Women of Faith: Imagine

I am really enjoying our extended stay here in the United States for so many reasons: quality time with Robert's family, opportunity to meet wonderful people while raising support, and spending time with friends who are dear to us.

We have also resolved that this is a season of learning as we believe it will help us be better teachers of God's love and faithfulness as we return to Manila early next year. We prayed to God to give us opportunities to be students while we are here.

And He did respond to our prayers oh so generously. This year I was able to attend conferences that (1) helped me become better in handling online communications and (2) helped me become a more effective Christian leader. There was so much favor in these events because we were able to attend without having to pay for expensive conference fees.

I recently spent a weekend in Kansas City, MO. I had the pleasure and the privilege to attend Imagine: Women of Faith conference. While the previous events we went to greatly fed me as a blogger and as a leader, this conference nurtured the core of who I really am: a Christian woman.

It felt so good to attend a gathering of women who collectively worshipped God. It was an honor to listen to other females whose experiences have become great testimonies of God's faithfulness.

Allow me to share with you today some of the wonderful highlights of this uplifting weekend.

Lori Robertson is the Director of Programming at Women of Faith. She was the host of the conference. Her presence on stage was so sweet and gentle.

We had a gorgeous-looking (and sounding!) worship team: Jenifer Thigpen, Janice Gaines, Laura Cooksey, and Allison Abbott (who was a glowing pregnant momma). I absolutely loved that all songs from their set list are worship favorites. While I love discovering new worship songs -- it does feel great to sing to every single song without having to stick out your neck to see the lyric!

Marcus Buckingham, whose career has helped others discover and maximize their personal strengths (that includes yours truly), spoke about the primary life roles women feel strongest at. This is the basis if his book (which I did a book review on): "Find Your Strongest Life."

Have you seen a woman sing so beautifully on stage and pregnant at 8 months? I am talking about Natalie Grant. I have always been in love with her singing voice but I think I have fallen harder hearing it live. The most moving moment was when she sang "It Is Well" in acapella.

Lisa Harper was an incredible teacher. She had fresh takes on Scripture and very down-to-earth stories! Her funny lines on being single was also heart-warming.

Karen James talked about that day in December 2006 when her husband climbed Mt. Hood and was trapped there in the midst of the worst storm that ever hit that mountain. He tragically died on that climb. How Karen coped with such a seemingly unbearable loss was a strong testimony.

"Gospel Royalty" Tina and Erica Campbell also known as Mary Mary rocked the house with a high-energy concert on Friday night. I bet ya didn't know Mary was NOT their names! They were gorgeous!

Luci Swindoll was so inspiring especially to women who consider themselves artistic and creative. "Adventure is an attitude, not a behavior." I just love listening to a woman who worships God through the arts!

Lawyer Kim Cash Tate talked about a powerful (and very much-needed!) message how women, intentionally or otherwise, put labels on each other and how it creates tension on a supposedly loving fellowship as sisters in Christ. I did a thorough heart-check after hearing her message.

Sheila Walsh -- definitely my favorite speaker of the conference! She is so funny, honest; and that lady can sing! She spoke about forgiveness and trusting her husband again -- an issue I know resonates with a lot of married women today. I also loved another message of hers that explains a new perspective of one of my favorite stories in the book of Genesis: When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Awesome bonus: seeing Christine Caine, Lisa Welchel and Mandisa just a couple of rows ahead of me! They did not speak/perform. They were just there, like me, taking in all the wisdom from the speakers and worshipping God.

This conference stirred up dreams in my heart again on helping set-up a Christian women's conference in Manila. I think how fantastic it would be if I could combine all the events I attended (creative, leadership skills and female issues) into one dynamic weekend for women in the Philippines. I do not even know how I can start it but the vision just keeps on pressing within me. I would like to ask for your prayers and your wisdom as I ask God about this!

Do tell me: 

Would you like to see a faith-based women's conference in the city that you live?

Catalyst East 2010: Francis Chan

Easily my favorite speaker on this year's Catalyst Conference! I am so glad that they made this segment available publicly on video.

It will take about 7 minutes of your time but I hope these precious minutes bless you and encourage you to spend time with Jesus today.


Catalyst East 2010: Francis Chan from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Video Highlight: Catalyst East 2010

Catalyst East 2010 Conference: Lessons, Observations, and Highlights

Robert and I just got back home here in Omaha, NE after a 2-week road trip. The biggest reason for this travel was because we were blessed with scholarships to a conference we have been wanting to go to: Catalyst East 2010 in Atlanta, GA.



