TGC11 Highlights

I should say as a disclaimer that I pretty much loved every second of my time there and truly hope I can attend many more conferences in the future. But these are just a few specific moments that will stand out in my mind.

--Lunch with Chris and Amanda Thomas. So much fun to reconnect with an old friend and meet his precious wife face to face for the first time. And I'm pretty sure we got to be the first people to hear (in person) that they're having a BOY!!! Awesome.

--Dinner with Matt and Lauren Chandler. The food was excellent, but the fellowship was even better. What a fantastic couple of human individuals those two are.

--Tim Keller. Every time I hear him speak, it's a highlight for me. ;-)

--The fact that this conference is primarily attended by men, which means NO LINES in the ladies' room. Bonus!

--Hearing Alistair Begg "live" for the first time. I love his voice. And I pretty much have a crush on him because of it, but I'm told that it's ok because most of the guys do too. :-D

--Meeting, shaking hands with and giving hugs to SO MANY PEOPLE that I have only seen or heard via technology previously.

--Hanging out with the Acts 29 dudes (and Steve McCoy :-D). And this should actually be several points because there are so many reasons it was a highlight. First, because they really love each other. It is so refreshing to see. These guys have each other's backs in a way I'm not sure I've ever seen before in a large group of men. It's beautiful. And something you can't fake. Second, they love my husband. So that makes them pretty much family to me. Third, they welcomed me like a long, lost sister. Fourth, and most importantly, they are madly in love with Jesus and the Gospel. It oozes out of every single one of them. Every conversation I heard, participated in, or overheard within that group was centered around and saturated with the Gospel. Just phenomenal.

--Seeing the sun rise and set over Lake Michigan

--Watching Ray Ortlund exuberantly embrace Jared like his very own son he hadn't seen in years. Those guys have so much respect and honor for each other, it's impossible not to be uplifted by their relationship.

--Seeing tons of my old LifeWay buddies. (WAY more than I expected!)

--Getting to interact with the Crossway marketing group about Jared's book release later this year. They are sharp, gracious, and fun to work with. Jared is in good hands for sure.

--The sound of thousands of voices lifted together in worship. There is absolutely no other experience like this.

--Mark Driscoll's powerful lecture (that's his word--he said it wasn't a sermon) about the Holy Spirit. He called it down, my friend. Check out the TGC website and listen to the podcast.

--Matt Chandler. Again, like Tim Keller--it's a highlight for me any time this man speaks. Love his heart and passion for the Gospel. Listen to the podcast on the TGC website. And then listen to all of his other podcasts if you haven't already. Twice. :-D

--And last but not least, getting to spend the week with my man. So special. So needed. And so refreshing. I hope this becomes a yearly habit. (Well, every other year. And then T4G in between.)

What a fantastic week!