Women of Faith Details

This will be my final Women of Faith post for this year's conference. I thought I might just mention a couple peripheral things. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the conference. And the Verizon Center in D.C. was a great place for it to be held. Despite the approaching hurricane, we enjoyed walking downtown, eating outside, window shopping, etc. We had a very nice hotel a few short blocks away from the conference. But for those budget-conscious people who, like me, aren't used to city ways, please be aware that there were some unexpected costs.

Our hotel information said "valet parking available," when in fact, there was no parking lot. Valet parking was expected - at $40. So, we decided to park at the Verizon Center and walk back to the hotel. The cost there was $25/day and we weren't allowed to leave the car overnight. We eventually found a 24-hour garage for $20/day. Please don't think I'm complaining. A free ticket is certainly worth some parking expenses. I just want to be thorough in my comments. People who budget carefully to come up with the fee likely failed to budget an extra $50 for parking. Unless, of course, they understand the city better than I do, which is entirely possible!

All in all, I loved the conference. I will definitely go again. And for you ladies out there who enjoy good Biblical, entertaining messages and/or fabulous music, this conference is for you! Hope to see you there.

Luci Swindoll - Women of Faith

When Luci Swindoll spoke, she encouraged us to live the abundant life. To life life to its fullest. To cherish the gift of life. She spoke about gifts and talents, dreams and passions. She told us to quit the wishful thinking, step outside ourselves, and claim it! Where are you putting your time and money? Are you feeding your God-given passions? These are the kinds of questions Luci asked us.

An enjoyable speaker, Luci spoke about our righteousness in Christ and the blessings He gives for our faithfulness. I think she said this was a quote from Herman Hess (forgive me if I'm wrong about that). "Live life. Love it. And God will give you more of it!"

Ken Davis - Women of Faith

Christian Comedian Ken Davis made an appearance at the Verizon Center. He was VERY FUNNY! Absolutely hilarious! He also talked about joy. And laughter. He said things like, "God is the Creator of joy" and "Humor is a gentle way to acknowledge human frailty." He pointed out the the ability to laugh together is good for relationships. We should "allow laughter to be a byproduct of our lives." After all, the joy of the Lord is my strength. 


Ken spoke about the fact that God has armloads of blessings for us, though we are imperfect people. Isn't it great that perfection is not required?! He adores you - right where you are.

Nicole Johnson - Women of Faith

Nicole Johnson provides drama for Women of Faith. She is extremely talented and funny. She also had some wisdom to share with the women who came to the conference. She talked about feeling invisible and unappreciated and how to turn that feeling around because God sees. Her prayer was "Help me be invisible that your love will be more visible. I yield my credit for your glory." Wow! Imagine - there's the theme - imagine what we, as women, would be like if we truly lived like that all the time amidst the daily grind.

Speaking of daily grind, Nicole uses coffee as an analogy (her current book is Fresh-Brewed Life). She talked about being fresh-brewed - not stale, old, or leftover. She talked about connecting with other people. When you are invited for "coffee," it's not about needing a drink, but about spending time together. She pointed out that coffee grounds go through a lot before becoming coffee. She said, "Life's greatest value is often found in its broken pieces."

Nicole spoke about a beautiful stained glass angel ornament made from the glass blown out of the Oklahoma City federal building when it was bombed. Interestingly, my uncle, in a nearby building, was blown out of his chair during that incident in OKC. Anyway, beauty from ashes. That ornament serves as a reminder that God can take pieces of your life and make something beautiful!

Lisa Harper - Women of Faith

I had never heard of Lisa Harper before Women of Faith, but she certainly knows how to engage the audience. Her message, delivered in a humorous way, was about love, gut-level compassion, and how God provides even tiny details to work in and through us. He offers His grace to each of us simply because He loves us. Look for His amazing grace, evidence of His love.

Dependency

With all the computer trouble I've had lately, I have become acutely aware of just how dependent I've become on a computer. Banking, blogging, Facebook, business and personal communication, and of course e-mail. Sometimes when checking my e-mail, I'll say something along the lines of "Let's see if anybody loves me today." I look forward to receiving personal e-mail. Don't you? So, when my 847 emails downloaded onto my new computer, I spent some time looking through them to find the few personal ones. Why? Because I crave connection to others. I want to hear from my friends and family. I want to know what's going on in their lives. And I want to know what they have to say about my life.

Anyway, why is it that I (and presumably some of you, too) will spend so much time seeking that personal message, but spend so little seeking the personal message God has given us? I certainly spend more time on my computer than I carve out for God. It's so amazing what He's done. Let's see if anybody loves me today. Just pick up your Bible - you don't have to weed through 799 business and junk messages to find the gems. Every word is a gem. God has left us a massive number of personal messages, sharing about Himself and showing His interest in us.

