Women of Faith Conference 2011

What a great weekend I had!  Thanks to the Book Sneeze program (tickets!) and my father (childcare!), I spent two wonderful days at the Time Warner Arena in Charlotte, NC with my mother for the Women of Faith conference.  There we had a great time in worship with some fabulous music, teaching and entertainment.  Here are some reflections on the events and experience of the conference.

Music:  Women of Faith brought in some great talent for the event. Their 4-member worship team did a fabulous job, and we also had music from the Grammy award-winning group Mary Mary, as well as from speaker Sheila Walsh.  My favorite artist was Natalie Grant, however.  While I don't own any of her albums, I know her a bit from the radio.  I loved her amazing, powerful voice and the lyrics within her songs.  Not long after returning home I downloaded her tracks "Your Great Name" and "Love Revolution".


Speakers:  The lineup this weekend included both men and women, with serious as well as humorous messages for us.  Clinical psychologist Henry Cloud was thought provoking and fun.  Sheila Walsh was passionate, vulnerable and goofy in her own Scottish way.  Lisa Harper and Nicole Johnson ministered to us through their own painful experiences.  And comedian Ken Davis had me and my mother laughing until our sides hurt.

Accommodations:  The Time Warner Arena served us very well.  We had plenty of room, and they even made ALL of the bathrooms for ladies, to cut down on the long lines.  My mother and I took the local commuter train in each day, and it dropped us off right at the arena.  We had boxed lunches as well, and the staffers distributed them out to us in a timely fashion.  I liked their food choices also.  I think my sole complaint in this area would have to be the air conditioning.  Despite dressing for the cold, I was freezing on both days.  And as I looked around the arena, I wasn't alone in that regard.  So if you're going to attend in the future, wear "Long Johns" and bring a fleece blanket!

All in all I had such a great weekend.  I loved getting away with my mom for a time of refreshment and growth.  Women of Faith is a wonderful ministry, and I hope I have the opportunity to attend in future years.  I'd especially love to participate with a group of girlfriends.  That would be extra fun for sure.

Check out the Women of Faith website.  See if there's a tour location near you and give it a shot-- you'll be blessed and refreshed, just as my mother and I were.

I'll close out this post with a video from Nicole Johnson.  I loved her dramatic monologue "Invisible Woman".  So many times as wives and mothers, we feel that our work goes unseen or is inconsequential.  Nicole affirms her audience, reminding us of Who sees us: