Vintage Gwen Chapel-2013 Retreat Recap

Last weekend was my church's annual ladies fall retreat.  We stayed a little closer to home this year with a new location in Choteau, Ok.  Camp Christian had plenty of room for our 26 ladies and even had good ole' Amish cooking! How can you beat that?

This year I had the honor of speaking during one of the devotion times, the final slot of Sunday morning to be exact! My pastor requested I read the classic "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George.  Well I waited too close to the retreat and had to finish it while on the retreat! I wanted it to be fresh in my mind which meant I had to rely more so on the Lord to show me what to share out of it.  Let me just tell you....the book is still relevant today!! When I finished, I started to make notes on what I wanted to share and God stopped me quick....I was going to try and share everything I had highlighted.....which was a lot! I crumpled that paper up and let the Lord speak.  Share what you got out of it....what ministered to you the most is what I heard the Lord say. And do you know, the ladies ate it up! I was so worried it wouldn't be powerful enough! Silly Jennifer! It so was and I'm so thankful that several ladies are now reading the book! And I had no idea that after this book that the author wrote other books that are more in depth like "A Wife After God's Own Heart" which I bought yesterday and can't wait to get into it! So I highly recommend Elizabeth George!

One of the best things about our retreat is personal ministry.  We've invented the "Hot Seat". It was actually started on one of our mission trips to Mexico!  If you need prayer for anything or just want prayer then in the Hot Seat you go. Saturday after our Holy Hoe Down (we had a costume contest for best cowgirl/pioneer woman get up and did some line dancing! Total fun!!), we got the Hot Seat time started and then after I spoke the next morning we gave the ladies one more chance.  All but 2 had a round in the seat with a few going twice. And here's the reason I'm writing this today( & so I can remember!)................God used me in prayer time more than He ever has before! It was unbelievable how much I was able to just keep pouring out. God showed up mighty! And I'm so thankful that those ladies wanted me to have a turn.  My spiritual confidence was more than renewed and confirmed for me.  Especially when the hand of God touched me.  One of the ladies had touched the top of my head when they started praying for me but as they kept praying I felt like the hand got a little bigger and I opened my eyes and she wasn't touching me anymore.....more praying....opened my eyes again and actually touched my own head to confirm that there was no human hand on my head! My friend who was in front of me knew something was up and actually said... no one is touching your head! Ahhh.....I have no words! To have the Almighty confirm that you are His powerhouse with His hand.....well it's a turning point for sure! And I'm so thankful!! What a great work God is doing in me and for me! And for all our ladies too! I can't wait to see God work! 

And guess what else?  God wasn't done.  He's never done! At our Monday morning prayer time my pastor gave me a word from the Lord! More confirmation of what He is doing in me! Overwhelmed might be an understatement!  Actually I think God was replenishing my reservoir.  Read Jeremiah 17: 7-8. We must be storing up always so that even in drought we never fail to bear fruit!!

Praying the Lord is replenishing you today!!

Vintage Gwen Chapel-Retreat Recap

Last weekend was our Ladies on Location annual Fall Retreat.  We've been doing this for many, many years and I gotta say, here lately they just keep getting better and better.  This was, as far as I know, the largest one yet with 29 ladies attending!  Almost a year ago {last November} our church merged with another church in Collinsville.  Total God thing. We updated our name and began having a 9 am & an 11 am service since we had 2 locations.  Then earlier this year the Collinsville school system approached us about buying our main location which happens to be by the football field.  Again, total God thing.  It's been a long process and looks like we'll finally be closing this next week! 

So I said all that to say...thus the reason for 29 ladies and thus the reason we had such a tremendous time!

We spent the weekend at Grand Lake in Grove and took Saturday to drive to Carthage, Mo to the Precious Moments museum.  The rest of them time was spent in fellowship, ministry and of course eating!

If you've never been to the museum you need to go at least once.  This was my 2nd time which it had been a long time, probably about 10 years or more since I had been.  The story of the artist, Sam Butcher, is very inspiring and the museum is in the country and so very peaceful.

 Gardens/fountain on way to chapel...

 Entering the chapel...

 Inside...

What's so very cool is that the artist has added to the paintings.  The very top row of paintings on the sides are fairly recent!

It is free admission so it's worth it!

The theme for our trip was 'relationship'.  Not only with God but with each other.  Friday evening was spent getting to know each other and I truly felt like if there was a 'line' still dividing 2 churches that it is completely gone now.  As I'm writing this I'm realizing that out of the 6 ladies in my condo 5 of them were from the church we merged with and I loved rooming with every single one of them and truly feel like we've been attending church together for a long time! Saturday morning a pillar in our church spoke about the importance of feeding our relationships not just spiritually but physically which is just as important. And she sang a beautiful song!  Then Saturday night we did a nail polish swap as another fun way to get to know each other.  It was also unload night.  2 of our pastors ministered on perception and having God's view of things and not our own which led into a great, much needed time of personal ministry.  To say God moved might be understated. He was very present and ladies were able to lay down junk they'd been carrying for far too long and become new.
As I went to bed that night I kept thinking about the nail polish swap.  God used such a simple thing for our benefit! I had used the fruits of the spirit plus some other good spiritual words to make up how we did the swap.  I  had 15 words, 2 of each.  My sister was suppose to attend but at the last minute had to stay home, I really felt like she was with us in spirit and through the nail polish swap God gave me a word to bring home to her! So we would have had 30. ☺ I had each lady draw a word and the 2 ladies who got the same word then swapped nail polish.  And I'm not kidding...they were all God connections!  The first word was love and my pastor and  her daughter were paired up! My word was joy and I was paired with Joyce...she got her namesake! I mean how did that happen other than God?!  So Sunday morning after an awesome time of worship we paired back up and prayed for each other, finalizing the solidifying of relationships.
We're completely family now!
I'm very thankful for all of what God did!  I shouldn't be surprised at His goodness....I did prepare my heart for what ever He wanted accomplished.  And accomplish He did.
Praying the Lord is good to you today!

Happy Weekend!

Vintage Gwen Chapel-Retreat Highlights

*This is a longer post than normal cause I want to share my awesome retreat weekend!*

Well I must say the past weekend was all God's!  Looking back I now realize that God had a purpose for my weekend and the proof is not only in how He used me on the retreat but more so in Lil Hunkie's behavior.  This was the first time both Hunkie and I were apart from our Handsome! {We call him that too!}  Hunkie had to work so off to Grandma & Grandpa's Lil Hunkie went.  Hunkie took him to his happy babysitters on Friday and then they brought him to my parents on Sunday, they watched him till I got home. 

The report of Lil Hunkie's 1st adventure:  not.a.tear.  Anytime he talked about momma or dada, he was told we were at work and that suited him fine.  When Sunday morning came, he did say "car" over and over, somehow knowing it was the day to come home! The only tears shed were from Grandma and Grandpa, who thoroughly enjoyed the time with their only grandchild. 

I really thought I wouldn't be able to not cry, I didn't....but anytime my mind rested on Lil' Hunkie I couldn't let it stay too long or else tears would for sure come!  But we stayed busy the whole weekend.  Leaving Friday morning we arrived at the famous Lambert's in time for lunch and I had a ridiculously large Chicken Cesar Salad which I had to carry the majority out the door in a baggie!  It was delicious though, having artichoke and sun dried tomato in it, which I had never heard of in a Cesar Salad before!! Twas yummy! Friday evening some of us went to the Tanger Outlet, yes me included! How refreshing to shop and not worry about a diaper, a wipes case, a snack, a sippy cup and oh hurry it up and get home!  I was excited to get Lil' Hunkie a stuffed Donald Duck....one of his favorites right now!  Then Saturday we went to Silver Dollar City despite it raining the whole time.  I had discovered the Culinary & Craft School which offers cooking classes! And 9 out of 17 got to enjoy a lesson in Homemade Cinnamon Roll making for an hour out of the rain!!  My sister and I definitely enjoyed this and the kitchen was phenomenal!! And we got to not only eat a Cinnamon Roll but we also learned about and ate some easy Quiche!!

This is the 'waiting area' of the school...decorated for fall already...beautiful!

 Blown Glass Chandelier!  Too Cool!

The Classroom!! Yah! Amazing!

The Instructor.

 Making Quiche!

 Yes this was so delish!! I can't wait to try and make some!!

I want this in my house.....someday perhaps.....

We also saw the Saloon Show, which was hilarious!  Then on Sunday we had lunch at the Branson Landing and gawked at all the Iron Man contestants and then came home! 

That was the extra curricular activities.  We had devotion/ministry times Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday night and then Sunday morning.  Topics were possessing our territory, territory that God has already made enemy free for us!  Providence...trusting God. A personal testimony.  And then what I talked about...redemption.  And even before I spoke we had a time of prayer and just listening to God, waiting on Him to direct us.  Really, we did this for the entire weekend and God honored our reverence to Him and showed up and moved and I tell you lives and circumstances were changed!  I saw relationships deepen. 

I felt complete.  Finally, all my titles worked together for my good.  And it's because I allowed the title that should be first, be first...Child of God.  I mean let me be just be real...the title of momma can take over sometimes.  As can other titles, they all compete to be first.  It's up to me as to which one is truly first.  When we allow God to be top priority, oh my the things that are accomplished!  My testimony to the ladies...God redeemed to me ministry.  Not ministry in the sense that I'm the next Joyce Meyer but ministry in the sense that if you need some personal ministry...then I'll be there for you....ministry in the sense of let me share the revelations God 's been showing me.  It's been redeemed! And I'm ever so thankful!

And that was the best retreat I've ever been on!!

Next Saturday I'll share my revelation on redemption. 

Have a great weekend!!

Vintage Gwen Chapel-Retreating...

Today I'm actually in Branson, Missouri!

I'm so thankful to be on our annual Ladies Fall Retreat.  And I'm honored to be one of the speakers!

This weekend is a big deal in so many ways.

Lil' Hunkie is with his grandparents 2 hours away from his dada, who is working today and tomorrow.

Yes, this is the first time I have been away from my baby!

Glup!

But it was time...there's always the first time....

It's been 2 years since I've been on the retreat, so being used to having that recharge once a year and then have a dry spell well I would think I would just need to partake of this time.

That's what I would think....but that's not what God thinks.

He'd been pulsing my spirit with one word...redeem...

And then our leader asked me to speak and it was confirmation. I would be ministering. 

But God is awesome...while I minister I'll be partaking at the same time.

Ahhh...rest in the Lord!

Psalm 91:1 NIV

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

How do you find rest in the Lord?

Wilderness Church

Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City

I'll share more of the trip next week!!

Have a great weekend!!