Monday, February 4, 2013

(Almost) Live From The Cove


Whew! What a weekend. For those who aren’t regular followers, I attended “Writers Advance! Bootcamp” at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, NC. As promised, I took many photos, though my jammed-packed schedule didn’t allow for blog postings. 

Guard house at entrance
Shepherd's Inn



I arrived at The Cove around 3:00 p.m. on Friday, an hour later than I’d planned.




After check-in, I rushed off to the first early bird class at 3:30, “Writing Big in a Little Space,” taught by the brilliantly gifted writer, editor, and social media guru Edie Melson.

Dinner, the opening session, and the keynote address followed, “Your Writing Career and its Longevity,” by the acclaimed Christian fiction author Yvonne Lehman. Yvonne published her 50th book, Hearts That Survive: A Novel of the Titanic last spring. It's always a pleasure to hear her speak.

Evening networking began at 9:30, followed by Christian Devotions staff meeting, after which I fell into bed around 11:20 p.m.

At 6:20 a.m. I was ready for day two. Or maybe not. You be the judge of how tired I already looked at breakfast on Saturday morning. LOL.


I attended another wonderful day of classes, ate incredible meals, and enjoyed a brilliant keynote address given by Vonda Skelton, followed by fireside chats with fellow authors during snack time at 9:00 p.m. Exhaustion had definitely set in, but the Holy Spirit had given me much to think about when I went to bed around 11:00 p.m.




Sunday morning we awoke to a beautiful snowfall...




...and a time of worship and receiving our bootcamp marching orders, which were based on Isaiah 6:8:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Despite the condition of the world around us or, more importantly, because of society’s spiritual state, Christian writers don’t retreat—we advance with God’s power supporting us.

I’m eager to see where the Lord continues to lead me on this writing journey He gifted me with. I’m happy to be sharing my journey with you.

needlepoint gift portrait
Below are more Cove photos, if you’d like to look at them.
prayer room in the training center











writers (and friends) from Anderson, SC
Samaritan's Purse missions
Medical missions









One of many memorabilia displays
Ruth Graham's funeral
"End of construction. Thank
you for your patience."













At the chapel
If you enjoy my blog and receive it through e-mail subscription, would you consider forwarding to a friend you think might also enjoy it? If you’re reading the blog itself, would you take a moment to tweet or facebook to your followers and friends? The icons are below. Thanks so much!

Laura






©Laura Hodges Poole

14 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing! Looks like you had a wonderful time. God bless your journey and talents!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for your encouragement!

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  2. Nice post Laura! Sorry I couldn't join you all this year...perhaps next year...

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    1. Thanks, Cyn. Next year will be here before we know it!

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  3. Great post. Looks like you got both a spiritual boost and a leap of faith for your writing. Wish you the best.

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    1. Thanks, Dera. I'm so glad you stopped by. God bless you.

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  4. Looks amazing! I'll have to get more information about future retreats.

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    1. It was! I'm sure you'd enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by. God bless.

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  5. great post laura. i shared it on fb and tweeted about it. keep up the good work.

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    1. Thanks for your support and encouragement, Betty. God bless you.

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  6. I had so much fun and was glad to be able to chat with you this year.

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    1. It was so good to see you again, Scott. I wish we had one more day just to visit with everyone. I'm glad you made it home safely. God bless your ministry.

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  7. Very nice post, Laura. I always want to visit the Cove. I am glad that you had a wonderful time.

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  8. Thank you for sharing this. Maybe we'll get to meet in person at a conference in the future. I so enjoy your stories!!!

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