Baltic Church Conference- Bill Hybels

Friday I had the opportunity to attend the Baltic Church Conference. It had been years since I'd been to a conference and I was excited to hear some great speakers, in English (my language).

I was really touched and reminded of a lot of good things and my calling, etc. I thought I would try to share some highlights of the things that most spoke to me.

I was honored to finally get to hear Bill Hybels- he is so famous in the US and I had never heard him.

I was challenged by the fact that the most difficult person we will ever lead is ourselves.

The last couple of years I have thought alot about discipline in my life and how if I want my kids to have discipline in their lives I have to have it too.

Bill shared some ways he does a self check-up every 30 days to see how he is doing at leading himself. He shared some of the questions that he asks himself as a beginning to get us started in what we could ask ourselves.

Those questions were:

1. Is my calling sure: Sometimes the only thing that keeps us in "the game" is our calling and the fact that God has not yet released us from that calling. 
2. Is my passion hot? An inspired person is 40% more effective than one uninspired doing the same job. Inspiration is a feeling and it is our job to keep ourselves inspired. 
3. Is my character conforming to the image of Christ? 
4. Is my pride subdued? 
5. What decisions am I making consciously that are tethered to the subconscious? 

In addition to those good thoughts he also talked about the fact that we are most effective when our "bucket" is full.

A full bucket in ones life looks like this:

• just back from vacation
• great relationships with family
• on track on our diets
• properly caring for ourselves

When we are "full" we make fantastic decisions and can accept the ups and downs life throws at us.

BUT when we are empty we are:

• easily irritated
• impatient with others
• hard on the people around us.  

It is our responsibility to keep ourselves full. We have to know what those positive steams of energy are that keep us full and do them: Ex: reading, adventures, exercise, healthy eating, seminars, etc.

It was a great lecture and even though some things may have seemed simple they were great reminders. My friends and I had a laugh over the empty bucket sounding like "tired mom syndrome." Moms so often are running on empty and it is hard to get filled up. We, as Moms need to take time to fill up ourselves too for the sake of our husbands and kids and ourselves!