Y'all in about six weeks I get the amazing privilege of speaking to a group of women in Indiana at THE INFLUENCE CONFERENCE. Yes, that little blurb up above is what I submitted to them to speak about. Can I tell you something real quick … I'm nervous. I think that's normal, but I'm nervous for two very different reasons.

#1 I'm nervous because for the love I'm speaking at a conference. Like a real conference that people paid money to go to (which there's still a few tickets if you want to join us!!!). Where there are expectations for them to get their money's worth for the weekend, and I'm a part of that. Being behind the scenes at conferences is nothing new to me. Aaron has played at hundreds of them and I've been with him. I have so many friends that do this all the time. BUT it's new for me. In the past few years I've been super blessed to be able to speak to a handful of MOPS groups around town and each time I love it so much. It truly does fill my heart to connect with women and encourage them through God's word. It's a joy and a privilege that I don't take lightly. BUT … this is bigger. Bigger as in I'm getting on an airplane and going there. Bigger as in more faces staring at me. Y'all I'm just nervous okay.

#2 I'm also nervous because of my topic. I'm talking about shame and mainly shame that we women feel from sins that have already been forgiven of. Not sins in our life that we haven't confessed to God and been forgiven of. Not shame from something that's been done to us, but yet shame from our past when we have no business still carrying that around. God's forgiveness is not limited to one time, or it doesn't have an expiration date on it, and yet we think he is still holding stuff over our heads. We carry this shame that we were never intended to carry.

The true message of letting go of your shame is changing our mindset to truly finding our identity in our FATHER and not in ourselves. Not in our past failures, or our past successes. Not in what we do well or what we truly are terrible at. Our identity and who we are as a person can only be found in Jesus. That's the whole point of letting go of our shame. It's believing that what he says about us is true.

That's what makes me nervous. God is prying at my own heart and showing me ways that I still don't believe his truths about me. I may not carry around shame from past sins that have been forgiven of, but do I trust that God is equipping me to do his work? Do I trust that his plan is best for me? Do I find my identity more in Jesus, or more in my parenting, my writing, my marriage, or my speaking?

Finding our identity in JESUS effects every single area of our lives. 

So … in 6 weeks I'll put my big girl panties on and fly to speak. I could not be more excited and yet still oh so nervous. BUT even if they hate me, Jesus doesn't! So I win no matter what! See what I did there — finding my identity in HIM!

Anyone going to the conference? Please leave a comment so I'll know! I want to meet you all!!!!  Pajama party in my room!!!