At worst, we should be willing to spend time reading God's messages to us. At best, we should crave those messages until we feel incomplete without reading some of them each day. Many feel they "should" but have no motivation to do so. Where do you fall on the spectrum? Are you willing to spend time with God, feeling obligated to spend time with Him, or so desiring to spend time with Him that you protect the time you have set aside to spend with Him. My prayer is that we'd all move along the spectrum toward craving. Let's be dependent on Him. For our salvation, our validation, our worth, our lives. And if that means letting the e-mail go, then let it go.

I'm a Mac (Wo)Man?

So, after three computer crashes (family desktop, hubby's laptop, and my laptop) all in a couple months time, I decided to take the plunge and try a mac. I've long known that it crashes less and contracts fewer viruses than PCs, but I have not been ready to give up the familiar for the "hopefully better." So, I made my first trip to a Mac store. Wow! I had never been to one, and I was amazed. Midday on a weekday afternoon, it was a zoo! I asked the sales person if it was always that busy and he said it was actually a slow day, that you have to swim through the store on the weekends.

Also, technology... perhaps I'm technologically-sheltered? I had no idea about some of that stuff. For example, there was no check-out counter. There was a counter where the check-out would be in a normal store, but it was the tech-table, where repairs & upgrades happen. Then there were display tables throughout the store, in addition to the wall displays. So, we're at one of the display tables looking at computers. When I'm ready to buy, the guy takes his iPod Touch, scans the UPC, inputs my info, swipes my credit card (card reader slot on side of iPod), has me sign the mini-screen with my fingertip, and pushes some print button. Then he reaches under the table and pulls out the receipt. Huh. Very interesting!

Also, they're big on spending plenty of time with you. My sales guy spent over two hours with me, helping me choose a model, showing me how things worked, etc. I could have spent more time.

All in all, it was a very pleasant experience and I'm now the proud owner of a Mac. My impressions? I like it. I like many of the things I can do with it. I am enjoying playing with apps and widgets. I'm still trying to find some of the basic functions within Mac programs. I know I could have purchased Office for Mac, but I decided if I'm going to be a Mac person, I might as well be a Mac person, so I'm trying the Mac equivalent, iWorks. I believe I'm going to really like it once I get it all figured out. I wish I had three days to just sit with the computer and experiment.

So, I could be on my way to becoming a Mac (Wo)man. I want to say Mac Man - not because it rhymes with PacMan, but because it's an alliteration. Mac Woman doesn't carry the same punch, but since I'm a woman, I compromised and put the Wo in parentheses.

I'll keep you posted as I learn how to use this bug-free machine! :)

Natalie Grant - Women of Faith

I apologize for my inconsistencies this week. My computer is on the fritz. Hopefully, I'll be up and running again tomorrow.

I had heard Natalie Grant in concert several years ago and was impressed by her heart and her voice. Listening to her again, I was not disappointed. A powerful and beautiful singer, Natalie was also real, sharing who she is and what she believes. Her amazing performance concluded with an unmatched performance of It Is Well with My Soul. A cappella with a choir of over 7000 women singing behind her, it was a shiver-inducing moment. Awed silence filled the room for one long, drawn-out moment when she finished.

Women of Faith Friends

Being in a massive room with thousands of other Christian women worshiping and praising the Father is an unparalleled experience. The Women of Faith conference was definitely one of those experiences when one can physically feel the presence of God.. Amazing. and in the midst of the crowd, friendships are formed and strengthened. It was exciting for me to have my friend Tammy along. She's a treasure and a joy to hang out with. We have not had a lot of time together lately and it was great to catch up and grow closer. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together.

And while in line for lunch on our first day there, we began visiting with another woman, Rodica. We learned that she came alone to the conference, despite inviting people from her church family to join her. What began as a casual conversation in that line has become a friendship. Because of assigned seating, we were unable to sit together, but the three of us shared some meals together, exchanged contact information, and have been in touch since the conference ended, with plans to hopefully attend the conference together next year. I believe God caused our paths to cross. What a blessing to have Christian fellowship.

Now, I know that friends can be made, friendships renewed, etc. without going to a conference. You certainly don't have to go to Women of Faith to experience God. I just want to encourage you to reach out to those around you with the love of Christ. Be a blessing to others and you will, in turn, be blessed. I count my Women of Faith weekend, Tammy, and Rodica among my countless blessings.

Mary Mary - Women of Faith

In addition to great speakers, Women of Faith conferences also include popular musical guests. Mary Mary was a real treat. Prior to the conference, I had heard the name, but knew nothing about them or their music. Singing contemporary gospel songs like their hit "Shackles (Praise You)," they rocked the house! Full of personality and songs with meaning, these sisters (Erica and Tina, not Mary) were a real pleasure to listen to. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to hear them in concert. Well worth it!

