The Generational Mother conference

Last week-end Julie and I had the privilege of speaking at a conference about The Generational Mother at St. John Lutheran Church in Burlington, Illinois.
Our friend Cheryl Pacilio was the morning's keynote speaker. She talked about the Proverbs 31 woman. Her presentation has changed the way I think about the Proverbs 31 woman – is this passage a description of a paragon or a mom's wish list? Cheryl convinced me that the Proverbs 31 woman is the woman every mother wants her son to marry, not necessarily a woman to be intimidated by.
Then Julie did a workshop for moms while I did one for grandmas. Julie talked about why generational connections are so important to us and to our children. She talked about some of the things that keep us from connecting well with one another, brainstormed with the moms about ways to improve those connections, and discussed how we might react when those connections prove challenging.
In the workshop for grandmas, I talked about six keys to a good relationship between us and our now-adult children: self awareness, showing interest in our children and in our grandchildren, kindness, offering constructive help, forgiveness, and prayer.
After a break for a delicious lunch we gathered for one last workshop. Julie and I spoke together, going over ways moms and grandmas can forge a good relationship. The hour flew by!
We so enjoyed meeting the women who were there, and thought the event organizer, Beth Knief, did a great job organizing the conference. We were especially impressed with the banner her mother-in-law Marita Knief created for the event, using the theme verse “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” -- Proverbs 31:26
Conferences for women are a great opportunity to take time away to reflect, be restored, and to renew your commitment to your faith and family – if you get a chance to go, go and be blessed!