Retreat - Part I

I am already going to assume that I will not be able to finish all that I have to say in one post. I know that I only have a certain amount of time while Lyndsey and Graham are playing, to write. Soon, I will hear the inevitable rumblings of discord, which means that they need something different to do. Then, I will go start the day with them. So, my time is limited - but, I want to get the weekend journaled, so I will begin with the logistics. I want to document exactly how the retreat was set up, because it was a fabulous schedule and I would love to replicate it someday, possibly with a marriage retreat.

Bryce flew with me to Atlanta and spent the weekend in Birmingham with Stan's mom and a friend of hers, Jenna Lolly. I will need a completely separate post for all that transpired in Birmingham. I will pique your curiosity by first telling you that we got quite a surprise when GG picked Bryce up at the airport. The second hint is that my kids have been pretty convinced for a while that Braxton was meant to be their only cousin, however, in three months they will officially have four more first cousins! You can either think about that and try to figure out what happened, or you can wait and I will tell you all about it in a day or two! :) Hopefully, with pictures!

Back to the retreat......Bryce was off to Birmingham and I met up with a lady who flew in from Miami. Her name is Cris. I was invited on this retreat by the host, Mardy Freeman, who I met several years ago at our state homeschool convention. God prompted her to approach me in the hot tub and begin to encourage me as a young mom. That was the beginning. We have stayed in touch over the years and she has mentored me in my spiritual walk and parenting, homeschooling, etc... You can check out her precious family and her book at www.thefreemans.org - Everyone on the retreat was somehow connected to Mardy, but not necessarily to each other. I did not know anyone else. I met up with Cris in the airport to wait for the other ladies who were driving from various parts of Florida. They timed their trip in such a way to pick us up just after lunch and head up to Blue Ridge, GA to a beautiful cabin Mardy uses for retreats. Cris and I were standing outside in the pick up area of the airport when we look up and see a red mini-van, meeting the description, zoom by in the far lane of traffic - the fast lane, usually reserved for rental car shuttles and airport transport vans. "I think that was Esther!" Cris said, so we begin to wave and flag her down and we run across four lanes of cars in the drop off/pick up lane and Esther spots us and stops abruptly. That was the beginning of many adventure rides with petite little Esther Day behind the wheel! :)

We peeked into the open door of the van and met five smiling faces already there. We shoved our luggage into the back (thankfully, we all packed light) and jumped in. The ladies were so sweet to give Cris and I the captain's chairs in the middle while three ladies sat across the back seat and two up front. Immediately, as ladies do, we all begin to talk at once trying to get to know each other. Someone called for order and we went around sharing our testimonies, what the Lord is doing in our lives right now, about our kids and husbands, etc.... The two hour ride to Blue Ridge flew by (metaphorically speaking and literally). When we arrived at the local grocery store in the mountains, we laughed and said that we may sit around and eat chocolate for a couple of days and gain weight, but our faces would be very trim from all the exercise our jaws were getting! I laughed and cried at the sweet testimonies these ladies had and the lives they are living right now for Jesus.

We did our grocery shopping. Mardy provided breakfast every morning and suppers and lunches were prepared in pairs every day. I was paired with Crystal Day, who is a 27 year old midwife. She is a homeschool graduate and not married yet. We had so much in common and I love her so much. She was soft spoken and kind and I am sure she is the most compassionate midwife in the world. We became very close over the next couple of days.

We arrived at the cabin and Mardy was there to greet us, with her son Daniel. Mardy has seven amazing children, all walking with the Lord. Six of them are sons and they are all very, very tall. Daniel was there, very handsome and tall and helped us unload the car. Then he went back to the NC mountains to the Freeman's personal cabin where he and two of his brothers were spending the week together. We got our room assignments and put our stuff away. I shared a room with Cris, and her husband is the pastor of a Hispanic church in Miami. They have six children, one a daughter Lyndsey's age, so we can't wait to get together since we live so close. Cris was such a sweet, godly lady as well.

By the time we settled in and chatted a minute (well, we chatted almost the whole weekend, but anyway)...it was dinnertime. The first pair of ladies prepared a delicious chicken/pasta type casserole with a salad. It was gooey and cheesy and an absolutely perfect comfort food. We were all still at the keyed up stage and I was praying so hard that the Lord would allow me to relax, and refresh. We ate dinner and then Mardy shared some things that were on her heart. Mardy's philosophy is that she doesn't "teach" because teachers are held to a higher account anyway and she only desires to "witness."

