I have been procrastinating my blog update. I wanted to blog about my trip to MOPS Convention before I started on about anything else, but it's just so hard for me to condense the amazing experience into a blog entry, so I've been procrastinating. Every day I sit down to do it, and every day it just hasn't happened. I've been home for a week and a half now, so I think it's time. ;)
Fun, amazing, spiritual, emotional, non-stop, uplifting, exhausting, and informative are just a few things that come to mind about the week. I left for Orlando on Tuesday, September 18, and from Cd'A, it's a LOOOONG trip. I didn't get in until 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning due to air delays. I entered my room where my 3 roommates were already sleeping, 3 women I had never met in person. As I climbed into bed, I had a fleeting feeling that I would wake up in the morning having been given a key to the wrong room with 3 women who didn't have a clue as to who I was. LOL. My fears were laid to rest when Julie said groggily, "Hi Sheila..."
When you get to sleep at 3 a.m., 7 a.m. comes very quickly, especially with a 3 hour time difference. It was nice to finally meet the women that I'd been emailing for a couple of months and the women that had also shared a bed with. LOL. 2 of them, Julie & Tawnya, were other Council Coordinators (CCs) from MOPS International Zone 24 like me. The other women, Julie, was another CC from another Zone and I'm sorry to say, I don't know. She moved into a different room that night with a group from her church and I only saw her as we were getting ready that morning.
Wednesday and Thursday was Field Leader Training, which is training for CCs, ACs (Area Coordinators), ZEC (Zone Events Coordinators), and MAC (Ministry Advancement Coordinators). A lot initials, I know. Basically it's those of us who have volunteered with MOPS International to support the MOPS groups in our Zones in various ways. Our meetings were times of worshiping God together, getting to put faces with names, networking, sharing ideas and learning more about MOPS and our positions. These women are women like me who "get MOPS" and what it's mission is, "to encourage, equip and develop every mother of preschoolers to realize her potential as a woman, mother and leader in the name of Jesus Christ."
Convention actually started on Thursday evening with our first General Session. Opening General Session was a party and a half, with three male dancers in overalls starting things off with tap dance moves and more from the musical Stomp, including buckets and brooms. It was very fitting for The Home Factor / Dwell Well theme for the year. We surely got a chance to rock out with musicians such as Matt Redman, Sara Groves, Go Fish and Salvador leading music for the entire weekend.
I could probably write a complete article on just the speakers from General Sessions (but I won’t, so don’t worry!). John Ortberg talked about 'Hurry Sickness' and being fully present in your life. One of my favorite authors and speakers, Julie Barnhill, used her off-the-wall humor to teach us to ‘Be the Mom’ as she spoke from her newest book, One Tough Mother. Steven James (ever so funny!), Elisa Morgan, Carol Kuykendall, Sara Groves and Naomi Cramer Overton also spoke. And these were just the General Sessions!
Of course I can’t forget, my lunch and room redesign with Trading Spaces’ Laurie Smith. A delightful woman with a heart for God. During General Session she gave her testimony about how God brought together her desire to be an actress with her love of interior design in the most unique and unexpected way. After she spoke, I was escorted to a private lunch with her and the four other winners where we ate, chatted and then were advised on how to redesign our problem spaces. Look for it in an upcoming issue of MomSense Magazine. Each of the winners was also given a DVD of the entire event.
With a little downtime in the evening, MOPS provided fabulous evening entertainment. Maddogs and Englishman, an improv team, preformed, as well as Go Fish. There was even the premiere of the new Veggietales movie, The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything, which won’t be out in theaters until January. And don’t forget, we were in Orlando! I made a visit to the Magic Kingdom where I rode my first roller coaster in 7 years! Lots of fun!
So, after six days in Orlando, I came home exhausted but oh so inspired. Being at Convention with 4,000 other mothers of preschoolers is incredible in and of itself. All these women of God with little kids just like me, serving other women and praising God. Simply amazing.