We made several stops to different cities before reaching Georgia but when we finally got there, we were ready to take in the experience and learn from the minds of people who are changing the world for Jesus Christ. I have always heard how great Catalyst is but our time there completely exceeded our already high expectations.

The theme of this year's conference is: TENSION IS GOOD. Perfect for someone like me who cannot stand tension-filled situations and relationships!

Here are some lessons, observations, and highlights from that incredible week.

1) Funny emcees. I really enjoyed the leadership of these funny, gifted people: Reggie Joiner, Lanny Donoho, Ken Coleman, Tripp Crosby, and Tyler Stanton.

2) The Social Cause tent. We love knowing about projects on social responsibility and we can participate on a more active level. I truly believe that being involved in making our world a better place is part of stewardship of the blessings that God has given us. Visiting the tent gave us tons of information on organizations on modern day slavery, human trafficking, microfinance, and clean water.



3) Catalyst Labs. This is an optional series of workshops that take place a day before the conference. In my opinion, it is a day that must not be left out. While it will not minimize the extraordinary experience that takes place during the main sessions, the knowledge we received from Labs allowed God to speak to us in areas we have been asking Him.





4) Andy Stanley. "You have no idea what God wants to accomplish through you, your children, and your grandchildren, but God does, and you are going to want to be there for it!" His new approach on the Bible story of Esau and Jacob leaves me asking the question, "What will I trade for a bowl of stew?"

5) Scott Harrison talks about how God turned his life around and start making clean and safe water available to developing nations. He started a non-profit organization called charity: water.

6) Daniel Pink. "Money is a motivator. We must be fair. Once a person is paid enough, additional money doesn’t add much motivation." Makes me wish Mr. Pink is my employer! His insights on new ways of motivating people challenged me as I do my work in the marketplace.

7) Christine Caine. "Don't confuse empathy with compassion. It's not compassion until you cross the street." My heart got stirred once again on how we all must go out of our way to rescue those who are broken and abused. I believe that our involvement is part of the stewardship of the blessings God has given us.

8) Seth Godin. "Are you doing work people will miss when you’re gone?" Linchpin teachings come to life as he passionately talks about leading movements that people want to follow and stay connected with. He also handed out a book he created especially for Catalyst attendees called "Graceful."



9) Beth Moore. "Eat the thing before you tweet the thing. Digest information before simply passing it on." This statement was a moment of affirmation for me. Before going to the conference, I was determined not to connect to any form of social media during sessions. I wanted to be a focused learner and take in everything that I could before sharing it with my network. I was tempted several times but her message reminded me on how important my decision was to stay offline. I am also looking forward to attending her Women of Faith Conference in November!

10) Francis Chan. "When was the last time you bragged about knowing Jesus?" My favorite session from the entire conference. Oddly enough, the only session I did not take notes from. I was too captivated by his excitement, faith, humility, and genuine love for Jesus. He is moving to India this week not knowing what God has in store for him but simply going out in faith. I have never seen a man so excited about the unknown!

11) Perry Noble. Definitely the funniest speaker at Catalyst. "Some of you are about ready to run from a situation that God reigns over." Amazing insights on 1 Kings 17.

12) Gabe Lyons. "A significant change is going to happen if you recognize that the people who go to your church are already your mission workers." Great thought on taking advantage of an army of missionaries that needs to be mobilized.

13) Craig Groeschel. "You are the most cause driven, mission minded generation in modern history. If you will come under authority and be teachable, you will be the greatest generation of our time." His entire message on generational tension is something every believer must hear.

14) Bishop T.D. Jakes. "Our job as Christian leaders is not to allow anything that happens around us to force us back into our corners." The Bishop's message was strong. He shared that his mother used to bring him to a lot of uncomfortable places like going to see a ballet. She wanted to him to have a wider sense of what the world is like and not be constrained in a "corner."

15) Gayle Haggard. Now I truly understand why she stayed. I also felt the urgency of always praying for our spiritual leaders. As workers in the field, my husband and I benefit by people who cover us in prayer. Blessed by the graciousness of this lady.



16) My Twitterverse coming to life. I think it was pretty neat that most of the people I follow under my Twitter's "World Changers" list was alive, walking, and talking amongst us!



