Me and my mamas went on a Christian women’s retreat this last weekend and I already can’t wait to go back! As soon as we got there we registered and went straight to the lake, excited and giggly like little girls. The water was cold but me and my mom were determined to go down the water slide like we did last year. It was such a beautiful day! As we were enjoying the cool water, I immediately felt refreshed and at peace and so grateful to be there. I thought of all the children who were baptized right where we were standing. God is so good!
After our dip we went over to the dining hall full of women talking and laughing. They were serving fried chicken, mashed potatoes, salad and delicious chocolate cake! Everything was so good! After dinner we had a workshop, outdoor worship and our guest speaker, Leigh-Angela Holbrook. I could not stop the tears from falling during worship. All the women singing, “It Is Well With My Soul,” sounded like angels. Every part of me needed to be there, surrendering it all to Him and laying it all at His feet. The speaker was amazing! She had us laughing and crying and I was filling pages writing down notes. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be and so happy to be there with my mamas.
After worship we had nachos & cheese and soda and rocked in the rocking chairs on the wrap around porch. I facetimed with my husband and the kids and they were all playing Fortnite together. They grilled hamburgers for dinner and made smores and all was well back at home. God had His hand on us all, bringing us closer together as a family and surrounding us in His peace!
We finished the night being pulled by a tractor on a late night hayride and then headed to our hotel to check in. My mom was so giddy and cute that she could not sleep. We shared a bed and she tossed and turned all night because we had afternoon coffee. I wasn’t even mad though. We giggled like little kids having a sleepover. I love to see my mom so happy.
We woke up at 5:30 am to drive back to camp for morning yoga. My eyes were so puffy I couldn’t help but laugh at myself when I looked in the mirror! We filled up on coffee and was ready for another day of adventure and time with our amazing God in this beautiful place! After yoga we put our towels down by the lake, prayed, did communion together and watched the sun come up over the clouds. We were surrounded by old oak trees and Spanish moss swaying in the wind. It was gorgeous. The theme of the retreat was appropriate, “Be Still.”
All of the workshops and worship sessions was like God filled a prescription for my soul. I needed this time to hit the pause button, to stop rushing around and trying to do it all, to stop worrying and working non-stop from the moment the alarm goes off until I lay my head down at night. Our guest speaker Leigh-Angela said, “Hurrying is just skimming through life. Hurrying is the death of prayer, it is the death of depth and a healthy and thriving soul.” I felt that. She asked, “Are you always driving in a state of combat?” Ha! Now I felt targeted. We need to take time to prepare, filling our hearts and our minds with God’s word. We need to search for peace. I tried one of her tips this week and I loved it. On one of my daily walks down to the river I took off my shoes and walked barefoot in the grass. It felt like God had created me to be this way. She said, “Be Still, Prepare, Restore, Seek God and Worship.”
My mother and I wanted to keep the tradition and try something new and exciting so we did the double zip line together. It was a lot of fun until my mom came in too fast and hurt her back. She is one tough lady though. She put some ice on it and walked it off.
We ended our retreat with a delicious lunch of chicken salad on crescent rolls, pasta salad and fresh fruit. We had one last worship session and my mom won a huge gift basket from the raffle drawing. I was sad to go but also could not hold my head up any longer, I was so tired!
I just want to thank my mamas for coming on this retreat with me. For always being there to laugh with me, pray with me, sometimes cry with me and always loving on me. I love you both so much!
And I would love for my sister in law to come with us next year! You have to, now that I put you in the blog! Love you!
I will continue to share my experiences, my struggles, victories and promises fulfilled on this blog. I do this to share hope and encouragement to whoever may need to hear it. If you feel lead to share or leave a comment, please do!
Much Love, Carol
Struggles and Victories of a Small Town Girl 