408. Celebrating God's Grace, Come As You Are

Women World Leaders' Podcast

Last weekend, Women World Leaders hosted a conference titled Come As You Are in West Palm Beach, FL. Join Lisa Hathaway as she discusses the importance of gathering together as Christian women. When we prioritize ourselves and make room for our souls to be fed, God meets us through the love and encouragement of others.

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Hello, and thank you for joining this is Lisa Hathaway with Celebrating God's Grace.

I just want to talk to you for a few minutes about Women World Leaders. We had an event in West Palm Beach, Florida, this past weekend, and the name of the event was Come As You Are. And it was such an amazing, amazing experience of community and women coming together. And just really celebrating and valuing who we are as women. I had the privilege of being at the table to check women in to see their beautiful faces and the happiness they came as individuals. They came as mothers and daughters and friends. And it was just so nice and awesome to see the community that came together. We handed out the bulletin, the program, we handed out name tags, so that we can know their names because names are so incredibly important. And we recognize that names are who we are. And we know that God has called us by name He has created us and called us by name, and that we are so loved and so valued. And as we were welcoming them in, we went into the auditorium. We start off with praise and worship, which is such a time to come together as a community and worship God. And just as a whole to be able to sing and just listen and soak in His presence. We had an amazing, amazing interview with our founder Kimberly Hobbs, she interviewed brandy reader who if you go on women, world leaders, there's a podcast with her. That's phenomenal. It's just a true story of redemption and restoration and brandies life, it was so moving and so touching. And then I had the privilege of speaking and sharing my story and just to be able to share the goodness of God and the miracles that he does in our lives big and small. And we had a lot of comedic relief. And it was so awesome to hear one of our leaders, Deanna Elaine and she helped us in comedy and kept us on our toes laughing. And then we had Julie Jenkins, one of our co founders of women, world leaders as coming in and just ending it in an amazing, fantastic teaching on Ruth. And so it was it was packed with prayer. It was packed with teaching and testimony. And it was something that I will never ever forgive. And I know that it was in Florida and so many people from women were leaders, there are a lot that live in that area. But there are so many that are around the country, we have numerous people that write in books, from Australia, and South Africa and all all around the world. And that is where our voice of truth magazine goes. Our books code that we publish, they go to people around the world. And one thing that I really just wanted to share was just to have the benefit of what community looks like it's it's so vitally important for us as women, if we're moms, wives were sisters, whatever the case may be is to be able to really pressed in and rely on each other and have that fellowship. And we're so different. I mean, us women are so different, we have our own lives and our own stories. But it is also a so moving to be able to hold hands with the person beside of us as a woman and know that we are there to encourage each other and to lift each other up and to be that, that safe place for each other. And it's so it's just crucial for us in today's society that we have all these struggles and all these responsibilities, but that we can sit here and bond together as women as Christ like minded women, to worship Him and to fellowship and just be a part. And we ended with an amazing beautiful catered lunch at Kaiser University in West Palm Beach. They catered it and it was just another time of fellowship and we had pictures taken and we had our books for sale. So the whole day was just so it was just so life giving and I flew in from North Carolina and you know, just to be there that whole weekend. It was it was something my soul needed personally and you know, it's just you, you have fun and you laugh and you cry and you make me relationships and memories that I will cherish forever. So I just want to encourage you ladies if even if you're listening from other states, other continents other you know whatever wherever you are, it's just encourage you to find a group a ladies group If it's a Bible study, if it's a community, if it's a ministry, you know, we, we encourage you to find community. And, and something that is extremely life giving to you, we also have a leadership connect with women, world leaders, and that is the third Monday of every month, if that's something you would like to be a part of it, we come together, and we have a teaching, and we just share and we see all the different faces on Zoom. And, you know, thank goodness for technology, I guess that's something you know, COVID really did help us with is to enhance our tech technological skills and to be able to fellowship across the globe via zoom virtually, or whatever platform that you use. And so, you know, I just want to say that it's important, it's important to take time for yourself, it's important to have that self care as women, it's important to have community and to sit back and just pray about asking God to give you a a ministry, a nonprofit, or a church group, a church ladies group, I mean, so many churches have women's ministry just to get plugged in, plugged into something that God has for you, because it's so it's just, it's something that we really, really need as women so, but I just wanted to take a few minutes to share with you about the commas you our event. And we're going to plan to have this yearly. And we hope that we can expand in different areas in the years to come. But I just, it's something that was on my heart. And I know this isn't necessarily like a teaching or anything, but it's just to it just hit me as I was flying home on Monday, that it was something that my soul needed, and to take time to value ourselves because that's what God wants us to do. He wants us to feel our spirits fill our cups up. And my cup was definitely running over after this weekend. And just the connections and the friendships and the people that I've seen on Zoom, I got to hug in person and it was so meaningful to me. And just to let people love on you, and that's what we wanted to do and what we wanted women to take away from this event. So thank you for listening and allowing me to take some time just to share and just really, I just really emphasizing that you are worth it and you are loved. You are valued God sees you. He sees exactly where you are who you are, and he loves you just where you are. Even if you're struggling if you're broken or anything he just loves you and he wants to bring people around you to support you and love you