This past weekend, the ladies of Apostles went on the First Annual Women's Retreat!!! We went to the beautiful Streamside Valley Resort nestled in the very scenic Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It was quite an inspiring, emotional, and uplifting time of renewal. And oh yeah, it was pretty fun, too :)
I ended up being one of the lucky drivers to the resort, so in a rental Rav-4, I embarked on a three plus hour journey Friday evening accompanied by four enthusiastic young 20-somethings (since I'm officially a very late twenty-something, quickly approaching the 30-somethings, I can say that now... :). We had a pretty loud, giggle-filled ride, despite the constant view of red taillights the whole way. Yeah, leaving NYC on a Friday evening isn't exactly smooth sailing, but we made it safe and sound, none-the-less.
Since 1. I am trying to not carry on and on like I usually do, and 2. I don't really have time to carry on and on like I usually do, I will try to keep this brief, although there really was a lot to the weekend. Shawna gave a heartfelt talk Friday night, welcoming us to the retreat and introducing the "Beauty from Ashes" theme (Is 61:3). She shared the story of Jacob and his resistance to Gods' blessings because of his sins, and how God still wanted to bless him despite of that. Check our her blog for a great post on the weekend.
Later that night we had these amazingly delicious hot-from-the-oven fresh-made doughnuts (or is it donuts?) that we dipped in the warm topping of our choice - I chose chocolate sauce (surprise!) with chocolate sprinkles, and some caramel drizzled on top. Y U M ...
Later that night we had these amazingly delicious hot-from-the-oven fresh-made doughnuts (or is it donuts?) that we dipped in the warm topping of our choice - I chose chocolate sauce (surprise!) with chocolate sprinkles, and some caramel drizzled on top. Y U M ...
And getting back to light- it was also nice to really see the LIGHT in the sky- STARS! Almost forgot about those shining things. Quite gorgeous.
Saturday was filled with more inspiring talks; Ginger talked about finding your identity in Christ, Julia about the beauty of prayer, and later that evening there was a discussion forum with several ladies. Let me just say, there was not a dry eye in the room. Some incredible stories were shared and it was so humbling and inspiring (there's that word again) to see how God has worked in their lives.
To cap off the evening, we basked in the light and glow of a roaring bonfire, and enjoyed one of my favorite good eats- s'mores. It was a great weekend getting to know friends even better, and meet new friends. There are some fabulous ladies at Apostles.
And well, I guess my 2 + year stretch of avoiding a speeding ticket had to come at an end sometime (ok- don't do the math to figure out how long it's been since I've actually been driving...). Yep, so close to the city, with the skyscrapers peering out in the distance, I see the blaring red and blue lights with the whaling siren behind me as the same 20 somethings and I were on our way back Sunday morning. Argh. Argh times $105. Sigh...
The weekend, and the ticket, made my sin of pride so apparent. A lot of the deep rooted issues I deal with stem from my pride and the ticket was no exception. Instead of accepting that, yes, I was speeding, even if I thought I was only going over the limit by 6 mph (I was going 16 over... stinkin' speed limit had dropped by 10 mph when we changed highways)- I make excuses! If only I hadn't driven... If only I hadn't decided to head towards the Lincoln Tunnel... If only it wasn't a rental and I hadn't driven in forever... If only one of the girls had let me know there was a cop!!!! But how bout this, if only I had just paid attention, learned some patience, and not driven so dang fast?????
Ugh, so hard for me to just fully and solely accept responsibility for so many things. I've got a ways to go, but this retreat was a great start of truly finding beauty from ashes in the grace of God and realizing my true identity in Him. I'm not there yet, I haven't truly "seen the light" in that regard, but it's quite a journey in the taking!
Here's a verse that really spoke to me this weekend that I hope you enjoy:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned,
And the flame shall not consume you."
Is 43:1-2
May you be encouraged by His infinite grace and be a light to this world!
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned,
And the flame shall not consume you."
Is 43:1-2
May you be encouraged by His infinite grace and be a light to this world!
2 comments:
Even if no one else feels like saying it, I'm glad the ladies had such a good time of renewal and openness. Of course, I'm more glad you're back:)
Hehe :) Thanks, my love! Now I don't feel like as big of a loser with a blog that no one reads (or comments on)... even if you are my hubby! ;) Love you!
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