Girls Getaway
These are my precious Bible study ladies that God has loved on me sooo much and blessed me with!
Good monday evening. It’s Monday night.. bout 9:18 to be exact and I am in my just finished going on a walk in the humid TN weather stinky clothes and thought I would sit down and write a blog post real quick. Good thing the computer is not scratch and sniff. First wanted to talk about GIRLS getaway and Giggles with the precious Bible study ladies I pictured above.We are all different. We all have different walks of life. Among us : moms & wives, dental hygentist, hospital registration person, newspaper ad seller, counselor, craftmaker/beautiful stain glass window maker and many more titles and job descriptions. All ages from 20ish to 60ish. All different churches. All different spiritual gifts, worship styles, ways of relating to Jesus– but all one thing in common. We are crazy about loving us some Jesus.
This weekend we had our annual retreat at an amazing lakehouse. It was such a blessing. through giggles, games and worship God showed up! But I was not suprised. He always does when we get together. EVERY thursday I get the joy of teaching this group. Not all our pictured above. How cool is God. Our group that started out as 4 is about 20 now if everyone comes. God took our little and has done alot. We have sent out missionaries from our group to : south africa, japan, jamaica, honduras, china, nepal, india, bolivia, turkey and a few other places. God takes our little and does ALOT! I cannot believe God lets me teach these ladies every Thursday night for the past almost 2 years. I love how real we are with eachother.. God created us to not walk alone, but together .. in community. It takes work. It takes love.. His grace.. His face.. His favor.. but community is WORTH It. Giggles, grace and gratitude permeate our little group.. and I just have to thank God for it! Every week we commit to bring our REAL and take the masks off and we leave RADIANT.
I wonder how have you found community? How has God blessed you with that? Or can I pray for you to find community?
Now.. i am linked up with www.findingheaventoday.blogspot.com and with www.aholyexperience.com which I had the privilidge of hearing Ann speak at She Speaks. Her basic idea is to write the 1,000 gifts God has gifted you with. So I am starting this Monday. Going to list a few….
1. The blessing of community
2. This past weekend jumping in the lake with my twin sister at midnight just because we could still pretend to be like little kids
3. laughing so hard you hiccup for hours later
4. Cinnamon rolls (homemade ones) on ladies retreats
5. The fact that two men came on our ladies retreat simply to cook and clean so we woman did not have to
6. getting to see clients as a counselor
7. Having a coffee date wtih my daddy tommorow
8. Driving home with the sister from retreat knowing we NEVER get tired of eachother!
9. Pandora on the internet
10. Playing cornhole.. even though I was horrible at it.
11. communion!
What are your 1,000 gifts? How can I be praying for you this week?
Jenn,
A couple years ago, I had a tight, tight group of girlfriends. Oh, when I think about the experiences we shared, I get overwhelmed. Births, deaths, sick kids, depression…
So jealous (in a good way!) of your retreat.
You are so blessed to have a community like that. I was part of a great community a few years ago but then with moving cities I lost the community (I still keep in touch on the phone and visit many of them but it is not the same). I am trying to find a new one now and so wish I had one like I had back then. It is truly a blessing.
I love, love, love community. I love my intimate group of friends who come over to pray and I love this gathering at Finding Heaven. God works so amazingly through us being gathered together!
Jen. I have been so blessed by the community on your blog already.. what a blessing it has been to me. I am loving reading the post and especially loving getting to read yours! And Amy isn't it amazing to have those tight friends.. !
I want to come to your study. I am eight months into a move to Chicago and am finding it very hard to find community in the city. The blogging community has helped to fill the gap . . . but it is lacking "flesh." I am keeping my eyes open, but would love your prayer.
Fondly,
Glenda
Stopping by from Ann's site today! Just wanted to take a minute to welcome you to the journey of multitudes! It's sure to encourage you and bless your heart! And what better way to start than fresh off of a ladies retreat! I'm almost a little bit jealous of you because I could use one of those myself!
Jenn, sounds like a powerful group and experience! I spent three years as a pastor with my husband in a rural town with little to no community (in the sense of, close friends)…so now I appreciate every bit of it! The lack of community previously challenges me now to open up and make the most of friendships, especially Jesus-centered ones!