2007 Retreat Summary: WATERING OUR HEARTS
Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.
~Lamentations 2:19
Over 50 college, single, and married women descended on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay for our 2007 women’s retreat. The waters of the Bay were a constant reminder of the underlying message of the retreat – God desires for us to live well-watered lives overflowing with the fruit and riches of His grace and mercy. For several months prior to the retreat, many women from our congregation had been praying daily for the Spirit of God to move among us in a compelling and powerful way. We had prayed that He would bridge the divide between what we knew of Him intellectually and what we experienced of Him in our hearts. And just as He promises in His Word, God demonstrated His great faithfulness and made His presence with us clearly known.
As we immersed in praise, prayer and the study of God’s word, the Holy Spirit prompted us to come freely and humbly before our Heavenly Father, as daughters of the most Holy King. We laid our sin and brokenness before Him, and He brought us to a heart of repentance and wholeness filling us with a spirit of healing and redemption. He did not withhold Himself in any way, but poured out His power and love without reservation. Throughout the retreat, times of reflection and journaling provided opportunities to sit alone with God, listening quietly to His voice and asking Him to give us what we need to absorb the Truth of His Word. He used those quiet moments to realign our hearts and minds with Him and to draw us into His presence. Small group discussions also provided opportunities to deepen our understanding of His word and to encourage one another through sharing and prayer. With tears and laughter, women shared their burdens and prayed with conviction for one another. During the closing Concert of Prayer, the Spirit of God moved mightily among us as we lifted our voices to cry out for God’s continued, transforming work in our lives, families, and church community.
Praise only to God our Father for His amazing grace and love that was demonstrated over this weekend. He accomplished something more extraordinary than we could ever have asked or imagined. We witnessed the divine work of the Holy Spirit in individual hearts and within our body of women. He alone deserves the glory, honor and praise!
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with joyful shouting…
The Lord has done great things for us;
We are glad.
~Psalm 126: 2-3
Reflecting on the Women's Retreat...
To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect from the retreat. Fortunately, God did know, and had been preparing me for the retreat,
and the retreat for me...
more...
To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect from the retreat. Fortunately, God did know, and had been preparing me for the retreat,
and the retreat for me. For one thing, even before the opening service began, I was amazed to find that the theme of the retreat was "Head to Heart."
Just a few weeks prior to the retreat, I had noticed a disconnect between my head and my heart, and longed to find a way to connect the two in my life.
Also, throughout the weekend, through worship, the sermons, and the amazing fellowship, God reminded me that I was His daughter.
Even though I had always heard this before, I found that I really didn't know what it meant to be a daughter.
After revealing this truth to me, God started, and continues today, to teach me how to be His daughter. It's a wonderful learning process. :)
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~03.20.07
This was my first retreat since my teens. In the past I was reluctant and always had reasons not to go.
But this year turned out different. My sister Ellen told me she would babysit my kids. So I really didn’t have any reason not to go...
more...
This was my first retreat since my teens. In the past I was reluctant and always had reasons not to go.
But this year turned out different. My sister Ellen told me she would babysit my kids. So I really didn’t have any reason not to go.
Once the decision was made to attend the retreat, I actually looked forward to going. My personal goal for going to the retreat was to reestablish my relationship with God.
Although I didn’t do it intentionally, I put God aside for while.
The retreat was nothing like I expected. We had 1 ½ days of a full and compacted schedule. At first, I was overwhelmed when I looked at the schedule and especially what
time the next morning session began (I am not a morning person so I was a bit concerned). But, the days were not bad at all. I especially liked the self reflection time.
Praying to God one on one in a serene surrounding without any distractions of hectic daily life was truly a blessing experience for me. On Friday night Sharon, our speaker
talked about being a well-watered garden. I realized God and I can have a beautiful lush garden. God is the water which provides the lifeline to the garden.
