TEC Women's Retreat

TEC Woman's Retreat
This weekend I had the fabulous opportunity to spend some super quality time with a few of my best girlfriends! TEC's Woman's Retreat was held at the gorgeous Brookwoods Conference Center nestled in Alton Bay, NH.

The theme for the weekend was "Fountains of Living Water". Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters. Isaiah 55:1
Our lovely speaker was Carrie Kittinger, the daughter of TEC's own Pastor of Women's Ministry Lura Mineau. Carrie taught for 4 sessions about refreshing, renewal, joy and our words. We had wonderful music, and some ministry opportunites to pray with each other too.

The weekend had it's times of laughter too! We had Lorene and Wendy to keep us in stitches with our "Wheel of Wow". Each of us got to spin the Wheel of Wow and try to figure out which of 3 statements about one of the other women at the conference was NOT true. We all got to learn a bit more of each other!

I had the fun of doing a skit on opening night! I had to play a unsavory street vendor, selling Plots and Plans, Schemes and Scams. I was able to pull from my childhood memories of going shopping with my mom on Saturday mornings to Haymarket Square. The streets and sidewalks were filled with pushcart vendors calling out their wares. What a surprise to some of my friends by being able to pull off my best Boston accent, and add a lot of attitude!
It was a blast!

Our small group gals were all roommates. We had the hangout room, at least Friday night! Saturday night we were all wiped out! I am SO looking forward to our conference next year!

Completely Preserved!

I read this familiar verse earlier this week in my quiet time:

1 Thess 5:23,24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.


What a comforting and quieting verse that is to my heart!
That the God of Peace sanctifies me, and does it entirely. Spirit, soul and body.
What a faithful Father! I live for my God, and He has me covered!
I don't have to worry when I stand before the Lord if I will come up short. He has lovingly and faithfully guided me and corrected me, and cleaned me up again and again through this life. He will be there to welcome me home, paid in full!

I have a note written on the back of one of my notebooks, It reads: Legalism is reducing the law of God to what can be kept with out grace.

When I rely on myself for sanctification I am like the man on the old variety show spinning plates on a pole. I may be able to keep a few going for a bit, but as I see more areas that need attention, (and a faithful and patient God will point them out! Not in accusation, but to teach a lesson, that I need Him!) pretty soon things come crashing down, and I am frustrated and discouraged in my christian walk. Then like a child with a knotted up jump rope, I come back to my Father, hold up my tangled mess, and He straightens me out again, and reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Faithful is He who calls me, and He also will bring it to pass.