As a teenager, I loved to go to summer church camp retreats. It was a week-long experience for both boys and girls, staying in bunkhouses at Bastrop State Park. We had classes, cookouts, and quiet time in the evenings. I looked forward to it every year.
My peak experience came one afternoon during the time we spent making “art” pieces. I wasn’t much interested in making things. So, I wandered away by myself into the woods. I sat down on the edge of a cliff and looked up into the sky. To my amazement, the clouds parted and what looked like a face appeared.
The wind was blowing, and it sounded like someone talking to me. So, I asked, “Is that you, God?” In response, it seemed that answers began flooding into my mind as I sat there and had my very own conversation with God. It was a beautiful experience, and I actually felt myself starting to make plans for my life. Time seemed to stand still, and it felt like the entire conversation took only a few minutes. However, later when the group found me, they told me I had been gone for over two hours! It was a divine experience.
The Heart Of A Woman
The memory of that experience is a key reason why I love the Women’s Retreats with my soul sisters here at Unity Church of the Hills. This theme for this year’s retreat is The Heart Of A Woman. For me, the annual weekend retreats allow me an opportunity to replicate and recapture this peak experience. I love getting away, meditating, talking with friends at a leisurely pace, no rush, nowhere to go or nothing to be, except our authentic selves.
Each year, we have always had very inspiring speakers. Additionally, we meet and make new friends, have generous meditation time, and enjoy eating together and sharing with one another. Sometimes we cry together, but even in the midst of potentially challenging or sad experiences, the tears are always joyful tears.
Some of us find ourselves making new plans for our lives, as our hearts and minds are open and receptive to the urgings of Spirit. In these retreat experiences, Spirit is very much present in all of our activities. We inspire one another by sharing our hearts and minds openly with no reservations, no holding back. In this safe space, we feel ourselves becoming vulnerable to each other as our open hearts spill over with joy and gladness. There is always a high degree of willingness to share our thoughts, hopes, dreams, and prayers for our lives.
Music For The Soul
This year, our women’s retreat will include a very special addition to the experience. Stowe Good will not only be our speakers, but they will also be performing some of their inspirational music throughout the weekend. Live music, not recorded music! I don’t know about you, but for me, music and singing are beautiful experiences. They add a vital enhancement to any and every retreat I have ever attended. Music opens the heart like nothing else does, allowing us to become very present not only with
In addition to the music and the soul refreshing experience of a retreat, I also love traveling. I have been all over Europe, the US, Mexico, and on several cruises. I have experienced many of the beautiful sights the world has to offer. Some of my favorites have been the museums in Paris, castles in Germany, beaches on the Mediterranean, the Swiss Alps, and almost anything in Italy, except for the trains.
A Special Invitation Just For You
Out of everything I have experienced in my world travels, nothing is better than the women’s retreats. There is no dragging luggage around, walking miles through airports, or getting squeezed into a middle seat on a plane. While I enjoy vacations, they can be exhausting. But, a retreat with my soul sisters here at Unity Church of the Hills is always a refreshing, revitalizing experience for the heart and the soul.
I am excited for this year’s time together, and I invite each one of you ladies to join us October 11-13 for “The Heart Of A Woman” experience at Summer’s Mill Retreat and Conference Center in Belton. I promise that it will not only be enjoyable, but I also guarantee it to be a time of inspiration, healing, connection and just good old fun.
If you have been desiring some time just for you, then I am confident the women’s retreat is the kind of experience you are seeking. There is space for you, and a soft bed awaits you in a charming cottage with your own kitchen. At the end of the day’s activities, having a peaceful place to rest and relax is a balm to the soul that is not to be missed. I invite you to join us, and we look forward to sharing this peak, soul experience with you. For details and to register, go here.
See you there sweet sisters.
