unlike any other.

We had our Women's Retreat last night for the church at Island Lake Camp in Poulsbo. Our community group packed the mini (van) and headed out at about 11:30. This was right after I got Chris all set up for his first 24hour stint alone with Siena. Schedule was printed out, food was made, bottles washed, milk thawing ;), and diaper bag packed. He put her in the stroller on our first 70 degree day in a long time and left to walk to Starbucks.

My ladies picked me up a few minutes later and we passed Chris and Siena on the way out. What a sweet picture of daddy pushing baby girl in the stroller. So sweet that it made me want to stay and not leave my little family. But I did anyway.

We took the ferry (I have pictures that I will post soon!) from Seattle to Bainbridge Island after picking up a few other women. The seven of us ate at a Mexican restaurant and then got ice cream at a creamery in town. I finally decided to look at my phone and saw that it had been on silent for the entire ride over. I also saw that I had a missed a call two hours before from Chris. I called him back and he began to tell me that Siena wouldn't take a bottle and was really upset. I could go on and on about the details of the little one refusing to eat but that really isn't the point.

The devil always tries to deceive us into thinking that we need to be in control. He tries to mess with opportunities to commune with God. He tries to destroy fellowship. But thanks be to God that that wasn't the outcome of this trip. After I talked to Chris my flesh told me that I wanted to go home and fix the problem. To feed Siena and to calm Chris' nerves. But I couldn't... I was hours away.

I am truly grateful that I was that far away. The teaching was so direct, applicable, and had perfect timing. Our campus pastor's wife did the teaching and she the first session was about Biblical Womanhood and the Spiritual Disciplines. I am currently reading the Spirtual Disciplines by Donald Whitney so it just reinforced what I feel like the Lord is already teaching me.

When I walked in the door this evening so ready to snuggle my baby bell who had been saying mamamama for hours and had barely eaten enough for a few hours in a full day - her little face lit up when she saw me and she began to jump and shake. I held her for the next hour, snuggling and nuzzling that perfect little baby face. I'm not sure that I want to leave her for a LONG time. It made me treasure my time with my precious family and the way that we came back together was a sweet blessing from the Lord.

This retreat was unlike any other in so many ways. Thank you Jesus for pastors and their wives that are willing to speak truth, retreats and the people that make it possible, a retreat that didn't cause a spiritual high but was just solid learning, my sweet husband who survived a day without me, my mama who held Siena today and tried to get her to eat, my friends who opened up about struggles and sin, my other friends who forgave me of sin when I asked them to, a baby who is peacefully sleeping in her crib at this moment, and a God who is teaching me abundantly more than I would have thought possible.

Praise the Lord!