Post retreat...

It's pouring rain, coming down in buckets instead of drops.

Soon the colorful trees will be stripped naked, all but the towering old growth evergreens around our home.

 I feel warm, cozy and wrapped up in love.

I didn't know how much I needed it,

this weekend retreat with the women from our church.

We ate too much.

Oh, the food was so, so good.

We stayed up late and slept too little.

We sat around in our pajamas talking and laughing,

then went to bed and lay there in the dark talking and laughing some more.

We sang and worshipped together, we heard the Word taught together,

we prayed together, we cried together.

It was glorious.

My spirit was nurtured by this time with my friends, these beautiful women, my sisters in Christ.

(Thank you to all who read this post, who prayed for me and prayed about our retreat.

It made a difference.)

***************

I’ve taken the Joy Dare.

I’m counting one thousand thanks in one year.

I hunt for thanksgiving using the prompts Ann gives us each month.

If you are interested in joining in, click the link above or at the bottom of this post.

I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal…

#2415-#2435

a gift silent-

-my home office in the morning quiet

a gift still-

-my heart as I trust God to bring the details together for our ladies' retreat

a gift strong-

-a drenching downpour

3 gifts begun-

-a new Precepts Bible study

-morning coffee at the desk in my home office, starting on today's to-do list

-a new day

3 gifts accomplished-

-Bible study prep done

-ladies' retreat prep done

-Sunday's message done

3 gifts extravagant-

-His love

-His grace

-His blessings

a gift humbling-

-admitting my need for relationships

a gift honoring-

-each time I get to stand before people and teach God's Word

a gift happy-

-laughing long and late with the other ladies at retreat

3 gifts in Christ-

-our church family

-the whole body of Christ from every tribe and tongue

-His Spirit

Gratefully yours,