Sarah began by talking about how challenging it is to be woman in today’s world. She also discussed how as women, we often fake it and are not honest about what is going on in our heads. We are quick to say “I’m fine” and we are not always real about the negative thoughts that we are having.

She then discussed the “Three Cs” that impact our lives the most- control, confusion, and competition.

We desire to be control of our own lives instead of letting God have control. Though we desire to have control, we need to trust in the plans that God has for us.

This morning, Rachel Leininger spoke at our women’s session about how our identity as a women is revealed by God.

She began with reminding us that we are tempted to find our identity in other places and things that give us our worth, whether that be our place on a sports team, the role that we play in our family, our spot in a group with friends, or our grades in school. But every time, those things that we let define us are going to fall short of telling the whole story of who we are. The world is really good at reducing our identity.

In the women’s session this morning, Sr. Miriam talked to the girls about experiencing complete freedom by allowing Christ to make them new.

Craving Freedom

We all long for freedom and adventure.  Sr. Miriam saw that sense of freedom one day in the airport in a little three-year-old girl who stopped dead in her tracks to lay down on the floor and make imaginary snow angels.  She was completely free from any fear of judgement or ridicule.  She was totally herself.

The women spent their morning together sharing and praying about how to be “women in love.”

During the women’s session, Katie Hartfiel shared her own experience of learning to live as a woman in love with the Lord.  She explains that to do that, our answer to Jesus must always be “yes.”  That simple “yes” to Jesus that changes everything.  He dwells within us, and we are called to radiate that love to everyone we encounter.  Katie shared the example of a friend who was able to be a witness of her faith simply through her love of the Lord.  When at a party, her friend was asked what it was that made her look so radiantly in love.  She was single, but radiated the joy of a woman deeply in love.  What followed was a long conversation about her love of Jesus- the source of her joy.

Of course it all began with Taylor Swift. We sang a little ‘Love Story’ because we love love songs. We know what real love is and we long for it. We also know what real love isn’t.

That’s because we were all made from love, by love, and for love, as Jackie Francois Angel pointed out. It all started in the beginning, when God created the world. We know from St. John that God is love, and love always has to go out of itself. God created the world out of love because He is love.