Monday, March 30, 2015
Beanbags, PBJ's, and Trees
Assuming all of us had an incredible time this past weekend connecting with people and and growing closer with our incredible Heavenly Father, what is something specific that you came away with from the retreat? It can be something specific God revealed to you or simply an experience where you had a truly uplifting time (elaborate please). Also on top of that, what is the first thing you were compelled to share with your friends when you got back from the trip? If you haven't shared to anyone what you experienced, I encourage you to do so! :)
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God challenged me in my friendships. He showed me how my view of friendship was narrow and near-sighted, and then He opened my eyes to see that I do in fact have more healthy relationships than I thought. However, I know that I need to give up thinking I can control the growth and direction of my friendships and instead invest in the people I am friends with and not the friendship itself. Its not about me, rather friendship should be centered on love which at its core is others-focused.
ReplyDeleteAs for what I shared with others... How sore and tired I was! But really, the hikes and climbing as well as the vulnerability and encouragement were the important parts of the retreat for me. The physical activity and being in nature plus the close-knit community were two things I hadn't realized that I had needed but two things that truly blessed me.
I left feeling I was on the upward again in my relationship with God. Things have been hard lately with God involving doubts, questions, and flawed foundational views of God. The retreat helped me remember that though I have the rhythm down (devotionals, passion, etc.), I have to listen in close to the one who wrote the music to that rhythm in the first place. My view on God has become distorted without me even noticing it. Once I was back on campus, this insight was the first thing I shared with my friends. They knew of my struggling relationship with God, so it was great to share with them this new sense of awareness I had received. The retreat shed light on who God really is in my life and getting back to the basics is what is important in my life right now.
ReplyDeleteThe entire weekend in itself was just an incredible experience for me. I realized just how important Spiritual Disciplines are and that I need to implement them in my life way more than do at this point. There were so many things that I shared with people when I got back! I felt connected to people that I never thought I would be connected with and I felt like I left that retreat with so many more friends than I have had in a while. I really enjoyed getting to know people better, the different experiences that we all shared, and just being with a group of wonderful Christians was really refreshing. I told my friends and family both almost every detail of my weekend because almost every second was just that amazing for me.
ReplyDeleteThe retreat left me feeling slightly angry, but only because it was over. Through much reflection, I have come to realize that my anger stemmed from not having implemented retreat-like activities into my daily spiritual life. While on retreat, sure it was a personal struggle to not think about all of the assignments for school that I could have been doing, but in the midst of all that, time had somewhat froze. It was beautiful to be in the midst of God's nature, where everything was so silent, and yet God was so loud! I get excited just writing about it. Therefore, my anger was a symbol to show that I truly do long for God to speak, and when I give Him the time and space to do so, He does--why then, do I not spiritually feast every single day? When I returned, the first thing I shared with friends and family, besides all of the lovely pictures, was our morning and evening prayer sheet. I found the prayers to be simple, yet powerful. Those whom I have shared with not only agreed, but began to pray them with me. I am thankful.
ReplyDeleteSomething specific that I came away with from the retreat was an amazing feeling of community. I tend to be one who leans toward working through things alone and the small groups ended up being incredibly beneficial to me. I loved them so much and getting to really know everyone. It opened my eyes to what true Christian community looked like and because I don't want to lose that sense of community, I find myself trying harder to really get to know those around me and be open. It has been incredibly beautiful to see how what we did on that retreat has changed my outlook and my interactions with others. Also, the first thing that I wanted to share with others about the trip was probably ziplining. lol. Once that excitement was out of the way, I talked about how beautiful the trip was spiritually and aesthetically. I explained how we sat in God's nature and did the spiritual disciplines and how amazing that was. =)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the retreat was truly an incredible experience. The first thing that I shared with friends about the retreat was that I felt exhausted physically, but rested spiritually. I walked away from the retreat feeling a true sense of community. As much as that word is thrown around at MVNU, this retreat was a true example of it. The conversations that were had at the retreat didn't just stay there, but followed us all back to campus. God showed me the need I have for solitude in my life and truly separating myself to spend time with Him. What a blessed time it was.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved going on this retreat, but I came away from this experience with a sense of peace about life. I was so apprehensive about so many things and going on this retreat and being present with others regardless of what stresses may have been going on at home and on campus, helped me to just breathe. This year has been one of the hardest that I have had in a long time, but being around all of you amazing people was a safe harbor and an eye-opening experience for me. I am so blessed to have you all in my life and I am so glad that the friendships didn't end when the trip did. I do not have to endure life alone and I now understand just how true my friends are and that really love me. God will not leave me alone. He is with me in the hardest times and he sends angels disguised as my classmates to bring comfort and encouragement. Thank you all so much.
ReplyDeleteI came away from the retreat with a sense that something within me had changed. My favorite experience of the entire retreat and the one that was what I told my friends about when I got back, was the time that we spent in small groups. I have been an avid hater of small groups for almost my entire life. I have always found them to be superficial and unnecessary things that people do to make it seem like the people on the retreat have actually learned something. This was another experience entirely. I loved every minute of our small groups and what they did for me was inexplainable. I have never had a group of women be so open and honest about their fears, struggles, and thoughts. It was an amazing God filled experience that has not only brought me closer to Christ and given me opportunities to put to use what i learned, but also gave me friendships that i have been longing for since i got to college.
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