If you are a mother...

...or an adult female of any kind, and you live anywhere in the vicinity of Western Ohio, I highly recommend a mother's retreat I just attended this past weekend. It was wonderful. Two homeschooling mothers started it about 9 years ago. Felicity and I had to travel through some pretty yucky weather to get there, but it was oh-so-worth-it!!

Father Amberger (from the Cincinnati diocese, I think), and Father Nathan Cromly of the Brothers of St. John were the retreat masters. I can't say enough about how beautiful and refreshing their talks were.

Here were the take-home messages for me (these snippets will not remotely do their preaching justice, but here goes anyway...):

-God is looking for you, waiting for you to turn your attention to him, all the time. What in your life is obscuring your view of him?

-God made you perfect in His eyes. We all have failings, and God can use your weaknesses to bring you closer to him, if you will allow. It does no good to compare yourself to another person and feel less valuable. God wants you to honestly bring your failings before him and lay them at his feet. He wants us to use our own gifts well.

-Joy is not a feeling, but a fruit of your relationship with God. Mother Theresa lived for decades feeling a darkness in her heart, but she was joyful! Keep your eyes on Jesus, and there you will find hope, joy, peace, no matter the circumstances of your life.

Once again, these tiny summaries are the very tippy-top of the iceburg of the messages from this retreat. After confession, 2 holy hours, mass, plenty of silent reflection, and fellowship with some lovely women (did I mention good food, prepared by someone other than me?!), I am renewed and ready to face my daily trials with increased energy and patience (yes, there you have it - my greatest weakness, lack of patience). I am so thankful for my brother-in-law, Father Earl, who suggested this weekend experience to me.