Girls Getaway

In January, the Female Student Leaders from our Navigators ministry headed out for a 4 hour drive towards King's Fold Retreat Center for a weekend of meeting with the Lord and fellowship together.

There were 9 of us in total-everyone was able to make it, the 1st of many God-things :) We had all come to realize that many (if not all) of us have been dealing with really big and difficult things in our lives, and, for the most part had been keeping to ourselves about it...

What is it about humans that we think we need to struggle along, alone and independently striving to solve things that only the Lord's Hands are big enough to handle?? Well, as a group of friends we decided to take up the challenge of being real with each other, about the Lies that Satan has had us chained too, and come together to speak the Truth of Jesus to one another.

I had the privilege of leading the girls through some Scripture, Music, and Discussion that the Lord had laid on my heart for the weekend. You, see, the Lord has been doing His own work in me for the past 6-8 month in the areas of Freedom, Identity in Christ, Forgiveness, and growing me in Love for our Savior. These are some of the areas that He wanted us, collectively to confront in this weekend together. Just as promised, the Lord greatly made is Presence known and moved among us. I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, but not in the "fun retreat" sorta way, but in the opportunity to watch God work in the minds and hearts of these girls that I love. There were tears, of course...we are a group of girls after all, great times of prayer, and a real sense of Christ-like, agape, love for each other.

Now, needless to say, our enemy (Satan) was less than thrilled that he was 'loosing ground' in our lives, and on more than one occasion tried to desperately to intervene that weekend. Actually, I need to ask for your prayers even now, almost a month after the fact, as he is still fighting... We have gotten together as a group since the retreat to see how things have been going, how our times with Lord have been, and if we have been having victory with Jesus over some of the specific things that He pointed out to us that weekend. I firmly believe that God will win the WAR in the end, but there are battles that Satan has had victory in, in all of our lives. We need your prayers (in whatever way they are theologically effective--my personal disclaimer as I have not yet come to a live-able conclusion until I can ask Him in person :) We have all been battling discouragement and apathy in our relationships with the Lord. As you may be able to relate, growth is a good thing conceptually, but very emotionally exhausting to face head on, and God, being rich in love and patience, will not force us to change... He wants our willingness and submission - on this we need prayer.

I would like to share a quote with you, from Philip Yancy's most recent book, "Prayer: does it make any difference?" (p.42&44) I found it very powerful and convicting... perhaps the Lord may use it in your life too...

"It occurred to me one day that though I often worry about whether or not I sense the presence of God, I give little thought to whether or not God senses the presence of me. When I come to God in prayer, do I bare the deepest, most hidden parts of myself? Only when I do so will I discover myself as I truly am, for nothing short of God's light can reveal that. I feel stripped before that light seeing a person far different from the image I cultivate for myself and everyone around me.
God alone knows the selfish motives behind my every act, the vipers' tangle of lust and ambition, the unhealed wounds that paradoxically drive me to appear whole. Prayer invites me to bring my whole life into God's presence for cleansing and restoration. Self-exposure is never easy, but when I dot it I learn that underneath the layers of grime lies a damaged work of art that God longs to repair... I realize that my image of God, more than anything else, determines my degree of honesty in prayer. Do I trust God with my naked self? Foolishly, I hide myself in fear that God will be displeased, though in fact the hiding my be what displeases God most. From my side, the wall seems like self-protection; from God's side it looks like lack of trust. In either case, the wall will keep us apart until I acknowledge my need and God's surpassing desire to meet it."

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
2 Corinthians 3:17-18