Women of Joy 2010 recap...Part One

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating...I don't know when I've laughed so hard. I was telling one of my friends that I had more fun on this last Women of Joy trip than I did on the first Women of Joy trip last year. The reason? Last year was the first time I had been away from my kids where I didn't wear a hospital gown and come back with a baby.

My husband's parting words that year? "Don't wear a hospital gown, and don't come back with a baby!"

So, yeah, last year I was nervous about being away from my kids, missing them, and, yes, missing my husband, too, of course...This year, I missed them a little and had a whole bunch more fun.

Friday afternoon we arrived in Charleston and checked into our hotel rooms


before meeting up with the rest of our group just in time for supper. From there, we headed over to the coliseum and found some seats.


Travis Cottrell led us in our time of worship.


And then it was time for Anita Renfroe...and time to laugh...and laugh...and laugh. Anita said that her two ministry goals were (1) to bring joy where there is none and (2) to ruin every song you've ever loved.

I think she accomplished that.

If you're not familiar with Anita Renfroe--or even if you are--check her out on YouTube at these links: The Mom Song (William Tell Overture), A (More Real) Love Story, You Raise Me Up, Big Ol' Sweet Iced Tea, Don't Breathe, and Wrinkled Ladies. She performed all of these plus more.

If you only watch one, you have to watch The Mom Song. She followed that one up with The Grandmother Song, which had a big intro and then, "Whatever you want." ;)

The next morning, Travis Cottrell told how he was sitting in the audience watching Anita perform on Saturday night, texting someone about what he was having to endure among a few thousand women and praying, "Lord, come quickly" as she sang You Raise Me Up. So, yes, you need to watch that one, too.

My favorite quotes from Anita:

• I read somewhere that a rocket burns up 80% of its energy just trying to break free from the earth's atmosphere...You moms out there know what that feels like as you were coming here.
• On being over 40: I call it 39.95 plus shipping and handling.
• Any day you try on swimsuits is a two Prozac day.
• Is anyone here from the North? (applause) Yeah, you hold onto that pride for just another minute. (Part of her intro to Big Ol' Sweet Iced Tea.)
• I figure nobody's rocked the ukulele in South Carolina in a day or two. (Another part of her intro to Big Ol' Sweet Iced Tea.)
• Take God seriously; don't take yourself seriously at all.

~~~~~

Saturday morning, Liz Curtis Higgs brought us more laughter.

My favorite quotes from Liz:

• I was chemically dependent for many years (on hair color, that is).
  
• Why color it when you can polish it. (Talking about silver hair.)
• Bless their hearts, they have a gap between their thighs. (Talking about skinny models.)
• You are God's definition of beautiful for you.
• Ta Da!
  
• When Howard Stern tells you that you need to clean up your life...(She didn't finish this sentence, but Liz used to work in radio with Howard Stern, and he actually told her she needed to clean up her life.)
  

More to come soon!

For those of you who went to Women of Joy, what did you take away from that weekend?