First, the conference couldn't have been better. I always think this year is the best (I've been able to go the last 4 years) when I hear the speakers or get to shop or see my daughters sing in the children's presentation. The Children's Ministries of Texas (CMT) always out-do themselves each year. It is a testimony of good & godly training to see over 700 kids with their teenage teachers and helpers standing tightly together to sing & recite scripture for all the parents without a problem. Kudos to the CMT and all the wonderful volunteers. I'm one of the many grateful parents!
Jeff Myers was my newest favorite speaker. Have you checked out any of his "Passing the Baton" materials? He is actually a leadership training specialist. Wisdom and honor are his recurring themes as he reaches your heart with truths and well-told humorous stories. Speaking of humor, Diana Waring was also entertaining & informative as she dramatized many of the different learning styles. It is important to know and recognize them in ourselves and our children for effective teaching.
As for shopping this year, I showed the restraint of an experienced, on-a-budget, beginning-to-have-grey-hair, homeschooling mom. :) That's a major change! I'll have to blame it on learning to plan ahead and high gas prices. I believe the Lord honored my commitment to keep to our cash budget by stretching the money even further. We even ran into some old friends who generously & unexpectedly shared their delicious homemade lunches. So we ate well, saved money and didn't lose our parking place. It was all good.
But what truly made this conference so great was the people. I got to meet the ladies behind the emails, phone calls and bios. What a privilege to talk with long-time homeschool leaders --they have such a heart for other support group leaders. I immediately saw in their eyes their desire for your success. Their encouraging and open reception of me and our vision at HomeschoolGroupLeader.com was heartwarming. There is great potential for serving these servant-leaders and helping to get their tried & true wisdom out to you.
So you might be wondering, "Who did you meet?" Well, if you haven't noticed, this blog is getting a little long and not leaving room for much more. But if you're really curious -- the highlights were meeting Sheila Campbell, leader liason for THSC, Lyndsay Lambert, and Mary James of Smoothing the Way. That's all I'll say for now. There will be more info coming in the next few months. . . .
My only regret from this weekend is not getting to share personal time with Lyndsay Lambert. It just didn't work out. Each time I saw her she was very busy running the conference or speaking or helping others. Her time is valuable, and I didn't want to steal it. It was good though to briefly connect with her during support group fellowship. There will be time to catch up at the Leadership Retreat coming in October. I'm really looking forward to it! Oh, you don't know about it yet? Keep watching for updates right here on our blog or check out THSC.org.
Thanking God for good leaders,
Denise
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com
