
Friday & Saturday, March 27 & 28, 2009

WOW! Did you get it? If you didn’t get it, then let us tell you! Ladies, what a Chat-acular weekend we shared! Although it was raining and gloomy outside, you would’ve thought the sun was shining inside. From the door, calmness came over your spirit. Whatever troubled you that day troubled you no more. Smiles and laughter filled the church. There was total peace. What more could you ask for?!
Day One of ChickChat Unplugged introduced us to the event theme of, Women Who Get It – in the home, in the workplace, in life. By the end of the night we’d be asking ourselves whether we find ourselves over-promising and then killing ourselves to deliver; laughing at Pastor Colleen’s accurate portrayal of a chemical addiction most of us didn’t know we had; and throwing colorful beach balls high in the air as we sang, danced and got a little closer to becoming Women Who Get It!
The evening began as the ChickChat Worship Band led us in Praise and Worship, they rocked! We could have sung all night long, but we had to clear the stage for Ms. Nicole Michelle our guest fashion and make-up artist, or Fashionista.
Nicole’s presentation began with a video where she showed us how to take a piece of clothing most of us already have in our closets, the black and white dress, and create three, very simple but very different looks for three very separate occasions. She showed us how to add a pink scarf at the waist for a casual look, a jacket and accessories for a day at the office, and some black leggings and silver accents for a night on the town.
Following the video, Nicole took the stage dressed in a trendy black and turquoise outfit that looked like a million bucks. We all were surprised to find out that nothing she was wearing cost more than twenty dollars. Then, she concluded her presentation by showing us how to create affordable jewelry, bath salts, creative gifts and more, proclaiming that she too was a “diva on a budget.”
At the end, we were introduced to a book by author Ginger Garrett called, Beauty Secrets of the Bible: The Ancient Arts of Beauty & Fragrance, that is based on Queen Esther’s (from the Bible) beauty regimens used prior to going before the king. The book is full of healthy and affordable alternatives that women can make at home to promote healthier skin, healthier hair and a healthier lifestyle over all.
Following Nicole was the main speaker for the evening, our very own, Pastor Colleen Rouse. Her segment was Women Who Get It…In Life. Pastor Colleen’s personal mantra, “I am most responsive to who or what I am most responsible for,” encompassed what she wanted to teach us that night.
She began by relating a personal struggle, a chemical addiction that she discovered she had…one that she knew most women everywhere struggled with too – addiction to adrenaline. At first, it seemed that not everyone was quite sure if they, too, were affected by this addiction. Coffee, Diet Coke…maybe, but adrenaline?…not so much. That was until Pastor Colleen began asking some very relevant questions like, how often we find ourselves over-committing to things for our children, our friends, our spouses. She told stories about being afraid to show up at her daughter’s school in the past with “Kroger cupcakes” instead of ones she baked from scratch on her own. She shared a story about trying to redecorate her home three days prior to hosting the neighborhood cookie exchange. Most importantly, she shared a revelation that she got a few years ago: Life is meant to be enjoyed.
The hard truth was that for most of us, life isn’t always enjoyable. Instead we impose deadlines and demands on ourselves we can’t meet, procrastinate to get the thrill of waiting until the last minute and lose sleep because our adrenaline is on full blast all of the time. With that, she urged us to pick up the remote and find a small button with immeasurable benefits. PAUSE. Pastor Colleen said, “In life, we need moments to pause and reflect, on God’s goodness, on his love, on the gift of our life.” She then led the us through an ancient exercise called, “Palms Up, Palms
Down” where we closed our eyes, turned down our palms, and gave all of our burdens and cares up to God. Then, we turned our palms up, eyes still closed, as we said a prayer to receive God’s grace.
Finally, Pastor Colleen encouraged us to also take moments to celebrate something – an accomplishment, a new found peace, a new testimony. She then stood up and announced that it was time for all of us to celebrate as she introduced the Victory Vida Worship Band. As they played upbeat songs, women danced in the aisles, twirled around with friends and hit beach balls into the air that had been released into the crowd. It was very fitting that the lyrics to one of the songs were “I am free,” as free was what everyone was in that moment.
Day One of ChickChat Unplugged ended with an invitation for us to attend do-it-yourself stations for creating jewelry, potpourri and bath salts. So, everyone dismissed, ready to fellowship with new-found friends and then return home for a night’s rest, looking forward to what was in store for Day Two.

The next morning it was time to get out our notebooks, as author Shaunti Feldhahn empowered us with some interesting facts about our men. We also got to question a panel of men…and actually get some answers! Who knew this day would come?!

Shaunti was refreshing, really had her facts together and cleared up a lot of the misunderstandings we have about our men. For instance, did you know the song, Respect, was originally written by a man asking for respect from his wife?! The panel of men was pleased with that fact, and overall, the men did an excellent job giving us feedback on our questions.
Finally, we heard from Pastor Cheryl Hill, and she’s was hilarious while speaking the truth. Pastor Cheryl gave us a breakdown of the Six Kingdom Callings, and shared with us how she prayed about every career choice she made, and how the Lord always made a way. She
encouraged us to seek God in all we do in the workplace, and to be of good service, that we may glorify Christ while we’re there!
So, did you get it? Well we did, and we can’t wait until the next women’s conference! Don’t miss it!
~ Quianna C. & Renee J.
(You may view the entire gallery of photos taken at this event by clicking on any of the photos in this post or here.)