17) Breathtaking opening number. I am still searching for anyone who recorded this on video. Incredible take on Eminem's song "Not Afraid."



18) Randall Wallace. I have always been a fan of Braveheart and I am looking forward to catch Secretariat this week. Moved by his humility and his desire to bring good movies to Hollywood. This man broke down in tears as the entire stadium stood and clapped for the work he is doing.

19) Emphasis on adoption and orphan care. There are 127,000 children waiting for adoption in the U.S. foster care system. I personally do not know the numbers worldwide. But I am grateful that this conference was used to create more awareness about the journey of adoption. Robert and I have been wanting to adopt even when we were single. Now that we are married, we have been waiting for God to lead us to the child who He has planned all this time to be ours (regardless if our biological child comes first or not). We have never been more excited!



20) Bowl cuts and plaid shirts. It seems like men had a "uniform" for this year's Catalyst: plaid shirts and jeans. Tripp and Tyler also sported silly bowl cuts and encouraged guys to get one for a free t-shirt. Too funny!









20) Worship. Always my favorite part of any gathering of believers. I am grateful for Aaron Keyes, Carlos Whittaker, Gungor, and my favorite Kari Jobe (who was beautiful and pure) for their leadership during this conference.




I have notes from most of the sessions that I will be more than happy to share with you! If you attended, it might be a helpful supplement to your existing notes. If you didn't, some of it might not make sense but you will definitely stumble upon insightful statements. If you are interested in looking at my notes, please leave a comment and I will get in touch with you!

Robert and I left the conference so inspired and were left to ask our Father what He wants us to do next. After all, He made a way for us to be able to attend. It makes me wonder how He will use us in the coming days/months/years. I am joyful at the thought of hearing His instruction!

Believing that we will be able to attend Catalyst West 2012! I am also hoping that we get to attend this with our closest friends. What an extraordinary experience!

Catalyst / October 6-8 / Atlanta

YES -- we are going!

Today, we received our online confirmation to a conference that Robert and I are looking forward to attending: Catalyst East 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia! About a month ago, we received the happy news that we were awarded scholarships to the event.

Photo Credit: Michael Hyatt

I am so grateful for God's favor!

What is Catalyst? The team behind it explains in these words.

"It pains us to call Catalyst a conference. Catalyst is way beyond a conference – it’s a powerful convergence of next generation leaders. It’s a fully immersive learning, worship, and creative experience loaded with the high-octane energy of thousands of like-minded leaders gathered together to exert influence in our generation. And once you’ve been exposed, you’ll call it what we call it – pure leadership adrenaline."

The line-up of speakers promises powerful moments: Andy Stanley, Seth Godin, Beth Moore, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Francis Chan, and Perry Noble. And there is a lot more to look forward to in the area of worship and labs (which takes place the day before the main conference).

If you are thinking of going, you still have time to register! Click on the video below and see why this gathering of leaders cannot be missed.


Catalyst 2010 | The Tension is Good from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Looking Forward to Evo 10!

This week marks our second month in Nebraska. On this trip, we intentionally chose to stay put instead of traveling from city to city (which we did in 2008: 9 cities total). I am so happy about our choice and have been feeling more and more at home in Bellevue.

However, living with Robert's parents (who have been so kind, loving and gracious) means our privacy as a married couple becomes a luxury. I don't mind at all (and my in-laws have been just great at giving us space) but I have been expressing to Robert how a quick getaway would be nice for both of us.

I found myself looking at the EVO 10 conference website often and thinking to myself, "How nice would it be to join a summer camp kind of conference for women lifestyle bloggers!"



I thought this was a great conference to go to for the following reasons:

1) I am certain that God gave me the gift and the opportunity to use this blog as a channel to inspire women to be the best people that they can be in all the roles that they take on. This blog is only 2.5 years old. Learning how to be better at this is something I always want to humbly seek. I still have a long way to go and still a lot to learn.

2) I have been here to the United States a few times but I have never been to the mountains. Just the thought of  visiting Utah for the first time really brought excitement to my heart.

3) Getting away with my husband (as I have mentioned) would be really nice. This I can guarantee: Robert is the best person to go on a road trip with!

4) I don't have a lot of female friends here (and it's totally okay) but I thought it would be nice to connect to a group of women who also happen to love doing the same thing I love doing.

