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!}
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!
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!)
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 …
Could not be happier. For you and for myself. 🙂 See you soon!
How exciting! I can’t wait to hear more!!!
I am not going, but I so wish I was…….I will admit that I wish I were writing about the frenzy and last minute ticket. However, I look forward to hearing all about it through your words and the words of others.
Yea! Yea! Yea! Cannot wait to meet u in real life. So excited that God worked out the details and can’t wait to see how He uses this conference for His glory! (love Veggie Tales btw…boys were singing “sport utility vehicle” tonight to their dad 😉 ). Yea!!
Hi Amanda,
How exciting that you get to come! God sure does delight in the details. I look forward to meeting you!
Blessings,
Kristin
Oh yay!!! I’m so excited that you get to go! Slightly jealous (honestly) but OH SO EXCITED for you! I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’ll watch my Twitter feed by the minute (well, not really, but you know what I mean).
BIG SMILE on my face for you. Yay! Yay! Yay!
I’ll be at Relevant! It is such a great conference, such a great way to really connect with other bloggers in a real non-superficial way! Can’t wait to meet you!
How exciting! Congratulations!
YEA!!! So excited that you will be at Relevant!! Looking forward to meeting you … and maybe picking your “children’s ministry” brain a bit! 🙂
This blog thing…After leading very successful childrens ministries I can see how this seems so irrelevant to you. But your blog is definitely a God given and important ministry. Never doubt it. Just today I was reading your post about praying what you want your children to pray and I began to feel tears coming down my face. You see, at my church, my kids are the only kids. There is barely any ministry for them. Not to mention ministry leaders or just other parents who are in my shoes right now. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home…I don’t know how to do this Christian parenting thing. I don’t have any leaders in the church guiding me into how it is done. I don’t have that role model and traditions from my parents. But I read your blog and many others from Christian moms who just want so desperately for their kids to have the same kind of love and adoration for the Savior as they do. Your daily encouragement and tips is incredibly helpful to me. That is why I teared up. Because like so many times before I thought to myself, “I’m going to start doing that tonight at prayer time.”, but you don’t even know how much your words have given me and my children. You may sit behind your computer and never see the affects that your little old blog has on people but please be assured that your blog is an incredibly important ministry that God has given you. And I know he would be very pleased with how you are using it.
THANK YOU. You brought tears to my eyes.
a
I know this about you, but it really does help me to hear it again. I still struggle with going from distributing God’s word to thousands to delivering it to two. And they don’t listen very much. I was just thinking yesterday how I am almost two years into this stay-at-home gig and I am still not sure I feel secure in it.
I so wish I were going to Relevant, but this is one time I gotta pick family over friends. I love you, though, and will be praying for your blessings there!
So. So. So. So. very excited to be your roomie.
EEEEEEEEEEK!