Retreat and Reboot

Six of my girlfriends and I went up to the mountains and spent a couple of nights in a log cabin. It was a nice retreat, a chance to spend time with one another and rest. We each brought an offering to share for a devotional, and then took turns praying for each other’s needs during our time there. The theme, as it happened, seemed to be “affliction.” We all share in them in some manner; it was good to hold each other up, to remind one another to keep our eyes upon Jesus. I’m so thankful for these sisters.

 

 

 

 

 

My family has been considering a “reboot”. Meaning, we’re in a house that is too big for our needs, and our wallet, and we’d like to downsize and get traction on our finances. I’ve had my eye on one house in particular, but the owner needs to sell and we are currently unable to buy, at least until we sell ours. And, even then, who knows what the market will bring? We seem to be on the cusp of a potential break-even, which means it could go either way…money in our pocket for a down payment, or…not. The gentlemen who owns the house happens to love the Lord, and, as it also happens, used to attend our church. He is also a friend of some friends of ours. After talking with my husband for several hours, he offered us a weekend there, a “staycation,” to try it out.

It was a bit like camping, but in an old bungalow-cottage instead of a tent. We worked the wood stove, but our ineptness showed in the extra smoke. It would be a downsize, and there is some work that needs doing before we could move in. But there is a lot of potential.

I don’t know anything else, or how a move would even work. But I am trusting God to move or stay us, even as my flesh longs to know “The Plan.”

This is the back pasture, fenced. The owner at one time kept goats and sheep and a llama. The low clouds are covering a magnificent mountain view.

 

 

The inside really does look like a cabin. I laughed when I saw a sleigh hanging from the ceiling,  because *I* have one hanging from mine, too! When I met the owner to get the house key, one of the things we chatted about was our love of cast iron pans.

 

 

I love that his birdhouses actually have birds nesting in them. The landscaping is beautiful; the original owners, he tells me, were gardeners.

 

 

I enjoyed spending most of the weekend outside, recognizing upcoming vegetables and herbs and flowers. Here, I noticed an entire wall of hollyhocks coming up! I would love to see everything in bloom in the summer.

 

 

Another thing I loved was the proximity to lakes, and beaches, and neighborhood stores. It’s a small town, one in which you’d end up knowing just about everybody. And you’d be known, too. My son went fishing with a friend of his. His friend is a nice boy, from a family we love…and who happen to live about half a mile from the house. I know you can’t always pick your neighbors, but I’d pick them!

 

 

So…I don’t know what the Lord has in store for all of us. At the very least, we were blessed to have a weekend dreaming about and tasting the reality of what it would mean to downsize and move. I’m thankful to the owner of the house for a chance to think about a serious reboot.

 

 

 

 

In addition to these getaways, I do feel like I’ve been on the retreat lately, pulling back from blogging and other online endeavors. We shall see if the Lord uses this time for a good reboot. Stay tuned 🙂

Blessings,