By ANNA CLAIRE O’CAIN
The retreat was held in The Venue at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison on Saturday, October 30.
When I first heard about MCL’s women’s retreat, I honestly was not sure what to expect. As a 24-year-old woman who had only attended one women’s conference before, I wondered what MCL’s retreat would be like. But after finding out there would be worship and an awesome lineup of women discussing the topic of hearing from God, I knew I had to be there. So I pretty much gave my mom no choice in tagging along with me, and I invited the ladies from my church to join us. A group of us women attended the event together and we had the best time. From the heartfelt worship to the inspiring Word to the amazingly yummy food, I am so glad I chose to go to MCL’s retreat.
Ginny Owens — worship and testimony
First, I want to talk about the worship. I do not think I will ever forget the unique and beautiful sound of Ginny Owens’ voice! As I listened to Ginny and worshipped alongside the other ladies in the room, I was simply in awe. I was in awe of God using Ginny through song despite the immense challenges of her blindness. As I glanced around, I was overwhelmed with even more awe and a sense of joy. I saw women from all ages and walks of life worshipping despite each of their individual hurts and obstacles. Daughters, mothers and grandmothers all joined together in surrender as they sang praises to God.
As if Ginny’s worship was not inspiring enough, we had the privilege of hearing her speak and share her powerful testimony. Ginny’s words about prayer and hearing God were so touching and reminded me to seek God’s divine plan for my life instead of my own.
MCL Editor Katie Eubanks (far left) leads a panel discussion about hearing from God, with (from left) Jamie Rasberry, Tonja Murphy, Maggie Wade, Kelly Morgan and Elaine Williams.
Kellye Smith testimony and panel discussion
At the retreat, we also had the opportunity of hearing testimonies from some other wonderful women of God. Kellye Smith shared her powerful testimony of the battles she faced with her son’s sensory processing disorder, as well as her own journey with medical issues. Her life is truly a miracle and a testimony of God’s presence in every struggle.
The panel discussion was such an awesome way to wrap up the women’s retreat. Each woman featured on the panel had tremendous stories to share, as well as practical insight on how to hear God in our daily lives. Their stories were so inspiring and encouraged me that God can do amazing things even through ordinary women like me.
A nudge in the right direction
Hearing from God is something that I consistently desire for my life and always want to learn more about. Even though I was apprehensive at first, looking back, I now know that God was speaking to me even in His nudging to attend this event. This conference was so refreshing and encouraging for me, and I know for so many other women as well. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for MCL’s retreat next year!
