Allume is the conference that leaves the light on for you to go home to your people and fulfill your calling.

– Ann Voskamp

The day before I left for my fourth Allume blogging conference, my daughter Abby said, “Mom, why do you go to Allume?”  Well, sweet girl, this is why…

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It is Real:

I have this amazing friend named Kristin who I met at Allume (formerly Relevant) two years ago during back to back writers sessions. She lives in Austin, TX. When I saw her last Thursday, she burst into tears. She also brought me coffee.  What else can I say except she is real and she speaks my heart language?

This is just one story from the relationships God has built into my life through this conference. There are many, many more. I am extremely grateful.

It is Light:

Our hearts were washed with the Light of God’s Word. And this by far is what feeds my soul.

• Ann spoke on 1 Corinthians 8:3 “If anyone loves God, He is known by God.”
• Melanie Spoke on 1 Samuel 16:7  “… For theLord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
• Jennie spoke on Hebrews 12:1 ” Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”
• Bianca spoke on Ezekiel 37:1-14 (vs. 5) “⁵ Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. “
• Emily spoke on Ephesians 2:10 “For we are the product of His hand, heaven’s poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago.”
• Jeff spoke on 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 (vs 6) “But I will say this to encourage your generosity: the one who plants little harvests little, and the one who plants plenty harvests plenty.”

It is Living:

• ” When you only live for an audience of ONE – you know you always count.” – Ann Voskamp
• ” Every life is a product of God’s generosity.” – Ann Voskamp
• ” Our lives were made to collide with majesty.” – Melanie Shankle
• “He will always leave a God margin in our life where our abilities end and He begins. – Melanie Shankle
• ” The problem with running after anything else on this earth other than God — is they all seem to make you sick eventually.” – Jennie Allen
• “Art is about moving towards what makes you come alive.” – Emily Freeman
• ” We are in the foot washing business – washing women with words. ” – Holley Gerth
• ” life is always more fun in community.” – Emily and Ryan
• ” No great blog is worth the detriment of your family.” – Chad and Nester Smith

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So, this is why I take a few days in the fall to attend a conference called Allume. It is all of this and more. It is smiles, face to face, and connecting with women who encourage me to fulfill my calling. It is a challenging Word spoken in truth. It is watching women who live their lives well in front of others. It is blogging but really, it is life.

It is Real. Light. Living.

xo,

Stacey