This past weekend (well, really it was Thursday evening and Friday) I was able to attend the Chosen Women's conference, which is through my church (Seacoast). I went with a fellow teacher/Seacoaster and we drove together to Charleston after school on Thursday. The conference was packed with amazing Christian women speaking about various topics, all on the main theme "For Such a Time as This".
Generally, I try to stay away from a detailed dissection of things I do, because it's generally not interesting to read (or write, for that matter); however, there was SO much good stuff packed into this 24-hour conference that I can't help myself. It's a good way for me to debrief, and a good way to fill you in on what went down (and maybe secondhand-inspire!).
So, here's the play-by-play and breakdown of what I took away from it all:
Thursday evening started with an amazing intro of music and a message to get us excited (see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8cjdgzbBRc). Seriously, just watching it again on YouTube gives me chills and makes me want to go back.
Pastor Greg, the senior and founding pastor of Seacoast, delivered an inspiring message about Esther (specifically Esther 4:12-14), since the theme was "For Such a Time as This." He reminded us that God has a time for each of us, for whatever it is we were made for, and that even if we don't feel strong in His plan, He'll step in with His strength at just the right time. It was definitely something I needed to hear, and reminded me of the Jahreslosung (Bible Verse of the year) for 2012, which was "Mein Kraft ist in den Schwachen mächtig" (My power is made perfect in weakness). God uses us for things we don't feel capable of, because without Him we would be incapable. But everything is possible with Him.
Then came Mercy Lokulutu, a woman originally from Nigeria, who can be described in two words: passionate and strong. She was incredibly passionate, which was infectious! Her message furthered the idea of being here for a reason and at this time for a reason. She encouraged us to be tenacious in living the Word of God.
After that, we went to our hotel room to check in and then my friend showed me around Charleston, since she used to live there. She showed me the downtown area and some landmarks, and told me some stories about different places and the history behind others. Afterwards we got some yummy ice cream before heading back and calling it a night.
The next morning, the conference started again at about 9am. Jen Hatmaker, a woman who started a church in Austin, TX with her husband, delivered a funny and motivating message. She talked about how we should "desire to desire" to feel broken and hurt for those we're "desiring to desire" to help. There are so many broken things in the world, but they won't get fixed by us sitting around. We shouldn't feel ashamed or proud of the things we are blessed to have, but instead use them to help others. Just as Jesus "desired to desire" to die for us in order to save us, so should we "desire to desire" to help those around us.
After that, we had lunch and two breakout sessions. There were several to choose from, and I was lucky enough to go to Jen Hatmaker's and Mercy Lokulutu's sessions. Jen's was a heartbreakingly honest and raw session about "Embracing Honesty and Transparency." In order to walk in the light with the Lord, we need to be honest about our sins and whatever we feel shame/guilt/regret for. And "walking in the light" doesn't mean we are then always good and never doing anything wrong, but rather that we are always honest about the things we have done. She opened up the floor for us to share anything we felt we needed to be honest about, and some incredibly brave and inspiring women were audacious enough to share some really really deep and personal things. I'm pretty sure no one left with a dry eye. In Mercy's session, she encouraged us to pray God's Word powerfully and live it! It is so clear from listening to her twice how passionate she is about the Word and living it. She gave some tips and encouragement on diving in and soaking up everything He has to offer--because it's not what He once spoke; He's still speaking through it now!
Between the breakout sessions and the final group rally, we had a break for a few hours, where several of us from our church campus went out for coffee and got to know each other better. It was a great few hours, full of laughs and good conversation!
Finally, the conference concluded with Christine Caine. If you don't know her or haven't heard her speak, I encourage you to find anything you can from her on Youtube or iTunes! She was a pastor at the Hillsong Church in Australia for 21 years and started the A21 campaign to stop human sex trafficking! She is an amazing woman and a truly amazing speaker. She speaks really fast, so it can be hard to keep up to take notes (we need a pause button!), but she really knows how to work up a crowd in the best way! She spoke a lot about how life is risky and we only have this one shot, so we might as well take the risks in life to live it to the fullest, for Him and in all ways, instead of staying safe at home in a little box.
Throughout the whole conference, the theme of being here for a reason really resonated with me. Everyone is so different from one another and we each have our own reasons for being here. We may not know what they are, but God knows, and He's got big plans for us. We were all created for "such a time as this," and it's exciting to see what those times are, for myself and for those around me.
I feel so blessed to have been able to go to the conference and really hope to go back next year! Praise the Lord for an extra day off school and an amazing, spiritually-filling, refreshing conference ;-)
