A {BIS} Birthday Retreat

The best gifts are definitely divine in nature.

And that's the kind I got last week - on my birthday, no less - when 30 of us writers and creatives from the Blessed is She team gathered together for the first time in retreat and community.

The BIS team is scattered across the United States and Canada, so this was a Big Deal. Many of us had never met in person; I, personally, had never met a single lady in attendance before - clearly something we all had to fix.

So we packed up our bags and descended upon Minneapolis - St. Paul at the invitation of the incredible Nell, who whipped about serving as hostess, seemingly with an endless supply of energy (although is is 27 weeks pregnant and suffering from HG - say a prayer for her!).

Aside: Nell quite unassuming lives in my childhood French Tudor dream home. Oogle with me for a moment:

We all enjoyed meeting one another, hugging out our excitement, and eating dinner at Nell's house before traveling across the border into the dairy farmlands of Wisconsin, where we crashed for the remainder of the weekend at her family lodge (and what a lodge).

Our time was filled with bonfires and prayer, workshops and down time, laughter, babbling babies, instant connections and the kind of deep sharing that can only naturally result from a sisterhood so strongly forged in the fire of together finding faith in the everyday moments.

It.was.beautiful.

I was refreshed, restored, spiritually awakened, and stayed up past my bedtime chatting over wine and chocolate. And I even finished a good book. Like many other sisters have attested to in their own posts and refections, we are all still unpacking the fruits, and will be for awhile I'm sure. I only wish we had more time. 

I'll be honest, I was a little intimidated stepping onto that plane as little old me, thinking of all the incredible, beautiful, accomplished women I was about to meet. But I arrived in a place where I felt increasingly free to be just little old me - with all my quirks, rough edges, thirst for faith, and yes, beauty.

And it was pretty clear throughout the weekend that that's what makes BIS so special. 

It's the ability to connect with women, near or far, in a place of unmanufactured beauty and growth and faith and confidence. It's a place where we as women can feel safe and free to be ourselves. It's a community based on the real of reality infused with truth and hope. 

As I wrote on one of my (many) Instagram posts:

"Anointed. That was the word that kept coming up over and over this weekend. None of this happened, none of it could have come about, without the intentional anointing of the Holy Spirit and without Jenna Guizar's continual "yes" to His promptings. It is incredible to experience the power and beauty of its fruits, and be part of this truly anointed Blessed is She journey."

Indeed, I am so thankful for this anointed ministry that is changing my life and the lives of faith-seeking women around the world. Such a gift - of the truly divine kind!