Retreating

Today is day three after the end of the third annual Godly Girlfriend's first retreat of the year. The weekend's music floats and dances and sways in my head. The tunes weave from song to song: "You're a good, good father...Holy Spirit you are welcome here...I am not alone...Break every chain...Worthy is the lamb. Worthy. Worthy."

This tired old historian, blogger, photographer arrived at the campground with too many rock hard cares in her chest. After a few snaps of the camera, I decided to experience the weekend in a personal way instead of through a camera lens.

Here's the story of the weekend through the lens of mostly other retreaters, with their permission to share:

The Full Definition of retreat (from Merriam Webster)

1. 1a (1) :  an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable (2) :  the process of receding from a position or state attained <the retreat of a glacier>b (1) :  the usually forced withdrawal of troops from an enemy or from an advanced position(2) :  a signal for retreatingc (1) :  a signal given by bugle at the beginning of a military flag-lowering ceremony (2) :  a military flag-lowering ceremony
2. 2:  a place of privacy or safety :  refuge
3. 3:  a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director

That is exactly what we did. We withdrew to a place of privacy and safety to a place free of the difficult, dangerous, and disagreeable.  The retreat focus was really, warfare. We learned to wear our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) with effectiveness and grace and beauty and victory. Deborah from the Book of Judges (Judges 4 and 5)  was our model. 

Once again we did what girlfriends do when we are together. We travelled together. We ate together. We shopped together. We created together. We laughed and cried and encouraged and prayed. We connected with old friends and made new ones. Our cups overflowed and we drank deeply from the well of His love.

Preparations are already in the works for the next retreats:

August 19-20, 2016 Teen Retreat at Butman Camp, in Merkel Texas

October 14-15, 2016 Ladies Retreat at Beulah Beach Camp in Vermillion, Ohio

Come and be refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated in a place of safety.

God is Your Protector

Today we heard from one of our North Dakota Godly Girlfriends, Heidi, with a story about her five year old warrior princess, Gracie: 

Girls! My 5 yr. old GRACIE told me about her day today - get this!!! 

She said "I played Godly Girlfriends at lunch today!" 

I asked, "How do you play that?"  

"Well, I stand on the slide and yell 'God is my protector' !"

On my gosh!! How precious is that???

My cup runneth over! 

I am constantly reminded of God's love through my girls. 

And to think that when I leave for retreats 

and such, that I think about my girls missing me, and I debate whether or not to go.

I realize that I am impacting 

them in ways I had no idea!!! I was so blown away with Gracie's game!! 

She told me, "The other girls play Monster High, Mom, but not me.

Sometimes I just play alone, but sometimes my friends join me."

Out of the mouth of a 5 year old! Spread the news!!

Godly Girlfriends is working and you are changing hearts!!! Young and old!

 Can't you just imagine Gracie all decked out in her pink armor (that is toboggan, gloves, jacket, and boots) standing firm at the top of the cold, icy slide, shaking her fist in that monster's face.
"I am NOT afraid! GOD is MY Protector. I will not FEAR!"

 What about us? What do we do when we stand at the top of this sometimes slippery slope called life? Can we shake our fist in the face of monsters who have names like fear, and disappointment, and rejection, and pain, and loss, and worry, and choose to play alone exhaling warmth from the bottom of our lungs, and yell as loud as we can, "GOD IS MY PROTECTOR".  And really believe it.

GOD. IS. MY. PROTECTOR.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior: my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. (Psalm 18;2)

Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy. (Psalm 98:4)

GOD IS YOUR PROTECTOR!

Thanks, Heidi, for sharing.

Make your plans to attend the next Godly Girlfriends Retreat. It's all about a Warrior Woman named, Deborah. And it's all about empowering us to know without a single doubt that 

God is our Protector

See you soon.

One Word Testimonies

The KING is ENTHRALLED with your Beauty

(Psalm 45:11)

 Godly Girlfriends Texas Retreat met at Beautiful Camp Butman, Merkel Texas for a Night with THE KING.

We have a few one word testimonies about the retreat.

Reunion

Sacrifice

Freedom

Re-filling

Blessed

Royalty

Enthralled

 Truth

Heartfelt

Moms & Daughters

Sisters

And More Sisters

Surrender

(Signing Class)

Victory

 Laughter

The Wrong King

 & 

The Lost Sister

Crafts

 and Shopping

What more could a girl ask for - 

shopping, crafting, laughing, eating, singing, dancing,  a sleep-over, and playing dress-up!

But more than anything, we heard over and over how our KING is enthralled, delighted, attracted, ravished, by our beauty. We heard and believed that we, like the orphan turned Queen Esther are also chosen for such a time as this. 

We believed that we are HIS princesses. 

We worshipped HIM. 

We spent time in HIS presence. 

And we surrendered to OUR KING.

Who is this KING OF GLORY?

 The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

(Psalm 24:8)

He is enthralled by YOUR beauty, too.