This long weekend was an absolute blast!

I attended a conference in Jacksonville, FL with friends from Fort Bragg! The conference was for all the southeast military Nav ministries, which meant I got to see SO many friends from over the years!

I got to ride down with several women from the chapel Bible study, which was awesome. I loved getting to know them better and making memories together!

We arrived at our hotel Friday evening, which was a ritzy Hyatt hotel right along the river!

This photo isn’t mine (thanks Rebekah!), but this was the view out of our hotel room! Cool, right?

On Saturday, several of those of us in attendance were serendipitously sporting Rio swag!

We sent photos back to my Rio peeps to let them know that they were loved!

My absolute favorite part of the whole weekend was how many friends I got to reconnect with and make over the weekend! Honestly, it’s what most of this post will consist of. Take it or leave it, I guess.

Aileen was one of the first friends I spotted and scheduled out time to chat with!

I’ve known her since 2017, when I did a travel contract in Massachusetts! It’s always so sweet to touch base with her and hear how life is going for her!

Another sweet friend I got to connect with was Sarah. I met her in 2019, when she and her husband, John, spoke at one of our rallies in Rio!

I always enjoy my time with her and look forward to every time we cross paths.

She never fails to impart a nugget or two of wisdom, share some insight for me to chew on, and to make me extra loved.

Caylie is a newer friend, but man, do I love every moment I get with her! We met in April when she and I stayed with the Allen’s for a weekend conference in Fort Bragg!

Her tenderness towards everyone she meets and love for the Lord is so special. To know her is a gift and to reconnect with her again was especially so.

I loved that I not only got to see familiar faces this weekend, but also meet new ones! I ask my friends, “Who should I get time with?” And they never fail to point me in the right direction of some really great peeps.

One of which was Rachel! Our mutual friend, Wally, connected us and I’m glad he did!

While I have benefited immensely from befriending married women and learning from their lives, there is something especially sweet about the friendships I have with fellow single women above 25. These friends spur me on in a special way; Rachel was no exception.

Jessica was a delight to get to know one-on-one too! I first met her in July when she and her family came to the rally we hosted at Fort Bragg on the 4th! They came to dinner at the Allen’s the evening before and I immediately took to the whole bunch!

So, I hopped on the opportunity to attend a workshop her husband was leading, made a point to sit down with her, and chat with her kiddos. An awesome lady with an awesome family!

Another “recommended” friend was Button!

What a cool lady! She was someone where, even though we had an hour to chat, it didn’t feel like we had enough time (and I’m not sure any amount of time would have been enough!); she’s been so many places and has been a part of so many neat things! I can’t wait until our paths cross again!

And this isn’t even everyone I got to hug on or sit down with to catch up! Isn’t that wild?!

The Lord has put me in the path of some amazing people from coast to coast (quite literally). I relish these opportunities to say hello and hear from those whom God has used in my life, in big and small ways.

The conference was great! I have several pages of notes and some applications from what I heard, but at the end of the day, it was the people who made it.