Ladies Retreat

For those of you who didn’t already know...I’m at a ladies retreat this weekend...it’s completely casual...nothing planned...do what you want kind of thing. So right now I’m working through some things I’ve been thinking about & thought you’d like a sneak peekJ

I’m sitting here at Camp Caroline on my weekend away, thoroughly enjoying spending time doing a few projects, spending some quiet time with the Lord, & just having time to think. I feel like a hermit...running to my room as soon as breakfast was done...now it’s nearly lunch time & I haven’t leftJ God knew I needed this time! Coming into this weekend the only hesitancy I had was having to miss church tomorrow. I know God will speak to me here...that’s a big part of the reason I came was to be alone with Him...but I always regret having to miss Pastor Kent’s sermons.

A while back Pastor Kent made a comment at the end of a sermon that we needed to make sure that we didn’t get all excited about the sermon on Sunday & then leave it at church. We need to take what the Lord taught us & apply it at home in the weeks ahead. That really hit home for me. Being at home with the kids...bookwork...Kid Connection...homeschool...my life is busy & it happens all too often that God will speak to me in a sermon & by midweek I’ve forgotten about it. Since then, I’ve been working at finding ways to apply it right away...or at least thinking about it...about what God would have me do about it. Many times it just means writing it down. Writing forces me to articulate what I’m thinking & solidifies it in my mind...making me more likely to remember & think about it. I definitely haven’t been successful every week, but I’m a work in progressJ

For that reason...I’m really not missing a sermon tomorrow...I just get to process last weeks sermon again & make sure it’s solid in my mind. Pastor Kent started off with a story last week...a story about 2 farmers who prayed for rain for their crops. The difference between the 2 farmers is that although both of them prayed for rain...only one actually planted his crop. That really hit home for me...how often do I pray for something, but don’t take the step forward in faith trusting that God will answer? Definitely need to work on that...

With that thought firmly planted, I was surprised (I shouldn’t be) when God spoke to me about something completely different through the rest of Pastor Kent`s sermon. For years...pretty much ever since we’ve had kids...I’ve struggled with being able to spend quiet time with the Lord. I tend to get thinking about everyone else around me & forget about me. God spoke to me through his sermon last week & reminded me that I need to focus on getting ME ready for the rain. Ben & I are obviously still raising 3 kids & it’s our responsibility to teach them...and I have a relationship with Ben to always continue to work on. It’s not that any of that stops, but my job is to prepare myself.

This weekend I’m trying to figure out a little of what that means & how to go about it. At the end of every year we start to hear talk of New Year`s Resolutions & what things people want to change. Last year one of our elders talked about not making a resolution, but rather making a choice to take a step forward in our walks with the Lord. He challenged us to commit to spend time in the Word every day this year...however much or little that might be. That was really an encouragement to me because I felt like I could at least read a little every day...so that became my goal...not a resolution so to speak...but a quest to grow closer to the Lord. I think in the next year I want to expand on that & make sure I write down one thing each day that God has taught me or revealed to me. Even if it’s just one sentence...to make me focus on it & think about it.

Anyways...there’s a peek into my thoughts this weekend. Thank you Lord for this time of refreshing...time with You...time to process what You’ve been teaching me...thank you Jesus!