Henry Cloud - Women of Faith

Henry Cloud is an amazing Christian Psychologist. As a counselor, I have been reading his books for years. I never imagined I would be able to hear him in person. He is amazing! I truly enjoyed his sessions, his clear presentation, and his message.

Henry Cloud has been researching happiness and what he has found is that only 10% of happiness comes from our circumstances. The rest comes from our life practices, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Laced with humor, Henry pointed out some of the commonalities of happy people. He specifically talked about the fact that happy people are givers and that they are connected. Among other things, I came away with "Be my monkey," but if you want to get the story behind that, you'll have to read his book The Law of Happiness or ask me.

And he said, "to get the life you imagine, it requires taking a step you don't think you can make." My thoughts on that are that we only did those things we knew we could do, how would we ever experience the power of God working through us?

Henry also talked about necessary endings (the topic of another of his books), whether they be people or attitudes or things, etc. We need to prune our lives, leaving only the best and most fruitful parts.

While it is hard to choose, because the entire conference was amazing, Henry Cloud may have been the highlight of my Women of Faith weekend. Fabulous!

Sheila Walsh - Women of Faith

Prior to Women of Faith, I was familiar with Sheila Walsh as a 700 Club host and as a singer. But she is so much more. Not only does she sing like an angel - a fact which she demonstrated at the end of each of her sessions, but she is also an amazing speaker! Heartfelt, funny, and real is the way she came across to me. She had the ability to make me laugh and cry practically in the same breath. I enjoyed her a great deal.

Sheila talked about having an "attitude of the heart and a determination of the will to stay at the feet of Jesus." She encouraged us to be completely open with our God who already knows everything, so we can go in peace because "peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ." And she cautioned us to not fall for the lies of the world, for "beauty comes from the Word of God."

Sheila talked about the promises of God and how they can minister to each of us. John 16:33 says "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” It's clear that we will face difficulties, but it's also clear that He will win!

While I enjoyed her each time she took the stage, I was truly blessed by the telling of her story. I could not do it justice by sharing it here, but if you ever get a chance to hear it from her, it's well worth listening to. Two primary take-aways...I am "not fixed, but loved." And no matter who you are, where you are, or what you've done, "the Shepherd knows where to find you."

Amazing speaker with a powerful message!

Women of Faith Impressions

I made a great new friend named Rodica at the Women of Faith conference. She wrote a piece on her experience. I thought it was a good overview of the conference, so here it is:

On August 26-27, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Women of Faith conference at the Verizon Center. Since this faith-based women's organization was created in 1996, events across the country have touched the hearts of hundreds of thousands of women of all ages and stages in life, encouraging them to grow in faith and spiritual maturity through a relationship with Jesus Christ and an understanding of God’s love and grace.

This year's theme was "Imagine," grounded in the truth of Ephesians 3:20 (MSG): "God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" Acclaimed speakers and artists such as Sheila Walsh, Luci Swindoll, Lisa Harper, Henry Cloud, Natalie Grant, and Nicole Johnson along with gospel singers Tina and Erica Campbell (Mary Mary) encouraged an audience of over 7,000 at the Verizon Center to take a step of faith towards a tomorrow full of God's promises and a life worth imagining where each of your gifts and talents are producing fruit.

Throughout the two days of worship and discussions, several important points were made. Happiness is driven by our set of life practices, attitudes, and beliefs; circumstance may perhaps cause an occasional hiccup to our happiness but ultimately does not determine it. Two common features can nevertheless be found in happy people: they are givers and they are connected (to other people).

Accordingly, this new tomorrow beyond our imagination starts by making a first step in faith. Sometimes this may mean putting an end to some things or relationships, to leave some things behind or to do something that you thought you could never do. But one should not make the mistake of believing that we won't have trouble in this new life. Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Christ. As such, what counts is that God is with us in our trouble and that He loves us: the Shepherd knows where to find you. The reason why so many of us feel isolated, pressured to perform, or seduced by ephemeral pleasures is our "spiritual sickness", or the failure to understand our powerlessness to become happy and that we don't need to possess or control all as God will provide the "manna" for us. We may also find ourselves crippled by our inability to forgive. Those who don't forgive are those who end up carrying the bag. Thus, forgiveness appears as God's gift to us to live in peace in a world that is not fair.

A consistent message was sent through music, drama, and words of wisdom: God is the author of Joy. He is not oblivious to what happens in our hearts. He intends for us to be happy throughout the different stages of life without requiring us to be perfect. Thus, as women and men of faith, we need to live our lives fully, to seize the opportunities that God puts in front of us, and to live each day as a great adventure to know God better.

In celebration of life and of the people around us, I personally invite you to join me and thousands of other women at next year's Women of Faith event on August 17-18 at the Verizon Center. The theme is “Celebrate!”

