This weekend I had the chance to spend the weekend with 16,000 other women!!! I went to the Women of Faith conference -A Grand New Day! It was SO much fun, and really inspirational!
The conference is a non-denominational Christian concert with music, and speakers just for women. We filled the American Airlines Center in Dallas to the brim! There were women everywhere, and I think given the Christian theme of the conference everyone was in an especially nice mood. Everyone was talking to each other, helping each other- handing one another tissues when needed. There was an unforgettable sense of sisterhood between sixteen thousand strangers!
(Part of the Dallas skyline from outside the convention center. Pretty day!)
( Night falls on the arena)The speakers are an amazing group of women (and a couple men) who really wow’d the crowd with their honest stories about their lives, and how their faith got them through some of the toughest times. Some of the speakers talked about overcoming cancer, marriages falling apart, bankruptcy, and countless other issues that have caused them sadness or anger. And there many times during the weekend that you could hear sniffling going on around you. But you could also hear laughter and singing!
Speaking of singing- they have a great team that sings upbeat Christian music between all the speakers, and they would often have the whole crowd on their feet. I’m not usually one to wear my religion on my sleeve, I’m a bit on the private side. But even I was dancing, waving my arms, and singing along! It was like a rock concert about love! It was all inspiration and celebration, and catharsis and joy. Check out the short video clip above, it was taken during some of the praise music and although it’s dark I think you can get a small sense of how huge the arena was!
(Some of the praise music- these girls had AMAZING voices)
( The crowd swaying to the music)The Women of Faith conference is stilling moving around the country- and if it comes to your neck of the woods I highly recommend you go if you can! It really is a sensation like no other to look around and as far as your eye can see, a sea of women who are all celebrating what God has done in their lives. And they all have smiles, and you have the sense that you are all walking different paths, on the same journey.
It was a super weekend, and I came home really filled up with a new sense of purpose, and joy about all that God has given me. Perhaps the biggest blessing of my life is the wonderful husband God picked out for me! I especially want to thank my husband for buying my ticket, AND taking care of wee Molly while I was gone!
I am a lucky girl!
About Shannon SchmidShannon traded in her sensible NYC TV producer shoes (they were best for taking the subway), for a pair of Texas Cowboy boots when she married her best friend! He's at fault for making this Yankee a Texan! Shannon writes about all things that make a house a home. Her chief blogging inspiration is being the proud & slightly neurotic mom of a preschool age daughter.
You can find Shannon on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and her new favorite place to hang out, Google+.
I'm so happy you had such a lovely, uplifting experience at the Women of Faith conference this weekend. And am glad you got the DVD, too; it will be interesting to view some of the talks you heard at the conference. It's good you got to have some girl time… you and 16,000 of your closest friends. LOL. And I got some quality daddy-daughter time, so it was a win win. I love you both so much!
Shannon….that is amazing, didn't you go last year to this? Seems like I remember reading that you had gone & had an amazing time. Of course, I could be totally mistaken. (It could happen)
Regretfully, after living in big D for 21 years, I never made it to this spectacular event. I have known many who have attended and they had the same feelings as you.
Another one of my friends from Dallas attended this past weekend and she had such a blast and felt totally rejuvinated afterwards.
I too am so very happy that God blessed you with the perfect man for you (Michael) and that your lives were further enhanced by the addition to beautiful Molly.
~Hugs to ya girl…
Mitzi
awww Shan good for you that you had such a great inspiring weekend with a bunch of other women worshiping in a way that you want! isn't it great that these kind of get togethers are possible? In so many other places throughout the world there is a lack of freedom to practice the faith you choose. One of my teachers was telling me before that even meditation was banned at one time, can you believe that?? Who the heck would ban that? anyways thanks for sharing and I'm glad you had an awesome time:) love you!
I love WOF! I haven't been there since Grace was a baby, but I've been there twice with my sister and my girlfriends. It's always a great time! The skits and the speakers and the music are always amazing. Was Patsy Clairmont there? She rocks!
Glad that you had a great time!! I want to go, LOL!
Sweatpea- No I hadn't gone to WOF last year, as I was in the hospital giving birth!! lol. But I went the year before that, so this year when Michael said he'd watch Molly I was excited!
Nikki- Yep totally!
Kelly- I love WOF too! I bet it's even more fun with a group of friends! I went alone, but I still had a blast! And YES Patsy Clairmont was there- she is SO GREAT!! Funny, and poignant- def one of my faves! Hey did you know you can buy the dvd to this confrence online? If you cant make it to the event, might be a way to pretend your there! Thanks for stopping by:)
I really wish that one day every Christian woman in Indonesia could have the same experience with you. But I don't think that WOF would ever come to my country anyway. Yeah, we are the minority here. But I'm glad enough to watch your video here and watching thousand of women raised her hands to praise our Lord.
Greetings from Indonesia