This week
our church had the opportunity for Dannah Gresh to come and do a retreat.
Dannah Gresh is a christian author of whom I have read some of her books. She
wrote the "Secret Keeper Girl 8 Great Dates With Your Daughter" book that I just
loved. She writes mostly on the topic of modesty and purity. Her most well known book is called, "The Bride Wore White". I was very excited
to attend. On Thursday after bible study I helped put name tags together and
happened to be there when Dannah was being given a tour of the church. I got to
meet her which was cool. My small group leader Sarah invited me to lunch and I
would have gotten to have lunch with Dannah, had I kept my cell phone on me and
not in the car. Bummer. Friday was teen night. We took Michelle, Makenna, and
Kelsi Janney. It was great to hear Dannah. She is very down to earth and real.
She is also funny and easy to listen to. She talked a lot on our desire for
boys and how to get lost in God and live your life for your future husband. It
was good stuff. I wish so badly that kids in public schools could hear all
this.
Saturday was the women’s conference. Dannah talked mostly about submission and suffering. We had break out sessions. I chose one on being
productive and another on hospitality and food. It was great and I enjoyed the
conference. There was a reason I went to the hospitality session, and it was a very God led last minute choice. God pointed out to me that I need to start inviting
people over on occasion to dinner. That is what we are supposed to do.
Hospitality is listed in the bible often and has become kind of a lost gift.
People used to have dinner parties a lot. People just get so busy and wrapped
up in all of life's activities that nobody has time for it. I am one of those
people. I also have every excuse possible, my house is too messy, my house is
too small, I don’t like to cook, I don’t know what to cook, and on and on. As I
thought about it more I decided I would make an attempt to have a family over. Then on Sunday
after church a family, who we have only just met, invited us to their house for
Dinner next Sunday. Like that wasn’t convicting me.
After my day in
Ames at the conference, Mark had lined up dinner plans with Dale and Darcie
Peterson. They are fun to get together with and we seem to do so once a year.
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