Weekend Writing: Deeply Rooted in the Stories of Our Lives

We hear stories every day. Someone tells us a story and it could either make us laugh or cry. It could tug on our heartstrings or make us cry tears of joy. We're consumed by thrilling stories--wild tales we want to be told over and over again.

As humans, we love stories. We love listening to them, but we also love the role of being a storyteller. However, as much as we love telling stories, we're not always the storyteller of our lives. You know who is?

God. 

This weekend, I attended the Women of Joy Conference in Indianapolis. The ministry, Women of Joy, has been changing the lives of women since 1994. The conferences are designed, created, and intended to bring women of all ages and faith journeys together to pursue a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether you have been a lifelong believer or you're just recently figuring things out, at Women of Joy, you'll find an endless amount of encouragement that refreshes your soul. Together with women from all walks of life, you will seek God, search for answers, and find a connection to your faith in a way you have never experienced.

The Women of Joy Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana (photo/@womenofjoy via Instagram).

In a sense, you'll find yourself deeply rooted in conversations about God, your faith, and how you can grow as an individual in your faith journey. Deeply rooted. That was the theme for this year's conference: how to dig deep, stand tall and let your living spill into thanksgiving. Dig deeper into yourself and your relationship with Jesus Christ. Stand tall and rooted, like a tree, for God. Learn to live with an attitude of gratitude.

Speaker Margaret Feinberg's companion Bible study book "Deeply Rooted" (photo/@womenofjoy via Instagram).

That was the message this weekend, and thanks to speakers like Angela Thomas Parr [Christian living author], Margaret Feinberg [author], Jennie Allen [Bible teacher and author], and Karen Kingsbury [The New York Times bestselling Christian fiction author], there were plenty of moments where I believed the message of being deeply rooted in my relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you follow my blog, you should know by now that I am an avid fan of Karen Kingsbury's writing. I love her books, but I also love her inspirational messages. Her speech during the conference was inspiring, insightful, humorous [with plenty of hilarious, relatable stories], and meaningful. I knew she was going to be a joy to watch at the conference and I was right. She's my favorite contemporary author for a reason: because she frequently inspires me to write my own stories. She inspires me as a writer.

Karen Kingsbury speaking at the Women of Joy Conference.

But this weekend, she inspired me to focus on the stories of my own life. This is our story. She said, "You have one chance to write the story of your life. Make it a bestseller." Our life is not a dress rehearsal. This is it. This is the real deal. You only have one chance here during your time on Earth. Make it count. Write a bestselling story, but along the way, trust God--as He is the greatest storyteller in your life. He has your story already outlined. Trust in Him and your story will be beautiful--just as God had created you.

During her speech, Kingsbury referenced four basic principles of life:

• Love 
• Laughing often 
• Being merciful 
• Living for Jesus Christ 

It's that simple. These four principles make up our stories--who we are. If we accept these, if we strive to pursue these principles, we will have masterpieces. We will have bestsellers. Our stories--not the fictional ones, but real stories of our lives--will be wonderful because they're from God. 

They're deeply rooted in Him, and that's all that matters. 

Thank you, Women of Joy, for a wonderful conference. I'm more rooted in my relationship with Christ. I'll be sure to always write a bestselling novel of my life. I know that whenever I don't know what the next chapter will contain, God will be there to help me write it. Always. 

-KJL-