What a great last two days!!! At the last minute, I decided to attend the Catalyst West Conference and I'm so thankful I did! Here are some of the highlights & take-aways...

Highlights:

--Meeting up with "old-school" Rock Church peeps...exchanging hugs, getting updates on life and ministry, talking about old times, and making new memories...priceless!

--Talking with Bethany Hoang, the Director of International Justice Mission Institute. She gave me some ideas on next steps in furthering my involvement against sex trafficking. I also talked with Jeannie Mai who traveled with NightLight, an organization in Thailand that goes into brothels and ministers to the women and children being bought and sold into sex slavery.

--Laughing so hard my stomach hurt as one of the comedians poked fun at things we Christians do.

--Hanging out in front of Sprinkles Cupcakes with friends, disappointed we got there after-hours, but then being surprised with 3 dozen cupcakes for FREE from the manager! The excitement and applause from our group could be heard blocks away. :)

--Connecting with God through the worship music.

--And, of course, listening to gifted speakers like Francis Chan, Andy Stanley, Craig Groeshel, and Rick Warren, who have a deep love for God, years of ministry experience to glean from, and a desire to help other ministry leaders grow closer to God and continue making a deep impact for Jesus.

Take-Aways
--Andy Stanley's Talk: Being in a position of leadership has many uncertainties. Not having all the answers or not being able to "see the future" is to be expected. Uncertainty does not mean failure! God moves mightily through the uncertaintly. During times like these and when I feel like giving up because I don't understand all the complexity, I must get CLEAR on what God has asked of me, be flexible in my "plans," and move forward with faith.

--Erwin McMannus' Talk: I must strive to live my "heroic life." We must unleash the hero in each other. We're not all going to be Ghandi, not one person can change the whole world, but if we each make those "small" decisions to live a Christ-like life, we will tilt with world in the direction it needs to go and that is a life of love, hope, service, sacrifice, compassion, etc.

--Rick Warren's Talk: "Divert daily, withdrawal weekly, retreat annually." A sabbath day cannot include the "honey-do" / to-do lists, email or phone. Forget time management and focus on energy management. Keep learning, remain humble--teachable. Purpose doesn't change, but terminology does. Keep things simple. During Jesus' ministry on earth, He kept "turning up the heat" with His disciples... as a church, we must have a desire to move people from "come and see" to "come and die" because that's what Jesus did...

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? Luke 9:24-25