True Woman 08: Been There, Challenged by That

The world is blessed by many ladies who can declare themselves a “True Woman,” and over the weekend I had the amazing opportunity to sit under the teaching of some of them and meet many hundreds more. This was one of those events where being able to be in two places at once would have been a huge help. I was unable to hear all of the presenters, but those I did hear blew me away with what they shared and how they challenged me to be a True Woman in my daily life.

I wish there was a way to adequately share with you all that I heard. If you want CDs of the speakers you can get them by going to the True Woman 08 website. Good luck with trying to just pick just one or two, though. I say order the whole set!

Okay, my tiny synopsis here will not begin to do them justice, but I’ll give my big take away from each speaker I listened to:

Nancy Leigh DeMoss—A True Woman 1) Lives a God-centered Life, 2) Trusts God, 3) Says, “Yes, Lord.”

Mary Kassian—Don’t buy the world’s lies and choices given to women. We were all created with needs, hopes, and desires that can only be filled by God.

Karen Loritts—Resolve the following: 1) I will not embarrass God, 2) I will not embarrass my husband, 3) I will not embarrass myself. Stop listening to myself and start talking to myself about the truths of God. Stay in the Word.

Fern Nichols—Pray, pray, pray, and then … pray some more. Fill bowls with prayer for my children and other children in my life.

Janet Parshall—Hannah was given her desire—a child—and she had the courage to give him back to the Lord.  I should do the same as should every mother.

Joni Eareckson Tada—The pain and trials we go through on earth are designed to draw us closer to God, so who am I to complain about God’s plan for my life? I am His jewel whether sparkling or being rubbed hard. After all, that rough rubbing will cause me to shine even brighter when He’s finished rubbing.

Barbara Rainey and Susan Yates—It is a privilege to be a mother and I should accept the joys and  challenges that go with that, raise my children well, and then during the empty nest phase, I need to discover what God has for the next season of my life and look for the adventure in what God has for me then.

Keith and Kristyn Getty—Their songs and hymns were an amazing part of preparing each of us for what God had to say to us throughout the weekend. May the Lord bless them as they head off to their performance tour in Europe.

This weekend was a true blessing to me because of the teaching I heard outlined above and because I met so many amazing women from all over the United States (and beyond) who stopped by the FamilyLife booth—48 states and seven countries were represented. There is so much to say about the event, may I suggest you simply go to the True Woman 08 website to find out about the depth of what took place there.

What I must share with you is that the highlight of the entire weekend for me, as a mom, was Dannah Gresh.  She had a track for teen girls which was going simultaneously with the women’s speakers.  There were 500 girls in attendance, I prayed for those girls realizing that while their moms were hearing from all the awesome women above (and more), these teen girls were hearing about how they could glorify God with their lives. How cool is that?

My 15-year-old daughter was with me over the weekend to help at the booth. While we were setting up the booth (long before the crowds had arrived) Dannah Gresh was wandering around, noticed my daughter, came over to say hello to her and was so very kind and engaging.

Being one of the 500 teen girls who spent the day with Dannah Gresh was a true blessing for my daughter. Afterward she shared with me that she thought the entire day was amazing and that Dannah said so many great things that really resonated with her and she felt very encouraged.  Then she told me she officially had a new favorite quote of all time, “A girl has to get so lost in God that a guy has to seek Him to find her.”

Moms, does it get any better than that?

And to Dannah Gresh … may the Lord continue to bless the work of your hands and the truth that springs forth from your mouth! This mom says, “Thank you!” and will continue to pray for your ministry.