GLOW: A Day of Beauty at Watermark was much more than a day of pampering for women served by our partner ministries throughout the city. It was a day for volunteers at Watermark to help further ongoing relationships we have with women at Cornerstone Baptist Church, Union Gospel Mission’s Center of Hope, Exodus, and other ministries for women in need.
The 65 women who participated in GLOW on June 27 at Watermark, were treated to haircuts, dental cleanings, nail treatments and makeovers – all provided by volunteer stylists, makeup artists and others. There was also a budget management class and a time of teaching and encouragement from God’s Word. The goal of the day was to deepen the discipleship relationships the women were already experiencing through our partnership with ministries throughout the city. Here are just a few of the women and volunteers who made GLOW such a special day:
“I was born and raised in Dallas by a faithful mother who taught us about God and gave me a spiritual foundation. But later in life, I started spending time with the wrong people, and began smoking weed, and later, crack. Drugs and alcohol were total devastation. I got into prostitution and things I usually never would have done. It took my marriage and everything else.
“I remember crying out to God and telling Him how tired I was. Finally, I just got sick of life on the streets. It wasn’t an overnight – God changed me gradually. Through different ministries, I learned to dispel the myths I had about God and started to see Him as my Heavenly Father. Today, God’s Word has become a heart matter with me. I’m sober almost three years and free in Christ. “For me GLOW is a manifestation of God’s love. Before, I was never taught that God cares. But now I know God really cares – enough to do something like this for me.” – Bonita Williams
“I love being a part of something like this. I was so impressed because it is not just beauty treatments; I saw classes on nutrition and finances. These are real tools that women can use after today. When I was talking with one “I love being a part of something like this. I was so impressed because it is not just beauty treatments; I saw classes on nutrition and finances. These are real tools that women can use after today. When I was talking with one of my clients, Charlotte, I was telling her how much I loved being here. She got choked up saying how much it meant to her to have all of these people here working on her.” – Ryan Sabel, Stylist
“I had a relapse with alcohol a while back. I was homeless for about three months. My life was so hollow it was indescribable. When I went to rehab, I finally realized I couldn’t live in sobriety without Christ. He helped me get rid of my false idol: me.
“Today really has been overwhelming. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a hair cut. The people here also made me feel respected and not looked down upon. You don’t get that on the streets. It feels like God’s love is being bestowed on me today.” – Melanie Graham
“I belong to Cornerstone Baptist Church and this is my first time here. I’m loving every minute of it! I couldn’t wait for the day to get here; I have been up since 5 am. I have been really excited about my hair. I wanted it blond and short. I don’t even know if my husband will recognize me when I get home. Everyone has just been so nice. This is awesome.” – Alice Mahoney
“I heard about GLOW and thought it would be a great outreach opportunity. Normally, I teach kindergarteners so this really challenges and enables me to use the gifts God has given me in other ways. I love how Watermark has established relationships and laid the foundation with the partner ministries the women at GLOW are coming from, so we are really aware of what their needs are.” – Jan Knecht
