Refresh Your Heart, Colonial’s annual women’s conference, was a blessing to the 440 women who attended the event held Saturday, September 12. The conference drew many women from other churches in our area and a few women even traveled from other states to be a part. In all, fifty-seven different churches were represented at this year’s conference.

Being a Woman of Joy, a challenge given by keynote speaker Gwen Brodd, was also the theme for the 2009 conference. Gwen peppered her presentation with humorous, yet real-life examples of her own family, while teaching the importance of joy learned in the book of Philippians. Circumstances, people, possessions, worry and sin can rob of us of our joy. However, “Joy is ultimately a choice to have Jesus sitting on the throne of your heart,” said Gwen. “When your life is under the control of God, your priorities fall into place; you will experience peace and your life will be characterized by joy.” 
But, can you really have joy in the midst of suffering? Anne DeDecker explained in her workshop, Joy in the Midst of Suffering, how it is not only possible, but necessary for a victorious Christian life. Anne would know. While pregnant with her third child, she started feeling extremely fatigued. Not giving it a lot of thought, she brushed it off thinking she would be fine. Then the diagnosis came from her doctor, “Anne, you have aplastic anemia.”

The news dealt Anne a crushing blow. Aplastic anemia is a rare blood disorder which results in low counts of red and white blood cells and platelets. In the months that ensued, Anne endured countless tests, treatments, procedures, hospitalizations; and she ultimately lost her baby. However, in the end, God miraculously brought her through it all. “He is never caught off guard by our circumstances; He orchestrates them for His glory,” said Anne.

A lot goes into planning an event like Refresh Your Heart. Thirteen women served on the leadership team; twenty served as hostesses; six were in charge of the music; six women served in the kitchen; and seven women prayed for the conference on a regular basis. And, believe it or not, they even let six guys help, making set-up and tear-down a lot easier. There were a total of sixteen workshops covering several great topics. Each woman was allowed to pick two workshops on topics ranging from Worship in the Wilderness to the Joy of De-Cluttering and Organization. Other favorite workshop topics included: prayer and worship; living a disciplined life; decorating; and Scripture memorization.