11.19.06 - Small Group Retreat
Retreats should be mandatory and regular requirements for everyone. It has been a very long time since Emily and I have had a chance to relax and be free from the worries of normal life. However, thanks to our wonderful small group, we were invited up to a peaceful get-away cabin on a lake.
We as a small group (with the exception of Jamie and Jon, due to their forthcoming baby) spent the weekend just enjoying nature and the blessed gift of time. Its amazing how just a little bit can recharge you so much. I was actually nervous that it might take more energy to drive way out to this cabin and sleep in a strange place (you know how it is when you’re not “home”), but being surrounded by people you love has a way of bringing “home” to you. After months of rush-rush, this refueling was just what the doctor ordered.
Boy did we use up our time well, too. I believe I spent no less than 8 hours just fishing. I also got to get out my telescope and spend time stargazing. Emily, quite the fisherwoman herself, got some time on the line and spent valuable time just talking with the other women and relaxing. We are seriously much more cheerful people after this trip.
Although the deadlines and pressures of normal life still remain when you return, they certainly seem much more in perspective and less overwhelming after having had your heart ministered to. Nature is so very important to me, and Dallas has little to offer in terms of God’s unscathed creation. This break gave me a much needed glimpse back to the serenity that is early morning mist, campfire smoke, and leaves under your feet.
“God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!” – Gen. 1:31 The Message
Special thanks to Michael and Amy Turner for their heartwarming hospitality and generosity of sharing their little slice of heaven with all of us. We are so thankful for our small group.
