Retreat Notes

Words cannot explain how wonderful my CRHP (Christ Renews His Parish) retreat weekend was.  If you have the opportunity to attend one, you have to, it will change your life.  It was one of the best weekends of my life and although I am only 30 years in, I have had some pretty awesome weekends.  I want to share with you a couple of Journal entries that I wrote while there.  They are not meant to be amazing pieces of writing, but just an idea of the thoughts that come to your mind when relaxing at a retreat.  These women are so funny, we laugh all day.  Beautiful people.
I also wanted to mention that I received a letter of encouragement (HELP letter) from my cousin Jennifer and it was funny because the Proverb she chose to share with me, was exactly the proverb that I bookmarked the day before, that I thought was really cool.
Proverb 31, you can find it :)
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Journal Entry
Retreat Day 1 of 2
3pm

We are on  break half-way through day one of the CRHP weekend.  This retreat is beyond amazing...and it's free.  These women are just amazing, they are my new sisters.  I am so blessed to be able to hear testimonies of faith and spirituality and life from so many different women.  I feel the Holy Spirit coming over me and filling me with humility.  We have been given gifts of faith.  My cynic inside is losing ground.  I know that my inability to respect others beliefs in the past, was only the sinner inside me, the weak self-concious part of myself that wanted to stay in darkness.  Happiness and respect and growth are attributes that I want to convey, not a sarcastic judgmental side. I am looking around the room full of women, some like me, some not, yet we are all sisters and are all overcome with love for God.  How can that ever be seen negatively?  Why was I ever so cynical about faith?  There is only beauty and love in God's will.  I am hopeful that I can keep an open mind throughout the rest of this retreat, as I have done so far.  I realize that I use humor to express myself, people are always telling me how funny I am.  I have been realizing recently that you don't have to be a cynic or curse to be funny.  I guess I have just always associated humor with being a rebel.  In reality though, God has a wonderful sense of humor and he wants me to use mine for good.
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A little poem/blurb I wrote right after this last entry.

My name means rebirth.
Fate has brought me to him,
to be reborn in the spirit,
to live life to the fullest.
I am surrounded by love
I am blessed beyond belief,
that God has shown me the way,
the way back to Him.
Reborn in the name
accepted in the community,
sharing my life and focusing on good deeds.
Let us rejoice and be glad
that today we are clear
to see Jesus and know him
and thank our heavenly father for creating us.


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Journal Entry:
Retreat Day 2 of 2
Noon

I just opened a giant envelope of letters of love and encouragement from my dearest friends and family. One of the other women just joked "I don't want to leave!".  I agree.  This has really been one of the most important weekends of my life.  I feel like I need to have the word RETREAT tattooed on my body to remind me to come back to this place in my mind when I forget God's purpose.  There was a re-occuring theme in my "love letters", I heard a lot of praise of my relaxed nature and openness with others.  It's funny how I try to convey these attributes.  I try to make people comfortable because ideally, I yearn to be comfortable in myself.  Life is hard work, I know that.  I have many faults and sins, but the positivity that the letters expressed is really just me mirroring the love that I have received.  God is love and I have been immersed in great love this weekend, I want to stay swimming in this pool of grace forever!  I wish that I could force all of my loved ones to go to a retreat like this, whatever denomination they are.  Time out of this cloudy and fast-paced time is so detrimental to our society.  I urge you to take time to reflect on life, God and love, and try harder to be a better person.  You will be blessed for your efforts.  I have been.