Personal Retreat
I got away for a much-needed day of personal retreat yesterday. I took a picnic lunch, my Bible, journal, and a book I've been reading and headed for a state park about 40 minutes away. I spent a wonderfully peaceful day praying and pondering while tramping around 12 miles of backpacking trails. My legs are a little sore, but my soul is refreshed.

During college I did this every spring after exams were done just to clear my head and refocus. I had a minor breakdown a couple of weeks ago, and realized that I hadn't taken a personal retreat since the kids were born. In the years between college and kids and didn't usually take a whole day, but disappearing into a park for an afternoon was something I did pretty often. I must make this at least an annual thing again. I had a chance to sort through some things that had been on my heart, and actually articulate in writing what my priorities are, why, and what I'm actually going to do to make reality reflect them.

Today was a successful Sabbath. The only thing on the to-do list was church. Dinner was lasagna with thanks to Stouffers and salad I mostly made yesterday. I got to take a little nap, do some follow up research to Sunday school discussion, spend an hour or so reading The Wizard of Oz with my girls snuggled up on the couch. Yes, I am ready to face Monday!