Retreat

"To know God as He really is - in His essential nature and character - is to arrive at a citadel of peace that circumstances may storm, but can never capture."
--Catherine Marshall

This morning I was at a Church Council retreat - all of our key leaders in the church came together for a morning of fellowship, study, and looking ahead to what this new year will hold for our church.  We have a great group of leaders - full of ideas, questions, and wanting what's best for our church - and they're so fun to be around!  There's always lots of laughter when we meet and work together.

But today, as we were talking about what the words "evangelism" and "outreach" mean for our church, what it means to put words behind the actions we do in God's name...  We decided to try an activity inviting everyone to share an important moment with God from their lives.  Honestly, we didn't know if the team was ready for this kind of risky conversation...  We had no idea what would happen...

But wow.  What an immense blessing this team was to each other!  Stories were shared with laughter and tears.  Profound moments of life-changing faith were learned from.  Light-hearted stories of seeing God in humor and everyday life made each of us realize how relevant God is here and now!  Stories of devastation - and hope in the midst of it - gave all of us hope for our own lives... 

I couldn't believe my ears at the trust and openness we experienced this morning.  And my love for this group has grown by leaps and bounds!  What a honor to work with people who are willing to continue trying new things, have the courage to do it together, and are ready to continue looking at how this faith shapes their lives on a daily basis.

Thanks, team!  You're amazing!

Things I am thankful for today:

1.  Waking up on time after a late night out!
2.  Patience in the midst of closed roads and detours...
3.  A wonderful retreat this morning.
4.  An amazing group of people to work with.
5.  Andrea - for inviting us into her home and cooking for us!
6.  A 2 hour nap.
7.  Heading downtown in the evening for the Red Stag Block Party - good food, good music, wonderful weather!

8.  Corey Chisel and the Wandering Sons.  Awesome band!  (If you go to this link, listen to the song "Tennessee" - love it!)

9.  Jill, Kevin, and Kim joining us downtown!  So fun!
10.  Finally experiencing Nye's Polonaise Polka lounge and bar. Whoa.  Don't know if I need to do that again!  But...  been there, done that, check it off the list!