We are excited to announce that our next overnight retreat will be January 13-15th at St. Columba in Memphis, TN.
As many of you know, getting away to be quiet with The Lord is the heartbeat of BFR Local. We are constantly encouraged when you are able to pull away from your busy lives and join with us in nature to be with God. Whether you are coming for a half day retreat or an overnight retreat-the time is precious.
As a mom of four, I know that getting away from the hustle and bustle of home and family can be hard. I would love to challenge you with this affirmation that I learned years ago, "I am going to do what is best for me today because it is best for everyone in the long run." As someone that struggles to prioritize my own physical and spiritual needs, this affirmation helped to remind me that caring for myself was not only not selfish but it was honoring to my family. It reminds me that the time away from them, used to foster my health and deepen my connection to The Father, is vital and gives my kids and husband more than could be seen on the surface.
There is so much noise, so much fluff in our culture. Retreating away from all that, moving into simple surroundings guided by the bells of prayer times, and feeling free to just be with God is so life giving. It is hard to articulate, but it is like receiving water to a parched soul. As life beats us down moment by moment, being at rest in Him makes way for our souls to be nurtured and fed. It refuels us with peace to go back into our lives, recharged, and ready to find joy in each moment.
At retreat, you are able to listen to the needs of your soul, reflect on and react to those needs. Our staff will help you move through the time with much grace and ease. There will be sessions of prayer and Spiritual Direction and a gamete of resources at your disposal. Allow us to set the table for you to meet with God, commune with Him, delight in Him as He delights in you.
The overnight retreat was an experience I didn’t expect, in the best way possible. I knew I needed the weekend with the Lord but was curious as to how I would be silent for two days not to mention what I would do for that amount of time by myself without worrying about my kids, meals or schedules. I was aware of the overall idea that I would be spending two days in silence with other women around me but I did not have the slightest idea how impactful the two days would be.
Shortly after getting settled in my room we had our introduction prayer and afterwards I just wept; I was in the Lords presence just as I am. Although in silence, even through meals, there was a constant sense of community through our group time in morning, afternoon and evening prayers. We were provided with an abundance of resources from books, different contemplative practices, dinner prompts, making of prayer beads and routines to settle our minds in the Lord. During the day we were able to explore the Lords nature and meet with Him outdoors, which was beautiful. The Lord used silence as a way to turn off all the noise around me in the most beautiful way to grow closer to Him. I can’t wait for the next overnight retreat.
-Lauren, retreat participant
If you have questions about retreat, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email at britney@befreerevolution.com. There are more details on the registration form as well as the retreat page on the site.
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