A women's retreat...

I am just back from a weekend spent at Rockridge Canyon retreat center/camp. My church had a women's retreat there this weekend and it was awesome! I got to know a few more people from my church family (which was great), there was a wonderful speaker (Julie Kennedy Smith), the zip line was a rush, the weather was gorgeous etc etc etc. Last week was crazy busy for me and I wondered at times how I was going to get everything finished. I handed a paper in on Monday, wrote 2 exams on Thursday, and handed in 2 more papers on Friday. Then I left. It was refreshing to get away from the grind of school. I have one final exam tomorrow and then I am finished my degree!

The theme of the weekend was 'storms' in our lives; the calm before the storm, hope and comfort in the storm, and peace after the storm. Julie had a lot of good things to say about how God has worked in and through her life throughout the different phases of the storm. One of the things that I learned was that I need to submit and surrender things in my life, and then trust and obey. I've been trying for the last few weeks, really trying to find myself a job so that I can pay off my car before I start the PDP in July. I didn't ever really pray about it though. I guess I kind of figured that this one I didn't need God for. That maybe it was too simple of a task and that it would be easy enough for me to do on my own.

I looked and looked and sent out resumes, and more resumes. Nothing. I usually get call backs pretty quick on my resume, so it was strange to not hear anything for weeks. I finally got one call last week for a job that I thought would be perfect, only to find out that there was a one month training process and it was not worth their while nor mine if I only had 10 weeks of availibility. Then I was scammed when I applied for one of those online work at home jobs.....and lost $20. I won't do that again!

Nothing was lining up. It was too difficult. I was stressing out about it because I had hoped to have work by this Tuesday because I am finished school tomorrow.

I was thinking about this when I was at Rockridge yesterday. I hadn't even attempted to give my job situation to God. I think I'd briefly mentioned it as a passing comment to him one day, but never really asked nor given Him the opportunity to work through it. Thinking this through yesterday for the first time, I gave it to Him. Maybe it wasn't all about my plan. Maybe I'm not supposed to pay off my car in 10 weeks.....it might be working too much. Maybe if I just ask, He will provide and I will get a job.

Arriving home tonight, I was talking to roomate Jenn and she had a few numbers for me to call about landscaping. I had wanted to do landscaping from the very beginning, but absolutely NOTHING was coming of that. I didn't even know she was going to ask people for me. I called this lady up....the most awkward phone call ever, but she has a job for me. I can maybe start Tuesday! It's not full time, but she is completely flexible if I need to get another job.

Within one day I got a job. I'd been looking for weeks on my own and come up with nothing.

Here is a poem that was tucked into the journal that they gave all us ladies this weekend. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


I made her... she is different. She is unique.
With LOVE I formed her in her mother's womb.
With LOVE I fashioned her with great joy.
I remember with great pleasure the day I created her.

I LOVE her smile. I LOVE her ways. I LOVE to hear her laugh.
And the silly things she says and does.
She brings Me great pleasure... this is how I made her.

I made her pretty, but not beautiful, because I know her heart,
and she would be vain.
I wanted her to search out her heart and to learn that it would be
Me in her that would make her beautiful...
and it would be Me in her that would draw friends to her.

I made her in such a way that she would need Me.
I made her a little more lonesome than she would like to be...
only becuase I need her to lean and depend on Me.
I know her heart, I know if I had not made her like this,
she would go her own chosen way and forget Me... her creator.
I have given her many good and happy things... becuase I love her.

Because I love her I have seen her broken, hurt...
and the tears she has cried alone.
I have cried them with her, and had a broken heart, too.
Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone
only because she would not hold My hand.
So many lessons she has learned the hard way
because she would not listen to my voice.

So many times I have sat back and sadly watched her go her merry way alone
only to watch her return to My arms, sad and broken.

And now she is mine again... I made her and then bought her... because I LOVE her.
I have to reshape and remold her... to renew to what I had planned for her to be.
It has not been easy for her or Me.
I want her to be conformed to My image... this goal I have set for her...
because I LOVE HER!

~unknown