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Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

My Top 10 from Declare

August 19, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 10 Comments

I could write a SERIES of posts on all the Declare Conference goodness. I could tell you every session I went to and all the amazing words that were shared. But, I usually get overwhelmed trying to summarize after a weekend like that and unfortunately stay that way for days. However, since I have successfully unpacked my suitcase, (I KNOW?!!! Breakthrough!) it’s officially time to share. No more putting it off.

My Top 10 of Declare

1. The first five hours of my time in Texas. I arrived, found my suitcase and headed out into the warmth of the Dallas sun and the hugs of this girl! Casey is an extremely gifted artist in several areas and a genuine lover of people. We ate fantastic pizza and talked for hours. It was incredibly soul-filling for me to be with such a kindred spirit and the absolute BEST way to begin the weekend. I’m holding out hope that we end up in the same state one day, or even the same coast would be nice. 🙂 IMG_4295

2. Meeting people I “knew” from online and finding them to be every bit as lovely in real life. Right away I was bumping into faces I recognized and getting to know them better. This one. This one. This one. This one. This one. This one. This one. There are so many more and I could go on and on, but the thing you need to know about something like this– connections will be made. Stories will be shared. And you will love the community that grows.

3. My Roomies. All three of my roommates were from the area, but I’m so glad they decided to stay at the hotel, thus giving me the chance to get to know them better. Fabulous women. Each with a different story to tell– and they were transparent, real and kind. I cannot believe we neglected to get a group photo. Bummer! Check out my amazing roomies here and here… and one more fantastic friend is in the beginning stages of a fun blog idea! Can’t wait to see it, Jessica!

4. The session on Wild Obedience- Stewarding Life Well by Logan Wolfram completely rocked me. I love her heart and all that she gives as the leader of the Allume Community and this session was nothing short of a gift for me. Logan spoke about our need to be faithful and obedient in the little steps that God gives us, and the value of not viewing our calling as an ultimate goal to be reached. (And let me just say, I’m in a stage of life– where it ALL feels like little steps. ) My main takeaway is the need to follow God– little yes by little yes. Saying yes to the things that He asks of me, even when (especially when) they seem small. So thankful for this session, Logan. (P.S. want more amazing blogging conference goodness? There are still a few Allume tickets left– head here!) You will not regret it!

5. Being given the freedom to say ‘No’ and be a little foolish in the world’s eyes. Lisa-Jo Baker spoke on Wildly Foolish Obedience and the fact that obedience is not a formula with success as its’ result, but rather obedience IS success in God’s eyes. He does not desire that we are big fat successes, rather that we are faithful servants. Lisa-Jo so appropriately said, “Wild Obedience does not equal publicly awesome acts of service.”  Good Stuff, ya’ll. Also, I received another copy of her book, Surprised by Motherhood* and plan to host a giveaway soon– so keep an eye out. 

IMG_1020

6. That morning that I had an important meeting and my roommate, who I had ‘met’ exactly three days prior, took me aside and prayed over me with all the care of a lifelong friend. I was completely humbled by the love and I will not forget it.

7. Meeting wonderful sponsors like CK Design Mission. Seriously. Chris and Cassandra have this heart for Amsterdam and are moving their sweet family there very soon to plant a church. They also happen to be beautifully talented artists with a print shop!  Keep your eyes peeled for a giveaway of one of their pieces– gorgeous art, I tell ya!

8. The Coffee Bar. No, really. (In)Courage  sponsored a beautiful coffee bar for us on Saturday afternoon and it MADE my day. But, then when does fresh coffee next to a vat of real whipped cream and bowl of chocolate curls not make my day? Never. That’s when.

9. The Variety. In just one short weekend, the Declare Conference offers such a huge range of topics applicable to a large range of bloggers. Sessions ranging from Blogging Efficiency, Waiting on God’s Timing, Writing more with Less, Affiliate Marketing, Publishing Helps, Stewarding our Lives Well, and the list goes on and on! Each time I attended a session, I wanted to be in at least one more place at that time because it was so hard to choose. Whether you are a brand new blogger or a seasoned writer– you would be blessed by this weekend.

