It's been two days since I stepped off of the beautiful property of the Marietta Conference Center and Bible College. I love the Water fountains, how they sound like rushing waters. The ducks quacking and flapping their wings across the lake in the silence of the cold and foggy night. The moment I got there I could not wait to dip my foot into the hot springs. I never liked the smell of sulfur before having three children and being able to get away on a retreat.

Lets look at the week before the retreat. Not only am I struck with a sore throat, throbbing neck pain, and a bad attitude. But my birthday rolls around, and Gabe has to work, and of all things, Zeekie has to be rushed to the ER for stitches in his little mouth. Evidently Calvin who was unattended at the time was spinning Zeekie around in circles, and abruptly dropped him from four feet in the air onto his head. His teeth dug a deep hole into his bottom lip. I rush down stair only to witness blood pouring out of Zeekies mouth. Of course I panic. Rushing the screaming child over to the sink, I am pouring water into his mouth as it drenches his clothes. The blood finally stops. I undress him and sit him on my computor chair to take a look. I realize that this booboo calls for stitches. so I tell my friend Shelly, (who came over to bless me for my birthday) that I think he may have to go to the Emergency Room. This phrase sends Ezekiel into a frantic, frightened, screaming, rage. You see, it's been a joke in our home that if you mess around, we don't feel like spending the night at the town Medical center. Little did I know that Ezekiel listens and understands better than I think. So here Zeekie is screaming. Gabe calls to let me know that he's coming home, and to his surprise gets this story with zeekie screaming in the background, and my panic mode. So I rush Ezekiel to Urgent Care without my cell phone or insurance card. They try take a quick look anyway. Zeekie can't stop saying: " I want Jesus, I want my Jesus, I want to go to Heaven, I want to go to heaven, I want church, I want to go to church, I will behave, I want to behave. He had just about every nurse in that room wanting to take him take him home. But they were sad to let me know that they could not help because Zeekie was just too freaked out about them even looking at his mouth. And they didn't have the equipment to treat him because of this reason. So I call Gabe for the card so that I can meet him st the ER. Zeekie is happy to get out of the Urgent Care thinking that we are just heading back home. So as he is waiting in the car, I am outside in the rain, waiting for Gabe. Gabe never shows up. So I hop in the car, drive back home. lock Zeekie in the car, send my friend outside to comfort Zeekie without the car keys, run upstairs to find all of our files dumped out on the floor, along with Gabe and his frantic face. I had miss place the insurance card. I sit on the bed for a few seconds to pray, and immediately find the cards sitting in a strategic place. Gabe and I rush Zeekie back to the ER. and to make a long story short they roll him up in the sheets (which they call a burrito). Zeekie says I don't want to be a burrito, and explains that he just wants to go back to the town we live in at California. He gets a needle in his mouth with three stitches. He tries to talk them out of each stitch. He's done after five minuets, and we go home, he falls asleep. And for a week after that we have to do a cleaning process on his mouth.

I didn't home school last week at all knowing that the retreat was coming up. Every year before the retreat, its full on warfare. It's either I get a cold, anxiety attacks left and right, bladder infections, head aches, I lose my hearing, my voice box, or I land on that lovely time of month that every woman dreads. Every time I go, I am underprepared and overwhelmed. But this time I prayed, prayed, prayed. I also planned, planned, planned. I always underpack. So I over packed. And although I was scatterbrained about all of the junk that I took. I was less stressed than I would normally be if I where sleeping by the window freezing my fanny off. Or if I had someone in my room that snored louder than an airplane jet, or if I started hacking in the middle of a teaching without a nice soothing cough drop, or if I drank no water resulting in a bladder infection. Suffice to say, I was determined to make myself as comfortable as possible so that I would not be distracted or try to suffer it out.

My good friend and Sister in Christ, Ruby came with me. Not many people beside my husband can make me laugh to where my stomach hurts. Ruby is one of them. She is who she is without conforming. She doesn't care what others think in the respect of people pleasing. There is a genuineness about her and it helped me get through allot of the retreat when I began to stress about the little things. her and I can identify with one another allot in the fact that most of our trials are very similar. 

My carpool ride was sooooo pleasant. I hope for everyone else also since I have the tendency to talk everyone's ears off. And in the multitude of my words I know that sin is not lacking. But I so enjoyed riding along with my friend Laura and her sister in law Monica, and friend Irma. They had allot of great things to share about their families. They talked so dearing of them that I couldn't wait to meet the families. And sure enough, when we got back, their kids where all over them. And their husbands where very glad to see them. I wish that we all had more time to sit and fellowship, but we where all so tired, and just wanted to be with our own little families. It was cool because When we got to the retreat, I found out that my room was right across from Laura's. I wanted to talk to her during the retreat at times, but we all had different things to do and where on different time schedules. I didn't think that it would be a cool thing to be knocking on Laura's room after midnight. And while I was in the hot springs, she was probably reading, which I am always complain about never having time to do. I'm still cireouse about what she read. I did pick up the book that we got from the retreat. Of course I would forget the name of the book. But it was about praying like Jesus.

there where two other women in our room that where sooo funny, very godly, and they where Jr. High school teachers. Ruby and I where tripping out that God had placed us in a room with two public school teachers, and them with two old foggy home school Teachers. they where young and vibrant. I was for sure they would stay up and party because they didn't have kids. But to my surprise, they where catching ZZZZ's quick. So quick that I could only hear the heater timer going tick, tick, tick, for an hour after they where asleep( Its hard when you have insomnia). Thank God no one in my room snored. They got ready fast. It took me the longest. I have to pack it on. But we all had a great time getting to know each other over the weekend.

I could feel that Gabe missed me. But I was trying not to bother him as I was on A RETREAT.

The theme of the retreat was called, "A Pattern of Good works" stemming from Titus 2:7 - In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works. I learned so much. But I cannot possibly remember it all. But Gabe encouraged me that your sub conscious stores data in your brain or memory for later use. The decorations where very clever, and had a vintage 50's style. All of the story's, teaching, and testimonies where so Awesome. I can't wait for next years retreat if the Lord doesn't come back before then. 

Issie Said:  I had lots of fun reading that.  I wish I could have been there(although I was there to partly witness the blood shed hysteria of toddler mayham and true crash birthday party reprocussions of real life experiences in a the broad shadow of frustration and testing of family,faith and turmoil), but retreat wise there's always next year and like you said if the rapture doesn't come first which would be waaaaaaaay better.  That's one reteeeaaaat that us followers of Christ prefer any day.  So hold fast and wait on.  Or hold on and wait fast cause it's gonna be ka-wick.  You ever thought what the Lord is going to be shouting?   Will He call your name out like a shepherd calling His sheep like Pastor David's message?  Will He say "Come up here!", like previouse biblical occassions or will it be "RETREEEAAAT!" like times up, your battle's over, time to come home now?  Anyways I really enjoyed your comments, description and pictures,  God bless!  Byeeeeee!         Love, Issie