2023 Women’s Retreat
By: Tracie Hutchison, Women’s Pastor
Waco or Bust!
It’s been two years since our last women’s retreat and many things have changed. One change was the challenge of finding just the right place to retreat to! After much research and prayer, we decided to go beyond our past boundaries and stretch a little further south to Waco. Not too far away, but far enough to feel “away”! Praise God He met us there!
“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.” Matthew 18:20
God also says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
God always keeps His promises!
“This is the 3rd ladies retreat that I've been to, and l believe it was held at the right time and right season for all of us. I decided to go because l really needed the time away to just be with the Lord, and l came expecting to hear from Him and be restored. I feel like my heart was equipped with weapons as we sang those sweet songs to Jesus, and even days after leaving the retreat the songs continued to echo in my heart. And my heart would just melt before the Lord over again in the night. I have been strengthened in the Lord and l could feel Him reminding me of His goodness and the beauty of choosing Him like the choice of the two trees back in the garden. I gotta keep choosing life, His love, and His holiness. I am forever grateful for this gathering of anointed ladies...until next time.” — Riasha Hylton
“When women get together, the most impactful thing they can do is praise the Lord. That‘s what we did at the Women’s Retreat. Every meeting, every woman there was lifting her voice, and declaring that God is worthy to be praised. What could be more powerful?” — Taffy Geisel
"The Women's Retreat was such a refreshing time to just get away and meet with Jesus. Doing that with other women was really special and occasioned some sweet new friendships. I am excited to see how that time spent resting in the Lord bears fruit in the coming months!" — Katherine Sykes
"PEACE THAT MAKES NO SENSE. WoG retreat is always an opportunity for me to get away and be with God. I have attended a few, with little or no expectations but to be able to spend quality time with God, which my everyday hustle and bustle does not allow. This year, it was different. My expectation was to be able to lay my needs, fears, failures, anxiety, and worries to God. I did not know that it was going to be a retreat with more time to do your own ‘thing’. This retreat gave me time to study the Bible and meditate which I rarely do. God met with me, he heard me, and he responded to me. I took away two scriptures with so much hope and reassurance. On Friday, God said in Joel 2:25, he will restore all that has been taken away and I will not be put to shame. On Saturday, the thoughts came to my mind, now that you are going home, the enemy will show his face. Then God gave me another scripture. He said in Isaiah 59:19 that when the enemy comes like a flood, the spirit of God will lift a standard against him. God’s words never return to him void. That is why I have peace that makes no sense. Praise God." — Celyn Iyoke
Lord willing, we’ll gather together again in 2024! In the meantime, schedule your own personal time “away” with Jesus, the Lover of your soul! An hour or a day. He’s waiting for YOU!
“The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exalt over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17
Our goal was to leave refilled with His Spirit, refreshed by His love, and renewed in our hearts to carry the fragrance of Christ to others.
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
