Of course I had to refer to that most famous movie quote associated with the great city of Houston! Because, sister, we did have a problem. One big dark problem!

After the first part of our Fresh Grounded Faith conference ended on Friday night, Laura Story, Michael O’Brien, Terrie Bitter (our National Conference Director), and Phil and I went back to our hotel. But it was pitch black.

Apparently, a transformer went out, so there was no light at all. No air conditioning. No elevator. No power whatsoever!

But the wonderful people from our host church, Gloria Dei Lutheran, as well as our co-host churches rallied to help.

My hostess, Faith, and her dad, Steve, walked me and Terrie up four stories in a dark stairwell using the flashlights on their phones as guides. And Pastor Brian from our partnering host church, Bay Area Church, helped Laura get into her room as she carried her sleeping four-year-old, Timmy.

But just as Laura was entering her room, she had another problem…

Timmy was so sound asleep in Laura’s arms that he had a little accident. And now the only pair of jeans Laura brought was covered in … well, you guessed it!

The electricity was restored a little after midnight, so not long after we all fell asleep, our rooms burst forth with light waking everybody up in the middle of the night! I wish you could have heard the stories that were shared at breakfast the next morning. They were hilarious!

So although we could say we had a problem, really it was grace, grace, grace all the way.

That was the theme of the conference, and without question, we got to see God’s grace in every person and in every moment.

My cup was definitely full after hearing Laura teach about the woman in Mark 5 who had been bleeding for twelve years. Oh, how the grace of God shined through His Word as Laura shared this story.

Michael O’Brien was on it too! He led us to sing about grace and celebrate God’s kindness to us. And, sisters, we felt God’s grace rest on each one of us as we lifted our voices up to Him in worship.

And Shaun Groves was so engaging as he told about his family and challenged us to think outside of ourselves. Because we have received God’s grace, we can freely give it to others.

As we listened to these powerful, truth-filled messages throughout the weekend, we got to see the Spirit move in the hearts of the women who attended. We celebrated 5 new sisters in Christ, 41 women who chose to renew their commitment to the Lord, and 54 children sponsored through Compassion International. Thank you, Jesus!

And a huge thank you to our Local Conference Coordinators, Renee Page and Tracey Wolverton, as well as to our many volunteers for all of their hard work, prayers, and commitment to reaching the women in their community.

It was a beautiful, grace-filled weekend and a great start to our event season!

So, Houston, we really didn’t have a problem at all. We actually had joy, laughter, friendship, peace, and grace, grace, grace!

Love and grace to you, my friend!

Blessings,

Jennifer and the FGF Team!

BONUS: Laura Story joins me on the 4:13 Podcast

Would you like to hear more from Laura? She joins me on the 4:13 Podcast and talks about giving up our own plans for God’s plan, as well as living life with open hands. Listen to the episodes below:

Can I Live My Life With Open Hands? With Laura Story [Episode 18]
Can I Give Up My Plan for God’s Plan? With Laura Story [Episode 45]

Reviews: See what others are saying about FGF!

Would you like to attend a Fresh Grounded Faith conference? Or, bring one to your city? Click on the buttons below to find out more information.

Find a Fresh Grounded Faith event near you. Bring Fresh Grounded Faith to your city.

Plus, you can join me over on my 4:13 Podcast! Each week, you’ll get biblical encouragement as we answer a question about how to live the “I Can” life of Philippians 4:13. Go here to listen to the latest episodes.