See below for a video slide show from the 2009 PM Women's Retreat. Click on the arrow to view the video.
When I was young, I spent many happy moments as a camper at Pocono Mountain Bible Conference. My parents would come to get me at the end of my stay, I would cry so hard because I didn't want to leave. My mother would half-jokingly say it embarrassed her because people would think there was something wrong at home. Nothing could have been further from the truth. We had a happy well-adjusted home life. But nothing could compare to that mountaintop experience. Fast forward forty-some years and after the PM Women's Retreat of 2009 I felt the same way. I had tears in my eyes as my sister prodded me into leaving at the end of the final day. Once again I was so enthralled with the mountaintop experience that I wasn't ready to leave.
We started out on Friday night watching the movie Fireproof. We sat around the dining hall loft sharing sniffs and giggles, laughter and tears, groans and gasps as we munched on goodies from the snack table.
Saturday during the day our speaker, Ruth Dunkle shared the inspirational theme "Dust is a must", based on the old Hebrew blessing "May you always be covered with the dust of your rabbi".
Saturday evening a PM Ladies favorite, Ruthy Stock blessed us out of our socks with her beautiful singing and her zany sense of humor. We were indeed changed again at the close of this day.
Sunday after prayer and a yummy breakfast, we were treated to one of the most tender and delighftul messages I've heard in a long time. The Rev. Gillard Evans, a retired minister from the denomination, humbly walked up to the pulpit and proceeded to share the heart of God so beautifully that I weep when I think of it. A few times you could tell that breathing and standing were tiring for the elderly gentleman but he kept going so it was an even more beautiful sacrifice. In 2006 I heard Billy Graham speak at the Franklin Graham crusade and I'd rank this right up there with that. Rev. Evans, a man who served and loved for many years is still very much the preacher.
The weekend was over all too soon and I'm down off that mountaintop, but the blessings will stay with me for a while and the memories will last and last.
When I was young, I spent many happy moments as a camper at Pocono Mountain Bible Conference. My parents would come to get me at the end of my stay, I would cry so hard because I didn't want to leave. My mother would half-jokingly say it embarrassed her because people would think there was something wrong at home. Nothing could have been further from the truth. We had a happy well-adjusted home life. But nothing could compare to that mountaintop experience. Fast forward forty-some years and after the PM Women's Retreat of 2009 I felt the same way. I had tears in my eyes as my sister prodded me into leaving at the end of the final day. Once again I was so enthralled with the mountaintop experience that I wasn't ready to leave.
We started out on Friday night watching the movie Fireproof. We sat around the dining hall loft sharing sniffs and giggles, laughter and tears, groans and gasps as we munched on goodies from the snack table.
Saturday during the day our speaker, Ruth Dunkle shared the inspirational theme "Dust is a must", based on the old Hebrew blessing "May you always be covered with the dust of your rabbi".
Saturday evening a PM Ladies favorite, Ruthy Stock blessed us out of our socks with her beautiful singing and her zany sense of humor. We were indeed changed again at the close of this day.
Sunday after prayer and a yummy breakfast, we were treated to one of the most tender and delighftul messages I've heard in a long time. The Rev. Gillard Evans, a retired minister from the denomination, humbly walked up to the pulpit and proceeded to share the heart of God so beautifully that I weep when I think of it. A few times you could tell that breathing and standing were tiring for the elderly gentleman but he kept going so it was an even more beautiful sacrifice. In 2006 I heard Billy Graham speak at the Franklin Graham crusade and I'd rank this right up there with that. Rev. Evans, a man who served and loved for many years is still very much the preacher.
The weekend was over all too soon and I'm down off that mountaintop, but the blessings will stay with me for a while and the memories will last and last.