Beautiful Friend
It is hard to believe we are entering year ten of the Original Women’s Conference! A decade ago, myself and a group of dear friends sat together dreaming of a time and place where women of all ages could come to grow in their relationships with Jesus, be encouraged in their personal journeys, and challenged to make a difference in the world. Our first conference saw an attendance of 124, and from there our numbers, but more importantly, our influence, has continued to grow. Indeed, I do not despise the days of our small beginnings!
So much has changed through the years: our methods, our look, the world we live in, our attendance, my age, your age, the room we meet in. Through all of this two things have stayed the same. We are all about…
JESUS and His message of salvation, redemption, and grace for all,
and re-discovering our Original design—how we were made to live in relationship with God, what that means for our everyday lives, and our role in the greater picture of the Gospel.
C.S. Lewis sums up this second idea beautifully—“The question is not what we intended ourselves to be, but what He intended us to be when He made us.” Original is about growing in our understanding that each of us have been designed and created by our Heavenly Father to first live in relationship with Him. This in turn leads us to discover that we, and more specifically, YOU, have been fashioned for a divine purpose! This is far more than a message of just “be yourself.” I believe this is a heart cry from our Heavenly Father who knows we will only find our true selves when we realize our Original design and intent was to be connected to Him.
Original is more than an event, it’s a lifestyle—it’s about living Original. It’s about walking through our everyday lives with confidence, purpose and passion —KNOWING we belong to Jesus and that He never leaves our side. It’s about looking beyond ourselves to a world that is hurting, lost, and broken – realizing we were meant to partner with Jesus in being a part of the solution. It’s about realizing that even in our imperfections, the purposes of God are being realized when we yield and surrender our hearts to Him.
As we gather for our ten-year celebration, it will indeed be an unforgettable party you won’t want to miss! My prayer is you will leave knowing—
YOU are loved by God!
YOU are redeemed!
YOU have been created for a divine purpose!
YOU have an important role to play in the days we live in!
YOU have influence!
YOU matter!
I am praying and believing with an ever expectant heart that God is going to meet us in a powerful, meaningful, and supernatural way as we gather this coming April. Please do everything you can to get your sweet self to conference this year! You won’t want to miss it and we honestly believe the weekend won’t be the same without you!
Love,
Jen