A Little Bloggy History…

When I first started my personal bog, ohAmanda one of the pervading themes was my discouragement and confusion on my “calling”. I had spent the first seven years of my marriage as a minister to kids. My husband and I spoke at camps and churches. We interned at one of the premier children’s ministries in the country. We worked for a huge children’s ministry resource company. We had helped start a church in Orlando. Soon, we moved to a mega-church in Birmingham. We were PROFESSIONAL children’s ministry people!

{that’s me at our church in Birmingham, with my microphone on!}Then suddenly, after some bad experiences we were back home in Atlanta with a baby girl and no ministry job. I was suddenly looking after one kid when I used to oversee 600. And it kinda freaked me out.

It took me over a year (or more) to finally come to the point where I realized motherhood was a ministry. And not only that, but God could use my “small” ministry of being a friend, having a blog and volunteering at church. And to Him? It was just as real and big as my full-time professional ministry had been.

It sounds very selfish when I write it out now, but it was so personal and scary to me then.

And in the last four years of blogging, I have seen it even more. I follow blogs that have changed my life, encourage my walk with the Lord and remind me of my ministry of motherhood.

I’ve also seen how even my little old blog can minister to people. I’ve had children’s pastors leave comments and send emails saying “Thank you! We’re using your idea in our church!” and moms saying, “Wow! Thank you! My kids learned the verse because of your post!”. And it shakes me. Scares me. Humbles me. And exhilarates me!

God, as he always does, uses EVERYTHING for His glory. No matter where we are, what we do or how we do it, we can promote God and make Him famous!

Why am I telling you all this? Because in a flurry of last-minute emails, twitter direct messages and skype conversations, I’ve got a ticket and sponsor to Relevant, a Christian blogging conference. IN TWO WEEKS!

I’m going to be mingling not just with bloggers, but women who write for God’s fame on their little corner of the internet. I’m so excited to feel their like-mindedness, to hug their necks and to just soak in all they say! (And maybe take an awkward starstruck picture or two!)

So, my 31 Days will still be in full force while I’m at Relevant but expect mucho info from the conference and some FABULOUS bloggyness from my sponsor, VEGGIE TALES! They have a new Christmas movie, The Little Drummer Boy and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! (And as a little hint, you REALLY REALLY want to follow me on twitter during the conference. It will be worth your while, I promise!)

If you’re going to Relevant, I’d love for you to leave a comment and say hello so we can make sure to meet! And as weird as it sounds I want to say thanks to you for reading and being a part of Impress Your Kids. I am praying that God will speak to me at Relevant–how to make Impress Your Kids a true ministry and to do my very best for Him (and you)!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled 31 days…