Dynamic!

I survived (and actually thrived) at the Dynamic Communicators Workshop last week. I learned to prepare speeches with focus, deliver with clarity, and speak with power. It was fairly intense, but I soaked up knowledge and learned new ways to communicate. If you know me, that's a big deal. I always try to be specific and purposeful in my communication, so I was the crazy lady who occasionally broke into spontaneous applause at the conference.

While I was there I met a new reader, and was able to have my photo taken with him. That cow's got good taste in fiction, right? :) And, who knew the Chick-fil-A cow was so tall? Well, I guess since he's standing on his back legs--oh, never mind. :)

One of the best things about the conference was making the acquaintance of so many amazing people: men and women from all walks of life who were intent of polishing their skills and making a difference in their world. I saw hearts that were humble and truly wanted to serve God and tend to others. Some of the pastors who attended have been preaching for 20 or 30 years, and yet they still wanted to dig deep and find their best talents. There were people in ministry looking for fun and effective ways to speak to their audience. Incredible.

Here's the group photo. It represents people from all over the US and from all walks of life. What an honor to be in that group.

This photo is of me and Tennessee Richard. There were two Richards in my small group. This gentleman brought tears to my eyes with his mission. He's retired and has purposed to best learn how to present apologetics to high school seniors to prepare them for college. Isn't that something?

There were three pastors in our group: The Other Richard, Thomas, and Dan -- wonderful, God-loving men. Then there was Denise, a woman who was refreshingly authentic and was intent on polishing her presentation skills for her job (at Dollywood!). Sonny was there to improve his presentation skills for the premarital counseling he did. Gary was preparing for the next step he knew God would lead him on, and our coach was the wonderful Scot S. who gently critiqued and strongly encouraged us.

All in all, it was a great week. I was challenged, satisfied, and stretched. I made incredible friendships with many people and had a great time. Best of all, I'm ready and eager to honor those who invite me to speak with clear, logical, and entertaining speaking. Rock on!

The conference was held at the beautiful Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, NC. It was so beautiful and peaceful.