I Belong

This past weekend, I went to a retreat. It was with a group of my writing friends in ACFW.
The retreat was our first annual writer's retreat that we had been praying for to seek God's will for our writing lives. The vision I had been praying for for seven long years had come to pass. I think I was probably the most excited person there. It was refreshing to be among people who had the same thoughts. Some were so beat up by the world, that they had begun to doubt that God had even called them to be writers.

High in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, we spent time in a small cluster of wooden cabins and a medium size cabin that was our hub for meals and worship. It had a huge circular fireplace in the center of the room that everyone brought wood in for as we huddled around it because it was cold.

We re-committed our writing and lives to God and prayed for one another as we supported one another. We listened to our heart's cry to be understood and loved unconditionally.
It was a time to get on our knees and "LET GO AND LET GOD". As writers, we do all we can do and then give it to our Father to figure out where and how He wants our work to go.
We rejoiced at one another's successes and cried together with the rejections until the dross was burned up and we were clean and pure.

Kim Woodhouse did a great job with praise and worship.The team that presented was awesome and prayed up.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.

This was so real to me as I felt each other's pain and joy thoughout the weekend.
It snowed and the air was clean and pure. The very air we breathed became a spiritual experience.
I enjoyed the snow waterfall as I stood under the snowflakes and caught them on my tongue.
I shivered in delight at the mountain beauty around me. I learned to trust Him more this weekend.

Another sister shared that God had placed "snowsteps" before her. It was a beautiful illustration of God's leading.

We all left with a renewed mind and spirit. We had a peace that passes understanding.
What an awesome God we serve.

And....that's what families are for! Thank you Father in Jesus name for providing me a family that loves me the way that these brothers and sisters do.

Come and rinse the dirt off under the falls today but beware, there are probably snowflakes and ice crystals as the last of the dirt comes off. Jim and I call this process "squeaky clean". Today I am praying for each of you that you would hear from the Lord and give Him the controls of your writing life.

Love,
Paulette