retreat

I'm glad I went to the retreat! It was really chill. I had a good time resting and spending time with the people who went. I think I got to know some people I've seen around and others, even more. After spending three days sick and alone in my bed, it was definitely good seeing people! I hate being sick (I mean, who doesn't?) but from being sick I think I learned valuable lessons.

1. I am weak; God is strong.
2. The desperate cry out. I need to be desperate to know God.
3. Sometimes it's just good to rest by doing nothing but eating and sleeping all day.
4. I value quality time more than I thought I did. I need to see people after a certain point of being alone! (Referring back to the Love Language test we took at youth group two years ago, I wonder if your love language can change over the years. I feel like I value quality time a lot more now than I did before. Also maybe I became more comfortable giving hugs because before I didn't like giving hugs. I mean, it depends who it is and I would rather keep my space sometimes, but I guess some people really need to be hugged.)

Looking back on this weekend, it was really fun and I learned a lot in a different way. We didn't have a speaker and a busy back-to-back schedule, but through the retreat I learned:

1. A lot of C words. Community, confusing, communication, etc. These words are really important in building a community. I realized that a lot of times we lack these things such as communication and it soon leads to confusion, then frustration (which is not a C word).
2. One of the best ways to get to know people is to just spend time with them. 
3. Kids are so cute! Even though I'm eighteen, it can be really fun just playing with five year olds, haha. They're full of so much energy!
4. I need to sincerely seek God. Although I didn't get to read much from the Bible, it encouraged me to read more. It seems like everywhere I turn it's like "read your Bible" haha. For Christmas I got a book titled "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth" so time to dive into Bible reading!
5. Grumbling against God and your leaders is not good. I learned this from reading parts of Numbers this weekend. The Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron several times wondering why God chose them instead of anyone else, but every time God showed the Israelites that he chose Moses and Aaron to lead them. Moses was such a good leader. He was extremely humble too - "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). God was so close to killing the Israelites off because they grumbled so much, but Moses interceded in prayer for the Israelites several times.

From reflecting on the past year I realized:

1. God taught me about work this year through my key verse Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
2. God opened my heart more to love others, especially people who I found annoying or didn't really like in the past.
3. God taught me more and more about worship through being in the praise team. Maybe I'll elaborate on this one a bit later.
4. God taught me to be more patient with people.
5. Even when I don't see God working in my life, he is!

I really wanted to choose Isaiah 43:18-19 as my new year's key verse, but now that I'm thinking about it again, I think I might choose something else.

"Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not

perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland."

I read Psalm 138:8 over the weekend and maybe I'll choose this instead as my new year's key verse.

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

your love O Lord, endures forever -

do not abandon the works of your hands."

Maybe I need to hold onto God's promises for my life this coming year. (:

Overall, I'm glad I had the opportunity to go to this retreat!