refreshed

Happy Tuesday my friends!

As I sit down to type on Monday afternoon, I just noticed I have yellow poop underneath the nail on my right index finger.  LOL.  THIS is the type of Monday I’ve had.  After being away all weekend, my to-do list is a mile long, my kids have forgotten how to speak in normal-not yelling voices and poop…there has been a lot of poop.  And like 15 loads of laundry.  So like 15 cups of coffee.    It can only go up from here.  <-side note – I SWEAR I had a post scheduled for Monday…but nothing posted.  So yeah. #losingmymind

This past weekend I had the GREAT pleasure of attending and speaking at the Refresh Summit.  Held in Franklin, Tennessee at Deer Run Retreat (seriously google this place – it was beautiful!), Refresh Summit is a faith and fitness conference organized by my good friend Bobbi McCormick.  While I don’t really want to sit down here and write out a full recap of the weekend, I do want to share some pictures and a few takeaways.  A couple of readers have asked me to share my workshop notes (Body Image) and I plan to do that later in the week – I need to put some prayer and more thought into all that I want to share.

A few notes about Refresh:

There were about 40 women in attendance, all different shapes and sizes, some bloggers but the majority were not.  Some blogger friends there: Ericka, Katie, Brittany, Amia, and Bobbi!

The atmosphere was COZY.  Coffee cups, leggings and fuzzy socks, thick scarves and glasses, makeup-free faces and messy buns.  I was in my element (and in my pjs a lot).

I discovered a new worship artist that I love – Krissy Nordhoff!  She led worship several times throughout the weekend and wrote “Your Great Name” – one of my favorites (she won a Dove Award for it!).  Check her out!

We were encouraged to put our phones away (talk about REFRESHING!!!!) and to only share on social media when we really felt we needed to.  I think I took five pictures the entire weekend (which for a blogging conference is UNHEARD of).

Since Porter is still nursing, I took him with me.  He did SO well throughout the weekend – he slept A LOT and was generally amused by all of the women who wanted to hold him.  I was able to be involved in most every event (except the late night ones – we went to bed at 9pm and 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights).

 

(totally stole this one from Ericka!)

Sponsors:  Reebok, Organic Valley, Detour Bar, PB2, Quest, KINDBar, Growing Naturals, Vega, RX Bars, Plant Fusion, Love Grown Granola, Skoop, Nu Naturals, Zevia, Musselman’s, The Good Bean

A few takeaways from Refresh:

I want to go back!

I want to take you with me!

Being at Refresh and around these women made me excited for Blend Retreat next May!  I just love the fellowship of having friends all together for a few days.

After speaking on body image, I realize that I have a duty to be a mentor.  Speaking with and praying over struggling women is a blessing and I want to be an open vessel that God can use.  I want to HELP!

I feel refreshed.  I feel strong.  I am ready to encourage!

While the 2015 conference dates have yet to be announced, I really hope to make it back, especially if there is one held within driving distance.  I feel like this conference is SPECIAL and needs to gain more exposure – whether you’re a new Christian or you’ve been walking with God for years and years, there’s something at Refresh Summit for you!  A big thank you to Bobbi and the other Refresh hosts for allowing me to speak (and for giving me my own room so I could nurse topless ).

QUESTION:  Ever been to a faith retreat before?  A blogging conference?

splendid…lindsay