I’m happy to report that the Journey to Joy Ladies’ Brunch (which we held last week in Texas) was an incredible success! Not only did we have a wonderful turnout, but many of those who attended stopped me to tell me how glad they were to hear our message.
Some people may have wondered why we held a special brunch for the women of CAAP, The short answer is that I felt personally called to hold this event and share this message about hearing God for yourself and doing what you feel He is asking you to do.
I know that, as the Executive Director of CAAP, it is my job to set the vision for our organization and chart the course for our future – regardless of what our detractors might say. But having the determination and courage to follow His path can be challenging. That’s why I wanted to share this lesson of faith and inspiration.
Given recent events, it felt like a timely and much-needed message.
Our discussion during the brunch covered a wide range of topics, including scripture, self-knowledge, and prayer. But I wanted to share just the introduction to my speech that day:
For the past two years, we have had a worldwide pandemic, lockdowns, violence, natural disasters, and – more recently – mass shootings, staggering gas and food prices, increasing violence, political conflict, war in Ukraine, and immigration issues at our border. Not to mention everything else we face individually and in our personal lives: family issues, wayward children, health challenges, death of a loved one, a divorce situation … the list could go on and on. It has been enough to make us worried, fretful, anxious because we have no control over many of these situations, and sometimes we wonder what could possibly happen next?
In addition, as women, we have seen the very essence of womanhood be debated or – even worse – denied. I watched in disbelief as the first black woman Supreme Court nominee refused to define the word: “woman.”
Let me make it clear that this event is an inspirational one, and I am not getting into politics. But I can’t ignore where we are as a nation when it comes to the question of womanhood.
So today we celebrate everything that is unique and special about us. Today, for a little while, we will tune out the cares of this world and we will turn to the word of God for some inspiration.
My goal that day was to inspire women to hear the voice of God in their lives, find themselves, and find their sense of purpose. Judging from the number of women who came to me afterwards and tearfully told me how much they needed to hear this message, I think it’s something we all need to spend a little more time on.
I hope that this weekend, you will be able to take a little time for yourself to pray and find your own sense of purpose and inspiration.
