As I mentioned in my post Strong. Healed. Empowered., I have felt the need to connect with women in a worship setting. If my memory serves me well, Girl You Rock '23 by the women's ministry at The Rock San Antonio, was the first women's church conference I attended since 2018. In 2021, at my previous church, I attended a women's spa day (which was a first for me) but that isn't the same as a full on "conference". By the way, both are equally needed and beneficial to connecting with women in and outside of a faith-based setting. This is my personal opinion, of course.
In God's divine planning, I came across a post advertising for Girl You Rock '23 maybe about a week before the conference. I was contemplating in my heart whether or not to attend and I did not tell anyone. The day before the conference began, my sister Keidra told me that God laid it on her heart to sponsor a woman for the conference and she wanted to be obedient. Before she could get the question out of her mouth, I told her YES, I'll go! I knew that I needed to be there and I am so glad that her obedience to God made way for a pivotal weekend in my healing journey. Check out my post I'm healing: a poem and a prayer for context as to why this is a huge deal for me.
Anyways, in my natural nerdy church girl fashion, I want to share my #churchnotes from Girl You Rock '23. Now I only have notes from the first two days because I wasn't able to attend on the third day, nonetheless, my church notes are below.
This #WCW is dedicated to Girl You Rock '23
Girl You ROCK ‘23 Day 1
Title: “A bowed back and a handicapped mind”
🗣️ IT ENDS TONIGHT
- God is ending cycles tonight
- The enemy wants to break us down and block our vision
- I’m going through the process of healing
- Just as you’re going through it, you’re coming out of it (this is only temporary)
🗣️ I’M COMING OUT OF IT
- What’s too big for you, is just riiiiiiiight for God!
- Her body was weak but her faith made her show up!
- “I’m bowed but I’m pressing”
- Jesus sought her out
Girl You ROCK ‘23 Day 2
💪🏽The Dimension of the Breaker💪🏽
- Micah 2:12 gives us a glimpse of restoration and hope
- the breaker anointing goes before us and makes it easier
- for every change, the breaker has already gone through it
- the gates represent a pivotal place (critical time in your life) in the city where prophets would cry out
- how you behave at the gate is life or death/ is a critical time
- every new era of your life will require you to pass through the gate
- stop overthinking yourself and underestimating God
- Hide the word of God in your heart, don’t hoard it! Hide it so you can pull it out and use it when you need it
- how you cross over to the threshold matters
- because the breaker has gone before us, it’s harder to stay in the old than it is to go into the new
- Jesus has already brought death to death
🙏🏾pray with authority
- be relentless about seeing outcomes
- faith means I KNOW it, I just can’t see it yet
Girl You ROCK ‘23 Day 2 Session 2
Title: “Back to Judah”
Qualities about Naomi -
1. Woman of God and lived a godly life
2. She had a great reputation / rapport
3. Selfless
4. Great wisdom and strategy
- Naomi forgot who she was for a second (Ruth 1:20-21)
- - She was caught in her emotions and flesh and changed her name on her own
- - She forgot who she was because she wasn’t in her place (she wasn’t in her right environment)
- - When she got back to Judah, she remembered who she was
- Walk in your purpose over your preference
Girl You ROCK ‘23 Day 2 Night Service
- You’re going to see more in the last 3 months than you saw in the 9 months of this year
- Everything God does is a big deal!
- The devil cannot kill what he did not create, he cannot block what he did not birth
- Stop sleeping on yourself, you have capacity and capability!
Isaiah 54:3-4 ERV “because you will grow in all directions. Your children will take over many nations and live in the cities that were destroyed. Don’t be afraid! You will not be disappointed. People will not say bad things against you. You will not be embarrassed. When you were young, you felt shame. But you will forget that shame now. You will not remember the shame you felt when you lost your husband.”
In conclusion, Girl You ROCK ‘23 was a blessing! I'm grateful for the opportunity to not just be there, but to worship and connect with my sisters in Christ. Attending this conference was a major step for me in my healing journey. I was a nervous wreck when I went. My anxiety was through the roof, I sweated my clothes out on my drive to the church and my stomach was in knots. If I still wore wigs or makeup, I know I would have sweated those out as well. Even with all of that, I knew I needed to be there.
I pray that you have the courage to take the steps necessary for your healing journey as well. For you, I know it might not be as 'simple' as attending an event. No matter how great or small the task, just remember that a step is a step. If no one has told you, I am proud of you for doing what is necessary for you. I am a firm believer that our healing is our responsibility and it's not an easy one at times. My healing is my responsibility and your healing is your responsibility.
I believe when we do the hard work individually, then collectively we'll have more genuine connections with each other and ultimately, a better life experience on earth.
Godspeed,
SimplyAriRenee
"I pray that you have the courage to take the steps necessary for your healing journey as well." -- Yess!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽 Such a needed prayer/encouragement. No matter how great or small the step, a step is a step. I Love this 💯
"I believe when we do the hard work individually, then collectively we'll have more genuine connections with each other..." -- I. Love. This. And agree wholeheartedly 💯💯
I love this, Twin! Thank you for sharing your journey to help others through theirs.