What a Weekend...........

What a weekend indeed!!! I am so thrilled to be writing you as I enjoy a quiet Sunday afternoon at home. Life has been incredibly hectic the last few weeks, and it is so nice to have a few hours of no plans, no errands, and just spending some sweet time reflecting over the last three (3) days.

My mom and I headed to Chattanooga this weekend for the Joyce Meyer conference that began Thursday afternoon. All week I seemed to be fighting a bad mood, headaches, dreary weather, you name it, and it was just BLAH. However, I recognized this type of "junk" that was going on all week, and called it what it was....Spiritual Warfare. I don't know about you, but when God is getting ready to move in a BIG way, we get attacked by the enemy (the devil) in such ways that he will try to disappoint and distract us from what is ahead.

And even through the rainy drive to Chattanooga on Thursday morning, I knew God had special plans for my mom and I. And DID He. We had favor in driving (not much traffic), favor in finding our hotel and checking in (there was a lot of traffic and busyness, but we just pulled right in and checked in), favor in finding a place for dinner, favor in parking for the conference (right across the street!!), and even favor and blessing us with meeting amazing people in line.

Here is were the conference was held, the McKenzie Arena at UTC campus!

We were almost at the front of the line, and little did we know that the Lord provided us with one of our biggest blessings, RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!! (See the lady with the paisley shirt, the right of the photo, she was a true gift from the Lord!!!!)

Mom, Sherry, and I (on the last day of the conference)

Sherry had decided to come to the conference by herself, knowing that she would KNOW someone at the conference, because she lives in Chattanooga. She left work on Thursday, and was in line when we walked up. Before I knew it, we had all become fast friends, and we were so excited she decided to sit with us.....all weekend. I loved Sherry's anticipation for the Lord to move at each session. She would just look at me, and light up like a star in the sky, and say "I am so excited what God is going to do tonight/I am so looking forward to the Word He has given Joyce and to the worship team/I am so excited to be here/I am so blessed." Oh, my heart would just melt with excitement, every time she would light up in anticipation. Side note: She never saw anyone she knew from Chattanooga, and secretly I was so excited that she got to sit with us and keep us smiling!! Sherry, you are such a blessing to be around, and God used you in mighty ways this weekend in my life. THANK YOU!!

Worship was INCREDIBLE!! Martin Smith from the UK band Delirious lead worship with the New Zealand group called Parachute Band. OH MY!!!

Here is a little taste of our worship this weekend....................(I LOVED THE DANCING!!)



And on Saturday Night.........we had Matt Redman join the stage with the BAND. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE Matt Redman's worship style, and I was so pumped he was there.

Here is my ALL TIME Favorite Matt Redman Song:

After great worship and lots of laughs from the Joyce Meyer Ministries Team, we were ready to hear from the Lord through Joyce. I did not get many pics, I was too busy taking notes, but here are a few pics from Saturday morning...........

(Joyce praying during a video being shown)

This is how far she was away........so close!!!
Sorry for the smokiness, it was left over after the band.

Joyce Telling a story.

My top 6 Takeaways from this weekend:

1. Keep it (life) simple.

2. Become a woman of my word, and I will be blessed.

3. God recycles trash.

4. To be in Christ means to stop going on how I feel, and love by the WORD!

6. Doing something kind for an enemy is the highest form of spiritual warfare.

This weekend was incredible. I truly needed a few days with just the Lord and I. God has richly blessed my life, and I am thankful each day with all that He has shown me through His Word. I leave you with the following picture...........just a little glimpse of Heaven when we raise our voices and hands, cry out, and worship our God............

My Soul is Truly Singing..........Lord, How I love You!!!