Something stirring again...

Mal and I went on a church retreat this weekend. Friday night began roughly. Mal's last day at The Senate was hellish and she'd been unable to shake the emotions and stress that it had caused. Our plan was to leave shortly after six. The retreat center was supposedly an hour and a half away in West Virginia. She came through the door at 6:40 (we were to be there by 8:00). Although our bags were packed, there were a few last minute things to get together. She was tired. Hungry. I was a bit sleepy. Nonetheless, we gathered our belongings and Mal led the way.

I stood on the landing, locking the front door, and heard her yell from the street. She was standing before the car. "Are you kidding me?!"

It was dark and I was balancing my bags while locking the door. Is she talking to me?

"What?" I called out, but received no response. I finished locking up and fumbled down the stairs to the sidewalk. It seems that she was yelling to the cop who'd left the ticket on the car. He was gone, or so it seemed. I think she yelled for good measure, in case he was still within ear shot. The car had been illegally parked for less than ten minutes. It was long enough, however.

That's how our weekend began. We were tired. Mal was starving. We were running late and had just received a parking ticket. It seemed that the weekend would be long.

Isn't it great how the tides can change though? They come crashing in, sometimes furious and angry, and then flow out gracefully. That's how the rest of the night went.

Our drive was smooth. We had McD's for the first time in a while. Living in the city, and far from convenient fast food, makes McD's a treat. Mal had her sweet tea, which I thought was a miracle since we were in Maryland. We arrived to the retreat center by 8:20. We were late, but had shaken the negativity that had taken hold earlier in the night. As we walked through the main hall, it was empty except for about five people. Hmm.

We signed in and learned that many people were running late. No worries. We'd get started at nine instead. It gave us time to settle in our room and claim a bed. We shared a room that had 21 beds in it, one sink, and one toilet. There was a chill in the room and the toilet was finicky. Luckily, there were only five of us assigned to the room. Later in the night, we were able to snag extra blankets from other beds.

The evening began with a "get to know everyone" game. Then, we watched an introductory video to the weekend. It basically gave us a preview to the topic of discussion- the Holy Spirit. Then, we broke for free time. From about ten o'clock on, we formed smaller groups and played games that had been provided to us. Mal and I joined a group playing Cranium. I love that game. The night wrapped up shortly after midnight. By the end of our time, I'd already met some more people and been on a team that had won the game. Nice.

Everyone returned to their rooms for sleep. Mal and I stayed up until after one as we talked with one of the women in our room.

The next morning began bright and early. We shared a communal breakfast and then met in the larger room from the night before. We watched a video, listened to someone speak for a bit, and then broke for lunch and free time. Mal and I ate lunch with our "small group" that we meet with every Monday night. There are eight of us and we are evenly divided between men and women. Our ages range from mid-forties to Mal's 23. It makes for some lively discussion and the size of our group is perfect.

When we returned to the large room, we took time out to perform some skits. After that time, we watched one more video and wrapped up with prayer time. It was an amazing weekend and I felt the Holy Spirit moving. I'm excited, and hope, that there will be a "summary" of the weekend that is shared tomorrow night. I know that there were a lot of people who are really seeking answers about God and I hope that the weekend brought them some clarity. Please be in prayer for those who are seeking Him. I can tell that seeds are being planted.

Mal and I left there feeling hope and closeness. After we arrived in DC, the rest of the evening was spent relaxing. Drew is sick and sneezing every few minutes. Mal thinks she has contracted pink eye. I'm popping vitamins and washing my hands like a maniac. So, last night was spent lounging in pj's and surrounded by kleenexes. We played a game of cards, but went to bed fairly early for a Saturday night.

Church was awesome today. The music seemed heavenly and the message was encouraging. Our pastor published a new book about a month ago and today started a seven-part series that relates to the book. At the end of the sermon, he gave everyone a copy of his book. I'm excited about reading it and also hearing more applications on Sundays.

I'm thinking about getting involved with leading Alpha (our Monday night study) next semester. I'm feeling a tug that's prompted some praying. Next Saturday there is a "leadership seminar" that I may attend. It's for people in the church who want to get more involved with small groups and take on leadership roles (go figure that a class entitled "leadership seminar" would be that). So, we'll see. I think I'll go and hear what I can do.

Mal starts her new job tomorrow in Alexandria. Her commute will be a little bit longer, but I know it'll be worth it. I'm looking forward to seeing how she grows with this job and hearing about the difference that she is making there.