Over the Top

So this past weekend I went to Women of Faith with my sister. I attended the conference a few years ago, but she never had, and neither of us had been to a Friday morning session so we knew we were in for an experience.

Needless to say, Friday morning dawned early. We drove my boys to their preschool (30 minutes from our house- the joys of living in one town and working in another!), grabbed some yummy Chick-Fil-A breakfast, and faced the beast of Dallas rush hour traffic head on.

It actually wasn’t that bad for a change.

Day one- ready to go!

We arrived, found the best parking space ever (no really, it was good) and headed into the sea of women already at the door. I kind of felt like Dory in Finding Nemo- “just keep swimming…” Anyway, after a timely move from one line to the other, we made our way through ticketing and purse checks to the seating, which was at the time, general admission. As a result, we had front row seating. Awesomeness.

Lunch anyone???

Friday featured Patsy Clairmont, a pintsized (like I’m one to talk) powerhouse of proverbial wisdom, as well as author Andy Andrews. What a combination!  After coming off of what had been a fairly emotional week, I was reminded through Patsy’s words and then convicted by the Holy Spirit that I have the ability to control my emotions, that God has given me a will that is stronger, and that feelings don’t have brains. She also advised that thoughts should be harnessed, lips be sealed, and was the librarians new best friend with the recommendation to read. Andrews, through masterful storytelling, reminded us of the importance of who we are, and that even when we don’t see it, the imprint that we leave on others now will be felt down the road. Both offered sound advice during a Q&A session that afternoon, which was one of my favorite parts of the day.

During our dinner break, Target called our name; first for water (I felt like a camel in the desert) and second for a second jacket for me (…and a penguin in the arctic). We then met my handsome hubby to switch cars and exchange introductions with a friend of his involved in a start up. After a quick dinner, we returned to the arena and found our “real” seats. They looked like this:

Not too shabby!

Friday evening featured Lisa Welchel, who spoke on friendship followed by a Mandisa concert, which was pretty awesome in and of its self. The songs were soothing and uplifting, a timely reminder that God is in control, no matter what our personal circumstances may bring.

Saturday highlighted Brenda Warner, wife of former NFL QB Kurt Warner and her amazing story (I can’t wait to get her book via Booksneeze- please hurry Mr.Mailman), Sandi Patty, who of course sang, and our personal favorite, Amy Grant.

My sister and I, especially my sister, were some of the biggest Amy Grant fans ever when we were kids. We memorized every album we had in our house, sang the songs in our grandparent’s church and fought over who got to sing what verse.  Unfortunately, we were devastated when she divorced as that was something that was forbidden in our home (we have awesome parents). So we closeted our love for her, never turning back… until Saturday. Not really. We both continued to like her music, again, my sister more so than me, but who can resist a good “Grown Up Christmas List” done by Amy Grant? Not me! That said, Grant did an acoustic concert Saturday afternoon, which was very relaxing after our lunch, and was also a fun trip down memory lane for my sister and I.

Listening to Amy Grant, our childhood music fave!

Marilyn Meberg then spoke on cravings, and then event ended with a recap by all the speakers each driving home their individual points of interest.

All in all, I had an awesome time. It was great to spend some time doing something out of the ordinary, especially since it meant being with my sister whom I rarely see. We laughed at ourselves when we couldn’t figure out what the end of the designated hash tag meant, rolled our eyes at family issues, and deepened the bond of sisters that existed between us. Who knows, maybe we’ll go again next year- it might be even more “Over the Top.”