Images of God: Perspectives from the Road

After a year-long trip that took my husband, Ron, and I over 40,000 miles and into each of the forty-eight contiguous United States, there was a lot to unpack by the time we finished. Images of God surfaced in various and unexpected ways - within grand vistas and small details, within the sunlight and amongst the shadows. The companionship that Ron and I shared was both a gift and a challenge. And traveling with an entire household packed into a small SUV made the term, "simplifying our lives" all the more pertinent. In this session, we will look at how these insights can be applied to all kinds of spiritual journeys.

Seeking Spiritual Balance in Off-Kilter Times

Sometimes life feels like a three-ring circus. We find ourselves teetering on a tightrope that is strung between chaotic activity and daily regimens. We are juggling too many responsibilities or trying to tame the wild excesses of emotional upheaval set off by grief, disappointment, pain, fear, or guilt. Being off balance leaves us weary, depressed, and longing for a bit of time on the sidelines. Now is your chance!  Take time to step out of the center ring and to move to the periphery for a weekend of prayer, sharing, quiet time, and rest. It is the perfect opportunity to restore your equilibrium, refresh your spirit, and re-ignite your sense of playfulness and joy.

A Soulful Approach to Time

1. Busyness and stress too often make time our enemy and something to be battled, managed, or endured. This time away is one in which we learn how to make peace with the past, cherish the present, and look with hope to the future. Through reflection, prayer, and sharing we will look at ways we use and abuse time and how to make the most of the time we have been given.
   

God Has Touched You ~ Have You Noticed?

1. God’s fingerprints are all over our lives.  If we stay alert, we can appreciate how this has happened right in the midst of our daily ruts and routines.  Only then can we hope to be a witness of our faith to others.  This retreat will look at the Great Commandment and the “touchpoints” it contains as we seek to love God with all our heart, mind, body, and soul.
   

Words That Matter, Silence That Heals

1. In a culture awash in words – from advertising and the media, technology and communication tools – we seem to be starving for words that matter. This retreat provides a respite from the cacophony of daily life, enabling us to listen for the words that touch the deepest parts of ourselves. It moves through the paradox of living in a time when words overwhelm us and how the value of silence, the practice of restraint, and the mindfulness of reverence can evoke a wordless hymn that sounds deep within us.
   

Everyday Sacred – A Guide to Simplifying Your Life

1. For many of us, life is both feast and famine – too much on our plates and too little time and energy to embrace and enjoy it.  How do we recognize God in the everyday routines and responsibilities that make up our daily lives? “Re-treat yourself by coming away to a quiet place and discovering anew the beauty and wisdom of simplicity as a way to discover the sacred tucked into the ordinary spaces of our days. 
   

Water from the Well:  A Spiritual Antidote for Burn-Out

1. After taking care of others at home, work, church, or the community, it is not uncommon to be left feeling parched and dry. This retreat will offer insights into being a watercarrier for others and, in the process, how to discover wellsprings of spiritual sustenance for ourselves.
   

Hope Is Eternal

1. There are all sorts of reason to lose hope these days.  In this time together, we will look at the situations and circumstance that can bring on despair and at the ways we can enkindle the flame of hope in our own hearts and in those we serve.
   

Scriptural Landscapes: A Journey of Lenten Spirituality

1. The geographical backdrops that appear in the Bible provide a rich context for a journey through Lent.  Four of these – the desert, sea, mountain, and garden – illustrate the places to which Christian faith brings us and the challenges, blessings, and inspiration that are found along the way.
   

Mentors, Role Models and Spiritual Companions

1. The walk of faith is not meant to be traversed alone. We need others along the way to mentor and inspire us, as well as to challenge and sometimes confound us. This time of reflection offers a glimpse into five characteristics of sanctity and how each of us is called to walk a sacred path with others.
   

Horizontal People:  Widening Our Circles of Concern

1. Faith calls us to be “horizontal people” – ones willing to reach out to those on the margins of life.  On days when we can hardly manage our routines, this may seem like an impossible task.  The heart may be willing, but everything else is weak.  This retreat explores simple ways to live each day in ever-widening circles of compassion and concern.