10. The Main Focus. As much as I appreciated the variety, there was no question of what the heart of the Declare Conference was and is. It was crystal clear that the call to WILD OBEDIENCE began with the hosts and trickled down to every detail of the weekend. I came away refreshed. Overwhelmed with God’s goodness. Ready to keep writing, following and obeying– whatever that looks like today. I came home tired and with a full cup. I came home grateful and changed. 

Declare 2014 Blog

Want to hear what other people are saying about the Declare Conference? You know you do. 🙂

 

*Affiliate Link. Thank you for your support! 
Tell them there is Hope. (FMF)
Not much has Changed. (FMF)

Comments

  1. Becky Keife (@BeckyKeife) says

    August 19, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    Awesome recap, friend! So glad to have spent at least a short time together, and even more glad that God met you at Delcare in so many meaningful ways. Hugs!

    Reply
    • happygostuckey says

      August 19, 2014 at 4:26 pm

      Yes! Me too! Hopefully we can meet up somewhere next year too! 🙂 Keep writing all the words and kissing all the boo-boo’s mama!

      Reply
  2. Amy Grable says

    August 19, 2014 at 4:50 pm

    I love that you did a Top 10. I just might borrow that idea. So fun to meet you at Declare. So glad we got to spend some time together and share some meals together.

    Reply
  3. Ma says

    August 19, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    i am so love with your beautiful friend. I only met her for a moment but her spirit radiated and those eyes. Shut the front door! Oh my. Roomie, it was amazing to meet you and I do want to continue to support you. What a double blessing to be #Fiveminutefriday snailmail buddies.

    Reply
    • happygostuckey says

      August 20, 2014 at 3:13 pm

      Hahaha! You are simply the best! Thanks for making such a great weekend even better! <3

      Reply
  4. eryn (@mamahall) says

    August 20, 2014 at 8:20 am

    beautiful recap! i’m so glad you were there. i have a great pic of us on my phone! i’ll send to you soon. xo-e

    Reply
    • happygostuckey says

      August 20, 2014 at 3:11 pm

      I would love that, Eryn! So thankful for you all of your little “yes’es” that led to Declare being so amazing. God was glorified and I’m so thankful to have been there.

      Reply
  5. Jolene Underwood (@Faith_Eyes) says

    August 20, 2014 at 9:20 am

    Love the top 10 idea. Even more, I love that we got to meet and I thank you for making space for met at the table. Thank you for your kindness and love sweet friend!

    Reply
    • happygostuckey says

      August 20, 2014 at 3:14 pm

      Looking forward to the next time, Jolene! I loved our little chat in the Selah space Saturday morning– your transparency was a gift and I’m grateful for you friend!

      Reply
  6. Meredith Bernard says

    August 22, 2014 at 9:30 am

    I’m just now getting to this for some ridiculous reason…but I’m so glad I finally did!! This sounds so AWESOME and excited me to no end because I’ve already bought my ticket for next year! :O I don’t know how I’m getting there, but trusting God to make it happen if He really wants me there. I just went ahead and bought the ticket on a whim that He does. 😉 So this says it all for me, “My main takeaway is the need to follow God– little yes by little yes. Saying yes to the things that He asks of me, even when (especially when) they seem small.” Yes, Cynthia, yes! That’s what God is telling me, as well. In the small…let Him do BIG. And that smile on your face in all of those pictures? Priceless. And that photo of you and Lisa-Jo? Jealous. But hope to get the same at Allume of her and me…;) Love you and your heart and can’t wait to see how God continues to use you in BIG ways. xoxoxo, mb

    Reply

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Hey There!

I'm Cynthia and I'm so glad you're here. I am an introvert with an extrovert's love of gathering people together. I love good books and capturing moments. Whether you visit me here or on my own front porch, I'll be the one holding the Iced Coffee for us both.

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Some of the rhythms we took up in ‘20 we will co Some of the rhythms we took up in ‘20 we will continue to sigh into in ‘21.
Baking sourdough, watching it bubble and rise and fill our BlueHouse with the scent of a good, long, posture of patience— I absolutely need a second serving of this.
While we wait, and whatever it is that we wait for— may the space between be made sweeter by the knowledge that we never wait alone.
You can’t tell by their joy, but the day I snapp You can’t tell by their joy, but the day I snapped this photo was somewhat of a regular day.

What looks like a winter beach vacation was actually the tail-end of a masked lunch stop in the middle of a pandemic road trip.

