Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Teach them Diligently

In only a short time, my teenagers and I will be at Teach them Diligently Nashville
We've attended this event for the past three years and it has been such a sweet time of refreshment and encouragement.
 
This beautiful chalk print, which I received from the conference, sits on my dryer and is a daily encouragement to my heart. 



Teach them Diligently hosts conventions in multiple cities each year.
 The Nashville convention is held in the massive and gorgeous Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. 
It's simply stunning!
Our children absolutely love the fountains and water show, the boat ride and the luscious landscaping!
                  {attempting to photograph inside the hotel at night, however, is a huge challenge for me}


By nature, I don't tend to enjoy large crowds, and the mere thought of a convention can quickly leave me feeling overwhelmed. Yet, even the gigantic vendor hall, crowds of people by the hundreds,
 and numerous stacked sessions to choose from,
 the Father gently directs my path to peace, and navigates the weekend, so I walk away feeling refreshed.

If I were chatting with you over coffee, the encouragement I'd give you in person would be,
Begin with prayer
Pray about attending in the first place, pray about your spouse and/or children attending,
pray about your lodging, travel, finances, and your childcare situation.
 Pray about which sessions to attend, pray for God ordained encounters with individuals 
and ultimately that His peace reign in your heart throughout the weekend.

:: Once you feel the Father's direction in all those areas, secure your arrangements.
This can take quite a bit of time, as you may need to plan for travel, book a hotel room, 
research local sites you may want to visit during your stay, food arrangements, etc...
:: Print the speaker session schedule and prayerfully listen to the Spirit's direction regarding which to attend.
Personally, this is a fluid process. While I'm reading the descriptions, and planning which to attend,
the Father had re-directed my sight and heart to another session I hadn't planned on.
AND even once I'm at the conference, I continue to listen to His guidance.
  {Don't fret over not being able to hear all the sessions you'd ultimately like to hear,
You can purchase individual sessions on MP3}

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps" Proverbs 16:9




:: Lastly, I look over the vendor list and again, prayerfully decide which curriculum purchases I need to make and/or which curriculum I'll want to research in person.

You can find Teach them Diligently on FB and they're downloadable app can assist with planning as well.

Our Father is a good, good Father who longs to reveal paths which lead to life.

Be encouraged, a convention of this magnitude may seem like overwhelming chaos, but He calms that storm
He leads, He guides, He directs, and He makes beauty surround.
..............................................................................................................................................

You can keep in touch with Elizabeth and receive truth filled encouragement for your mom heart over at Beauty and Grace {everyday}.  

2 comments:

Prairie + Sky said...

We always go to our local convention, but it I'm sure it isn't as big as TTD. Sonya came and spoke last year at my local one, and I adored her! So wise, humble and patient. I learned a ton from her! Some of my favorite speakers have been homeschool moms who shared their journeys. Andrew Pudewa was here one year, but I sadly didn't listen. I didn't always love IEW, but now I'm totally sold in pretty much all of it. It has made such a difference for us. I can't wait for our convention! It's coming up next month. It's neat your boys will go with you. I hope you have a great time!

Unknown said...

Sonya truly is wonderful! Many of Andrew Pudewa's sessions are actually online for free {i updated my post to include the links}.
You should check them out! I especially gleaned so much from the two sessions that I mentioned. Hope you have a great, rest filled time at your convention as well friend! <3