I just got back from the True Woman ’10 conference in Ft. Worth, Texas. It’s the last of the True Woman conferences for this year and it did not disappoint. I had the privilege of attending the 2008 conference and was blessed just as much this time as I was the last time around. A lot has changed in my life since 2008. I had just started dating Daniel at the last conference. I was still a seminary student. And I was still working for CBMW—which is why I was at the conference. This time I am now married to Daniel, and have been for almost 17 months. I have lost a baby through miscarriage. And I am now a youth pastor’s wife. I don’t know what I would have said to the Courtney 2 years ago, but I do know that who I was at this conference was much different than the last. I cried a lot more. Life is deeper than it was back then. The conference was a blessing to me in so many ways, but for the sake of time and clarity I will just share a few ways I was ministered to at True Woman ’10.
- Our need for Jesus. We cannot do this on our own. We need Jesus—desperately. We need him every second of every day to fulfill all that he has called us to as women. He is our rock. Several women said at the conference that we need to be “tethered to Christ.” That is my prayer for myself.
- My need to love my Bible more. I can’t follow Jesus if I don’t know what he said and who he is. The Bible is where I meet Jesus and am confronted with my sin. I need to be rooted in God’s word. I need to saturate my mind with his word so I bleed Bible. Susan Hunt said that “wimpy theology makes wimpy women.” Women who know their Bibles won’t have wimpy theology. I want to be a woman who knows my Bible.
- I love my husband. I have such a renewed desire to love him, serve him, honor him, and follow him wherever God leads us. I don’t do this well. In fact, I have already failed since I returned. But that’s why I need to be tethered to Christ. But I do love Daniel more today than I did yesterday. He is a joy to come home to.
- God has not left us. That thought kept ringing in my ears and heart. I have needed that reminder as we have walked through this loss. He loves me and is for me. Sometimes I say it through weeping. But I have to say it or I will forget. The fact that I could praise him and yearn for more of him during this conference is all grace.
- Seeing women growing spiritually. I attended with my mom, her best friend, my sister-in-law and several women from their church. It was so exciting to talk about all that God was teaching us. It was different for everyone and that made it more exciting. God was working in us exactly where we needed him to.
- The need for spiritual mothering. I gained a greater passion for nurturing and shepherding the girls in our church. Mary Kassian said that girls today have not been mothered. They need a mother and I want to answer that call—even though I have no idea what I am doing most of the time.
- The need for a biblical apologetic for womanhood. This is a term from Susan Hunt. In the pre-conference she talked about how if we do not teach what the Bible says about womanhood we will lose the vision in a generation like so many have done before us. It’s not simply a list of rules to be followed, rather it is to be rooted in God’s word and comes from a heart changed by Christ. We have to be intentional about teaching what God says and not think (wrongly) that our daughters will learn by default. They won’t.
- Womanhood is not cookie cutter. It’s so easy to give someone a list and say “follow this.” But that is not what God’s word says. Women need freedom to be who they are in Christ, while still following what God says about their role.
- I’m more sinful than I ever realized. Yet, Jesus is greater than my sins. God revealed a lot of sin in my heart during this conference. It’s never fun for that to happen, but I am grateful.
- I’m so thankful for my family. Spending time with my mom, sister-in-law, and mom’s best friend was a tremendous encouragement. I am truly a blessed woman. My mom coordinated this entire trip for us and she did a wonderful job!
Thank you Revive Our Hearts for putting on a great conference!