What I Learned....

This past week, our family went to our first ever homeschooling convention, Teach Them Diligently, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. We had an exhausting, but great time. I didn't make it to all the sessions I wanted, but that was my own fault. I am extremely uncomfortable going out on my own to places that I don't know where there are people I don't know. So, I either stayed with my children or I stayed with my husband. I know I need to get over these insecurities and I am working on it.

I wish I would have carried around a notebook to take notes through our five day adventure. I had one in my suitcase, but I never got it out. I not only wish I would have wrote down things I wanted to remember from the speakers, but also things that I wanted to remember from my children.

Our first full day there we went to Hollywild. It is a safari type zoo. The kids loved it. They got to see 3 baby bears and then we went on a safari ride in a bus with no windows. It was amazing! There were so many animals just walking around in open fields. The bus would stop and the animals would come right up to it so you could feed them. It was a great experience. I just wish I would have remembered my camera.

Although I did not get to the sessions I wanted, I did make it to see a couple of the main speakers. One of the main speakers was Voddie Baucham. Mr. Baucham is very direct and speaks from the Word. I mean that in a good way. He had two sessions on how to study God's Word. I learned things that I should have already known.

If you have read my blog for any amount of time, you may notice that I removed the verse I had next to the blog title. Why? Because I realized I was using it wrong. That verse was not for me, that verse was for the people of Israel.

My Baucham taught me to really the study the verses I read and to make sure I am using them in the correct way. I need to look at the specifics of the verse (who, what, where, why) in order to know what it is about. If I take apart a verse to benefit me, then I am not being honoring to God's Word. God's Word isn't about me, it is about Jesus.

So now when I look at a verse, I see it in a different way and I am thankful. I pray that I can become closer to God now that I know how to study His Word more effectively.

If there is another convention next year, my husband I will probably go. I am hoping though that next year I will leave my insecurities at home and I will attend the sessions I'd like to see.