georgia long

Women of JOY....such an appropriate name for this conference! Through the long winter months (remember the ice storm?), I would cheer myself with thoughts of this spring get-away.

You know how sometimes when you really look forward to an event? Building it into something that can never quite be as wonderful as you imagined? Well, this WAS NOT one of those times. What a time of JOY we spent with the LORD! His presence was so real....how can I put into words what my heart knows.

There was worship with hands lifted high in praise to our GOD who is worthy of ALL praise...imagine 9600 women singing together as one beautiful voice. All of us hearing the WORD that was able to fill the empty place in each one just where it was needed. What sweet fellowship....with the LORD and with each other.

My sisters, I love each one of you.

Psalm 34:3, "O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together."

kelly werkmeister

Remember in Bambi when all of the animals were acting strange? The children asked and someone answered that it was spring and everyone was twitterpated! Spring has sprung and the ladies of LBC are downright twitterpated. Not about Kirk Cameron (Amy) or Travis Cottrell (Rhonda) but of the Lord!

I sensed in each of us such a renewed vigor for sincere worship and love for our saviour, Jesus Christ. Our heart grew for each other as well, we were all just mushy (although that could have been the rain). Just imagine, if a WEEKEND together in Sevierville can make us feel like that what a day in heaven worshiping with the saints will be like. WOW!!

I may never want to go to the Apple Barn again but ladies let's do the rest again real soon!

amy domidion

Agh... refreshed. That is what I think of when I think of this past weekend. I have to admit, I was having some doubts about going. I wasn't sure about leaving a nursing baby, three other kids, and a husband who needed to work. But he convinced me to go and that everyone would be fine. As I lay in bed the night before crying out of fear that something would happen, I gave to God all my fears and asked Him to speak to me while I was there. And ... He did!

The speaker actually used an example just like that in her talk. She said, "How many of you all lay awake at night and think of things that could go wrong?" Could she read my mind? No, but God can. He was speaking to me. I am so glad that he can take the same message and divide it 9000 different ways. And if I heard that sermon again in another season of my life, I would hear something else in it.

I was so encouraged by the worship. It reminded me of being a youth group member. When I would come back from youth trips and want to worship at church the way that I worshipped while I was gone. It was hard to come back after that. It is like you expect it to be the same. And for a while it is, but then you fall back into the same habits. I am not sure that will happen this time. Dixie said it best when she said, "Don't you just want to reach up and grab Him?" That is what I needed to hear. That is what I am going to do in worship now. Just try to reach up and grab Him.

The time spent with Christian friends was so great. The laughter, the pranks, the shopping (very quick shopping) and the eating! So much eating! But there were some things that stood out in my mind. God can take people that you don't think you have anything in common with and place them directly in your path so that you have to find that common ground. And there is more in common than you know. God is the great relationship mender. He is the common ground. He is the solid ground.

I am thankful for the weekend. I am thankful for my secret sister and the other sisters that I found how much I love! August... here I come.

leah cherven

We laughed…we cried…we learned the proper driving techniques (thanks Rhonda!) we also learned that everything was "on the right" for some reason (huh Jenny?). Our friendships grew and we made new ones. We even learned the proper way to hug a sister!

It was so nice to step out of the hustle and bustle of life and put my focus back to the Lord! The best way to describe it for me is like getting a new pair of glasses…(not the nerdy kind, Angie, the hip ones like Lacey’s). You know how you think your vision is ok until you go back for that exam only to find out you need new lenses. When you get them you realize you can see clearly again. WOW! To be back in focus! I pray I continue to get my new lenses!

What a JOY it is to see my sisters growing in the Lord as well. Oh, I pray we are contagious…spreading our joy.

About the worship…WOW…WOW…WOW…WOW…WOW. Oh, did I say WOW?! It feels so good to give it all to GOD! Let us not hold it in or we may explode!!

Psalm 85:6,  "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?"