Have you ever played the blame game? You know the one where someone else is at fault and you don’t have any responsibility. It makes you feel better for the moment but soon you realize it is not fully the person’s fault. You have some part in it. The other day I was at Aldi and observed a Mom with her young son. Honestly, I was very frustrated with her. But, then the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart, “Haven’t you done the same thing?” Here is the story…

What are you fixing your thoughts on right now? How about a few minutes ago? The way we think can dictate our day. Our thoughts can be life changing. The mind is so powerful. Recently, I learned how powerful the mind really is. The other day I received a new ATM card in the mail. As I opened it up, I glanced at the sticker on the front that reminds you to activate your new card. I thought through when I could run to the Credit Union to activate my card and planned to go a few days later. The ATM card went in my wallet and didn’t think about it again.

Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have. How often are you using this weapon? How are you using it? The other day we had a prayer time as a family. My eyes were opened. I was challenged and convicted.

My last workshop was in the late afternoon. It was called “The God who sees you” and it was led by Tammy Maltby. I loved my time in this workshop and gleaned so much!! The top three takeaways that I learned were: Forgiveness is very important, God is calling us to the fast of our lives and trust that God has great things for us.

I love projects! I enjoy the process of putting it all together and having a finished product. Some projects take a really long time while others are done quickly. As I looked through the list of workshops, the name “The Husband Project” really jumped out at me. The description had me hooked. I desire to make Jonathan more of priority and communicate to him that he is my top relationship. This workshop would be helpful in this desire. In addition, I love Kathi Lipp and was excited to hear her speak. The top three points that I gleaned from this workshop were: Fill up your husband, Flirt with your husband and Have fun with your husband.

My husband Jonathan is a hero. He has been my hero for quite some time even before we were married. Each one of our children sees their Daddy as a hero. One of my desires is to be a wife that continually communicates that I am Jonathan’s biggest fan. This is an area I know I need help in so that is why I choose to Help your husband be a Hero by Tim Shoemaker.

Are you ready to hear some more great insight? The first workshop I attended on Saturday was called How to make a great marriage – The simple things that make a big difference. It was led by Shaunti Feldhahn. I have always appreciated Shaunti’s insight and research so I was very excited to see her live. The three main points I gleaned from this workshop were: Believe the best of your spouse's intentions-even when you are hurt, Do the 5 little day to day things each day to tell your man "I care" and Boss your feelings around.

I hope you have been enjoying reading my Hearts at Home posts. It has been so fun to reflect on all that I have learned. Friday’s schedule ended with a Main Session which I will share about in this post. The theme of this year’s conference was Moms Unite. In the main session, Jill Savage addressed this topic. Before going to the conference, I felt pretty good about my friendships. After listening to Jill, I was challenged and encouraged to grow more. The three main points I gleaned from the main session were: We need friends who carry us to the feet of Jesus when we can't get there ourselves, Be intentional about being a "There you are" person and Be specific when offering help to friends.

The last workshop I attended on Friday was called 27 Hangers and it was led by Shari Braendel. As far as I’m concerned, Shari could have talked for several more hours. She was passionate and encouraging. Shari knows her stuff and is America’s #1 Christian Personal Style Coach. The top 3 things I learned from her workshop were: be intentional with my clothing purchases, how to clean out my closet, and how to shop for what looks good on me.

It’s been so fun sharing with you all that I learned while I was at the Hearts at Home conference. I hope you have enjoyed reading my posts. The third workshop I attended on Friday was called There could never be a more beautiful you! led by Katie Dilse. I LOVED this workshop! It was so encouraging and I walked away with a lighter step. The three main points that I gleaned were: Be who you were created to be- God made you this way, Give away your gift, and On our knees is when we are most beautiful.