I've Had My Head in the Clouds!

I had been doing really well at keeping up with my goals for the year... until now.  One of my goals had been to blog at least once a week, and, for the first time this year, I have failed.  Sorry.  :-(  But if it counts for anything, I failed because I was working towards one of my other goals:  I left Nashville!  (Hooray!)

This past Thursday through Saturday, I headed to the Smoky Mountains for a Women's Retreat with my church.  Seventeen of us headed to a cabin in the clouds (seriously... it was like driving straight up to Heaven), and it was so. much. fun!

(Yes, I drove my little Honda up here on narrow, switchback roads.  It was so steep my gas gauge dropped by a quarter tank until I got to a level parking space at the top.)

Over the course of the weekend we had gourmet cupcakes...

... other good food (well, it was mostly good because we didn't have to cook)...

...and we went ziplining through the trees!!!

We had great conversations, some thought-provoking Bible study, and lots and lots of laughs.  I mean, I don't remember the last time I laughed as much as I did in the course of those three days.  It was good for my soul.

Something unexpected happened while I was at the retreat, too.  I led the Bible study, and I discovered all over again how much I love teaching!  Throughout the weekend several people told me that they enjoyed my teaching and that I had a gift for making them understand and feel excited about what they were learning.  It made me feel so good, and it was like finding a piece of myself that I didn't know had "gone missing."  I think at one time I knew I was a good teacher, but I had honestly forgotten.  Teaching again was like coming home.

And this discovery was by no means the most profound part of the weekend.  I took so much away that I'm still thinking through.  I'm reexamining how I spend my time and resources, and trying to figure out how to be a better follower of Christ.

It really was a wonderful weekend.

It was beautiful.
It was fun.
It was thought-provoking.
It was inspiring.
It was memorable.

The Holy Spirit was present.  I'm excited to see what God is going to do in the lives of the women in my church!