Isaigh 43:10 says,"Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me."

Mardy's ministry, after serving her husband and children, is to pour her life into young moms and others who minister to ladies. She has the gift of prophecy, but also of encouragement. You feel better just by having been in the room with her. When we were at FPEA convention in May, I never got to see Mardy because they had one son graduating and it was just a busy time for them. By Saturday afternoon, after three days with six of us in one room,the kids were getting testy,and I was a little on edge myself. One of my older kids said, "Mom, why don't you go and find Mrs. Freeman? She just makes everyone feel better." It is so true. She is a faithful witness to what Jesus has done in her life.

She shared some things with us on Wednesday night and then we sat up until around midnight sharing with each other, laughing, and praying together. The "rules" for the retreat were that on Thursday and Friday morning, Mardy would get up early and put out bagels, yogurt, juice, and fruit, make coffee and tea and then as we woke up we were not allowed to speak to each other at all, not even "good morning" until 11:00. We could take a walk, find a quiet spot on the porch or in the house, whatever and just cry out to the Lord and then listen for Him to speak. It was beyond amazing. I can not tell you what it was like and to my shame I was a little nervous about the thought of trying to pray for hours! It was not like that at all, and I will share from what I journaled. The time absolutely flew by and I was not ready to start talking again.

At 11, the lunch team began to prepare lunch. We had lunch together and then the afternoon was free to shop, hike, or just stay at the cabin and talk or nap. Dinner team had dinner at 6:30 or so, very flexible with time, and in the evening Mardy shared and we prayed together. Thursday night we went to bed again around midnight, but Friday night we were up until well after 2:00 am! We did not want it to be over. We prayed and cried just soaked up refreshment. The whole experience was awesome. It was such a gift from God.

I have my journal here in front of me and I will share from that in my next post, but I think today I want to reflect on the ladies and their individual personalities. As I said before, Esther was our little race car driver. She is Crystal's mom and this year her last child, Andrew, graduated from homeschooling and is headed to Bible college. She has one of the sweetest spirits I have ever met. She is tiny and petite and she is a servant. She is soft spoken and she asks you the most thoughtful questions and then listens. Her face wears a constant expression of love and communion with the Lord. Esther grew up in Africa on the mission field with her parents and then she and her husband served in Africa on the mission field until Crystal was thirteen years old. Now they live in the flats of Florida. You can imagine this with me. We turn of the main road onto a little one lane gravel road leading up. On either side is a drop that you do not want to make in a mini van and the view of the trees and valley below is spread out before you in all of the splendor of its Creator. You can imagine that we feel safe and comforted with Esther's sweet spirit at the wheel.....and then, she guns it!! I mean, VROOOOOOM!!!! Remember, I said ONE lane gravel road. As we are holding on for dear life, careening up the mountain, the prayer in the backseat is "please, God, don't let us meet any cars coming downhill." As we safely pull into the cabin and get out, the stench of burning rubber meets our noses. Yes, Esther has literally "peeled rubber" in the mini-van driving up the mountains. She later told us that her thought is that if you don't go fast, you might roll back down. So, she went fast. Each and every time we left the house! We would never have imagined she had it in her! :) I was blessed to spend Friday afternoon shopping and hiking with Esther and Crystal. Just the three of us. We had such beautiful conversation and I was so encouraged. I pray I get to see their family again.

I have already told you about Crystal. She is soft spoken like her mother, yet very passionate and knowledgeable about what she believes in. It so happens we believe in a lot of the same things. Herbal medicine, homeopathic, natural healing, midwifery, homeschooling, letting God write your love story, etc....We were kindred spirits and she gave me great hope and comfort as I raise my own children. She is a homeschooled graduate, single, pursuing the Lord and her calling as a midwife and waiting for the husband God has planned for her so she can be his Heaven sent help meet. It is beautiful to watch. I am so excited to see what God is going to do in her life. And I am inspired to possibly get my Doula training and eventually go to school to be a midwife after my kids are grown. I had already been thinking about it, and after talking to Crystal now I am seriously praying about whether God will lead me to do this now.

