Ladies Retreat in FULL

It makes me emotional to think very much about it.  First of all I want to thank a TON of people for donating items for door prizes and place settings!! I was in charge of these things with a very tight budget. Our Ladies Bible Class took up a donation of about $100 total for prizes.  Most I found were around $5-$7 at Hobby Lobby and discount stores like Ross and TJ Maxx as well as dollar section at Target.  It was quite a challenge to find items that a woman of any age and pesonality would enjoy but I believe The Lord blessed me in this endeavor and made it really fun. I especially want to thank two people for making items and sending them across the US to donate! First of all Nicky Dear Nicole on ETSY. You can find her shop here and follow her blog here.   I am enclosing a pic of the lady who won the BEAUTIFUL necklace she made! I also have bought banners for my wreath on my door from her. SO CUTE! I also want to think Mrs. Tina Sperry, whom I went to highschool and church with in my younger years. I have one of these super cool key fobs and you need one too! You can find them here!  I also had many friends who own their own business donate items from Mary Kay (Mistie Brashier), Scentsy(Mary Katherine Kotara), Thirty One & It Works (Tiffiany Burgess), and my friend TC who sells hair products gave a HUGE amount of samples of great stuff like TIGI, Tea Tree, etc. as well as my friend Judy Price donating a large amount of perfume samples from Dijor and Jenelle Hanks for Dove samples all of which went at the table settings.  THANK YOU!!!

I am also enclosing a pic of my dear friend Denise, and some of the most wonderful women that I admire and have gotten to know, Mrs. Nora Koph and Mrs. Ruth Williams. I often tell Nora that she is who I want to be when I grow up! Her voice and smile just set me at ease.  I have always felt drawn to her and we have a lot in common. Each of these women have a gift for speaking. Ruth makes me not afraid to age and I loved hearing more of 'her story' and relating to her as well. Denise and I go back to the young married living in Dallas days. We were in the same small group there and then she and her husband moved to Lubbock a month after us! We have two children the same age and shared so much of the fear and happiness involved in being pregnant at the same time! She has four children. The most recent precious girl you can read about here

If you went to that link you will understand why she was asked to speak at a Retreat entitled, A Beautiful Heart.  Not only has she dealt first hand on the intricacy of how important the organ is, but I have NEVER met someone with a more Beautiful heart and that is just the truth. I can't ever tell her how I feel about her in person or I turn to a blubbery mess. I have never heard a negative thought or word out of this girl's mouth AND she has a great sense of humor and is super fun!!! A rare combination.  I am honored to call her my friend. 

All three did an incredible job and tears were shed as each one of them spoke. A truly moving retreat to say the least.  We also had so much fun with activities. We made scarves out of t-shirts, healing lotion, recieved back massages by a our sweet certified masooose (Sp?) Jesse, made encouraging window clings, and recieved heart healthy food and recipes as well as date  night ideas. We had wonderful catered meals and desserts.

The women in my church have blessed me in SO many countless ways. I wish everyone could have the kind of support and encouragement and accountablility I recieve regularly from them. I am surrounded by amazing examples of God's Love and service in ways I have never seen before becoming apart of this church family.  I am not aware of everyone who might be reading this but if you do not have this in your life you need it. I don't know how people make it through hard stuff without it.  You may have to make the effort of becoming involved but that is not hard and once you walk through the door, you can't beat it.  I know HE exisits. I see him in all the complicated artwork of nature and I feel him tugging on my emotion. But I believe women need women to cope with life!  The good times too!  I struggle with having faith sometimes. I get caught up in myself. I get caught up in how I think things should be. Sometimes I forget that there might be more to it than I can see. I love that we are at all different places in life and in our walk and because of this there are people who have been where I have been and can encourage me to keep going.  I feel Him more in those circumstances than any other. He talked through several women to reach me about various things this weekend. No not like magic or people being posessed. But ' just the right words at just the right time'. That happens TOO OFTEN to be coincidental! 

On a lighter note, my friend Ashley did all the decorations along with Kerri who made several of the wooden signs and it was like we were at a high dollar hotel or something!  YES those are fish who are color coordinated swimming in those jars/vases. What a refreshing weekend!

Here are some more pics of worship and fellowship times.