Winter Retreat 2010

I went to my church's retreat this last weekend.
I've been asked from many different people to explain what this weekend
was like for me, what happened, what I learned.
Honestly, I can't think of a better way to explain it, but through writing.
Because when I talk about it, I tend to forget major details,
please bear with me as I jump from topic to topic. :)

Friday, February 12th-Day 1

Who is God?
We usually associate who he is, through what he means to us at the moment,
or in the current situation we are in.
For example, if you are upset, you view him as your comforter (which he is).
If you are unhappy, you may view him as your joy. (which he also is.)
Or if you are heartbroken, you may view him as your healer. (again, he is.)
But we tend to associate him only with those things that we want him to be.
We forget that he is so much more than our healer, comforter and our joy.
He is every good and amazing thing we could ever think of.
Which blows my mind.

A heart needs four things. (according to Jon Tyson.)
1. A sense of Wonder.
2. A quest for Truth.
3. True Love.
4. Security.

Jesus is all of those things.
Many people look for these things in everything other than God.
I'm not saying that you cannot have wonder, truth, love and security
in people. But before you can truly find those things in people, you
have to find them in God.

He's forgiven everyone for all of the horrible things you've done.
All of the sins that you've committed.
He was there when you did them, and he's here now.

Saturday, February 13th-Day 2

The speed of Life.
We go through everyday constantly thinking about what else we have
to accomplish that day, that week, that month, that year.

People find life so hard to appreciate now because we have an
idealized future. But we have to fully engage ourselves in what's
going on NOW. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, now.

(Matthew 6 v. 25, Do not worry about tomorrow, today has enough
trouble of it's own.)

God doesn't think about our to-do list, or the mistakes we've made in the past.
He cares about us today, and everyday.
You cannot find God if you rush through your life.

To be able to live in the now, we have to be able to pray about our
problems, to be still, and spend time with God.
A lot of people know the bible, very few know themselves.

We need to:
1. Walk slowly through the world.
2. Take the time to notice where God is working, and has worked in your life.
3. Be here NOW. Be fully present.

Sunday, February 14th-Day 3

We have to be able to arrange our lives in the way where sin and temptation
no longer looks good to us. We have to be so on fire for God that we are no
longer affected by the things that Satan is tempting us with.

All temptation is, is something to try and make you doubt God.

Satan will do anything in his power to rob you of your Joy.
Because joyless Christianity, is not Christianity, because our God
is a God of complete Joy.

Christianity is about Joy and Celebration.


Alright, well that's what I learned this weekend, and I hope
you learned something as well. :)

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully rung with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless-it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable...The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love is hell."
-CS Lewis.

For you I'd bleed myself dry.

I am a firm and solid believer that love is a movement and the only movement that is worth putting in motion. Love is a revolution and can change the world and should not be taken lightly. If people were to set a pattern of love, it would cause others to do the same, setting of a movement that could change the world not out of selfish ambition but through longing to see the most important element we have come alive in this world: love.

What happens...happens.

It's a good idea to pray about what you're supposed
to do about everything you're worried about.
This advice can be considered hypocritical, because
I consider myself religious and yet I don't pray about everything.

But honestly, not being in control of your life takes alot off your shoulders.
Just pray about everything and surrender it.

What happens is meant to happen even if it's not what you planned.

College

Everyone's always talking about what they want to do when they get older.
The thing they're majoring in in college. And yeah, people always say
"You don't have to know your major until your junior year"
Yeah?!? Well then why are people always bothering me about it?
I tell them I don't know, and they give me a knowing look with a sad nod and say, "Oh, well don't worry."
It's hard not to when people are freaking out about it.
Honestly.
I don't know what I want to do, where I want to go, what subjects I like. I don't even know what im good at.
This is awesome.

Failure.

I am not ashamed of my failures because
I know that I have the power to fix them.