the bulk of the week in Black Mountain, NC at Ridgecrest Training Center.  Lifeway Women put on a fabulous training event for women's ministry leaders.  Lots of great speakers, lots of great messages, lots of great worship, and lots of great encouragement for a group of tired leaders who love to serve but need an occasional jump-start!

I always like to look back at an event like this and try to condense what I've learned each day into a sentence or two, and then at the end try to boil it all down to a central thought. And this was it (for me) -

• SEE them - those who are outcast or hurting or falling through the cracks
• GO to them - to where they're comfortable, which isn't within the church doors
• CONNECT with them - build relationships and share life
• CONTRIBUTE to their lives - share Jesus with them, help them with practical needs, study the Word with them, speak truth into their lives

While I was there I got to hear some great speakers, including some newer voices - Margaret Feinberg and Kelly Minter. These gals are eloquent and passionate about their relationship with the Lord and are just sweet FRESH voices. I didn't have a lot of interaction with them but after hearing them both and looking over their published material, I'd describe Margaret as earthy and thoughtful, and Kelly as outdoorsy and compassionate. I really liked them a lot and I'm looking forward to reading their stuff.

And then there are those I know and love and got to see up-close-and-personal...

Angela Thomas

Travis Cottrell & Becky

FBCR Friends
Marcia, Becky, Jean, Bev,
Diane & Martha

It was also great to hang out with some of the gals I serve with on our Women's Min team at FBCR.

Four of us toured the Biltmore Estate in Asheville before we headed home. To call the Vanderbilt's mountain retreat expansive and opulent is a gross understatement. It's beyond amazing.

Christmas Lights at the Biltmore

After a long drive home, I tossed in a load of laundry, kissed the Gov, hit the hay and even slept IN. All the way to 7:30! After a couple of errands, I jump BACK in the car to get Sarah and take her to Richmond where we'll shop, hang out with Chaz and then watch our beloved HV Titan cheerleaders compete in the VHSL State Cheerleading Championship. This will be Sarah's first tournament in the stands, so it'll be bittersweet. We'll try to counter that bittersweetness with a stop at the Cheesecake Factory. 

That should do the trick :)