GCN Conference Day 1

I simply literally could not and did not sleep a wink last night! 5am came around and I just had to get up and deal with getting out of the house, onto a plane and to the hotel, without having slept!

I got myself to the airport, obsessing the whole way there that I'd left my stove on. I texted Shamus every stop along the way! Finally I arrived and after waiting forever for my luggage, headed out to where Scot from Delaware picked me up, along with Nehemie, and we went to Wendy's and then to the hotel!!!

Walking in, with everyone in the lobby, was quite overwhelming, scary and wonderful. After checking in I went up and ate, finally coming down a little bit into the first session and regretting that I'd missed the opening. I didn't know "where to put myself", in the seating. But as soon as I figured out where to sit, I looked behind me and saw "faces of avatars"! There was Sandushinka, Lia and JudB, and others I knew from the boards, and wow! It was amazing to see these people in person.

Justin's keynote was awesome. He spoke about true forgiveness, and brought up the Lord's prayer "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" , i.e., what we are really saying is "and if I have forgiven grudgingly, then God, grudgingly forgive me" or "If I have only partly forgiven my brother, then God, partly forgive me", because what Jesus is teaching here is that we are forgiven in the same measure with which we are forgiving. Justin also brought up the parable of the unforgiving servant whose own debt was forgiven, and some other things. One big point that he made also, was not to use grace as a license to sin, that although God forgives us and Christ's blood covers all our sin, our sin will still have consequences.

It was really amazing and overwhelming. Meeting all these people I know from a website is just really something. I am so tired and its time for sleep.