Showered with Grace

AMAZING, INSPIRATIONAL, UPLIFTING, TEARFUL, JOYFUL, INSIGHTFUL, AND WONDERFUL… are just a few words that can be used to describe the Women of Faith conference that I attended this weekend. The women there were full of texture, layers, honesty, purity, and the list goes on.

Their stories were often my own stories. Their struggles, their hardships, and their pain, reflected mine. I could relate to these women. And the good news is…well, it’s God’s good news…that none of these experiences are important anymore. He has showered us with his divine GRACE…his infinite GRACE. We have been cleansed by his grace. Whatever we have done, whatever has happened to us, it’s all been erased in God’s eyes. He sees us only as the beautiful, yes, I said beautiful, and flawless women He CREATED us to be.

Our own history, and the pressures we allow to be put on us by society, have tainted the vision we have of ourselves. If there was one thing I took from this experience it is that the ONLY thing that matters is what God sees in me. Yes, I have to live among many in this lifetime, and I will tend to care what they think and say, because I am human…but at the end of the day, when I am home, and in my quiet place with God, I will ask him to wash away those negative thoughts and restore in me the only thoughts that matter….HIS!

The woman that touched me most was Sandi Patti. She has a story to tell and she tells it well. She is probably the one I related to the most. She has a book called, LAYERS. As she spoke about some of the things she tells more deeply about in her book, I was struck between the eyes. I know about layers…I got a lot of them. We all have layers I think. Not to get too into it, you would need to read her book, as I have in 24 hours, but I realized that I have layers upon layers of shame, guilt, regret, abandonment, pain, and this list too goes on and on.

What Patti shared was how she peeled back those layers, a very painful process, and then allowed herself to be cleansed and renewed in God’s GRACE. What a beautiful image! So because of this weekend, I am now working on peeling back my own layers and replacing those feelings of shame, guilt, etc., with God’s infinite Grace. I’m replacing the negative views of others, and myself, that have been layered on me, with God’s perfect view of me.

In closing, I’ll just mention the amazing and beautiful Nicole C. Mullen. Look her up when you can. Her voice is so angelic and her music powerful and moving. Her music is for God, that we just get to enjoy. You must listen to “When I Call on Jesus”. This song will move through you. Enjoy! There will be a new Women of Faith next year, in Sacramento. You may want to consider heading up there for it. You won’t regret it. And the time away, focused on God will be worth the time and money! Blessings

Carianne

It Was Awesome!

It was my first time to attend and I was in awe.  It was so inspiritaional and up-lifting.  It was a great time for me.  I came home and have already talked to about 15 friends that I want to go with me the next one.  I couldn’t have picked anyone as my favorite because they all related to me.  Keep up the good work and God bless you all and in your work. 

Thank you so much.

Martha

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Right Where I Needed to be!

I live in Maryland, my family lives in NC. I have 5 sisters; all 6 of us were planning to get together for WOF. One could not make it, so there were the 5 of us.  Before we got to the hotel, my son Jim called to tell me my precious daughter-in-law, Becky was on her way to Baltimore for a heart catheterization. After hanging up the phone, we began praying for Becky.

[Later] I returned to our room and heard a beep. I had left my phone to recharge the battery. I picked up my phone to see I had missed a message. It was from Jim. I read it and almost fell in the floor; my legs went limp. My sister asked what was wrong. I just handed her the phone and fell on the bed; I was a total wreck. The message said, “Surgery Monday…four way bypass…will call later.”

I did NOT want to go to the conference. I wanted to get back to Baltimore as fast as I could go to be with my son, daughter-in-law and 13-year-old granddaughter. My sisters and I had prayer for my family. I decided surgery was not until Monday, there was NOTHING I could do. So I would stay. But I needed to talk to my son.

Jim is also a Baptist Minister. So needless to say, his faith in Christ is very strong. He told me they had done a catheterization on Becky and she had an 80% and a 90% blockage. (I had a heart attack in October 2002, so I knew how scared Becky must have been.) My precious, sweet Christian granddaughter said, “Mommom, You are where you NEED to be. We will be OK.” My “mother’s heart” wanted to be with my babies and hold them. However, I knew she was right.

We had prayer again and then we left for the conference. Let me tell you, girl…..when you walk into the arena, YOU FEEL GOD!!!! WOW, Thank You, Jesus!!! I felt HIS presence. I raised my hands with tears streaming down my face and prayed my heart out. At the end, I said, “God, please don’t take Becky, take me instead.” 

All of a sudden, my sister Becky slapped me on the arm and said, “No God, Don’t listen to her!” Then she said “You get out of God’s way and let him work a miracle!” With that, we laughed, hugged each other and cried some more.

I asked everybody to pray for my daughter in law – the people I bought shirts from, the people that served food, women that were there for the conference. Hey, what better place to ask for prayer then a Christian Conference…right?  I totally enjoyed being at WOF in October….and YES, Amanda was right, it was where “I needed to be” Praise God!

Becky had surgery. The last thing she told my son before they took her in to the OR, “I will see you when this is over. If not here on earth, I will be waiting for you in Heaven.” To me, that was a true testimony, one that means a lot to me. Being a mother, there is no greater gift then KNOWING your children and grandchildren are born again and they will be with you in Heaven.

Becky is doing good. Her surgery went well, her healing time was shocking….she was out of the hospital in 3 days! God is working in Becky’s life. He is not done with her yet. I praise Him for letting her stay with us a while longer.

Thank you my WOF Sisters for having a conference for others to share their faith, song and thought in Jesus and get a little drink from Heaven.

In His Love,

Judy T.

A Wonderful Experience

The 2006 Contagious Joy conference was my first one. I had such a wonderful experience that I decided to volunteer for the 2007 Amazing Freedom conference.

Between the time I volunteered and the conference, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy in September which went very well (no lymph nodes involved). Praise God. I thought I was done. Then, I was told that I would need adjuvent chemotherapy due to the type of cancer (triple negative). I had my first round of chemo on Nov.13. It went very well. No nausea or anything. I went ahead and worked at the conference in product sales and I believe it was the best therapy I could have had.

I was placed in one of the children’s book sales tables and the experience was awesome. One thing that touched my heart was a woman who purchased a Revolve Bible for her granddaughter. Within minutes she came back up to me and bought another one. She had given the other one to a complete stranger, a young lady who was looking through one of them but couldn’t afford to buy it. Not only has God been merciful to me but He has revealed so much of Himself to me through this journey. Jesus truly does live in us and when we open our eyes and our hearts, He is visible.

On another note, the porch pals were amazing. It was so much fun to experience the final stop of the tour. As my Mom would say, they were somewhat “giddy” which I found delightful. There is so much more I could say, but this is getting lengthy so I’ll leave it as is. There is no doubt in my mind that, Lord willing, I will be at the next one.

Nancy B.