Get to Know Our Love Life 2025 Friends!

I’m really excited about this year’s Love Life Women’s Conference, and I hope to see you there! We’ll be together in San Antonio, Texas, and I know God is going to do something special.

Some of my amazing friends are also joining us, and I thought it would be fun to have each of them answer a few questions so you can get to know them better. (I learned a few things myself!)

So, enjoy these responses…and I’ll see you in San Antonio for a weekend we’ll never forget!

Love, Joyce

What’s a fun fact that people may not know about you?

Lysa TerKeurst: I can cut a deck of cards with one hand. And I’ve probably played over 1,000 rounds of the Monopoly Deal card game. (And I only learned to play three years ago!)

CeCe Winans: I have a competitive streak! I absolutely love playing games with my family, and I go all out to win, whether it’s cards or board games. I enjoy the fun and laughter, but I’m serious about victory!

Pat Barrett: I realize this is controversial, but I think Almond Joys are the best candy bar. There. I said it.

Ginger Stache: I can make my stomach growl on demand. Not exactly a useful life skill, but fun at a party.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Lysa TerKeurst: The first woman president or a country western singer. Too bad I’m way too tenderhearted for politics and only my mom thinks I have the voice of an angel.

CeCe Winans: I wanted to be a court recorder for a short time. My mom was a medical transcriptionist and could type very well. Eventually, I was licensed in cosmetology and loved doing hair, similar to my father, who was a barber by trade. But music has always been a part of my life, and I started singing professionally at the age of 16!

Pat Barrett: When I was 5, I told my dad I wanted to…[drumroll]…“go to bounty hunter school.” Haha. Still makes me laugh. In my 5-year-old mind, being a bounty hunter seemed awesome.

Ginger Stache: All of it! I wanted to be the astronaut, surgeon, cowgirl, president of the United States.

What scripture is important to you for healing emotional wounds, and how has God spoken to you through it?

Lysa TerKeurst: Mark 14:34-36 (NIV): “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them…. I have turned to the scriptures over and over during times of suffering and healing. Jesus knows the depths of human pain, hurt, heartbreak, and sorrow. And He knows what it feels like to ask God to change circumstances. Therefore, everything Jesus teaches and models for us is WITH this understanding, not void of this understanding. He knows our pain. Therefore, we can trust His teaching is full of mercy for the brokenhearted and is the truth that sets us free.

CeCe Winans: One scripture that’s been close to my heart is Psalm 147:3 (NIV): He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. This verse is such a comfort because it reminds me that God is always there to mend what’s hurting inside us. Through this scripture, God has shown me that I’m never alone in my pain—He’s always with me, offering peace, strength, and true healing.

Pat Barrett: As a songwriter, I have found there has always been an uncomfortable honesty in the psalms that has given me permission to be honest in my own life. Psalm 88 reminds me that God can handle our honest thoughts and He doesn’t shy away from a hard conversation. Not only that, but when we take those emotional wounds to Him instead of somewhere else…all of a sudden we find communion within the hardship that reminds us that we are not alone. He’s in the battle with us as much as He is in the victory, and I find that to be a healing comfort.

Ginger Stache: 2 Timothy 2:13: If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself (NKJV). This means a great deal to me. At a time when I was in a painful situation and didn’t always respond in the best way, God used this verse to remind me that even in my hurt, mistakes, and sin, He will always remain faithful because faithful is who He is. God will not turn His back on me and there is such healing there!

Who inspires you on a regular basis?

Lysa TerKeurst: Single moms. These women are true heroes. I never understood the weight until I became one.

CeCe Winans: My mother has always been my biggest inspiration. Her faith, strength, and love for our family and for God have shaped who I am today. Her example reminds me daily to stay rooted in my faith and to approach everything I do with love and integrity.

Pat Barrett: I feel fortunate to have a close group of friends that have known me since I was a teenager. When you have that much history together, you get a chance to grow and learn from each other’s lives in a unique way. These men are the voices in my life that both encourage and challenge me to live into the fullness of what God has for me.

Ginger Stache: My parents—they love well, laugh a lot, serve others, and reflect Jesus in countless ways. I will always be grateful for their example and inspiration.

Now that you know them a little better, join Joyce and her special guests for a few precious days to unapologetically go all in and draw near to God in a beautiful way! Lean in. Stand in awe of His greatness. And go home soaked in His love. Learn more and register today for the 2025 Love Life Women's Conference!