| The second half of February was serving at a Spiritual Retreat for missionaries. Traveling to meet up with my Novo team of creatives last month I learned that Malaga on the Southern Coast of Spain is a hub for Missionary Care. SentWell, is Novo's member care division, and we were honored to be part of the innaguaral group retreat held at their own, new retreat center La Morada. Listening prayer is not something this hyper-active gal did very much of before. Then I started hearing! Turns out, God does speak if we take the time to ask him to...and if I take the time to LISTEN! If you'd like, we've created a Hearing God booklet that's free! Also, I just wrapped up taking the Novo Spiritual Authority Cohort (for the 2nd time!). I'm looking forward to finding more people who want to go through it with me again. March 25th I get to teach about prayer walking at our home church here. This is another active way of praying, and listening to God lead in how to pray for the places we go. This kick off event for our annual Missions Conference is the first time I've been invited to lead something. We'll make it kid-friendly so that families can learn to pray for their neighborhood (and the world). | |
You CAN try this at home! God has abundance for us in our experience of life with him, and we often forget! Here are some of the exercises we did at this "Storehouse" retreat. It was all so enjoyable! Here are some of the ideas you can try too: Get Outdoors for a hike! Go with a group for a prayerful silent walk outdoors. Pay close attention to the sights and sounds and smells. Listen for the Holy Spirit to speak through nature things that you need to know, or remember. Take a walk in the spaces where you spend time and have some influence. Where there are people you care about and things you are responsible for. What patch of the earth is and area can you claim as yours to love, nurture, serve, and bring the Kingdom of God? Make and Raise a Banner. In this place where you have spiritual influence, what is it that God brings through you to this place? Is there a proclamation you want to make? A word of blessing? As you spend time with the Lord in quiet, get out some art supplies to make your own banner as you listen to some worship music. | |
Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up a banner over the peoples. Behold, the Lord has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
“Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.” And they shall be called The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
and you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken. Isaiah 62:10-12 | |
Even the men joined in and liked it! * |  | | | |
 | | What would be your word? All week I was kept thinking that He is The Lord God Almighty. That's what I wrote because I want to proclaim: He's in charge! Other words were Love. Safety. Healing. Find Rest. and Flourish. And flourish is what you help me do through knowing you are a partner in this Gospel work in your corner of the world! | |
| |  | | Novo Makers met for two days before the SentWell retreat. This was our first time serving together. I turned 61 in Spain, and being able to be on a mission trip was a fabulous birthday gift! Thank you for your prayers about my time of traveling to a new place, with new people. I'm quite out of practice travellng without Jim! | |
| |  | | Since this was the first SentWell retreat at their La Morada retreat center, we took time to bless the land, and the couple who is now living there. Jeff and Candy are both experienced counselors. | |
|
Fondly, Kimberly Creasman *Speaking of MEN... Jim is having a pastors' retreat here March 16-20th. Seven of the eight guests were pastors at Rolling Hills Covenant Church in the '80s-'90s. They've stayed in touch over the years when Jim organizes a tournament bracket for March Madness and a flurry of email catch ups. At first Jim Stewart was planning to come for a weekend of college basketball, but one Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago, my Jim got on the phone with the rest. Maybe one of the other guys could come too... and six said yes! Now we've got our live-in helper Tyler inventorying the sheets and getting out air mattresses to make room for Dave Engel, Bill MacPhee, Michael Risley, Bryan Glanzer, Michael Pearsall, Kevin Hughes, and the original invitees - Jim Stewart and our Novo BFF Roger Hederstedt. My girlfriends tell me it's a good excuse to make another trip myself! Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world! |
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment