Time to Draw Near to God

"In my nearly fifty years of living as a Christian, I have never seen the soul's thirst for God more talked about, more recognized as a vital motivation in the human personality or more strongly experienced as a consuming passion. Perhaps a revolution is underway, a revolution of the Spirit that is about to shift our core energies away from arranging life to make it as satisfying as possible to drawing near to God." (Larry Crabb, in Sacred Companions.)

The Springs Retreat is designed to give each woman time to draw near to God. We have found that if we get away from the stuff of our lives and intentionally open ourselves to the Lord, His Spirit refreshes our soul, and we are changed.

If your soul is thirsting for God -- join us at The Springs!  Our prayer is that by the time we go home, we "will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:11).  As Jesus told the woman at the well, her soul's thirst could be quenched by Him - she just had to ask (John 4).

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Respond to the Invitation of God

Its seems that we all long for a deep, personal encounter with Perfect Love. Talking about it is easy. Actually coming to develop this kind of a relationship with the invisible God doesn't happen automatically for anyone. It demands sufficient basking in His Presence so that being deeply loved becomes the foundation of our identity in Christ.

Photo by Luann - Hume Lake, August 2010

Come with other evangelical Christian women who serve as leaders in a wide variety of ministries to a retreat specifically designed to lead us into the Presence of God where we can bask in His Love. At The Springs retreat our focus will be to experientially come to know the Love of God for us in a deeply transformational way.

If you sense a deep desire within to come, but then "What Ifs?" and fears take over, capture your worries and concerns in an email and send it to Luann or Marty. LuannBudd@sbcglobal.net or marty.russell@biola.edu. We'd be glad to discuss them with you. But if as you are reading this, you recognize that your spirit is responding to the call of God's Spirit to lay aside all of your external work for a few days so that your heart can fall more deeply in love with Jesus, don't wait. Come.

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Our souls find rest in God alone

I'm amazed at how the words of this old hymn express so completely the truths that are as alive today as they were centuries ago.  Part of what is so wonderful about getting away for an extended time with God is the opportunity that we receive to still our souls before the Lord.  It's like having a chance to go to the ocean to contemplate how the Lord has its vast expanse in the palm of His hand -- Everything is under His control:

Photo by Luann from Baker's Beach, San Francisco, CA

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In every change God faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
To guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
The Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

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