Lori speaking at the Woman's Retreat
Mary the Mother of God, Harriet Tubman, Mother Teresa and Jackie Kennedy are all women of strength and so are you! That is one of the messages we, Jenny Schiller a marriage and family pastoral counselor and myself, delivered this past Saturday on our Woman’s Strength retreat. Thirty five women came together to listen, to share, to laugh, to pray, to be blessed and to find their own strengths on this retreat. We opened with stories of religious as well as secular women who we admire due to their strength and we took a journey to find the strength that every woman was given by God. This retreat is a time to escape our normal routine and find some time to reflect on the gifts that God has bestowed on each one of us. These women found inspiration, new friends, different ways to pray and also a way to acknowledge their own strengths. Women of today are strong but so many times they fail to slow down enough to recognize their strength. One woman said to me “In my generation we were not suppose to toot our own horn.” My response was “We have to acknowledge the gifts that God has given us before we can fully utilize them.” God wants us to embrace our strengths and use them for the good of all God’s people. One woman said “I realized I had these strengths but had not realized that there is a lot more potential for their use.”
I am always so excited to lead retreats because almost everyone walks in open to the Holy Spirit. I always pray that I can be an instrument for God’s use. My goal is to move people closer to God, one retreat, one talk, one word at a time. So many women thanked us as they were leaving. One woman hugged me and said “You are so beautiful. You are doing God’s work. Don’t ever stop. Thank you.” I could feel her looking right into my soul when she said that. God works in so many different ways. A retreat is a great way to develop your faith by surrounding yourself with others who want to do the same. It is also a great way to help build the community within your Church.
If you are interested in bringing a Woman’s Retreat to your Church or Faith Community please email me. We do travel out of state to lead retreats. This woman’s retreat is active, moving and spiritual and it will help you to discover your own strengths. It did for the thirty five women who attended this weekend and it could for you as well.
