"He will turn our mourning into dancing!" (Jer. 31:13) This weekend I had the privilege of attending a women's retreat. The attendees were primarily women from one of our church's 2 campuses. We played, we prayed, we laughed, we cried (oh, how we cried, in a fashion that only women will do with other women!), we heard amazing testimonies...demons were slayed ~thank-you, Jesus!!!!!~ breakthroughs were granted, masks were taken off and nailed to the cross of Christ; captives were set free; healing began in the lives of several women, including yours truly.
However, at the same time, we learned that our precious, beautiful friend and sister-in-Christ who started the children's ministry program at our church, lost her 2nd child to miscarriage. Also, Pastor Steve Berger and his beautiful wife and family, lost their 19-year old son, Josiah, in a tragic car accident on his 19th birthday. Unbeknownst to his family, Josiah recently signed an organ donor card. He now walks on streets of gold with his Master, while his physical body literally saved 5 lives from earthly death. Also, the transplant team reported that 77 (the number of our Master) people would either be saved from death or their lives would be dramatically transformed because of Josiah's death. Please take time to click here for the worship at Pastor Bergers church yesterday. If you don't want to listen for the entire hour to the praise and worship music, please fast forward to 54:36 and listen to what Steve and his wife spoke over their congregation about their champion, Josiah. You will be blessed beyond imagination, and you will be reminded of God's goodness, His faithfulness,and His love no matter the outward circumstances surrounding our lives.
My emotions are raw; my head is splitting; my heart literally physically hurts; and emotionally I am spent. Yet, I hope in the Lord, I rest in the Lord! I pray for the Berger family and the congregation at Grace Chapel; and I pray for the women who have begun their new journey in life called "freedom in Christ". I pray that what God has begun to do in my life will continue until completion, and that I will continue discovering the pieces of the puzzle of certain facets of my life, how they all fit together, and how God can use my mess to truly become His message.
I covet your prayers, and would love to know your prayer requests, so i can pray for you, as well.
Choose to be blessed today, and find a way to bless someone else.
Enjoy the photos below of our retreat and of some of my "pearls". Also, enjoy the poem written by my beautiful friend, Melissa Irwin, who shared her testimony this weekend and subsequently penned the words as a tribute to those of us on the retreat. Also, please visit her blog and let her know you were sent by me.
I love you,
However, at the same time, we learned that our precious, beautiful friend and sister-in-Christ who started the children's ministry program at our church, lost her 2nd child to miscarriage. Also, Pastor Steve Berger and his beautiful wife and family, lost their 19-year old son, Josiah, in a tragic car accident on his 19th birthday. Unbeknownst to his family, Josiah recently signed an organ donor card. He now walks on streets of gold with his Master, while his physical body literally saved 5 lives from earthly death. Also, the transplant team reported that 77 (the number of our Master) people would either be saved from death or their lives would be dramatically transformed because of Josiah's death. Please take time to click here for the worship at Pastor Bergers church yesterday. If you don't want to listen for the entire hour to the praise and worship music, please fast forward to 54:36 and listen to what Steve and his wife spoke over their congregation about their champion, Josiah. You will be blessed beyond imagination, and you will be reminded of God's goodness, His faithfulness,and His love no matter the outward circumstances surrounding our lives.
My emotions are raw; my head is splitting; my heart literally physically hurts; and emotionally I am spent. Yet, I hope in the Lord, I rest in the Lord! I pray for the Berger family and the congregation at Grace Chapel; and I pray for the women who have begun their new journey in life called "freedom in Christ". I pray that what God has begun to do in my life will continue until completion, and that I will continue discovering the pieces of the puzzle of certain facets of my life, how they all fit together, and how God can use my mess to truly become His message.
I covet your prayers, and would love to know your prayer requests, so i can pray for you, as well.
Choose to be blessed today, and find a way to bless someone else.
Enjoy the photos below of our retreat and of some of my "pearls". Also, enjoy the poem written by my beautiful friend, Melissa Irwin, who shared her testimony this weekend and subsequently penned the words as a tribute to those of us on the retreat. Also, please visit her blog and let her know you were sent by me.
I love you,
If I Had a Dime for Every Rhyme
....I'd have a little deposit in my piggy bank today.
(disclaimer....i'm not a poet)....but this is dedicated to all the women at the retreat this past weekend! (by Melissa Irwin)
....I'd have a little deposit in my piggy bank today.
(disclaimer....i'm not a poet)....but this is dedicated to all the women at the retreat this past weekend! (by Melissa Irwin)
SWEET ESTROGEN (or whatever)
women of mont on the hill, I digest you like a little pill and receive you in my heart
because the more i see of you in me, the women we are meant to be are not so far apart
i hurt that in this world of sin, the babylon we're living in,
our suffering exists cuz some men are HOT, but some men are not,
just more like painful cysts i cherish every piece of you that broke and fell
despairedfor every painful truth you told, when tears and snot were shared
in a room that ached to comfort you and lift you to His sky
from circled chairs to streets of gold, held in the arms of Christ
then the rooms were filled with howls and love and sweet umbrella chat
(those belly jingles too)
i take away the scoop on poop, and herbs for this or that
but mostly that my heart was blessed to meet each one of you
so don't forget that God made you and YA'LL's a royal noun
just like you are, you are a queen, preparing for your crown
may love walk with you every day and night and in your sleep
until we meet again for chocolate and estrogen retreat
(Note: one of our speakers and fellow church members is an herbalist, etc., who spoke to us on the relationship between our physical bodies and our emotional and spiritual beings--thus, the "scoop on poop" talk!)
3 comments:
Hi! I get your blog update through my reader and came over here to read, & didn't even realize I would see my own poem! LOL. I am the same spent and with the same splitting headache...and so grateful for all that occurred this weekend at the retreat. I consider myself truly blessed to have spent some time with YOU!
Lisa it sounds like you had a lot going on at the retreat and in your church family.
I am so glad that God gives us all that we need to get us through anything and everything,...even the death of our loved ones. As you know, I have been there and can understand what it is like.
I enjoyed your pictures. And especially the ones of your grandbaby.
God is so good!
Your friend,
Linda @ Truthful Tidbits
I know you had an amazing cp retreat! thanks so much for praying for our pastor----- it's been an amazing week watch God work in His Kingdom!----loving how you tie it all together!
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