Silly girls full of joy and hope

(I am linking up with my buddies over at Company Girls today.  I missed them last week.)  


A week ago I was traveling to Lynchburg, VA with a group of 25 women from my church.  We went to see Priscilla Shirer at her Going Beyond Conference.  It was a truly amazing weekend. We were challenged by the powerful Word and we left changed women.  


I was bummed that I didn’t get to meet Priscilla, but some of our group had their picture taken with her Friday night. (**funny how they didn’t bother to tell me they had met Priscilla until I SAW this picture on Facebook!  Thanks friends!! joking, but I'm jealous. Lol)

photo courtesy of Jennifer Hasty

We did meet her brother and Worship Leader, Anthony:

After the Friday night session, we all had a chance to visit Sweet Frog in Lynchburg. (It was yummy but Maggie Moos still has my heart captured). Fatigue and too much sugar can leave a group of women a bit punchy by the end of the night.  

photo courtesy of Jennifer Hasty

We even thought we witnessed a frog pulling someone's hair.....(most certainly too much sugar THAT night.)

It was a blessed time to get away and have girl time with some amazing Christian ladies to praise The Lord and receive a word from Him together. Yep, we laugh and we cry a lot last weekend.  I do know one thing for sure after our weekend retreat:

Amazing Worship + Dynamic Bible Study + Fatigue + Too much sugar = a lot of silly church gals.

Oddly enough, this silly state may not be the result of too much estrogen at a women's conference, or a sugar high from fat free yogurt (it was fat free, right?) but it may be an answer to a recent prayer of mine.  

At the beginning of  the year I shared about a book I was reading called Brave by Angela Thomas.  On page 208 of the book, she writes about her grandma Ima. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Angela describes her grandma.

She writes:

Grandma Ima was a woman of hope.  The Spirit of God danced all about her. …nothing stole her joy.  She trusted Him even when she couldn’t see.  She was a beautiful combination of reverence and fun and silliness. 

"The Spirit of God danced" around her.  I love that statement!  I have actually been praying lately while thinking of this description of this precious woman that The Spirit of God would dance around me too!!  I've prayed that nothing would steal my joy.  Prayed that I would trust Him more no matter what.  Have I really been praying to be silly?  Nah, I've already got that covered.  I do pray that my life will scream Jesus's love, joy and hope to all.  Angela said her Grandma was a "woman of hope".  I believe that is the key!


Hope. 


The source of joy is Hope.  Our source of joy.  Do you have hope?  I have Hope.  His name is Jesus.   He is alive.  He is NOT dead.  As we reflect back to the cross this weekend and think of His blood that was poured out for us, we can have joy.  We have Hope.  I am cleansed because of what He did for me on the cross.  I have hope that three days later the grave was found empty.  Hope  that I am only passing through this world. It is not my final destination.     I have the promise of eternal life with Him.  


On this Good Friday I celebrate in the fact that because of Christ, I am free. I am FREE!  That alone makes me want to dance!


Speaking of dancing, I may not be doing The Hopperana this weekend but I may dance along Sunday morning as I sing one of my all time favs:

  


If that didn't get you up off your feet singing and dancing, then this video may just have do the trick.  It might even find you jumping and shouting praises to Him:

I pray you will rejoice this weekend as you celebrate this holiday.  Have a blessed (and silly-in-a-reverent-way) weekend!! 

Happy Resurrection Day!