Update 5/1/10 Day 173

Dear friends,

I'm home! The retreat was a delight to my soul, in no small part because of caliber of the people I spent a day and a half with. I'm telling you true, I am humbled by the women the Great One has put in my life. Each one different, each one an ingredient in the recipe of my life. I love you sisters! And there are plenty more too, who were not on this particular retreat. Sometimes I think I'm the most favored person on the earth...

My main squeeze did a great job with the blog last night, although he tooted my horn a bit too much. No false modesty, only the raw fact that he left out some of the not-so-nice side of me. Thank God for what Christianity really is: not a set of rules and regulations to follow, but a relationship with a Father who is committed to changing us and leading us on to greater freedom and love. The not-so-nice side was taken care of by the cross, but He wants to make our character more like Jesus', so a world desperate for some true love can get it. His laws are perfect, there for our greater freedom, like a runner who can finish the marathon (with all the joy that comes with breaking the tape!) because he worked through the discipline of the training. Anyway, the Great One is both just and merciful, and for that I am forever grateful.

Christ the King Spiritual Life Center, where we had our retreat, was absolutely gorgeous. And oddly, (maybe because I'm reading the Tolkien books right now), the whole place looks like the Shire. Rolling hills, covered bridges, horses, cows, meadows... stunning. So a few of us "Hobbits" tromped up a trail to look down on a lovely lake, and I half expected Bilbo Baggins to pop out from behind some tree. When I was a little girl, I would often go into the woods and pretend I was looking for leprachauns, and other woodland creatures, and I invented a world of my own right between my ears. I guess I've never really left the love of fantasy and fairy tales behind. With all that has happened in the past 6 months, a little escape from reality is in order from time to time. It's cheaper than a shrink, and reading is simply one of my passions. Imagine God whipping up this universe? Dreaming the thing up in His infinately creative and beautiful mind? I truly believe He had an absolute ball creating the whole thing. I saw just a little glance of it today, and it tickled me no end. He created it with us in mind... I like to tell Him what an awesome job He has done. Go ahead, applaud a sunset. Who cares if someone thinks you're nuts. What God thinks is all that will matter at the end of the road.

I'm really tired, but doing well, and grateful for the love showered on me and my family especially this past week. Time for me to go spend a little time with my dear ones, who give me more joy than words can say. Tomorrow the post will hopefully have a bit more substance, but tonite I need my babies, my darling man, and some shut eye.

Love to all of you!

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann