So how was the rest of the RETREAT

Our Leader's retreat was so amazing. This year more then ever it seemed as if God did so many different layers of hard work in the lives of so many of us. For me retreat started back in August as I began to make certain commitments to the Lord as to how I would pray and what I would be willing to do leading up to and at retreat. This was the first year that I started a prayer journal that I was committed to writing and although I regrettably did not write every prayer I did manage to write appox. 600 7 1/2 by 10 1/2 pages of prayers / thoughts over a period slightly over 5 months. This morning looking over this journal and reading so many prayers and the constant theme of "Lord whatever it takes may we be yielded to the process of consecration so that our hearts will be pliable ready to receive all that You want and need for us" "may we learn love for one another as this process gets messy, offensive, and often fighting mad" " give us Your strength to exercise love, grace, compassion and mercy living in an understanding way with one another". WOW what was I thinking praying those crazy difficult prayers - lol

The week before retreat I was so super blessed to be ask of God to head up a prayer and fast vigil for our leadership team for the process of praying for our retreat / ministry and each leader and the spiritual needs of all of us. This was such a great work of God. We started the night 18 strong ( way more then I could have ever believed would come) and ended the next day 8 strong. It's hard for me to write about that time of praying all through the night with a group of ladies but I am sure your mind can fill in the blanks. The thing I took away from that night was freedom - for me in ways I never knew I wasn't living in freedom with. Cleansing - healing and a strengthening of my ability to Believe that He is more then able!!! I had to just lift my hands to the Lord and smile saying " of course there's 8 of us standing - this is a new season for our ministry. ( 8 - the number of new beginnings) I love how God loves to work in the details - that is often where I hear His voice the clearest. Well this laid a solid foundation for us getting ready to go the following week up to that mountain, in that house, with 24 women ready to seek God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength.
So retreat came and we worshipped, gurlll did we worship - I'm sure Lori must have known putting me in charge of worship what that could potentially look like. O how I love to worship. And guess what I had a giant answer to prayer - I was able to let myself go and have freedom in worship. It's a crazy prideful thing but in a group of people I get so caught up in my inabilities that I never let go and let God, well not this weekend - it was me and my Jesus lovin each other up. Do you have any idea how loud one can sing "Jesus Lover oF My Soul" ? - lol LOUD!!!!!

Okay let's sum this up - how was retreat?
The Word - came forth in Power and with great conviction challenging us to make the final choice either "Yes Lord I will obey' or " No Lord I chose DISOBEDIENCE" so which camp each heart is on remains to be seen but shoot I'm way to terrified to not chose obedience.
Thank you Lori for being willing to go to the hard places of truth with us.
Prayer - much needed and a lot really alot of praying
Worship - now I'm super partial but this was good worship - I only regret that I didn't add more. Not sure anyone else holds that truth but i do (lol)
Praise - we are growing in this - WOW what a year we could have if we allow this work to grow in our lives.
Discussion Time - this was a great new addition to our retreat. To sit after the teachings and reflect on what we heard / felt and questioned. This for sure gave us insight into what is going on in all of our heads.
Fellowship - good solid times: long over due apologies / difficult conversations that needed to happen for walls to be torn down / funny stories / sad stories / many nails to be painted / catching up with friends that we barely get a chance to really talk with at church / sitting in silence just holding each other / things happening in bedrooms with one another that well guys think they only hold those things sacred (tee-hee) / stories stories and more stories that knit us closer together / friends running away to the loft to let God do the needed work to take the friendship to the next God level. So much good stuff
Food - I'm not at liberty to disclose anything in this category for fear of being accused of gluttony :0D but when you get this many women together and so many of us love to cook well you can imagine - like I said sinful gluttony!!! :0D
Weather - sunshine/fog, sunshine/rain, sunshine/snow, sunshine/hail - we had it all and it was all beautiful. Even the foundational leak that got me wet had it's purpose. Funny thing there, so I'm standing in my socks praising God and all of the sudden my socks are soaking wet - literally that much water. When it first started happening I thought Lord what is going on my feet feel wet, what does this mean - DUH !!!! It meant my stinkin feet were wet. shoot you know me I'm always lookin for a spiritual picture. It was pretty funny though. So 4 blankets, 20 towels, 10 sheets later that small little area where I stood finally was dry enough for me to stand once again in socks.

O by the way our retreat was

Devoted - Mark 12:20 Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

We have been greatly challenged in this verse and we come home with lots of homework. May this time next year each one of use point to this retreat as the crossroads that we picked His road. Hard YES regreats NO worth it YES!!!!