Sunday, September 15, 2019

FAQ - Who Is The Speaker?

One question frequently asked from girlfriends new to us and considering attending a conference is "Who is the speaker?" We get that. You don't want to sit under someone you can't trust. We know. We understand.

If you attend one of our conferences, you can expect to hear from Melissa Petty, the founder and leader of this ministry. Melissa is an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She is a gifted and anointed teacher with a contagious passion for reading and sharing the Word of God. She has spoken at numerous conferences, retreats, and women's events. Melissa also teaches a ladies' Bible Study every week at The Word Is Life Deliverance Church, where she and her husband Jim are members. She has written: "The Weight of a Feather", "Princess Warrior", "Love Sacrificial", "The Covering", and "The Secret Place". Melissa is a real estate broker in Snyder, TX where she and her husband, Jim, reside. They have 3 married children and 7 grandbabies whom are all beautiful gifts from God.

Another speaker you will hear is Beth HarringtonBeth felt God's call to ministry when she was about 20 years old. She trained and served as an RN assisting with open heart surgery procedures. After four wayward years, God renewed the call on her life. She is a now a full-time pastor in the Methodist Church. Beth has two wonderful daughters Lia and Whitney, a heaven sent son-in-law Mark, and three of the grandest grandbabies ever.

Other than Melissa and Beth, every conference also has a variety of other speakers. There are no household names, best selling authors, or international speakers on the schedule. But there are girlfriends who have mastered their households, and those who have not. There are speakers who have allowed the Author of Salvation to change the stories of their sometimes broken lives and speakers whose stories are still being written. There are seasoned speakers who speak with eloquence and there are novices who tearfully tremble as they tell their powerful stories of redemption. They are wives and mothers and daughters and grandmothers and widows and single women. They are every woman. They are just like you and me. And they have a story to tell.

We pray that every speaker at Godly Girlfriend Conferences and Retreats glorifies the Father as her story touches and inspires hearts. We hope to see you there.




Friday, July 5, 2019

Transformations

June 2019 found some hard working Godly Girlfriends on a three hour road trip to Mineral Wells, Texas. They brought their gloves, hammers, paint brushes, and work clothes to give new life to the kitchen at Addiction Recovery Ministries, at their own expense. Soozy Stone is the  executive director of ARM and passionate about about this life transforming ministry. For more insight into this project, read the messages below.






From Melissa:
When God birthed the Godly Girlfriends Ministry in October 2013, He made me a promise...”Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5.

Faith is just that...faith. Not by sight. It’s hard to know some days if a dream is worth it. And then...He swoops in and makes it clear that we ARE making a difference in this world...that He IS doing things in the spirit realm that no eye has seen and no ear has heard. He gives us glimpses of the manifestations as we are obedient to set our feet where He tells us to...yet it’s still hard to perceive. He knows we can only handle glimpses of His glory...so we stand in awe of the small, yet eternal, glimpses He shows us...and we believe...and we know...YES the dream IS worth it!


I received this testimony from Soozy Stone concerning our road trip and restoration project in Mineral Wells last weekend. Do we understand? Not really. But do we trust? Absolutely! Please take a minute to read this word Soozy sent...and be utterly amazed
💕


The Godly Girlfriends came to ARMS on June 14 and 15 to do a renovation on the Ted Oliver Learning Center. They had planned and bought supplies. We discussed colors and even the smallest detail was considered. All of the planning started on April 11 when Nathalie texted me about the GGs coming June 14. The ladies showed up and beautifully transformed the kitchen. It wasn't just restored, it was transformed. They also mowed a huge yard with a broken lawn mower. The carburetor piece fell out in my hand. We stuck it back together and prayed. It worked. They just thought their mission was to transform a kitchen. When they were finished, I felt the anointing of transformation residing in our building. Little did I know what God was doing.

