Exhaustion--the GOOD kind!!!!

I think I promised pictures of the ladies retreat...so, I have a few here to share...there are more...I'm not a great photographer...but perhaps you can form an idea!
I am officially tired!! Of course, it is the really good kind of tired!

This ladies retreat happened Saturday, April 18. It was the end-product of 17 months of planning by a team that God blessed me with the privilege of working with, from area churches. The common denominator in the churches was our church camp, Oil Belt, and this event is an annual affair for women.

The weather was absolutely a God-send...perfect, no rain, sun shining...and the temperature was just right!!! What a great spring day!

Most of our team, and most of our presenters are in this picture...

Our team of 12 (including me) worked together, meeting each month, for about 2-3 hours each time, to plan this retreat. These women live within a 50 mile radius of this camp. So, meetings were an effort for them, some drove close to an hour! These are women that were such a gift to me, such a gift to work with, and proved to be SUCH a gift for the day, and to the women who attended! Each of these worked in the area of their gifted-ness and this always amazes me about the body of Christ, how He meshes our gifts together to make something absolutely gorgeous!!

We offered two main sessions with a worship team, which was made up of people from 4 different churches up to 4-1/2 hours apart...and practiced only once all together at the sound check Saturday morning!--but sounded awesome!

Our main speaker, Lynn Reece spoke to our hearts, inspired us on so many levels! Explained that we cannot amputate our past from our destiny! And, encouraged us to make some girlfriends!

We also offered 12 workshops (they could choose 4). Some of us on the planning team also presented workshops...those were: organizing your life, raising Godly children, 'nest' changes (I presented this one), contentment, small things that make a big difference. We put our heads together and found people we knew to present: Women's ministry interests in 2 parts: starting and maintaining women's ministry and offering Bible studies for women, plus: marriage, hospitality in your home, 'single-ness', self-defense for women, missions and world view and ministry after retirement.

Each of the women who presented these workshops were such a delight to meet and get to know. They blessed the ones they spoke to in such unique ways!!! The 'self-defense' team empowered the women they met to defend themselves!--How fun, and unique, but also a 'niche' in today's world....it was good we were able to offer this choice!

Isaiah 43:19....'See, I'm doing a new thing...now it springs up!' was our theme for the day. Because, this event needed 'something new' to happen to 'revive it, to make it a quality event for women to actually feel like they wanted to 'not miss it'!!!

This picture shows the details in the dining area for each place! Very talented decorating team!

After 17 months of praying over it, planning it, and then carrying it out--IT WAS WORTH IT!!! God truly blessed our effort at honoring Him with the day! He is a good God, and I give Him all the praise for the good that happened yesterday...

My prayer is for the women of our area, there were 316 gathered by the way!, were inspired to live more deliberately for our God, who does not amputate our past from our destiny in Him! He uses it, to bring glory & honor back to Himself! That those women were also inspired to get to know each other--to make 'girlfriends'!!!

Somehow, this picture made it here twice, and a couple of others I really wanted to share didn't...so, I'll investigate, and get it right!

I feel like I made 316 'new' girlfriends yesterday, I think I'll write them a note with confetti in it, or at least write them a note to say 'hi, and thanks for coming'! I'll do that, right after I take a nap!

I'm SO tired, ready to rest, and then get back to ministry...what ever that looks like to our God!!!