This past weekend was the UPC Women’s Retreat in Daytona Beach. It was a great weekend. I learned new things, was reminded of old truth and enjoyed spending time with other women at the beach. One of the things that the speaker Angel Richard spoke about briefly was meditation. Meditation is something that has always seemed so nebulous to me. I have heard it explained in the past as thinking about scripture or mulling it over in your mind. This type of definition kind of made sense to me, but I wasn’t ever sure how to do it. Angel explained meditation as simply “asking questions” while reading scripture. When she said this, the “light bulb” went on in my head. “Oh,” I thought “well I can do that.” During our Saturday morning devotion time, she gave us a passage of scripture and four questions (written by Martin Luther) to use to meditate on the passage. These questions really helped me think about and absorb the truth that was presented in the psalm that I had just read. I plan to write these questions out on a note card and put them in my bible so I can remember them and use them as a guide to come up with my own.

1. What is this psalm (or passage) saying?

2. How does this truth lead me to praise God?

3. What sins do I need to confess?

4. What do I need to ask God for in light of this text?

Our retreat speaker this year is Angel Richards from Seven Rivers Church in Crystal River Florida. Angel is a dynamic speaker with a heart for women and God’s word. This retreat will give you a great weekend to get a way from the hectic pace of life and slow down to enjoy building relationships and reconnecting with God. We will have plenty of free time so bring a good book or whatever you need to hit the beach or swim in the Lazy River.

When Christy announced the retreat on Sunday she mentioned all the reasons she didn’t want to go last year and God began removing the obstacles. If you are hesitant or unsure, take a step toward going and let God remove the obstacles!

Registration is extended one more week so plan to sign up on Sunday!

To register for the retreat contact Kimberly at gkmmassari@yahoo.com

Believe it or not, I’ve been wanting to write on here for months. Sometimes, I don’t write because I feel like I have nothing to say. At least nothing valuable. Not so this time.

No, I haven’t written because I’m scared. It’s taken a women’s retreat to expose a whole mess of duct tape wound so tightly around my heart, it’s hard to believe it still beats. You see, I’m the type of person who attributes tears to weakness, so I cling to laughter as my strength. Of course, what happens then when I’m falling apart at a Starbucks in Daytona Beach? I suppose when duct tape gets ripped off, you bleed. It hurts. And the tears fall.

My duct tape looks a little like this:

• Don’t be that girl. You know who she is—the needy one
• Be strong — no one will fight for you
• Expect nothing—never be disappointed
• You’re forgotten—you’ll never be enough
• Keep deep relationships at a distance—you don’t need them

Maybe you see some of these barricading your own heart. I imagine you have your own set of hurts blocking your heart from receiving the love it was meant to feel. I’m learning a very powerful truth—I am deeply loved, whether I feel it or not. And by deeply loved, I mean the run after me, fight for me, astound me, never forget me, take the time to know me, kind of love.

And you are deeply loved too. Right now. As you are. Duct tape and all.

I’ve been reading about the Women’s Retreat and think it’s awesome that God used that time in the lives of so many women. I’m so happy that new women went. I’m glad it was a great time.

I wasn’t able to go this year and was really bummed. But thanks to everyone who has been writing about what they learned. As I read what others write, it’s giving me a idea of what the retreat was about. And after reading these post’s I wish I could have been able to go because I think I would have learned a lot. But at the same time God knew I wouldn’t be able to go. He had other plans for me at the time.

Sarah Wilkening wrote:

As one of the youngest women at the Women’s Retreat, I just want to say how very refreshed I felt after spending a weekend with women of all ages. The laughter, wisdom, and encouragement from the women on the retreat seemed a tangible reminder to me of God’s love and faithfulness. I graduate from college in May and the world tells me that I’m supposed to have a plan and be ready to be independent and successful. This weekend it felt wonderful to rest and abide, to be nurtured and reminded that I don’t have to be strong… that God is my strength and that I am not alone.