This past weekend was our annual women's retreat to Edisto Beach. This is an event that I take great joy and pleasure in planning and preparing for each year. This year was no exception and I anxiously waited to see what God had planned for this group of His daughters that were gathering together this year. There was a total of seven women and one sweet little seven month old baby girl named Piper.
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| Sweet Piper on the beach |
God blessed us abundantly with safe travel and good weather. The beach house met our needs perfectly with a large kitchen and plenty of room to relax, talk and play games. One of our favorite spots was the screened porch on the side of the house where we would often congregate to hang out together. A couple of the high points for me was spending time in worship on Sunday morning. The Lord's presence was sweet as He ministered to our hearts as we worshipped Him and shared in communion together. The second high point was Sunday afternoon playing the game Taboo. I didn't know that it was humanely possible to laugh that much for such an extended period of time, but that is exactly what we did!
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| Deena enjoying the sand and the sun |
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| Peggy was distracted from her reading |
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| My beautiful daughter Clara |
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| Kathey, my long time friend |
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| Piper with her lovely mom, Sloan |
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| Stephanie & Deena just met this weekend, but a new friendship was formed |
I was usually up before dawn to walk along the beach, watch the sunrise and spend time in prayer. For me, there is something so completely magnificent about watching the ocean and reflecting on God's amazing creation. I am often overwhelmed not only by the vastness and power of the ocean itself, but also the knowledge that the water right in front of me is teeming with all sorts of life. The variances and complexities of it all is a beautiful reminder of how great and awesome is the God that I serve.
Early on Saturday morning, as I was walking, I noticed a man with his dog walking along the edge of the water. The man had some sort of red stick that he would throw out into the water and as soon as it left the his hand, the dog went racing out to retrieve it. It did not matter where the stick landed, the dog would swim out to get it and bring it right back to his master's feet, tail wagging and ready to go again. I watched the two as this action was repeated over and over, and the dog and his owner seemed to be enjoying every part of the game. As I was about to continue my walk, I felt there was something more the Lord wanted me to see, so I asked Him what it was that He was showing me. He told me that he wanted me to go after whatever He put in front of me with the same energy and attitude that I saw exhibited in that dog, and whenever I am able to grab hold of whatever He is giving me, there will always be more. I pray that you too will "fetch" whatever God has for you, and move ahead with joy and excitement that not only did He choose you for this task, but He always, always has more!
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| Treasures found on my early morning walks at the beach |
God worked in us and through us to form new friendships, strengthen old ones and bind us more closeley together as sisters. We laughed, we cried, we relaxed and ate way too much food. We soaked in His presence individually and collectively, and our time together is permanently stamped on our hearts. May His name be praised forever for all that He has done and continues to do!
