Ta-da! Okay, Liz was right. It does make you smile when you say that word. Yes, you do giggle because you sound a little crazy when you say it! No, I'm not looking in a mirror, I'm looking at a picture, need I say more? (In all fairness, the only thing I had with me to snap a picture with was my IPOD Touch. And I took the picture myself. Not fabulous enough for a press release, but wonderful enough for a fan memento!)
Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a conference at Gull Lake Ministries , during Ladies Day 2012, with my church. When I first heard of the conference, I knew I had to go...Liz Curtis Higgs was going to be the speaker! I LOVE her books, I subscribe to her newsletter, I've heard she was an amazing communicator and is highly entertaining! Have you read any of her Bad Girls of the Bible books? You really must, they are amazing! She also has a new book coming out in July about Ruth entitled, The Girls Still Got It . I am half-way through reading it, and cannot wait to share my review with you! But, that will come at a later date, now, let's talk about the conference!
As mentioned, the conference was held at Gull Lake Ministries in Michigan, and this was the first time I had ever been to their facility. It is amazing! Basketball courts, bowling, rock walls, zip lines, beautiful cottages, and a lovely dining area overlooking the water! What a picturesque location!
Not only were we located at a beautiful lake, surrounded by hundreds of women coming together to worship with musician and speaker Kim Bolton , we were here to listen to Liz Curtis Higgs speak on Embracing God. If you ever have the opportunity to hear Liz speak, you should jump at the chance! Not only is she highly entertaining, she is a down-to-earth speaker just wanting to share God's Word and spread His message to those who will listen. Her laugh is contagious, her stories are funny, and her witty humor will have you rolling on the floor. But more importantly, her messages are shared from the heart, hard life experiences lived and learned, and straight from the Bible sharing.
She urged women to look deeper than what the mirror perceives us as, to go to the heart of the matter, to where it really counts. Women today are bombarded with pictures of what the ideal woman looks like, and not enough is spent on WHO the woman is. We should not be discouraged when we look in the mirror, God made us and loves us, we are BEAUTIFUL to Him. We should look in the mirror and say Ta-da! Because that is what God said the day he made us! Don't dwell on the negative, the imperfections you may see. See what God sees, you're BEAUTIFUL, just as you are! What a great thing to pass down to our daughters about their body image...what true beauty really is!
She spoke of the bleeding woman and her Faith, and how God can heal. She touched on the subject of sin, and how it all needs a Savior. She spoke of His compassion, and how it never fails.
The day was filled with fun and laughter, some tears and some quieter moments. Songs of worship were sung, great food was shared, and some rain even fell on the dry, barren ground. I was able to get my book signed, my picture taken, and I came away with a heart renewed. A wonderfully full day!
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| Nappanee Missionary Church Ladies |
But there is one thing I need to leave you with...did I mention that Lizzie was an English Major? As much as I would love for her to read this blog and share her thoughts, it is a little intimidating. I mean really, did I spell each word correctly? Did I dot all my i's and cross all my t's? Did I punctuate correctly? Stress!
Aahhh....I'm off to start my day. I think I'll take a moment to look in the mirror and say "Ta-da!" After all, my God thinks I'm Beautiful!
Shondra, you did a fabulous job of capturing the beauty of Gull Lake and the joy of our day together! Thanks SO much for joining us and for blogging so artfully about it. Loved giving you a hug in person and can't wait to see what you think about The Girl's Still Got It. I'll watch this space! :>)
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