Women of Faith Worship

I thought I'd just jot some thoughts about each element of the Women of Faith conference. Each day this week, I'll try to highlight something different. Because it seems logical, today I'm posting about the worship music, as that was the first thing on the schedule. (I'll get to the behind-the-scenes stuff - like parking - later.

Lest there be any doubt, I love to worship through music. I'm on the worship team at my local church and I love "praise" music. The worship team at WOF consisted of four extremely talented women, each with her own style, and each with the radiance of our heavenly King upon her face.

I personally would have enjoyed it more if I'd known more of the songs - because I like to sing along. Having said that, "The Lord inhabits the praises of His people," and He certainly was in the Verizon Center in D.C. this past weekend!

On a practical note, the team did a fantastic job of including all the women, a real feat considering the stage was in the center of the auditorium with no clear "front." They moved around, often having one person facing each way, allowing all parts of the room to feel included.

While I did enjoy the worship time, and I'd rate it highly, the rest of the conference was so good, I'd have to say this was my least favorite part of the weekend. And that says a LOT about the rest of the conference! So, come back tomorrow and I'll tell you more!

WOF - WOW!

Well, folks, I went to Women of Faith over the weekend. (I'm sorry I didn't post earlier - my internet was down.) It was amazing! Having never been to a Women of Faith conference, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was ... wow! I had someone ask me yesterday what I liked best about it. I tried, really hard, to answer, but the truth is that I loved everything about the weekend. I enjoyed every speaker, all the music, the fellowship, the atmosphere, all of it. It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend basking in the presence of God. Look for more posts, as I will try this week to highlight each part of the weekend.

Going to Women of Faith

Well, to those of you who look regularly, occasionally, or stumble upon this blog, I have exciting news! I am going to the Women of Faith conference next month. On August 26-27, I’ll be in Washington D.C. experiencing my first ever WOF conference. I’m very excited to go. Thomas Nelson, for whom I sometimes post book reviews, is sending me. I, in turn, will be posting about my experience. Watch for more posts about this incredible event!

Your body is a temple

So, since I need to care for my temple, I have begun P90X. For those of you who don't know, that stands for Power - 90 days - eXtreme. It's a workout regimen not for the faint of heart. I expect to sweat. I expect to be sore. I expect to be exhausted. I expect to push limits. And I expect to get into great shape. I'll keep you posted!

Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick

Do you long for divine intervention? To move mountains? Or to see God work supernaturally in your life? In Sun Stand Still, Steven Furtick challenges you to “ask God for the impossible.” Using Joshua 10 as an example, Pastor Furtick demonstrates that “if you have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to perform.”

In Joshua 10, Joshua and his troops are in a battle and Joshua prays "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.…The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. (verses 12-13)

Using Biblical references and real-life examples, Pastor Furtick walks you, the reader, through how to pray your own “Sun Stand Still Prayer.” By having audacious faith, praying specifically and according to His will and character, and approaching the throne of grace boldly, you can revolutionize your faith by believing God for the impossible. Then, you will see the mountains move.

Despite initial wariness that it might be a bit too “prosperity theology” for me, I loved this book! It in no way implied that God would give you a million dollars just because you asked. Rather, it talked of seeking God’s will for a vision for your life and then praying for the impossible in accordance with that vision. I found it to be Biblically sound, challenging, and encouraging. Let’s move beyond the ordinary, the easy faith of the American Christian, and dare to live the extraordinary, abundant life that God wants for us.

Great book! I highly recommend it for any believer who wants a transformed prayer life!

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Marinate

Marinate in God's Word until it permeates your entire being. Then you'll have a right perspective regarding your circumstances and your actions and reactions will stem from that place.

Burdens…Share and Bear

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. -- Gal 6:2

We are told to bear one another’s burdens, but how can we do so if the “other” doesn’t share the burden with us?

Recently, I’ve been struggling with something difficult. I didn’t share with others how difficult it has been. It just seemed like my issues were so insignificant next to those who are facing loss of a loved one, cancer, a spouse who left them, etc. So, I just went on suffering alone. And then some loving, caring members of the Body of Christ broke through my defenses and somehow I found myself sharing with them. Suddenly, several people were praying with me and for me. Despite no change in my circumstances, I began to feel better.

The next day, when one of them came up to give me a hug and ask how I was, I braced myself for the onslaught of tears that I was sure was coming. Instead, the verse that says “His mercies are new every morning” came to mind. I was able to smile and thoroughly enjoy my day.

The power of prayer, when two or more are gathered, is nothing short of miraculous. I want to encourage you to share whatever is troubling you. God cares about all the details of your life and your Christian brothers and sisters are ready and willing to share your load.

And on the flip side, when you see someone hurting, a seemingly small gesture – a hug, a smile, a phone call, a card, or a prayer – can be huge. Touch someone’s life for Christ today.