Women of Excellence 9th Annual Women's Conference Review Part One

People come into your life for so many different reasons. I believe the lady who invited me to her church and her church's Women's Conference has come into my life right on time! Since I am making major changes in my life, she and two other marvelous women are all coming into my life because we all are trying to become better women. Not just any kind of women but women of GOD.

The theme for their conference this year was "A Greater Pursuit for God's Divine Purposes in My Life". And how fitting since that is exactly what I was getting ready to try and find out about. God sent me where he wanted me to get my next assignment/lesson. My first assignment was with the two ladies here on base. But, that's another post!

Two workshops were conducted Saturday morning. The first one was called "Surviving Through the Storm". The sister who gave this presentation was quite funny. She has been married 20+ years and shared several storms that she had been through. The definition of a storm that she gave was an atmospheric disturbance. "We must become meteorologist for the storms in our lives". Powerful huh?! I thought so too. It's so true though! How many times have we been caught in what we thought was the worst storm yet and just let it rain and hail on us, unable to figure out how to navigate through it? I know I have done it plenty of times! Learn how to stand. And when to stand.

We were referred to as "trees". God plants trees in specific places for HIS divine will. And I thought this tied in with something else she said which was directed more so to the single women. Purity is something of great value. And today's society doesn't take it very seriously anymore. Heck, I wasn't "pure" when I married my husband and neither was he. We both had been out there doing our thing. Like most of society. That apple that Eve ate was brought up. And it's true what she said, most men (and even women in some cases) say what they have to to get you to eat that apple. Once they get you to eat the apple, they move on to the next tree. Many women today are anxious in trying to FIND a man. Proverbs 18:22 "HE who findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtains favor of the LORD". You see the HE all capitalized and in bold?! LOL! Your man is suppose to find you! Not the other way around. The question was asked "What river are you as a tree drinking from?". Are you drinking from the river that gives you the appearance of Godliness and inner beauty? Or are you drinking from the river that gives you the appearance of an easy tree to knock down? I think your river of choice should be something to think about when you are deciding between a nice presentable outfit that exhibits class and good standing or the latest booty shorts that exhibits, well, your lady business. I'm just saying.

For us married folks, we were instructed to find "grounded MARRIED Christian women" to become friends with. Yes, we could keep our single friends (I surely was going to keep my single BFF) but we needed married Christian women to be able to connect with. We especially need them when we are going through a marital storm. That way we would get God-based advice from women who were trying to live like we were. She shared with us how her husband had been incarcerated for 15 years shortly after they got married. And her non-Christian friends and family were constantly in her ear about leaving him. But she looked at the storm she was in and just stood still. She listened to what God was telling her to do.

During her storm she felt like she had to be both Mother and Father to their children. It was hard for her. And when she needed that man to touch her (be honest ladies, you get that urge too! I know I do when my husband is deployed!) she really had to look to God! LOL! But what she heard in response to her crying to God about the stress she was feeling was "I said I would be the Father to the Fatherless and the Husband to the widowed". She said she told God "But I'm not widowed LORD. He's just in jail!" and God's response was "A widow is without her husband". Now that made me think! No WONDER we call the spouses here on the West Coast "WESTPAC Widows" when their husbands (and wives in some cases) were deployed. They are without a spouse! Well, these widows, the WESTPAC widows are typically sleeping with other folks while their spouses are out on deployment. But I learned in my book that I have two husbands! God, my heavenly husband, and The Hubster, my earthly husband. I think God gave us an earthly husband so that he didn't have to be nagged about not taking the trash out, cutting the grass or washing the cars. LOL!

But in all seriousness, us women have to realize that when there is a lot of complaining going on. When we just can't be happy or find joy in ourselves or relationships. Instead of trying to change the other person, we have to look at ourselves to see what needs to be changed in US. We have to refuse to walk in Eve's shoes. And man did she mess it up for us. I'm like our speaker, when I get to heaven and I see Eve, her and I are going to have a chat because I don't appreciate her being all selfish and whatnot messing it up for the rest of us women. What could I have possibly done to her?? ::smh::

I plan on implementing the 3 Rs:

Realize: who is tempting you

Resist: the temptation. Whether it is the temptation to chat with some guy who just presented a good fruit salad with big APPLE chunks in it or if it's the temptation to watch a porno. Whatever it is that you know is a bad, resist it!

Rejoice: in all the great things that are happening to you and in your life


That wraps up the first review. The little one is climbing all over me (took me forever to write this one) so, I'm going to go put my Mommy hat on now!

Until next post....