Grace warriors Retreat 2016

I had the amazing privilege of going on a two day trip up in the mountains with 18 other girls and our amazing leaders. 

I could honestly write about this trip for ages, so instead of not sparing a detail, I'm just going to explain what I gathered from it spiritually. 

Going on this trip was definitely memorable and full of laughs, just like anything I go to involving other people. 

However, even extroverts get overwhelmed sometimes. I couldn't have been happier but, I needed some alone time after we'd gotten to the gorgeous house which was to be ours for the weekend. 

My sleep wasn't the most comfortable one. My sinuses weren't the best. So, the next morning, I got to spend some time with my Jesus as the sun was rising. 

This was a trip where I was expecting to gather a lot from socializing with others, and though I had some time to get in some great fellowship, the most refreshing part was getting away from it all. 

My inner introvert was showing itself and it was beyond impacting. 

Sometimes, in a family of seven, you need to get away from it all. I got to have that. No phone service. No Wi-Fi. No busy city. No music. No friends. 

When I went into that front yard, the woods before me, the sun peeking through the trees, the fresh air at 30 degrees, grass beneath my feet...I took that time to pray. 

This was a very special time for me. 

To pray and be alone with my Savior and connect. 

I had several times to enjoy that alone-ness and seclusion. 

I wouldn't have traded it. 

I learned about pointing the spotlight away from myself and humbly towards Christ. I learned about serving and loving well. I learned about taking time to give thanks and pray. I learned how to truly own my faith. And I learned to differentiate between important and less important in terms of what to look for in a future partner and what's more or less important in life in general. I got to see a bigger picture. I got to experience God's great power. Feel His mercy. See and touch his amazing creation, so Genesis came alive to me. 

Obviously, these are things I knew but, it was all laid out plain as day to me so that I could feel it. It was one of the most impactful experiences I've had in awhile. 

And now, I realize the importance of prioritizing and unplugging. 

So, in the end, all the dancing, singing, laughing, talking, zip-lining, hiking, picture taking, exploring, smore-roasting, movie watching and everything else that came with the trip..., as amazing as it was, none of it compared to my Jesus time. The LORD showed himself once again, in a vivid and amazing way and I can now see His hand in my life moreso than before. 

For the same that made the sky full of stars I gazed upon at night, the trees towering above my head, the blue sky and the gorgeous sun, the mountains, the leaves that fell in autumn, the wind and the birds...the same God created me and has great plans for me. 

To Him be the glory. 

~Kiah