Men's Retreat - 2007

Wow! Another great Men's Retreat! The YMCA retreat center in Black Mountain has turned out to be a great location for us, many a memory has been created there!

The theme for this retreat was "Surrender," with the focus being on areas of men's lives that they typically have a tough time giving over to God. Whether it be money, relationships, control issues, or anything else, there is no doubt the Holy Spirit was working overtime to get guys to give it up. Bill set the stage Friday night with one of the best expositions on Jacob wrestling with God that I have ever heard. It was an awesome way to begin the weekend, because the range of issues that guys could be "wrestling" with was left undefined, only to be determined by them and God as the weekend progressed. Worship was incredible, there were tons of guys that I did not know, and there was a real openness and anticipation as to what God was going to do -- he did not disappoint! The weather was colder than is normal for our retreats, so there were not as many outdoor activities, but that did not stop anyone from fun and games in the main meeting room (music, cards, board and video games, food, etc)--boys will be boys! A couple of stand out moments were the prayer time and worship Saturday night, and the baptism on Sun morning. The Holy Spirit REALLY did a work on Saturday night; moving from worship to prayer was seamless, and an overwhelming number of guys responded--things just flowed! The baptism was the real surprise! Nick Errato decided he had put it off long enough (definitely a "wrestling" issue for him), and decided he wanted to get baptised in the creek! Ryan Thompson and one other guy (Mike?) decided to join him in the 20 degree water! Bill said it was bone numbing! It turned out to be an awesome experience, and another memory that I am sure the guys won't soon forget.

One of the areas of focus was on relationships, and Josh used Scott, Bill and myself as an example of a healthy, long lasting friendship that he had always been envious of. Now he sees he and Nick developing the same kind of thing. This is an area of my life that I always thank God for. Bill and Scott are not only my best friends, but they are friends, rabbis and mentors all rolled up into one package. God really created something special there for all of us, and I know they value this relationship as much as I do. Bill and I drove up together, and we were trying to remember how many men's retreats we had been on together, and neither of us could remember. You add to that all the other trips, events, family activities, vacations, meetings, meals, etc that we have experienced together, and our memories are literally endless. This IS what life is all about--the relationships that God puts into your life, and how he works through them, everything else pales in comparison. I KNOW that Scott and Libby and Bill and Marcia are friends for life for Alice and myself, and we will always relish the adventure that God has put us on together.

God, I thank you for my incredible wife and family, I am blessed beyond measure; add to that my friends and I am the richest man in the world.