Barbara Johnson remembers the day her husband almost died in a car wreck.
She remembers the day she had to go identify the body of her son, killed during the Vietnam War. She remembers the day police told her another son had been killed by a drunk driver in Canada.
But, she said, the most traumatic weekend of her life came the day she found out another son was gay. Her response was anger and disbelief - and he returned that anger by disowning his parents and changing his name when his mother tried to ''fix him.'' He was gone for 11 years; although the family has reconciled, she still considers her son ''lost to the homosexual lifestyle'' and prays daily ''for his heart to heal.''
''You love your kids, and unconditionally, God will rescue the prodigal,'' said Mrs. Johnson, founder of Spatula Ministries, a family-support group.
More than 15,000 women turned out to the Riverfront Coliseum Saturday to hear Mrs. Johnson's testimony about her troubles - and about her strengthened faith in God as a result.
Mrs. Johnson was one of several speakers who worshipped, joked and talked about their lives at the Joyful Journey Conference, which aimed for spiritual uplift through humor.
Women of Faith, a Texas-based Christian ministry, sponsored the two-day conference that ended Saturday. The ministry is run by New Life Clinics, which claims to be the world's largest provider of Christian mental health care.
Cincinnati was the first stop on a 13-city tour.
Speakers shared their observations - and lessons learned - from everyday life.
Speaker Chondra Pierce, a Christian comedian and singer, talked about struggling during her early marriage when finances were tight and joked about using supermarket-bought dishes so cheap that washing them caused the painted-on flowers to flake off.
''It doesn't really matter what the container is,'' she said after the laughter died down. ''It is what it contains.''
Such lessons were what kept the coliseum full, organizers said.
''Women in our country feel burdened,'' said Pamela McCann, executive director of Women of Faith. ''They've felt like they have to do it all, and you get tired when you have to do it all. Here they can see that there is joy in the midst of the trials and tribulations of everyday life.''
