New friends, new experiences, stepping out of comfort zone, blessed, broken, wowed, and a thousand other thoughts have gone through my mind the past week.  She Speaks 2017 was a HUGE blessing in my life!

Called outside my comfort zone.

I stepped way out of my comfort zone and was incredibly blessed!  If there is one thing I believe, God does not waste stories.  And I have had confidence that God was not going to waste our story.  I still can not tell you what that looks like but I still know God is going to use it!

I have learned so much.  My brain is mush!  I had no clue how to write a book, publish a book, etc.  And over the past few months, I have been learning.  It ended up taking me to this writing/speaking conference.  I am honored to say, that I get to proceed with a publishing company to part two.  Proposal completion and submission.  And then after submission, six to eight weeks before a decision is made.  So there is much praying still left to do.  And some writing on my part!  At first, I was like, oh, they probably tell everyone that…but indeed they do NOT!  I visited with three publishers and only one asked me to submit a proposal.  I am honored beyond belief!  Excited!  Scared!  The list could keep going!  I don’t know what the final answer will be, but I know I proceed with the next step and that is proposal submission.  So pray for me as I finish that and write two sample chapters.  My mind has learned so much that I am trying to let it all process and soak in before I dive into that proposal and sample chapters.

Still being called outside my comfort zone.

I have been sensing God calling me to a new ministry for quite some time, but haven’t had the faith to step out and move forward.  The first conference I went to, God used the speaker to speak straight to my heart!  Pretty sure God said, if you needed permission Karen…here it is!  Not only did God give me permission to walk in the ministry He has called me to, through the conference I now have gained some much-needed tools to move forward!

My mind is full of facts, wonder, awe, questions, and dreams!  I could talk for hours about all I learned and experienced.

Receiving out of my comfort zone.

I said before I went, that God might just use this conference for me.  It might be that He simply had something for me!  And I was okay if it was just for me!  Over and over and over and over again, God had things for me!  From the first meal to the last, God was putting new friends and new visions in my life!  One night I sat with a new friend and for the first time ever, was able to talk about struggles in disability world and Medic Aid woes and the difficulties of having a disabled husband to someone who was near my age that could identify.  I am super sorry my new friend could identify but I have found myself over and over again saying thank you God.  I didn’t even know I needed that!  Actually didn’t think I did.  But what a sweet gift He gave me by sending someone to my table, to my hotel, to this conference that truly understands.  A gift God gave that I didn’t even know I needed!

And I am Continuing to Stay Outside My Comfort Zone!

I won’t write anymore about the writing conference.   I will leave you with a few pictures that speak volumes!  The only volumes they don’t show you is the anxiety that existed before the publisher appointments.  I didn’t have the thought process to take any pictures at that time!!  Eeek Gads..that was quite the experience.  I will ask you to pray that God would direct my writing and the new ministry calling He has placed in my life!