Fall-back, Reach-out

So my friends and I went on a small group retreat for the weekend down to Lake Meade. It was a great time. We got their on Friday night and I learned how to play Chinese checkers, which I now love. Then as more people showed up we sat down with pizza and chicken steak stromboli, talking about all kinds of things. We all got a tour of the home we stayed in and let me tell you it was gorgeous. Then we all kind of split up, some went to get in the hot-tub and I went to play pool. Man I love to play pool, it's in the family blood along with crafts, skiing, and a few others things. I was getting tired by the 7th game, I'm getting too old to stay up late, so everyone headed to bed around 12. My best friend and I found some bunk-beds and ended up talking till almost 3am about all kinds of things. Mostly God and faith matters.

On Saturday, when I finally got up it was almost 9. I was a bit nervous cause I had been given the task of devotions/study/sharing time after breakfast and I hadn't overly prepared. But none the less the Holy Spirit was with us all weekend. It was tangible in-fact. It was in the sound of the lake and feel of the breeze. So I put on my headphones and went outside alone listening to Caedmons Call_Wings of the Morning. A very appropriate song. In the end I felt quite calm and it went quite well. I am thankful for the chance to be in the spirit, not because it is so rare, but because I don't exist day to day with that feeling of connectedness as I felt that day. I am too self-involved, too aware of my abilities (or lack of) to remain in a constant connection. It makes me sad to say that I am so less than I would like, but I know in time I will mature and grow. I look forward to that time.

After the devotion we ate lunch and most people went out to water-ski and tube on the lake. I was just enjoying the day from the deck. Watching life unfold so graceful. Then a dear friend asked me to go canoeing(sp?) which I hadn't done since I went to camp Hebron as a child. Needless to say I am not built for constant rowing, but I adored that time out on the lake with my friend rowing and talking and laughing as we were blown around by the lake winds. Eventually, exhausted, we headed back to land and it seemed to happen all at once that the group collapsed. Taking a nap time.

When we woke dinner was made and we played pool a little more. Eventually we ate dinner and did a very nice letter game where we wrote a little something to each person in the group on a card with their name on it. Then we sealed the letter to be read later. Most of what I wrote was meant to be either encouraging or appreciative and what I received was just the same which was nice. Towards the end of the night we started a bonfire and took a night-time boat ride, which I was reluctant to do, but found to be very nice. Oh we also watched "The end of the spear" which I had seen before. It was quite a good movie considering the group and the reason for the gathering. It also tied neatly into the devotional I had helped lead which was about outreach.

So yea, it was a wonderful time.