I tweeted an article about Darling Magazine. The Be.Loved Blog favourited it and followed me. I clicked on over, saw what the blog was about, and noticed they were looking for writers, and submitted my name.
Soon after, I was asked to join the team. The founder, Kymberly, lived not to far from me, so we met up for an afternoon. We brainstormed ideas and just go tot know each other.
Either before or after that meeting, there was an online meeting. There, I met some amazing girls: Margaret, Ashlee, Amanda, Kymberly, and I cannot remember if the other writers were in the meeting. I don't think so. I connected with each and started following them on twitter.
Either in a video chat or on twitter or in an email, who knows it's a long time ago, Margaret mentioned that she wanted to go to a blogging conference in the fall.
The conference was called the influence conference.
I looked it up, and knew I was meant to go. I knew it.
I prayed about it, but just kept hearing no. I fought the no, but couldn't get the no out of my mind
Through reading about the conference, I found about some great people named Jessi, Hayley, and Casey. I started reading their blogs, and fell in love with their hearts for the gospel.
I connected especially with Jessi, and over the course of the next few months, we worked together to make my current blog design happen.
Long story short, I didn't go to the conference, though I did blog about it, but I did buy a founding member membership to the Influence Network.
Since January, I've been very active in the network. I really and truly believe in the mission behind it, the heart behind it, the truth that reigns over it - that Jesus is Lord.
I've wanted to go to this years conference. I was going to go, planned to go, all of a sudden wasn't sure if I could, thought I could, definitely couldn't, and then all of a sudden as of this past week - I can go again.
I emailed Ashley last week about sponsorship getting me there and she graciously told me that I needed to ask for help.
I decided that meant I shouldn't go, because I wasn't willing to put my pride aside and ask for help.
On Saturday, after a good and long conversation with my Mom, I tweeted asking for help.
Within twenty minutes, I'd had three friends let me know they wanted to help.
I checked my email and saw a friend who said she'd been thinking of me all week and really believed I'd make it.
This story is so beautiful and I wish I could tell every aspect.
I want to tell you how Shannon got a room by herself and her sweet baby, and how she decided to let me stay with her for free.
I want to tell you how numerous bloggers have given items so that I can create incentive for people to give to get me to influence.
I wish I could share more elouqently how much I believe in the network, in the conference, in blogging in general, in twitter, in instagram, in advertising, in so many things, but I can't.
I can tell you this though: I love Jesus. I love that He saved me from a life of sin so that I can have a full and beautiful life. Where that life's goal is to give all of my worship to Him, to love Him with everything to have, and to be a really good neighbour to every single person I ever get to meet.
I know that there is a lot of junk and darkness all over the internet. Just as much as I know that, I know that it doesn't have to be dark everywhere. This blog gets to be a light. My twitter feed gets to be bright. My instagram gets to shine. Darkness doesn't rule.
So friends, I am grateful that you've read this far. I'm even grateful if you just skimmed everything to get to the bottom so you can enter the giveaway. And I'm just as grateful to the friend who gives $200 as I am to the friend who gives $2. Both are huge to me.
This situation, and in general, my life over the past week, has humbled me, called out my pride, and questioned my identity.
There are a lot of reasons that fall into the "why I can't afford influence". If you feel a need to know, you're welcome to email me and ask, or you can just trust me when I say that life gets hard sometimes.
My identity is in Christ. And one thing He freed me from was fear, and so I am going to confidently ask you a question:
Will you get me to the Influence Conference?
Click HERE to get to the giveaway!