5) With a conference agenda like this, how can I not want to go?

6) Last but definitely not the least -- I have been telling God how much I want to bring something similar to the Philippines. A summer camp lifestyle event for women. I wanted to get ideas!


I had a "little" problem though. The conference fee cost $350. That does not even include the expenses to travel and stay in Utah. I knew that I did not have that kind of money to spare.

Now here is the part where God just shows how cool He really is. Amy Bellgardt of Momspark.net was giving away one conference pass through a raffle on that blog. I decided to join the raffle but found out in a couple of days that I didn't win it. I was not surprised at all -- a lot of women joined and wanted to go!

But the coolest thing is this. Amy got in touch with me the next day after the winner was announced. She said the winner couldn't make it and asked if I could. My reply was instant and direct to the point: "YES YES YES!"

And the next thing I knew -- I was registered at the conference for free! We have made the sleeping arrangements (a combination of a great Internet deal and friends offering their home) and we plan to drive there on Wednesday.

This goodness of our Father was just shining in this personal story. He generously gave me favor and I cannot stress enough that I have done nothing to deserve this. This opportunity is before me because He loves me. I looking forward to be an example of His kindness to everyone that I will meet on this trip.

Please pray for a safe trip for me and Robert. It's about a 14-hour drive. I am looking forward to sharing my experience with you next week!

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him." Daniel 2:20-22

Leadership Network presents "SAGE".

Do you like opportunities to learn from the best leaders and world changers? I would like to share with you a free online leadership experience that you might want to participate in.

Here is a re-post from the SAGE Conference Website.

You are invited to join us for a great day of learning and sharing on May 19, 2010 as Leadership Network presents "SAGE".


In the tradition of THE NINES and AHA!, SAGE will be a totally on-line event... that means no travel arrangements, no days away from the office, and no hassle. And, you can attend for FREE!


Leadership Network has gathered a group of some of the most experienced, well-seasoned church leaders and asked them all the same question, "If you had it to do all over again, what would you have done differently?" Their answers will help all of us learn some valuable lessons about what to do and what not to do in our own ministry.


You can register for free, or you can get a premium registration for just $20. This cost includes a full-color program book featuring each speaker's bio and contact information, full notes from each talk, and a group discussion question that you can utilize to continue the conversation with your staff or team.

If you want to see the list of speakers, please click here. Once again, the event is free but you do need to register to join.

See you there!

Redeem The Airwaves 3.0: Upload!

Do you believe you can reach out to millions of people through your blog, music and/or videos? Do you feel passionate about telling other people how Jesus Christ changed your life?

I would like to invite you to a three-day conference called "Redeem The Airwaves 3.0: Upload!"


Redeem The Airwaves: Upload! is a three-day media conference on tapping the effective potential of various types of traditional and digital media for Jesus Christ.

Running from April 10 to 12 at the Lighthouse Christian Community Building along Buencamino Street in Alabang, Redeem The Airwaves: Upload! is the ultimate starting block and the ideal stepping stone for Christians and their communities seeking to use social media networking to their best advantage: to honor God and make disciples.

The conference features the following topics and speakers:
Making Sense as a Communicator, Francis J. Kong
Blogging 101, Joey Bonifacio
Radio 101 and the Future, Mike Pedero
Podcasting, Jim Reyes and Arnold Gamboa
Making Videos for the Internet, John Tan of CBN Asia
The Role of Christians in Media, Julius Fabregas
The Long Tail Economy, Dr. Chuck Quinley
Media Values vs. Christian Values, Kata Inocencio
Organizing Life-Changing Events, Ardy Roberto
Song Composition, Jungee Marcelo
Launching Your Band, Roca Cruz

Here are the conference channels:
1. Pastors and Church Ministries: case studies, blogging, email, podcasting, social networks,

2. Radio: podcasting, scripting, basic equipment setup, voice acting, social networks

3. Video: how internet video is different, technical excellence and special considerations, winning video ideas, video on a budget

4. Music: launching and selling online, social networks

5. Professional Media Persons: Leadership, the power of social networks


I am very excited to participate in this conference because Internet marketing is what I do professionally. If you need more information and registration details:

1) Please send an e-mail to redeemtheairwaves@gmail.com

2) Visit the conference website at http://www.theedgeradio.net/rta3/home/

3) View the video below.

Find more videos like this on The Emerge Network