This Year's Women's Retreat

First day of women's retreat was great. Speakers were good and the food was too. The scenery as always was beautiful. God is great. It's always good to get away into the mountains, even Jesus did that to reconnect with God. We should as well.

Our first speaker was Bev and she gave a great lesson in "What's in your purse?" More pictures and details to follow as its lights out soon at the lodge here and I'm worn out. Night everyone.

Here are the more pictures I promised you. It was a great women's retreat as the three speakers: Bev Campbell, Cathy Koch and Carol Sheldon talked about being well dressed spiritually as Christian Women as we walk out into the world and witness for Christ.

Bev had us look into our purses to see what we are carrying around in there. Is it full of things like thankfulness, praise, love, forgiveness, kindness, goodness, faith, trust, and all the other qualities of Christ. Or is your purse loaded down like a bag of heavy rocks with things like bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed, anger, uncontrolled tongue, resentment, and other things that weigh us down rather than lighten our load.

Carol and Cathy gave us a good demonstration about well-dressed feet and a custom creation. They talked about what different things such as flat shoes, pumps, work boots, infinity scarfs and other things can represent to us as we get properly dressed for God's kingdom.

Each year as we attend the retreat it is so wonderful getting in touch with our other sisters in Christ that we only get to see once a year. The fun we have playing games, making crafts together, singing, hiking to Frog Lake and fellowshipping is priceless. 

Speaking of "frog." I just learned something from my friend in Chicago who told me what her grandmother taught her. Frog stands for Fully Rely On God. F.R.O.G. That is what we need to strive to be as Christian women, women who are fully relying on God and that is what the goal of our annual Christian Women Fellowship of Central Oregon retreat is  all about becoming FROG Christians.

Rhonda, Nyla and Aubrey

Nyla and her service dog Grace

The lodge

Smile ladies :)

Brooke and Aubrey trying out the paddle boat

Bev looking into what's in our purses

 

Speaker Carol Sheldon demonstrating various shoes

Speaker Cathy Koch

Karen and her granddaughter's Brooke and Aubrey

View of Round Lake

View of the swing and picnic table area

A look down from the lodge balcony

Coordinator Joan Anderson. Rosie in the chair

Bonnie looking like she is getting all tangled up

 

Craft time of crocheting purses out of grocery bags. Another craft was scented bath crystals, foot massage powder and others. Also there was a table for those who wanted to try and make jewelry.

Thanks to our cook Kristie and her parents Dick and Claire we were well fed

 

Closer look at the homemade swing set with the basketball court in the background

Thank you Lord for Your presence with us at retreat. For the wonderful weather and the chance to fellowship with one another while we learned more of what we can do to enhance our walk with You.

In love W.I.T.H. Jesus,

Karen J. Gillett

Women's Retreat

This year's retreat is soon here. Sorry for the late notice. It is September 12th and 13th at Round Lake Wilderness camp.

In spite of my cancer I get to go this year. I am so blessed. It's been something I have looked forward to attending each year for over thirty years now.

I was blessed to go when I was disabled with my epilepsy and now I am still attending even though my disability is now my cancer. It's just a good time up in the mountains surrounded by God's artwork and fellow sisters in Christ. We fellowship, learn new things, get in touch with God and have fun.

If you can't make it this year come next year at this same time. Get out of the rat race of life and relax surrounded by the presence of God.

Karen Gillett

Sent from my iPhone

In Christ I Am Series~~~~Healed

In 1 Peter 2:24 it talks about because of Christ's wounds we are healed. Being a person with cancer I look down at myself and think, "I don't feel healed! If the Bible says I am then why aren't I healed of this horrible disease?"

The answer is in the remaining part of the verse we tend to skip to read the words "you are healed." The part that says Christ died for us that we may live for righteousness. Our healing is from the disease of sin and the damages it can create.

