A view of the Chicago skyline from my first flight!!

The journey began last night really as I left my family and drove to Sioux Falls to stay with my parents so they could take me to the airport this morning. A journey that started many many months ago when I purchased a ticket to a conference I had heard about.

Allume – or All-U-Me if you ask Dominic 😉

It was a risk really. Trusting that God had something planned for me on this weekend. I felt a heart tug to go. Thinking that it would help me grow my blog and learn more about how to turn this blogging thing into something more.

But as the months counted down leading up to this weekend my heart changed. I started to get to know on a deeper level these women involved in the God Sized Dream Team. Many of them will be there this weekend. We will finally get to hug necks and laugh in person.

I have discovered that these women are “my people”. They pray with me and encourage me. They share deeply and honestly and love me for who I am, mistakes and all. They have given me community and friendship when I felt that lacking so much in my life.

While I am excited to hear the speakers and attend the sessions, even more, I am looking forward to building deeper relationship with these women I have grown to love as sisters.

Yes God has been preparing my heart to really let friends in again, even if it means I might have to give them up.  After losing a best friend almost 3 years ago I have been hesitant to really fill that void.  I didn’t want it to be a replacement, didn’t want to feel like I was letting Karlena go. And to be honest I don’t want to experience that hurt of loss again.

But I now there is no forgetting, or replacing. Karlena still holds a big part of my heart. She is one of the reasons I even had the courage to come in the first place.  I saw it in her first and I know it is now my time to step forward in faith and be brave. To seek God’s plan for my life, even if it is scary!

And I have seen that the value of community and friendship is so great, that it is worth the risk of loss. So my heart has become open to all of it – the good and the bad.

In the next 4 days I anticipate lots of laughter, loads of treats, chocolate and cupcakes and probably even some tears. As so many of us gather to celebrate the God that brought us to Greenville, SC and thank Him for the women He has put in our path.

Yes there is lots to learn, but I have a feeling that it is going to be a lot more heart learning than blog learning for me this year. And I can hardly contain my excitement!

And to all of my friends that can’t be there with us this time. Know you aren’t far from our minds and you will be with us in spirit…and maybe a little in Voxer too. 😉