Friday, February 26, 2010

Retreat

We had our annual Women's retreat last weekend, it was an awesome weekend filled with laughter, tears, hurts and hopes. Dan asked me what I thought was the main thing I took away from the retreat.

I felt like there was a linking of arms.
Throughout the whole weekend I saw and overheard conversations all sharing the same theme. Empowering, encouragement, and hope.
I saw women who have gone through tremendous struggles and pain and have come out the other side with healing and power for whats next. I saw these women coming along side others who are hurt and in pain and they were lifting them up and empowering them to keep going.
I felt like God was showing us how powerful we are together, when we link arms and push each other forward we have so much strength!
I saw how our words are literally life and death to each other.
What it means when we encourage and lift each other up, brings hope and life to one another. And unfortunately when we hurt and are angry with our words it brings destruction and death.
This weekend I saw so many women reaching out and linking arms, giving hope to one another! So amazing, I was so blessed by it!

4 comments:

Sarah said...

So true Alyssa. I was so encouraged by seeing so many women coming together, forming new bonds and strengthening old ones. Glad we got to finally talk sans kids too!!:) Thanks for your interest in my life! I appreciate you a ton!

Jenna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jenna said...

Alyssa, I still have my blue feedback card folded up in my journal. I don't think it's supposed to be there anymore - I'm pretty sure we were supposed to turn those in to someone...
Anywho, all I wrote on it was, "My favorite thing about the retreat is that I went back to it."
I don't mean Mt. Shasta or our inn or my room ...but the life-giving environment all you women had cultivated there. I'm not ashamed to say that I needed that and am very glad I went back to it. Mid-retreat, or mid-normal-mundane week, all women need a place like that... a place so life-giving that it draws them back... a place they really CAN return to... (Granted, sometimes it takes a little more humility to admit that, and to ACTUALLY go back. But that's what I did that weekend. And that's why it was my favorite thing). Thank you so much for your heart and service in helping that happen at the retreat...

Kari Q. said...

ok, I am a bit jealous of what sounds like such an amazing community of woman you have surrounding you. I am also a bit sad because I truly miss your discipleship in my life, you are a woman after Christ's heart that I miss so dearly. Yet I am so grateful that God has landed you in Redding to minister and be ministered to. Love you friend!