Do you remember when we were kids and our teachers set us up with pen pals from across the country? I just remember in 5th grade thinking how cool it would have been to have met those friends in person!
It’s 2014 and now pen pals have transitioned into online friends but the novelty of the idea is definitely the same.
I’ve found there is something special about meeting online friends in real life. Back in the spring I met Aprille from Beautiful in His Time for a lunch date after connecting with her online and then finding out that I work just minutes from her house.
Just a couple of weeks ago I met online friends from all over the country at Allume, a blogging conference for Christian women.
Allume: Not Just a Conference
Not just a run-of-the-mill conference, these few days away created sacred space for relationships to form and develop, for attendees to hear from God in a fresh new way, and for women to connect with incredible organizations doing life-changing work all over the globe. {I can’t wait to tell you more about that last part…post coming soon!}
I could go on and on….and on and on…about how wonderful the experience was, but instead I’ll share a few pictures.
Update: for tons more pictures of Allume, check out this incredible gallery of photos by Kim DeLoach Photography.
From Online Friend to In-Person Friend
Kayse, a wife, business owner, and mom of two littles lives on the west coast and it was exciting to discover she is as down to earth in real life as she is online.
I featured an interview with her and her devotional, Undivided Mom: Finding Christ in the Chaos of Motherhood, during the Parenting With Purpose series in October.
You can find her writing online at KaysePratt.com where she’s finding hope in the messy & mundane and sharing the journey. In addition to Undivided Mom, she also has written a home management ebook, shares a ton of free home management printables, and recently released an ebook on marriage.
She and her husband also own an their own business, Essential Oils for the Family, and often host free webinars where you can find out more about how essential oils can benefit your family.
Allume Roomies
And I just can’t say enough great things about my three Allume roomies.
Previously, only Holly and I had met in person. She and I share a rich history in our faith tradition, attended the same Bible camp for years together, and her grandparents even lived across the street from my husband when he was growing up!
The four of us and our suitcases crammed into a hotel room with two full-sized beds {oops…we thought they were going to be queen beds!} for three days and nights packed full of inspiration, fun, late night chats, and more delicious desserts than we could feasibly eat.
These ladies are one of a kind and it was an incredible blessing to get to know them in person.
It was hard to leave after our special time together came to a close. Plus there’s a unique kind of bonding that happens when you share a bed and a bathroom ya’ll. Just saying.
And now…I can’t help but to share them with you!
From left to right:
Holly Barrett – Reclaiming a Redeemed Life
Dana Butler – be sure to listen to her Jesus-inspired music
Me – featuring baby Haven
Mary Geisen – Passage Through Grace
I guarantee you’ll be blessed getting to know these ladies in their online spaces just as I have!
#Write31Days Update – Parenting With Purpose Series
This year I participated in The Nester’s 31 Day Writing Challenge with the topic of Parenting With Purpose: Creating a God-Centered Home. I absolutely loved writing about topics like the importance of setting the atmosphere in your home, practical ways to make God’s Word a priority, and how to maintain an eternal perspective.
If you missed any of the posts, you can find the whole series here.
My friends Holly and Mary both shared wonderful parenting wisdom:
Holly – 3 Single Parenting Tips for Christians
Mary – A Seasoned Mom’s Advice to Young Moms
I’m sure you’ve also figured out by now how much of a resource-guru I am, so sharing my favorite parenting resources with you for scripture memorization, developing Biblical literacy using family-centered entertainment, and fun freebies like the printable lunchbox scripture cards was a highlight for me. Plus, didn’t you just love the giveaways this past month?!
While I didn’t quite post something every day during the month of October due to sheer exhaustion that comes with the third trimester of pregnancy, trying to keep up with two littles, and working a full time job, I was pleased with the outcome of the series.
It’s clear this is a topic you all enjoyed learning about and it’s something I’m striving to do in my own home on a daily basis, so I’m planning on making Parenting With Purpose a regular feature on the blog. I still have a few giveaways up my sleeve too, so definitely keep an eye out for those in the coming weeks.
In fact, if you have a resource you use in your family to help create a more God-centered home, I’d love to hear about it and potentially feature it in a future post. You can email me at contact@leeanngtaylor.com or leave a comment on this post.
One last thing…if you’re not signed up already to receive blog updates in your email, you’ll want to do that right away. The first ever newsletter for The Mosaic Life blog will be coming out in the next few days. There will be special subscriber only features that you won’t want to miss! Click the box below to sign up…it takes just a few seconds!
**Email subscribers who currently receive blog posts in your inbox, if you aren’t sure if you’re signed up for the newsletter, send me a quick email at contact@leeanngtaylor.com and I’ll make sure you’re included!
Today I’m sharing What I Learned in October with Emily Freeman’s community, Chatting at the Sky.
This post contains affiliate links that support the maintenance of the site {full disclosure}.
How I would have loved to have been in your room. Some of my favorites, including you, were in there.
The four of us talked about how much we missed meeting you and how we are praying you through this difficult time in your family’s life. You are such an encouragement to others online. Don’t ever underestimate the power of your encouragement to a new blogger. It made all the difference in the world to my friend Mollie and to me when I was first starting out! 🙂
Hi LeeAnn,
It was so fun meeting you in person at Allume and I loved hearing your reflections as well 🙂 I loved meeting Kayse too!
Thanks Jaimie! I will always be grateful you’re the first person I really met at Allume. You made me feel so at ease and I loved that I was already following your 31 Days series. So helpful! 🙂
YAY! So glad you loved Allume and happy you shared your thoughts here!
Oh how I would have loved to meet you and your roomies! Loved your pictures, LeeAnn. Blessings. xoxo
Loved hearing about the great time you had at Allume. It is great to meet online friends in person!
Oh my goodness… what amazing roommates you had! I love all of those girlies! I wasn’t able to make it to Allume this year, but you described it perfectly! So glad you were able to go and connect! I am visiting from Emily’s link up! So fun! (Who doesn’t love Listy posts?)