But if I fail to turn on the sprinkler, the garden becomes arid and eventually dies. God is always there for me, I just need to turn on the water.
When it was time to pack up I didn’t want to go. I felt so much peace and inner joy that I wanted to stay a little longer.
I felt spiritually pampered by the other women who supported and encouraged each other. The retreat for me was like a “Spiritual Health Spa” which I needed.
I didn’t want this feeling to be lost when I returned to my life at home. The retreat was instrumental in placing my desire to continue the walk with God
and was the impetus for me to search and find a bible study group that will help me to have a continuous relationship with God.
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~Christine D., 03.06.07
During my reflection on Saturday morning, I was thinking about how God worked amazingly in HIS WAY from the beginning stages of the retreat,
to all the details, to the very end. I was reminded of how God created the earth so perfectly from the beginning and his covenant with us -
the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ...
more...
During my reflection on Saturday morning, I was thinking about how God worked amazingly in HIS WAY from the beginning stages of the retreat,
to all the details, to the very end. I was reminded of how God created the earth so perfectly from the beginning and his covenant with us -
the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. He is unchanging and unconditionally loving towards undeserving children like us.
It is so evident that we are separated from God because of our sins. I sensed and felt the Spirit's presence with us throughout the retreat.
HE wants us to know that HIS love is overflowing and the gift of eternity is REAL. I was pondering on how "I" can connect the knowledge of
TRUTH given to me and unite my HEART to live it out. God reminded and affirmed me that it'll be done only by the power of Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was pressing my heart and asking me to empty the broken pieces of my life completely, so God can replace and repair with only One - Jesus Christ.
It was a powerful experience to pray together and cry out for repentance of the leakages that are causing a "drought" in us.
God was nudging me to show my brokenness, weakness and vulnerability, so HE only can mend the leakage in me and "water" it.
He called for my total obedience in HIM and a compassionate heart toward HIS daughters who are my sisters-in-Christ.
I'm in awe of his overflowing grace and loving heart for us, HIS daughters. I thank and praise our Father in Heaven!
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~Mindy S., 03.05.07
What a delight it was to be in the presence of our loving Father! Throughout the entire retreat weekend, I felt like Mary,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, being fed & soaking up all that was offered to me, thoroughly reveling in the truth of His word...
more...
What a delight it was to be in the presence of our loving Father! Throughout the entire retreat weekend, I felt like Mary,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, being fed & soaking up all that was offered to me, thoroughly reveling in the truth of His word
that I am so dearly loved by our Holy God. I was so blessed to be affirmed once again that I am valued as His precious daughter;
that regardless of what I have to offer to Him, he can use me in His grand epic to reveal His glory to this world.
He is the mighty God who can restore my brokenness to wholeness, change my sorrow to joy, and transform my sense of unworthiness
to security and hope, as He pours His living water in my life. I thank God who so lovingly provided this opportunity for me to
leave behind all the "busyness" and be still before Him, allowing me to reflect on who He is and celebrate who I am in Him.
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~Sherry L., 03.02.07
This retreat was a testimony to the power of God’s hand at work in our lives. I witnessed the union of different women together in one mind and spirit.
Although God spoke to every woman in the way that was specialized for her heart...
more...
This retreat was a testimony to the power of God’s hand at work in our lives. I witnessed the union of different women together in one mind and spirit.
Although God spoke to every woman in the way that was specialized for her heart, the unifying factor was His presence in and among us!
I was so drawn into the study of bible characters, narrations, and truth that our speaker shared. In turn, I was able to internalize those messages
to find the practice-point for my life during the reflection and journaling time. And to hear others share during the small group time was a tremendous blessing for me.
The concert of prayer to close our retreat was a great harmony of voices professing and confessing the goodness of our Lord and Savior.
I am awed by the loving hand that was upon us this weekend!
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~Catherina L., 02.28.07
Would you like to share your "Retreat Reflections"? Send an email to Eunice at wechu@hotmail.com
