Women's Info-Rama Saturday July 30, 2011

Come and join us for a day of information including: National LWML Convention; "How to Prevent ID Theft"; Houston Area Women's Center (HAWC) at St. Mark Lutheran on Hillendahl. Click here for the full poster, ingathering and registration information.

March 2011 Retreat to Galveston

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April 18th-19th, 2011 marked the White Oak Zone, Bi-Annual Spring Retreat for Women of all ages. The retreat was held at beautiful Moody Gardens Hotel, Retreat and Convention Center, Galveston, Texas. The 37 ladies, 2 teens, from seven different churches began to arrival at 4pm and received their goodie bag which was sewn just for the retreat and was filled with a prayer rock, tissues, a themed magnet, pamplet on Turning Point (ingathering mission), session journal, and a donation by LUSH, which was a bath bomb, soap & lotion. Hats off to LUSH for giving their products to all the ladies.

After checking in, the ladies had a few hours of free time that they could spend in their room or on the Wonder Full Moody Gardens grounds. Friday evening, we meet at the Garden Cay room, for finger sandwiches and two Bible sessions of Wonder Full World. We began in Australia learning about the "Woman" in Mark 5:25-34. Here we experienced what it must have felt like being excluded from a group by playing a game. As a group we had to leave ladies out, excluded them. Ladies were left feeling sad, unwanted, not needed. Closing this session with the knowledge of knowing that God does care about me. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." 1 Peter 5:7

The second session took us to Europe were we imagined being royalty. We chose a new name for ourselves, Empress, Queen, Princess, etc. and answer questions as if we were this person of royalty. Having servants to clean and scrub our toilets seemed to be one of the favorites. Friday evening finished with learning that, we are royalty! 1 Peter 2:9-10 reminds us that we are royalty with a purpose: "For you are chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of god, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 'Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy.'"

Saturday, a day of renewal in God's word, began under a full moon, morning haze and a devotion,"What the World Needs Now!" by Julie Bettencourt. The theme verse for the devotion was also the theme verse for the retreat. "God so loved the World." John 3:16. The devotion reminded us that we love to see people when we know God's love has touched their life but we need to remember that we have that love and that we need to share it with those around us. That we are God's instruments and that in our busy lives we need to slow down and share His love with those we know and don't know. We concluded the devotion with prayer and the common table prayer.

A giant hot breakfast buffet was awaiting us in our private dinning room. We nourished our bodies and headed over to the ballroom for the answers to our questions of, "I wonder if I matter to God or Where is God when life is hard?". All the calories from breakfast were quickly taken away when we played a game that split us up in groups, holding hands and running past each other through a maze of chairs. Learning from this was being lost in a crowd, being touched by people you don't know, or maybe wanting to get lost, to blend in with a group of people. Ephesians 3:14-21 teaches us that through God's "unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength, God's love will keep you strong." and in Romans 8:39, "nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." These verses let us know that we do matter to God.

Another fun activity was making our "perfect" best friend, out of pipe cleaners and tissue paper. What a site to see! All were very different and some had big ears for hearing our every word, a big heart for loving us, great clothes because she also has flair, a halo because she is our angel, etc. Some ladies were quiet in their planning, serious, very focus, while others were laughing and talking through the whole process.

Antarctica lead to do a study on our own. Quiet time to find out where God is when life is hard. Holding an ice cube for 60 seconds was hard and hurt, feeling numb by the end. When being treated with a "cold shoulder" from someone/others, leaves us feeling the same way, painful until you just don't feel anymore but in Colossians 3:13-15 we find out that we need to forgive others, to clothe ourselves with love. Remembering that God forgave us, so we must forgive others.

Wrapping up this session was the realization that we are like the penguins of Antarctica. It is so cold to be alone, that we need people in our lives to help us get through the tough times, the coldness of life. Reading Ecclesiastes 4:11-12:"Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but tow can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." When life is hard, God is right beside us! "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10

After lunch we meet back in the ballroom and went to South America. Can we really rely on God? This session took us back to the woman that was healed and who had in front of the crowd, told Jesus what she had done. Why did Jesus want her to tell her story, what did the crowd learn. Through the women's faith she was healed and the crowd learned that everyone is worthy of healing. The Bible says we can rely on God. "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Finishing up the sessions a scrapbook was made by all to remember what we had learned. Each lady had a photo taken when they arrived to the retreat so on this day to their surprise each of them had been photographed at one of places we had traveled. Also, for their memory book they were given the group shot that had been taken on one of the breaks. After the books were put together it was time to finish up the journey on the Colonel, a river boat, which is one of the attractions at Moody Gardens. So all the ladies were shuttled over to the Colonel and at the beginning of the ride, Pastor Mark Koch (Pastoral Counselor) concluded our weekend in prayer.

What a Wonder Full weekend! Many thanks to all the ladies who came to the retreat and made it a Wonder Full weekend!