I have been a part of Envision Mineral Wells now for five years. We have gone to Austin twice to meet with our State Representative. One of our big agendas was to find a different type of funding for our downtown and historic community. Many avenues have been attempted but for various reasons, didn't come to completion. I knew the talks of funding the Baker Hotel had begun again, but being busy with ARMS and my job, I wasn't really paying attention. But the buzzing about seemed to be a little more energetic. So then the council had an executive session to discuss the Baker on Tuesday of the week that the GGs would be in town. The purchase and restoration of the Baker was announced Tuesday June 20.  

I was driving past the Baker today after the fanfare was over. God spoke this to me: "Do you think this just happened because of a meeting? The Godly Girlfriends committed to doing the transformation and released the anointing for transformation over Mineral Wells. That sent in favor and excitement to cause things to be put into motion. It may look like fun and play, but the Godly Girlfriends carry and release my power and anointing that they are so unaware of. They do so much more kingdom business and yet are very humble."

Mineral Wells will be transformed by the clients coming to ARMS, by the ministers, by God's glory covering Mineral Wells because Godly Girlfriends worship, serve, and believe in the Most High God, Jesus as Lord, and Holy Spirit. 

 This is no small group. As Pastor Tony Wofford said, "They are a force to be reckoned with." Thank you God for allowing me to be a part. Thank you Girlfriends for letting me be a part. 

Soozy 



Historic Baker Hotel
Mineral Wells, Texas


Tuesday, February 5, 2019

2018 - Looking Back

Looking Back at 2018


Knowing who we are in Christ,
 being all God has created us to be,
walking in our purpose all takes one thing:
Surrender.

Each  Girlfriend on the team began 2018 with a 21 day fast
and a walk through Rick Warren's book,
What On Earth Am I Here For?
It was a call to surrender to our calling.

The Grand Ballroom of the Historic Hotel Settles in Big Spring, Texas
 was the setting for our first Purposed Conference.
It was only fitting that we begin our event with a tea party,
complete with decadent desserts, and elegant hats.
It was two days of heartfelt worship, inspiring speakers, delicious food,
connecting with friends, and a little shopping in the GG Boutique.
Fun! Fellowship! Freedom!
And
Surrender.





In May, we surrendered to the call to help a girlfriend in need.
Tammy is a faithful team member and her little nail salon is her sole means of support.
 We hosted a paint party to help with supplies
and Tammy was an unsuspecting giver in her own fundraiser.
We donned our paint clothes,
brought hammers, scrapers,  paint brushes, rubber gloves,
and a few husbands,
 and  put the love back into Tammy's salon.





The last event of the year was in Hartville, Ohio.
Months ahead, we began putting a team together, making reservations,
 and having a giant fundraising garage sale,
because each team member provides her own travel expenses for Ohio.
The GG team is from several different areas, so the airwaves were crackling with energy as we connected, texted, emailed, and planned on social media.

Then the day finally arrived when 25 pink shirted warrior chicks
stepped off the plane in Ohio to begin the next big adventure.



Our Ohio team welcomed and entertained us grandly for a day before the conference. We toured, and shopped, and toured, and shopped. But the highlight of the day was lunch provided by some lovely Amish women at their home. Our lunch was homemade bread, lunch meat, and cheese sandwiches, put together with the most yummy peanut butter spread we could imagine.
We topped the meal off with amazing pie and coffee.
The meal was typical of meals served after Amish Sunday church, which meets in homes.




This team also partners with
Love Is A Verb - a homeless ministry in Ohio.
We shopped for blankets in the night hours.
.We surrendered sleep to make biscuits, sausage gravy and coffee for 100.
 Then at 6 am
 we went to a little park in Akron
 to give breakfast, blankets, coats, socks, and hygiene items to some cold grateful homeless folks.



The Ohio Purposed Conference couldn't have happened without those amazing Ohio GG's coming along side us. They advertised, invited, prayed, decorated, spoke, and cooked.





But the one thing that inspired us, wrecked us, and called us to total complete surrender was a girl named Cheryl who attended the conference with her mom. As the first strains of the last song began, Cheryl made her way to the front - totally unplanned, totally unrehearsed,
totally surrendered.



Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Surrender All