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.