Retreats used to scare me.  But now I’m a big fan.  Here’s how it happened…

Did you read about my retreat disasters in Part 1? One unfortunate retreat event can happen to anyone, but after putting together the pieces and seeing that I had an uncanny number of things go wrong, I realized that it was not coincidence.  God never wastes an experience.  My series of retreat disasters twenty years ago have served great purpose in helping us plan retreats today that women are not afraid to attend!

Lessons learned from Disaster #1: Invisible

Got Godly friends? A girl needs Christian friends to encourage and keep her focused on what’s most important in life~ pursuing God.  And Crossline women are THE BEST! I have never encountered more genuine women who have a sincere interest in building up and encouraging each other.  No one should ever experience the feeling of being an outsider or invisible like I felt at that first retreat I attended years ago. That’s why we have the rule that we don’t save seats at Crossline retreats. We make an effort to sit next to someone new throughout the weekend.  When everyone is friendly, it sets a tone for inclusiveness that makes it fun for all of us. Our retreat weekends are fun, meaningful and bonding and I love to watch God connect the hearts of women, as we become fast friends.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11

 

Lessons learned from Disaster #2: Where do you want me to sleep?

I’ll just say it straight up:  You will not have to share a bed at our retreat!  Everyone gets her own bed. And you get to choose your roommates.  If you want the blessing of meeting new friends, let us know that you would like to room with someone new. You can even opt to room with an old friend and a new one~ one is silver and the other gold ~ both precious. And you could go home with a life long retreat friend like my Brenda 🙂

“Love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

Lessons learned from Disaster #3: The Unexpected

We cannot prevent the unexpected, but we can pray for God’s provision, His protection and His blessing upon our retreat. Every year when we begin planning, I tell our amazing team that the most important “work” we do is to pray.  We have an incredible prayer team that begins praying for our retreat months in advance and prays for you~ and your family, as soon as you register.  Rest securely while you are away from home, knowing that God has you and your precious family safely in His care. Oh~ and I must share with you the blessings I experienced when I had to leave the retreat so many years ago because my son was hospitalized.  I received first hand the blessing that comes from being covered in prayer.  Not only did the women at the retreat begin praying for Brad, one new friend supported us by bringing meals and encouragement for the remainder of his illness. She is one of my dearest friends today and a constant reminder of God’s goodness, even in unexpected and difficult circumstances.

“Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do  not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

Lessons learned from Disaster #4: All tears, No giggles

Not too heavy, not too soft, like Goldilocks, we are striving for “just right.” A meaningful retreat weekend is a mixture of moments that tug at your heart and those that bring you to laughter.  We plan for plenty of  fun, but we also pray that our hearts are tender and open to receive a special touch from God. Our goal and prayer is to grow closer to the Lord and go home encouraged and inspired to live for Him.

“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8

I am a retreat convert.  And if you are not one already, I pray you will become one, too. There is really nothing more valuable than taking a weekend away from the routines of everyday life to draw close to God and invest in Godly,encouraging friendships. By the way, have I mentioned how excited I am about our retreat this year?! Lisa Harper will be our guest speaker, we are retreating at the lovely Murrieta Hot Springs Conference Center, Reveal is our worship band (!) and you can even purchase cute retreat clothes (tanks, tees and a neon colored hoodie)  with our Heartline logo, which we are selling to raise money for scholarships. You do NOT want to miss out! Hop on over to women.crosslinechurch.com to register and order your retreat clothes. I can’t wait to see you there!