TAKE 5 | Retreat Rhythms: Balancing Structure and Surrender in Solitude
Is your time with God structured or unstructured? Have you ever taken the time and space to allow God to work in unstructured time in your life? Today we investigate how we can retreat to lonely places and pray as Jesus often did.
TAKE 5 | Creating Space for Grace: The Power of Saying No and Yes on Retreat
When we plan retreats or rest, do we really, fully remove distractions? Do we take the courage to say No so that we can experience the grace of God? Do we leave room for the Yes to God's generosity of his grace?
TAKE 5 | There's a First Time for Everything
My younger daughter Rebecca went on her first missions trip to Nicaragua to serve as a camp counselor this past week. Serving these girls gave her a new perspective on how God has blessed her life and she can have joy in all circumstances just like the girls she served at the camp. The more we learn about and experience God, the more we know Him and see His presence. How have you experienced God's presence?
TAKE 5 | Vacare Deo: Making Space for God in Our Lives
I took two years of Latin in high school, so I geeked out a little on this week's Latin lesson. Hope you appreciate its meaning too!
TAKE 5 | Mini-Retreat - The Importance of Listening to God
When I think of listening to God, the story of the prophet Samuel hearing the voice of God in 1 Samuel Chapter 3 always comes to mind. God does not speak His message until Samuel recognizes the voice is God in verse ten. "Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Are we humbly listening, and do we recognize His voice?
TAKE FIVE | Mini-Retreat - Retreat as a Leadership Strategy (Part 1)
My grandfather who died before I can remember, was a lone Presbyterian among three Philadelphia Quaker brothers. I first found Elton Trueblood, a Quaker spiritual writer of the 20th century, on his library shelf. Today, we explore the need for regular retreat beyond the five minutes we take weekly to read this blog. As I head up to the lake home my grandfather blessed our future family generations with for rest, recreation, and retreat, I am grateful to catch a glimpse of how one of his spiritual readings may have led to the purchase.
TAKE FIVE | Mini-Retreat - Six Practices for Spiritual Retreat
We have a big family wedding this weekend at our family's summer home on Lake George in upstate New York. This place has always been my home away from home, and Silver Bay YMCA , just down the road, has always been a great place for spiritual retreat since it was founded as the Y's missionary training center at the turn of the 20th century. This week Alan helps us discover six components of a great spiritual retreat. I hope you will plan some time in July to lean in to Jesus. I know I am!