Fall Ladies' Retreat

(L to R) Mellissa, Joanna, Galilee, Me, and Mama 

Once again, it's that time of year. The Fall POH Ladies Retreat! And it was just as good as last year.

Learning, sharing, and visiting. Encouragement and conviction. All in one weekend.

And what beautiful scenery! The camp where we stayed was comfortable and wonderful. God's creation is so especially lovely in the autumn.

But the weekend wasn't only about fellowship, we were also there to learn.

Mrs. Hunt

Susan Hunt was the speaker this year. A lovely, gentle southern woman (I LOVED her accent), Mrs. Hunt was certainly a blessing to us all. She challenged all of us to think biblically about womanhood. Reminding us all that how we live must be grounded in our Reformed theology, she encouraged us to remember God's creation order. Feminism mistakenly associates equality with sameness. However, Biblical Christianity teaches complementarianism not egalitarianism. The reality of our sin is hard, when as Mrs. Hunt said, "We've breathed feminist air for so many decades [that] we are all feminists to some degree, and we need to fight against it." But God is good, and He sanctifies us. Unlike what our sin natures tell us, women should be life-givers not life-takers.

Reminding us of our Reformed covenant theology, Mrs. Hunt continued to teach us about nurturing one another in our relationships. Covenant children and fellow adult believers. Speaking on Titus 2, she encouraged all of us to see our roles as mentors; there is always someone older and younger than I am. I should be seeking the fellowship and company of older and younger women. I have things to learn and things to teach. 

Psalm 144:12 states, "Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants, And our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace." A corner pillar must be strong and supportive. And we must be guiding each other, mentoring each other, and encouraging each other to be those life-giving, helper pillars.

When I thought about those future pillars, I thought of Galilee. Seeing this young lady was one of the best parts of this trip. She is such a sweet-tempered, happy baby. What an example of Psalm 127:3! Being the only baby at the retreat has its advantages; she was quite pampered by all the ladies. :)

I finally saw these bookshelves in person!

After the retreat was over, our car load of ladies traveled to stay with some old church friends. (Their hospitality and company is something to which I always look forward.) And the ladies went shopping. Almost immediately, I sought the books and bookshelves. Is anyone really surprised?

Aren't these stack-able bookcases fun?

In the shopping plaza, there was a two-story Barnes and Noble. Yay! How fabulous. And it had a homeschooling section. I couldn't resist a picture.

After checking out the homeschooling, science fiction/fantasy, and literature sections, I walked (or rode down the escalator!) toward the current events section. While this B&N did not have any books by Neil Postman, they did have a couple by Ron Paul. I couldn't resist purchasing one. What is it about people with the last name beginning with the letter "P"? ;)

As we traveled home, the Lord blessed us with a rainbow. A reminder of his wonderful grace. A perfect end to the trip!