Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Conferencing high in the Rockies - by Terry Burns


I just returned from a week up in Estes Park at the Colorado Christian Writers conference and it was nothing short of awesome. Hope Flinchbaugh’s opening session Wednesday night and her “Focus on the Cross” was tremendous, and on Thursday morning Bill Myers gave the most memorable and thought-provoking keynote ever. Liz Babbs, Rusty Wright, Bob Hostetler, and William Agius all touched our hearts deeply with their message. And Friday evening’s “Write his Answer to the Issues that Concern Us” kept up the same degree of faith and involvement.


 
Marlene Bagnull and her dedicated staff of volunteers did a tremendous job although she reported that this year the enemy put her under attack more than any other year she could remember. There is such a level of commitment at this conference, and it is more than a writing conference but attending is guaranteed to provide a spiritual life as well. Meyer’s comments in particular were exactly what I needed to hear at this point in time.


Marlene Bagnull


Tim Shoemaker provided one of his fascinating devotionals that everyone looks forward to every year to see what sort of visuals he is going to use to make his point, but I have asked him to write a brief blog on that so I will wait to let him address it.

I taught a couple of sessions and moderated the agent’s panel and I found the level of involvement excellent and the questions that were asked in each on point and insightful. My appointments were filled the entire conference and I met with a number of people on the side who were not able to get a meeting with me. The caliber of the pitches that I heard were excellent and I have a large number of proposals headed my way.
 

My wife Saundra, Bonnie Calhoun
Suzanne Brooks Kuhn and Leah C. Morgan



It snowed on us right at the beginning and there was a sharp North wind, but it only made the surrounding countryside more beautiful. My wife is studying photography so we took two days making the 8 hour drive up there and at Estes Park and on the trip I think she filled up two or three camera memory cards. The pictures on this blog are hers.

This conference is one Saundra and I go to each year and I recommend it highly when you are filling out your conference schedule for next year.

6 comments:

Lynda Lee Schab said...

Gorgeous photos. Saundra is a talented lady! Glad the conference was so productive for you! Thanks for sharing. :-)

max said...

About a hundred years ago, I worked on a video project in Estes Park. It included a music seminar by day with a concert every night. What a beautiful place. That was also the year when it rained so hard, there was a flood, and several campers were swept away. We had left the area only hours before, but the place where we had stayed was right on the river and directly in the path of the flood.

Davalynn Spencer said...

Great job on the photos, Saundra. And I couldn't agree with you more, Terry: the conference was stellar. Many thanks to those who organized, spoke, encouraged, and sat long hours in auditorium seats allowing us to pitch our projects. Blessings on you all.

Linda Glaz said...

What a setting for a conference!

Unknown said...

Terry forgot to mention that his wife, Saundra, gave the most INCREDIBLE massages. I signed up and felt like a new person. Thanks Saundra!

Hope

Bonnie S. Calhoun said...

I'm with Hope on the massages. It was a fabulous time on the mountain.