If Gathering

I had the pleasure of attending the first annual If:Charlotte (a satellite of the If:gathering) last week. One of my sweet friends, Erin, was part of the team coordinating the event and her passion for it was just infectious. When she invited me to attend I knew I needed to make it a priority and boy am I glad that I did! 

The event started on a Friday night and I got to sit with my dear friend Theresa. (Do you have a friend in your life that inspires you to BE better and DO better? That's this gal for me. I always tease her that when I grow up I want to be her...she's the real deal.) I couldn't have had a better friend to experience the If:Gathering.  This was a picture we took when the speakers asked all of to stop and take a selfie to post on social media. I've been trying so hard to live life versus document it these past couple months but I'm so glad we were asked to take a picture!

Erin and the if:Charlotte gals thought of everything. Even the table settings felt like a beautiful wedding!

I had heard of this event in the past but didn't know what it was really about. Essentially the founder of this fantastic event, Jennie Allen, thought what if women gathered around a table and just really talked about who Jesus was to them and how they used his guidance in their own lives. (That is my paraphrasing obviously, not hers.)

If you weren't able to attend the event you can view all of the sessions online! The session that continues to move me even now was one in which we were asked to confess our sins.  I honestly felt such a rush and a relief during these confessions. At the end the speaker challenged all of us that had confessed our sins to move forward and live in the light of our confessions. It was a beautiful moment and one that still makes me teary even as I type this. Wouldn't it be wonderful to truly do that...to not hold on to our mistakes and sins but rather to confess them and just live in the light that is created by doing so?  

I highly recommend watching the sessions online...and attending the gathering next year!