Women of Faith 2003

Katie and I attended the Women of Faith Conference in Memphis last weekend. As expected it was awesome! Not only were the speakers and musicians so great, the fellowship with our sisters in Christ was an added bonus! A good number of women from our church attended and it was so fun to worship with all of them and to just hang out together! I can't wait until the next conference in August 2003 when the Women of Faith will come to Nashville! Woohooo!

This year we attended the "Hope for a Woman's Heart" pre-conference and it was presented by Patsy Clairmont and Kathy Troccoli. It was so wonderful to hear Kathy Troccoli share more of her testimony (I've heard Troccoli 4 times in the past year!) with everyone and it was so encouraging. Patsy was challenging us to think of others more than ourselves and the one main point that stuck out to me was that maybe that "difficult person" in your life is there for God to use as you grow in Him. Patsy reminded us to be sure to tell those we love how important they are to us. Sometimes we assume that our loved ones "just know" we love them, but it is of utmost important that we tell them. We sang together, laughed together and worshipped together. It was a very enjoyable day and I am thankful to Mississippi Blvd. Christian Church for providing their space to us for that day!

The Conference itself began Friday night and we heard from Shiela Walsh and Babby Mason provided some music for us. As usual the Women of Faith Integrity Singers were great and I really enjoyed their music. Nicole Johnson...WOW THAT WOMAN IS GIFTED...always gives us things to ponder about God's grace in her creative presentations.

Then came Saturday. The first speaker we heard from was Patsy Clairmont. She is only 5 feet tall, very petite, but VERY SPUNKY, PLAYFUL AND FUNNY! That woman had me roaring with her story about her friend having a gift of hospitality and sacrificing her own comfort for a relative that brought along their pet chicken. Yes, I said pet...chicken. Chicken...as in beak and feathers, as a pet. You had to be there...IT WAS HILARIOUS! LOLOLOLOL If you get the chance, GO! If only to see Patsy Clairmont!

We heard about God's faithfulness from Thelma Wells who had the 98% caucasion audience singing "Great is Thy Faithfullness" "black". Really! She said "sing it black!" We tried, but it just doesn't come out black! LOL Thelma shared that even when we doubt and aren't full of faith, that God is forever faithful to us.

We were treated to a guest speaker in Jennifer O'Neill, actress, I understand who is best known for her role in "The Summer of '42". I didn't know of her, but she has an AWESOME testimony about God's faithfullness in her life. She had so much to share and as I had heard at the pre-conference, confirmed that God will take you right where you are. One woman on Friday shared "God will take you right where you are, and I was stoned!" That cracked me up and stuck with me, but it just shows how faithful He really is!

Marilyn Meberg shared a story about mint tea and making the best of any bad situation. Her first opportunity she had to be a hostess in the house she and her husband bought years and years ago she decided to use the mint that was laced throughout the garden in her backyard. She made mint tea. Ignoring the directions she proceeded to add 22 leaves to the tea, when she should have added only 2. She was going for the pretty green color it was making in the tea. Never having tasted it, when the first "victim" did, he spewed it out of his mouth immediately. At first she was quite offended...I mean "how rude!", but then was able to laugh about it and as each new guest came to the party, they would see people standing around with glasses of mint tea as part of the "joke". Each and everyone who tried it spewed forth! LOL It was kind of an "initiation" thing after that I guess. Anyway, Marilyn shared about the heartaches in life and how we can grow through those messes in life. We can see humor and find healing.

Luci Swindoll told of her adventures. She likes to travel and has set foot on each continent. She also likes to take a lot of pictures, some of which she shared with us from her trip to Antartica. She was on board ship hoping to see a whale, in fact she said she prayed to God to send her a whale so she could get a good picture. As they came near to an iceberg, she saw a penguin. Feeling disappointed that she wasn't getting a whale, she thought to reach for her camera and as a consolation get a picture of the penguin who was standing there looking at her with this "hey! what's wrong with taking a picture of me?! Here I am!" and when she looked up there was a whole family of penguins to behold! Luci told us not to "miss the penguins looking for the whale", to enjoy the simple things that come our way and not miss them because we are waiting for something bigger and better. Luci had some great words of wisdom to share with us and I took it all to heart.

The highlight of the conference for me was Cece Winans. I am not too familiar with her music. I do own 3 CDs from her and I love that song "Alabaster Box". That song when I first heard it brought tears to my eyes and I rushed home to share it with Katie a few years ago. I haven't listened to it in a long time so I was anticipating her performing it live. I was speechless.

That woman brought that arena to a place of worship like none I have experienced. It was like she herself went to the throne of God and brought us in with her. She glorified God that day with song. God blessed me big through her voice and her song too! She, oh, I still have no words. It was an experience I can not describe.

Artist: CeCe Winans
Album: Alabaster Box
Title: Alabaster Box listen
Lyrics:

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbled through the tears
That make her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the master
From her box of Alabaster

CHORUS:
And I've come to pour
My praise on Him like oil
From Mary's Alabaster Box
Don't be angry if I wash His feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped His loving arms around me
And you don't know the cost
Of the oil in my Alabaster box

I can't forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I thought I found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul with the wonder of His touch
So now I'm giving back to Him
All the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven and that's why
I love Him so much

CHORUS