So Laity Lodge
And Chris Cree
are rounding up several people for a Group Writing Project.
The Topic? Retreats!
I immediately thought of Adam's post on I Kissed Retreats Goodbye
Now the writing assignment is suppose to be on the importance of retreats.
Here are my Top 10 Reasons for going on a Personal Retreat:
1. Reflection - helps you evaluate where you been.
2. Self-assessment - helps you know your strengths and weaknesses.
3. Time alone with God. Nothing like just you and God battling it out.
4. A time to listen: to others, to yourself, to God. Listen and be Still. Like Elijah and in the mountains.
5. Getting a vision. Helps determine direction and where you are headed for the future.
6. Relationship building. Nothing like being away and having some time to build rapport.
7.Healing. Sometimes you need to heal. Time away helps heal wounds.
8. Forgiveness. The hardest person sometimes to forgive is yourself. Time alone and being away from the busy schedule of life - helps maintain focus.
9. Beauty. Taking in the beauty of God's creation and pausing. Sometimes we miss what God is doing because we're in the midst of our own world rather than God's.
10. Time to study. Read, be a learner and be willing to ask the tough questions on what have I learned in the past year? What are my goals for the future.
Retreats; especially personal retreats can be a good thing if they are done purposeful and with God in mind.
4 comments:
Great list, Gerrard. I'm a fan of #5 especially.
HI there. I came over through Chris Cree. And am glad I did! These are persuasive reasons. I feel myself being drawn in... : )
We can all relate to the need for retreats. Just the nature of the word expresses the reason for going. To move back, to getaway. Yes, definately needed!
You know, for me its about beauty. When I'm on a retreat, I often find myself overflowing with poetry. The further I get from beauty and rest and the natural world, my heart just shrivels up a little bit.
Thanks for participating!
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