This sparkling moment of sun-splashed fun was sandwiched between brutal conversations about regular life, especially the hard parts.

And this is how it is. 
These bits of life that we never see coming, they are enveloped between all that makes us tired, weary, sighing pilgrims in a world that was never really meant to be hospitable in the first place.

This photo reminds me to look again at our year, our season, our circumstances.

To look a second and third time.
To keep looking as long as it takes to see that the joy of our right now isn’t gone, it just might be hiding in the shadow of all that’s hard.

Brokenness is never vague. And we don’t have to search very long to see it both within ourselves and around us.
Sometimes the weight of that fact is crushing.
And then, sometimes it reminds us even more clearly of the light shining in darkness.

Joy is an act of defiance against despair and I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling rather defiant at the moment.✨✨✨✨

@hopewriters #hopewriterlife 
#feastingandforaging #hopelenses #getaftergrateful
Endurance can feel like standing still. Especially Endurance can feel like standing still. Especially if what we’re called to be about is the same as yesterday and last month. 
It’s difficult to meet each day with the same fervor and joy for what we are called to do, especially when at present, the progress seems small and immeasurable. 
But even then, perhaps especially so — our faithfulness matters.

When we cannot yet see the other side, the light at the end of this particularly long tunnel, we begin again.

Not because we will always wake with fresh energies and bright, sparkling hope for what comes next, friend. But because the God of Endurance (Romans 15:5) dwells within us.

“It is the grace of endurance granted to you by the God of endurance that provides you with everything you need to continue to be what he calls you to be and do what he calls you to do between this moment and the moment when you cross over to the other side. When difficulty exposes the weakness of your resolve and the limits of your strength, you do not have to panic, because He will endure even in this moments when you don’t feel able to do so yourself.” — Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies

#hopewriterlife
Stuckey, party of two. Always ready to run out for Stuckey, party of two. Always ready to run out for paper towels... especially if the store is in convenient proximity to a quick date for croissants and dirty chai for two. Love my forever coffee companion even more at the start of this new year. Wherever he’s going, I’m riding shotgun.
We have learned... The inestimable value of a goo We have learned...

The inestimable value of a good camp chair, for they have been used for everything from soccer benches and coffee dates to theatre seats and church pews.

What our neighborhood streets can offer in the way of an outing—from the colors of spring to the sparkle of Christmas.

To hold plans with the loosest hands possible.

To rejoice in things found. Time. Margin. ...and enough toilet paper to share with a neighbor.

To give grace and accept it for ourselves.

The hilarious joy of a group text complete with “have you seen this meme yet?” 

To pivot. And then pivot again.

To find more joy in candlelight closer to home, instead of the bright lights of traveled cities.

To perfect our pizza dough recipe and truly learn to prefer it over dinner out.

To work with yeast and flour again and again— until the message of waiting for something really good dusted our apron fronts and kitchen floors.

And in our house, we learned how to be unexpectedly unemployed. We learned how to honor that new found space with needed grief and desired hope. How to be grateful for true friends who prayed with us, held questions with us, and hoped with us. We were reminded of our true identity and that it will never rest in a job. 

In a year in which we’ve all lost quite a lot, you and I have been given so much as well. Some of what we’ve lost we have learned to be without. Some, we won’t go looking for again.

In 525,600 minutes and in all the things, found and lost and found again— there is far and away more to be grateful for.

And we choose joy.

✨Happy New Year, dear friends!✨
Not rushing too quickly into a new year over here. Not rushing too quickly into a new year over here. Though the one in our rear view window is one we wouldn’t choose to repeat, still it was one full of God’s nearness.

One day I’ll write it all down.
But for now I’ll just say,
we were not alone. 🕯
“Once in our world, a Stable had something in it “Once in our world, a Stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”
C.S.Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia

Joy to the World, friends.
Behold. The most apropos Christmas Eve 2020 desser Behold. The most apropos Christmas Eve 2020 dessert ever. Made from a wonky gingerbread cake that did not cooperate.
We shall not go quietly into 2021.
We will fight back with beauty and joy and candles... and fresh whipped cream made by an eleven year old with sparkly green eyes. 🎄❤️✨
Merry Christmas from the Fam! { 👉🏻 swipe for Merry Christmas from the Fam! { 👉🏻 swipe for Stuckeys in their natural habitat.) 🎄🕯❤️✨
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