Missions Extravaganza - "The Story Lives On"

"We are a part of a seamless history in which we connect the stories of the past to write our own chapters in preparation for those who come after us."   - Dellanna O'Brien

This weekend I went to Ridgcrest for Missions Extravaganza -- a state wide WMU conference. This is the third year I have gone and the theme for the weekend was "The Story Lives On" with a scripture focus on Acts 4:20. It was all about your story; who has been an important part of your story, who needs to hear your story, and that we are all connected to the bigger story -- to God's story!

When I set down to write this blog, I realized it was going to be really long, because there is so much I want to say. So I decided to try writing this in a little mini series. This in the intro and (hopefully) there will be 4 parts following this blog. I'm going to focus on different parts of "The Story" and things I learn/realized this weekend. But before I really get in to the details and different parts of "The Story", I should probably talk about what makes a good story in the first place.

Good stories need a main character that you care about, want to invest in, and follow till the end. They need a plot twist, struggles, or a crossroad. Stories need excitement, danger, and the possibility to lose it all. But most of all, good stories need a purpose. Stories need a reason to be told -- maybe to pass on a life lesson, to teach, to entertain, to pull at your heart -- whatever it is, all good stories need a purpose.  The same is true for our story with God. Someone this weekend said "Because of Jesus, the life of the ordinary becomes extraordinary." What a powerful statement. Our life, our story is extraordinary simply because Jesus is the center of it. The Jesus element makes our story exciting, risky, and gives it a purpose!

I love to hear people's story. There is really nothing better than sitting with someone and learning their story. My favorite blogger is Jamie - "the very worst missionary." I love the way she tells stories. The other day she posted this beautiful video of someone's story. It is worth watching!