“You never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind.”
– Author Unknown
This quote can sum up the D6 family conference perfectly. The D6 Conference is a place I have grown to love in just two short years. Even though I was present at the D6 Conference in April of 2021 and April of 2022, I take the connections, wisdom, laughs, tears, worship, and knowledge with me every day. When I sit at home, when I lie down, when I get home, and when I travel each day, I remember something from the D6 Conference whether a hallway conversation, group text, breakout session, worship moment, or mainstage presentation.
Connections
The connections made at the D6 Conference are lasting and meaningful connections that cannot be acquired elsewhere. Every single person I encountered at the D6 Conference seemed to believe in loving others with the love of Christ. As we all try to reset our lives during this time, positive connections are crucial. If you’re looking to connect with true Christ-followers, the D6 Conference is a great place to be.
Wisdom
The amount of life and ministry experience present at D6 is unparalleled. Ministry leaders from all over allowed God to use them to impart godly wisdom to so many parents, volunteers, students, and church leaders. The amount of wisdom gained from being in the audience at the D6 Conference is priceless.
Laughs
Proverbs 17 reminds us of the benefit of cheerfulness/joy/laughter and the detriment of a broken spirit. The D6 Conference was a great way for me to experience more cheerfulness and joy and laughter. So many of us were broken and tired before arriving but joy was felt during the days of the conference. Hacky sacks, flying frisbees, and hidden ducks are sure to bring joy to anyone!
Tears
When someone sheds tears it may be tears of joy or tears of grief and both were released at D62022. The world was collectively grieving so much turmoil and the tears released were healing. Whether we were laughing so hard we cried or soaking in the lessons from the stage, tears were inevitable but needed and refreshing.
Worship
Not many conferences have a time set aside for worship that is so intentional and impactful. The worship experience at D6 gives attendees a small glimpse of our future in Heaven. Each worship song and act brought me closer to Christ and those around me. If you plan to go to Heaven this is a good place to see what part of Heaven will be like.
Knowledge
You don’t know what you don’t know. I have found this to be true from my experience at the D6 Conference the past two years. I thought I knew a lot of strategies and was aware of most resources available for ministry, but I realized there is so much more offered that can help me as a mom, wife, and ministry leader. At D6 you become aware of a plethora of resources from the best of the best leaders in ministry.
I took away so much from the D6 Conference that I will carry with me for months and years to come. What did I leave? My goal was to leave families, particularly parents, with a reminder of how short the time is with our children. But also to leave them with hope and practical strategies to “redeem the time” and make the most of the moments we have with the children God has blessed us with, even the teenagers we have been gifted by God.
For most of us, it seems like our children grew up overnight and we often wonder “where did the time go” or how did they grow up so fast. As parents, we feel like time is going quickly because it is! Here are a few takeaways from what I left with the audience as I shared about “Time in a Bottle” and the “260 Movement.”
- Our children need us and they need time with us.
- We can’t slow down time.
- We must be intentional about how we are spending our time.
- How we choose to spend our Saturday’s counts!
- It’s not just quantity, it’s also quality that matters.
Most American children leave home for school every weekday and spend an average of six hours a day at school, four to five days a week as well as engage in extracurricular activities. On Sundays, families are attending a service at a local church body or preparing for the upcoming week so that leaves Saturday as the ONE day to possibly spend time with the children. That’s not a lot of time!
Specifically, from the time a child is 13 until they are 18 we have approximately 260 Saturdays to impact their lives. Do you need to Redefine what you do with your Saturdays? The brevity of time is not new to us. We just have to think of the reality of time when it comes to parenting. We understand time when we watch a sporting event.
The shot clock in the NBA is 24 seconds long. In tennis, the players have 25 seconds to serve. The NFL play clock is 40 seconds. As that time dwindles down, the sense of urgency goes up, and the intensity changes within the game as the game clock expires. The objective must be met within the allotted time. If an athlete sees time is dwindling, they may change strategy in the game.
As parents, we must evaluate where we are, and know the time we have with our children is getting lower and lower and lower; We may have to change our strategy as time begins to expire.
As those Saturdays are coming and going, every single one matters. If the children in your life are not yet teenagers you have more opportunities. If your child is 13 you have 260 Saturdays with them. If they are older than 13, you have less than that. If your child is approaching 16 your time is cut in half.
I want to be able to look back over my own life as a parent and know I made my Saturdays count, and I want the same for you. It’s time to RESET. Start now with a plan to Intentionally spend quality time with the children in your life.
In my book Parenting Redefined I give strategies on how to use our time wisely as parents.
- Step 1 is Gain Clarity
- Step 2 is Be Proactive
- Step 3 is Create Positivity
- Step 4 is Develop a Plan
Grab a copy of the book to get practical steps for each of these strategies.
Heaven or Hell is at the end of our lives and our goal should be to raise disciples that enter Heaven and take others with them. The D6 Conference will give you some of the best resources, speakers, worship, and connections that will help you as you raise disciples or minister to families. I never really left the D6 Conference though it’s been a few months since I was in Orlando, Florida. I took part of D6 with me and I left a little behind too.
- My D6 Conference Experience - October 26, 2022
