Last month my friend Beth and I left our children with the dads and traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for a three day conference put on my Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). This is a conference I have had my eye on for three years but it just didn't workout to go until this year. And I'm so thankful we went.
Mothers of Preschoolers is an organization I have come to love; they bring moms into community all over the world. Essentially, it's a moms group. We meet twice a month in San Francisco, but there are over 4,000 meetings happening worldwide! MOPS provides us with a curriculum, support, encouragement and reminds us of a bond we share with women around the world.
This year, I attended their annual conference (MOMcon) with two hopes in mind. 1) That I would be inspired to be a better mom and 2) grow as a leader (of my family and also my MOPS group I currently coordinate). And the conference did not disappoint. I will admit that on the first day I found myself tearing up multiple times for the sole reason that I was overwhelmed that I was actually there and I think deep down my soul was preparing for change.
The speakers they had on the main stage were amazing. Each one delivering a super-encouraging word of truth I so desperately needed to hear out loud. Some of the strongest words spoken all weekend were "You are loved." Have that on repeat and I started to actually believe it. "I am loved. I am a child of God. He cares for me. He has a plan for me." I tell my kids that all the time and know it is true for them, but often discard it for myself. But it is TRUTH. The Best Truth.
The worship was led by Vertical Worship and they were amazing. I learned a lot of new songs and enjoyed worship in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. Release. Trust. Love. Adoration. Restored.
The workshops I attended were on a wide variety of topics but I really loved each and every one of them. I'm just going to list them for my own sake below:
Mobilizing Your Community to Fight Human Trafficking and Slavery - International Justice Mission
Deciphering What we Put on on Our Bodies - Lisa Bronner
Helping Your Stressed out Brain Chill Out - Jennifer Degler
The Art & Beauty of Living and Loving Beyond Race - Lucretia Berry
Are My Kids On Track? - David Thomas and Sissy Goff
Ending Shame - Hillary McBride
The other things the conference offered were a marketplace to do some shopping which was really fun (no kids to stop you there!), a mom's night out where Beth and I went out to eat and then chatted with my sister late into the evening and a 90's themed MOM PROM (dance). Yes, my sister Molly came from Wisconsin which was totally icing on the cake.
We stayed a few blocks away from the convention center at an AirBnB which worked out perfectly. We had our own space, it was quiet, we had a kitchen and made our own meals and it was nice to get a walk into our busy days.
Okay, to recap the things I LOVED about MOMcon:
- Meeting Mandy Arioto (president of MOPS) and hearing her speak several times
- One-on-one time with my friend Beth. We spent so much time talking I didn't even read the books I brought with me!
- Hearing so many great speakers and coming away with so many resources
- Meeting other women in leadership roles from our area and really getting to connect (in airports)
- Feeling more connected to MOPS in a global sense and more equipped to lead my local group.
- Getting to hang out with my sister and dance together
If you have a chance to go -- I would say "GO!" I am hoping to go again in 2020. Next year it's in Florida and it's just too far for me, but it might not be for you!
Last month my friend Beth and I left our children with the dads and traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for a three day conference put on my Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). This is a conference I have had my eye on for three years but it just didn't workout to go until this year. And I'm so thankful we went.
Mothers of Preschoolers is an organization I have come to love; they bring moms into community all over the world. Essentially, it's a moms group. We meet twice a month in San Francisco, but there are over 4,000 meetings happening worldwide! MOPS provides us with a curriculum, support, encouragement and reminds us of a bond we share with women around the world.
This year, I attended their annual conference (MOMcon) with two hopes in mind. 1) That I would be inspired to be a better mom and 2) grow as a leader (of my family and also my MOPS group I currently coordinate). And the conference did not disappoint. I will admit that on the first day I found myself tearing up multiple times for the sole reason that I was overwhelmed that I was actually there and I think deep down my soul was preparing for change.
The speakers they had on the main stage were amazing. Each one delivering a super-encouraging word of truth I so desperately needed to hear out loud. Some of the strongest words spoken all weekend were "You are loved." Have that on repeat and I started to actually believe it. "I am loved. I am a child of God. He cares for me. He has a plan for me." I tell my kids that all the time and know it is true for them, but often discard it for myself. But it is TRUTH. The Best Truth.
The worship was led by Vertical Worship and they were amazing. I learned a lot of new songs and enjoyed worship in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. Release. Trust. Love. Adoration. Restored.
The workshops I attended were on a wide variety of topics but I really loved each and every one of them. I'm just going to list them for my own sake below:
Mobilizing Your Community to Fight Human Trafficking and Slavery - International Justice Mission
Deciphering What we Put on on Our Bodies - Lisa Bronner
Helping Your Stressed out Brain Chill Out - Jennifer Degler
The Art & Beauty of Living and Loving Beyond Race - Lucretia Berry
Are My Kids On Track? - David Thomas and Sissy Goff
Ending Shame - Hillary McBride
The other things the conference offered were a marketplace to do some shopping which was really fun (no kids to stop you there!), a mom's night out where Beth and I went out to eat and then chatted with my sister late into the evening and a 90's themed MOM PROM (dance). Yes, my sister Molly came from Wisconsin which was totally icing on the cake.
We stayed a few blocks away from the convention center at an AirBnB which worked out perfectly. We had our own space, it was quiet, we had a kitchen and made our own meals and it was nice to get a walk into our busy days.
Okay, to recap the things I LOVED about MOMcon:
- Meeting Mandy Arioto (president of MOPS) and hearing her speak several times
- One-on-one time with my friend Beth. We spent so much time talking I didn't even read the books I brought with me!
- Hearing so many great speakers and coming away with so many resources
- Meeting other women in leadership roles from our area and really getting to connect (in airports)
- Feeling more connected to MOPS in a global sense and more equipped to lead my local group.
- Getting to hang out with my sister and dance together
If you have a chance to go -- I would say "GO!" I am hoping to go again in 2020. Next year it's in Florida and it's just too far for me, but it might not be for you!
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