At some point within this last year I felt a strong urge to gather Christian bloggers for retreat. I was looking for something that would be challenging, not watering down the Word, and at the same time be specific to bloggers. I even considered planning and hosting a very small retreat myself.
But then, I saw the announcement for The Influence Conference! As the hosts revealed more information and explained their heart behind it, I knew that this was what I had been longing for. It's a conference about using our influence to bring glory to Jesus and it's about building community and it's about using blogs/shops/social media to do that!
I am so excited to be rooming with L, Erin and Annie, and to finally meet Kerrie and so many other wonderful ladies that I've met through blogging.
So if you're new around here as part of the meet and greet, here are some fun facts and randoms :)
3 Get-To-Know-You Things About Me
1. )
I just started seminary last week! I spent the past 2 1/2 years as student minister in Austin, Texas (which I very much miss). Serving through church ministry has been such a beautiful, challenging, crazy experience and I am so ready to get back out there once I get this Master's degree.
2.)
I'm 24 (tomorrow!!) but I look like I'm 16. I hate the age-guessing game. Nobody EVER gets mine right. I suppose that will be good later in life ;)
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3.)
I get ridiculous food babies.
That's where you eat and then your stomach expands into a perfect little pudge resembling pregnancy. Without pushing out at all, I honestly look pregnant... hence, food baby.
I named mine Lily.
sorry, I could not find a picture of the food baby. I'm sure if you're going, you will see her.
2 Things I'm Looking Forward to at Influence
1. Meeting some amazing women in real life that I already know and love from blogging and meeting totally new people! I think that this conference is going to be an amazing opportunity to really connect with other women.
2. Experiencing a combination of the blogging community and the church come together to learn how to love Jesus better in what we do.
(oh and the Stripes party and the Sashes market for some early Christmas shopping and late night conversations with lovely ladies and epic Cheesecake Factory dinners and exploring a part of the US I've never been to! What can I say? I'm excited about a lot!)
1 Thing I Can't Leave Home Without
I know it's lame but my iPhone. It keeps me from getting lost (and that might be my favorite feature.) It also lets me FaceTime David while we're in this long distance relationship phase. And I have a White Noise app that helps me sleep absolutely anywhere I need to! (which is key in ministry. we did a lot of sleeping on the floor for mission trips and conferences.)
So there you have it! I am so pumped to meet y'all in person!
YAY
nobody ever gets my age right either. there was a coworker the other day who thought i was 18 and i was like, "so i'm 21 and have a bachelor's degree..."
ReplyDeletehey! i have an idea! let's go around indy telling everyone we're 17-year-old fraternal twins!
also, i know white noise machines are supposed to help you sleep, but so help me, if that thing keeps me up, i will beat you with a pillow.
LOVE YOU.
ps ps PS: i forgot to tell you i will never forget getting up early the first day tickets for influence went on sale, buying my ticket, and tweeting you until you told me you had yours. LOVE that memory!
DeleteChels -- can I call you that? Cause I do, in my head. Anywho, Chels, I cannot wait to meet you!! I already feel like I know you for some reason so I think it will be the least awkward. Maybe it's cause we both love McAllen, Tx. ;) See you soon!
ReplyDeletehola!!! can't wait to meet you in real life and have some food babies together!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteGood for you for starting seminary! That's awesome. And happy birthday! I'm almost 25 and most people think I'm about 14, so I'm right there with you. Excited to meet you!
ReplyDeletehaha too funny, I get that I look like I'm in my teens all the time and I'm turning 24 in just a few days... Oh well. We'll look good when we're older. This conference sounds pretty amazing! Have a great time :)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the age thing. I was very pregnant with my second and, no-joke, the waitress thought I qualified for the 12-and-under buffet rate! I've also been mistaken for the nanny, babysitter and big sister. This will come in handy in the future, and I apologize now to my daughter! Congrats on going into the seminary! Looking forward to meeting you :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a mother of two toddlers and still get mistaken for being 16. Wanna know something really bad? Two years ago, I went to the dentist to get my wisdom teeth taken out. While my husband waited in the lobby for me to finish, my dentist said to me, "That's great that your Dad is here to drive you home afterwards!" ...
ReplyDeleteYes yes yes!!!! I can't wait to meet you! :) Seriously so excited. :)
ReplyDeleteI just can't wait to meet you!! I, too, get mistaken for being a teenager ALL the time, so at least we're together in it haha!
ReplyDeleteSo looking forward to being roomies :)
oh and PS - hilarious about Lily :) haha!
ReplyDeletehaha I love that you name your food baby!!! So excited to meet you!
ReplyDeleteI have a food baby too!!! Mine is unfortunately with me all the time as I have had 4 actual babies. I even have a pintrest board labeled "to lose food baby". Looking forward to meeting you!
ReplyDeleteYou're adorable whatever your age! Looking forward to meeting you in October. Lisa~
ReplyDeleteHappy early birthday :) So fun that you are livin' in Texas! We are in College Station while my hubby finishes his aerospace degree..! Excited to meet you too :)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!!! Hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow and are celebrated well! When people guess my age...I generally get 14-17. Then I tell them I am 25 and they always say..."well, you will appreciate that later."- every.single.time.
ReplyDeleteSo excited to meet you! See you in October.
A message to all you ladies who get mistaken for teenagers: WHAT IS YOUR SECRET?! ;) no really... What is it?
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting you, miss Chelsea!
I can't wait to meet you at influence! I always get mistaken for a teenager too, which makes it really awkward when I get asked if my son is my brother haha! And I could not leave my house without my iPhone! FaceTime, gps, and texting saves my life :)
ReplyDeleteYou sound like so much fun! Can't wait to hopefully meet you in person!
ReplyDeleteNobody ever gets my age right. Sometimes people think I'm my sons nanny. But you're right- you'll enjoy that when you are older (although it still drives me a little crazy- I take it as a compliment most of the time)!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, we should do the age-game together! :) Noone ever guesses mine right either... ;| and I'm 18! Most recent take: "At least 24"... I don't know if it's a complement or not! :)
ReplyDeleteConference sounds SO SUPER exciting! :) all of those awesome things... and parties! And people - they are definitely the best part of anything! :) I can't wait to hear all your stories, and go visit the blogs of all the girls you meet!
{I'm glad someone else in this world is an iPhone fan like me!}
Love, Rachael
Woohoo!!! So excited for the conference!! I'm 24, too and people think I'm still in high school! :P
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, the food baby. Hilarious. Lily is such a demure little name! :)
ReplyDeleteChelsea!!! I adore your beautiful blog design! And I love my white noise app too, ha ha! Enjoy seminary and I can't WAIT to meet you in person in Indy! :) ~Bri~
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lot of us can relate to you on the age thing. I'll never forget my first year of teaching when one of the staff members walked right by me and later confessed that they thought I was a student! I keep telling myself that I'll be thankful later on in life too, but then I worry that I'll be the person who instantly ages to the extreme the day I turn 40! Ha! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on starting seminary. Will you be studying during Influence weekend?!! And I have to have white noise to sleep whether at home or away. It started with early bird construction workers building a house right next door to us and now even though the house is done, I still can't sleep without the static.
ReplyDelete