I know I am really going long on this post, so thank you for reading. There were two ladies there who are friends from North Florida. One is the wife of a pastor and the other is the wife of one of the leaders in the the church. It sounds like they have a wonderful ministry going, with people being set free and coming to Christ. Cindy was so sweet, with the cutest Southern accent and she kept us laughing the entire time. Her friend Retha had one of those contagious laughs that you just can't help but join in. She had such a heart for the Lord and you could tell she was broken over the lost. It was so refreshing to see people who care so much for people who are in bondage to sin and unforgiveness. These ladies every one were witnessing to people we met in stores or on the trail. I was taken back by their boldness and their incredible ability to draw a total stranger in and find out whether they had a relationship with Jesus. I learned so much.

Another pastor's wife was Katherine. Her husband pastors an inner city church in Gainesville. She is working with people who have really hit rock bottom in their lives and their service is rewarding and frustrating at the same time. They see people set free by Jesus who go on to be a huge witness for him, and then they see people who seem to grow and then get knocked back down. Katherine had amazing patience and compassion. You could just tell that she draws her strength from the Lord and he sees her through. They have eight children, homeschool, pastor this church, and now her husband is involved in state politics. What she has on her plate is daunting at best, more like exhausting to even think about, much less accomplish. She handles it all with grace that was unlike anything I have ever seen. I was so happy she was able to have a few days to rest and refresh.

Lori, is also the wife of a pastor. Her husband is the Children's pastor of a very large church in SC. They have six children - her words were "three we made and three we prayed for." Lori is a young mom, with energy to spare who truly livens up everything she is involved in. I am sure they are perfect for children's ministry. She was absolutely fun to be around.

My roomie, Cris, is also the wife of a pastor. They are in an Hispanic church in Miami. Cris is fluent in Spanish due to her father's job moving them all over South America as a child and her husband was born in Argentina. They have six children that they homeschool, and she was such a sweet lady. I felt very connected with her since she was the first one I met and we roomed together. Her heart was so connected to the Spanish families that they minister to and you could tell that she has such a heart to live out Jesus before them. Her sister is a missionary in Shell, Ecuador in the area where Jim Elliot and Nate Saint were killed for their testimony to the Auca Indians, who are now a believing tribe in the area. Cris and her family regularly minister in Shell at a special needs orphanage there.

That was our group. I am sure, like I am, you are wondering where I fit into a group like that. I don't know. I just know that I serve an awesome God and He allowed me to be influenced by each of these ladies during the few days we were there. They all spoke something unique and profound into my life and God has blessed me with some new sisters in Christ to look up to and be mentored by. I needed it, it changed me on a deep, deep level. My time alone with the Lord was (I don't know what to say because there truly are no words)....it was, absolutely the most awesome experience I have had in my spiritual walk. I don't know what to say about it, words can not describe what it is like to spend four or five hours in a stretch crying out to God and listening for His response. Then, spending the rest of the day in counsel with godly mentors. I just want to say that He answers. Every time. No matter how small or stupid the question, He answered every question I asked Him this weekend and I heard it as clearly as if He had said it out loud. It was deep and amazing and soft and quiet and loving and heart pounding and all of those things rolled into one feeling that I have no words for. I needed the refreshment and reflection and He blessed me with it.

I wrote the word "wow" in my journal more than once as I recorded what He was saying to me, and as small as that word seems to describe what was happening to me, it was, and is now, all I could think to say. God is so "wow" - He is so personal and so there. He wants to know what you think about everything, He wants to lead you in everything you do or want to do or think or say. If you ask Him something, He will answer you. He may say no or He may say you don't need to know the answer to that - but, He will say something. We just often fail to listen. Or we ask God to jump in and bless what we are doing. We need to be where He is. He is the one with the plan and the big view of everything. We live in troubled times, and the only One I want to receive counsel from is the One who made the plan. I want to leave you (because I am sure that if you are still reading, you are ready for me to stop now) with one verse that was very freeing to me this weekend. I will explain more in my next post and share some thoughts with you from the journal I kept of the weekend.

This is 1 John 2:27 "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

I can cry out to God and then take the time to listen to what He says. I have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and because He abides in me, I don't need to be taught by other people (except my husband of course). The point for me is that it doesn't matter what others think of us or of what we do. It doesn't matter if people do not understand. It only matters that we are being taught by God Himself. He speaks to us within our very soul and He teaches us. I need to know what He says to do, how to live, and who He is. I don't need to receive my teaching from a book or a sermon (though there are good books and sermons, don't get me wrong) - but, Truth is Jesus Christ, the Way the Truth and the Life and all the power of the Godhead lives in me!!!! All I can say right now is "Wow!"