The Girl Within conference with Vicki Courtney

August 24, 2010

This past weekend we (my daughter and I) spent the weekend in Greenwood, AR with some very dear friends who went to the Girl Within conference with Vicki Courtney.

We left on Friday around 9am to pick up my friend Sherry and her daughter. Unfortunately, we hit some road construction down Hwy 44 and spent an hour in traffic before leaving Union, MO. It was ok though...we had a good time visiting with one another. We stopped for lunch at none other than...

The girls had a great time shopping and playing checkers (oh, ok...pretending to play checkers for the picture...we had to get on the road!!! LOL)

All the construction and my weak bladder potty stops put us so close on time...thankfully we arrived at our Hampton Inn in Fort Smith, AR at 5:30pm. This was one of the nicest Hampton Inn's I have ever seen...so clean and very friendly. The rooms were GREAT and breakfast was SUPER yummy!!! We went to the 6:30 1st session of the "Girl Within" conference.

My "take home notes" from the first session:

1) Sit at Jesus' feet before you go out and serve. (What are the things that distract you?)
The Bible is God's love letter to us - Read your bible.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.

2) Talk to Jesus.

1 Thess 5:17 pray continually

3) Never leave home without Him! (He's the ONLY one that can COMPLETE you!)

Psalm 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

NEVER give up on ANYONE!!!The #1 MUST have is JESUS!!!

Day 2 (Session 1) ~ The Heart of the Matter

WHERE is ???'s behavior coming from? It's an issue of the heart - the way ??? talks, acts & dresses.

Do a heart screen to see what's going on in our hearts. Your heart is the control center for your feelings, intellect & will.

Psalm 26:2-3

Test me, O LORD, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;

for your love is ever before me,
and I walk continually in your truth.

- Look at the need for someone to complete them, don't look at the deed (what they are doing or how they are acting out). NOTHING else completes anyone but JESUS.

- God wired our heart to love & love perfectly but because of sin we can't love completely except through God.

- We chase after other things but God sent Jesus to rescue us.

- Being a Christian is NOT about being good - I WANT to be good because no one has ever loved me like Christ does.

Test me, show me my heart and the things that I run after that aren't of you. What is it or the "gods" that you run after/draw after?

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Day 2 - Session 2 ~ Exercise the Heart

- Keep pushing forward.

1st Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

1) Obedience - When you realize God's love for you, you will learn to love more & deeper.

2) Confess specifics - don't just confess "gossip".

3) Repentance - Does it follow a "godly" sorrow? Not the behavior, what's going on in the heart?

- 2 steps forward and 1 step back is STILL progress

When you come to a STOP sign - will you go straight as the Lord would have you go or will you go to the Right or to the Left as your friends are going?

God Accepts U Turns - TURN AROUND from the way you are going!

God provides "DANGER AHEAD" signs to get you back on track.

Here are some pics from our trip:

Our group talking one on one with Vicki Courtney at the "After Party" - super yummy cookies & treats!