We are back from our weekend and though it had it's challenges getting up there it was well worth it as usual. It's funny how you don't see most of the people except once a year and you just pick right back up from the last conference. Something about being in a group of men and women who totally relate to your life style and the challenges it brings to your marriage and your family really ministers to me. When we first got married I never realized how important this conference would be to me year after year after year. I LOVE that the guys work hard and then we all get together and play hard for the weekend.
The weather was AMAZING! Cold but clear and beautiful. Dan got up every morning at 6am and ran around the lake, me? I slept in. :) Our speaker was amazing and as he taught on Romans 8:28 (you've never head it like this guy taught it!) we were reminded that there are no bad circumstances and then we took an oath not to complain........EVER about ANYTHING!
He reminded us that God's sole purpose in our lives is to mold us into his image. You can be molded like clay (turned on the wheel and formed by the potter's hands) or you can be formed like Iron (put through heat and beaten) He,hee! I don't know about you but I prefer the clay scenario! ;) Ken also said that we should give "thanks" in EVERY circumstance. Now hear me in this I didn't say "thankful" and nowhere in the bible does it say to be thankful but to give thanks is entirely different. God knows that I am not thankful for my illness but do I thank him for the circumstance I am in? Absolutely! If I wasn't in this circumstance at this time at this place I could not be molded into the image of Christ the way he needs me to be. Is your marriage hard and mostly up hill? Give thanks because that is what God is going to use to mold you closer to his image. God is more concerned about my holiness than my comfort level.
One of the things that he said was,"Complaining is going to the dark room to develop our negatives." Think about that one for a minute. Complaining wants someone else to fix it and crying out to God is wanting God to pull us out of the hole.
Last thing I will share that I took away from this weekend is that when Ken pointed out that maturity in Christ is NOT the ability to do allot of things it's the ability to rest in Christ. I must say that got a huge AMEN from me because if I have learned anything through having to slow down from my health it is that I am ALLOWED to rest in Christ.
When we got to our room I was treated to these and a lovely card from our friends Brian and Yvonne. Thank you friend for helping to start my weekend off right. I love them!! :)
The weather was AMAZING! Cold but clear and beautiful. Dan got up every morning at 6am and ran around the lake, me? I slept in. :) Our speaker was amazing and as he taught on Romans 8:28 (you've never head it like this guy taught it!) we were reminded that there are no bad circumstances and then we took an oath not to complain........EVER about ANYTHING!
He reminded us that God's sole purpose in our lives is to mold us into his image. You can be molded like clay (turned on the wheel and formed by the potter's hands) or you can be formed like Iron (put through heat and beaten) He,hee! I don't know about you but I prefer the clay scenario! ;) Ken also said that we should give "thanks" in EVERY circumstance. Now hear me in this I didn't say "thankful" and nowhere in the bible does it say to be thankful but to give thanks is entirely different. God knows that I am not thankful for my illness but do I thank him for the circumstance I am in? Absolutely! If I wasn't in this circumstance at this time at this place I could not be molded into the image of Christ the way he needs me to be. Is your marriage hard and mostly up hill? Give thanks because that is what God is going to use to mold you closer to his image. God is more concerned about my holiness than my comfort level.
One of the things that he said was,"Complaining is going to the dark room to develop our negatives." Think about that one for a minute. Complaining wants someone else to fix it and crying out to God is wanting God to pull us out of the hole.
Last thing I will share that I took away from this weekend is that when Ken pointed out that maturity in Christ is NOT the ability to do allot of things it's the ability to rest in Christ. I must say that got a huge AMEN from me because if I have learned anything through having to slow down from my health it is that I am ALLOWED to rest in Christ.
When we got to our room I was treated to these and a lovely card from our friends Brian and Yvonne. Thank you friend for helping to start my weekend off right. I love them!! :)