What we fail to realize is that not everyone gets cancer, praise the Lord but all of us suffer from the disease of sin. It's only by the wounds of Christ that healing is granted. No doctor can prescribe it. No magic wand waving in the air can make it go away. We need Christ.

If we were to be cured today of our cancer or other diseases the joy of such healing would last only until our death from other causes. However, when we are healed spiritually it is a cure that is good for all eternity. In reality which is better. Myself, I would take the one that would last for all eternity.

I can put up with a few years of cancer but I can't live without Christ in my life. Truly it's up to us to go for the cure the correct healing. The healing that matters.

Karen

Sent from my iPhone

In Christ I Am Series~~~~I Am the Light of the World

In the Bible if its written in there then it is so. If the Bible says we are the light of the world then that's what we need to be. Too often in the face of conflict when things go dark we do too.

We need to be that one little light at the end of the tunnel that people see and go towards. The lighthouse on the shore of life the gives people guidance and a place to aim for as well as hope.

We don't generate our own light, use our own energy we are a reflection of Jesus. That's the beauty of it in conflict when things do start to get dark all we have to do is step into the light of Jesus to get or keep our own light.

A light for others to see to find their way to Jesus. Solar Christians empowered by the light of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Each of us doing our part in lighting the path of life that can get pretty dark at times. A light that forever shines, continually glows, and only gets stronger thanks to its power source Jesus Christ.

Don't be afraid to stand out, and don't hide what needs to be seen. Shine for Jesus and be that glimpse of hope in a distance that guides people in towards Jesus. Shine people shine.

Sent from my iPhone

In Christ I Am Series~~~Salt of the Earth

One by one in the next few weeks we will be going thru a list of the things we are in Christ. We start with, in Christ I am the salt of the earth Matthew 5:13. We will be looking at it thru the eyes of dealing with conflict and trying to live in an ungodly world.

First of all when examining salt it has several different purposes or tasks its good for. It adds flavor, it preserves things, and it cleanses things. As Christians we are the salt of the world. We are here to add flavor to the world around us and preserve and cleanse that world.

The flavor we need to be adding is that of one that compliments Jesus, is well balanced, and doesn't leave a bad taste in ones mouth. Too often when caught in conflicts and worldly surroundings its too easy to be like those around us. We lose our cool, we give in to our emotions and before we know it we have lost our saltiness. Our purpose is to leave a taste of Christ behind to preserve and clean the situations we are in.

If you think about it. We are the salt between two dead fish which are people of the world living outside of Christ. It is our job to be the thing that is there to preserve them and save them from rotting spiritually by witnessing Jesus to them. To cleanse instead of get dirty with them by allowing ourselves to get caught up in today's filth.

Whatever we do we can't lose our effectiveness. We have been given a purpose, a task to fulfill in Christ and we must do it. We are the salt, lets do our duty.

Sent from my iPhone

Stress fighter tip

Read my latest tip on how to fight against stress. Believe it or not it begins and ends with the choice of having our attitude in the right place. 

Read it here:

http://anniejenningspr.com/jenningswire/lifestyle/a-wiser-place-to-be/

Sent from my iPhone

Catchy Saying #5 Winners Never Quit

"Winners never quit and quitters never win."

This is one catchy saying that picked me up and carried me thru many situations bogged down with potential stress. Too often when my seizures were at their worse I wanted so badly to quit and let them win.

This saying I found reminded me that quitters never win. If I was to have any chance of a deceit life I was going to have to keep on trying. It didn't necessarily mean I would win over my seizures in the long run but it gave me a fighting chance.

Eventually because I wouldn't allow myself to quit and give up I did have victory over my seizures. It took me five years of hard labor fighting an often weak spirit but it paid off. It paid off when the doctor five years later told me my stress seizures were gone.

It was a victory won thanks to God who supplied my spirit thru His word with enough strength to keep me going. To keep me fighting on and to show me "no I wasn't the quitter I thought I was." I was much more in Him and thru Him to overcome anything. Even stress seizures.

Karen

Sent from my iPhone