Jesus Retreat - A mini retreat with Jesus

God speaks in a still small voice much of the time.  In the daily hustle and bustle, it's hard to hear Him.  So I love getting away with Jesus at least twice a year.  I am currently staying in Reno, luckily next to the Truckee river.

This has not been a habit until I came to recovery.  One of the things recommended is getting away for a mini retreat quarterly to reflect and evaluate your recovery and celebrate victory.  I have never traveled alone before CR because I had fears, lots of them.  Somehow, I felt safer if there are other people around because maybe they would know better what to do in an emergency.  Well, the first time I got away, I was sure I was going to die and I bought lots of insurance on rental car and did as much prep as possible in case I don't come back.  The important thing is I faced my fears and I did it scared.  When I survived and actually had a good time, it built more faith muscles for me to travel alone.  I have traveled to many places for Jesus retreats since.  God is very portable.  I can take Him with me everywhere and He always knows what to do.  All I have to do is trust Him.  I enjoy traveling with others, but traveling alone has many advantages.  I love having the freedom to leave super early because I am an early riser, and my family isn't.  I love planning the day around what I love to do and eating what I want.  Most of all I can get up at 4am and turn on the lights to read without bothering anyone.  Because of the move to Taiwan, I wanted to see some beautiful nature before I leave, so I have panned 4 weeks of travel Sept and Oct hoping to see some fall colors and things I will not get to see in Taiwan; we will mostly see tall buildings and lots of other people. 

Why do we need Jesus Retreat?  It's a time of refreshing, rest and seeking God.  Jesus does it often.  He goes away to spend time with Father.  And He invites us....Mark 6:31: Jesus said to them, "Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for a while" .  When I was homeschooling the kids, I needed to hear God's correction and direction on a regular basis.  When we drive, if we are off by 2 degrees on the steering wheel, we will eventually drive off the road.  Habitually, we are constantly making slight corrections to stay on path. We need to do the same in life.  I wanted to make sure I am going where God wants me to go and not ended up in a ditch.

People asked me "what do you do during Jesus retreats?"  Here are some of the things I do:  read Bible and godly books, journal, self-reflect, listen to good sermons and good worship music, seek God on major directions, pray for loved ones, communion, self-care (I bring face masks, bath bombs, teeth whitener.... etc), eat healthy food, visit nature places, bring creative projects to do.  If I had recovery homework that is time-consuming, I bring those.  Some examples are step four inventories, painful forgiveness letters, amend letters, writing out difficult conversations or boundaries.  Processing hurts | Success God's Way (mysuccessgodsway.com) 

Sometimes in my busy life, I often think to myself, "if I had more time, I would like to do that."  Once I created a flower wreath for my front door.  Another time I drilled holes on shells and made a hanging shell windchime.  One time I use watercolor to paint a scene from the place where I stayed.  Sometimes I just enjoy coloring in adult coloring books while I listen to something uplifting.  The opportunity is endless what you want to do.  It's your time with Jesus.  It's surprising how fun it can be when you are not in a hurry.  I would go down a scenic road and see some cars parked there, and I park behind them and go check it out too.  I have found some secret beautiful spots that few knew about this way. 

The journey to the destination is just as much fun.  I often go to the library and check out some CDs that I can listen on the road.  CDs are outdated, but some places I go don't have good phone reception or internet. For most people, you can just listen to good audiobooks on the phone.  Good snacks are crucial on the road, I often just snack all the way because eating a full meal makes me sleepy while driving.  I enjoy seeing different scenery as we pass by different places.  I talked with Jesus, my passenger.  My favorite is seeing the sun comes up in the morning while I head out early.  It's a sacred moment.  

I have driven to a lot of places alone and learned somethings the hard way.  God took care of me but I would do things a bit differently next time.  So here are some tips when you drive long distances.  Always carry an automatic tire pump in case your tire pressure gets low. Take screenshot of directions you need because sometimes you lose cell service.  Check the weather before you leave home.  If there is some rain, in the mountains there might be a snow storm.  You need to plan accordingly, especially when you don't have snow tires. Look up where you can refill your gas if where you are going is remote.  Sometimes you need to gas up even when your tank isn't completely empty because you don't want it to be empty in the wilderness.  I have a lot of stories to tell how I learn these lessons, but will save it for another time.

Here are some sample reflection questions you may use for your retreat:

Questions to self-reflect:

1) What dreams do you have? if you cannot fail, what you want to achieve this year? In 5 years? In 10 years? Write down as many as possible without giving into fear.

2) What did you do last year that you would like to do more? What made you happy last year?

3) What were some of the goals you wanted to achieve but never did? What can you do about it this year?

4) What are some of your goals that were shaped by people you love? EX: my father and mother always wanted me to _________________. My spouse expected me to ______________.  Are these goals really what you want for you?

5) What do you want more than anything else in the world, even if you never admitted it out loud?

6) What are your top 10 things to do on your bucket list? Where would you want to go?

7) Who do you admire and would love to be more like that person? Why? What can you do each day to be more like your hero? New habits to cultivate?

8) If you have a dream but lack a skill or knowledge to achieve it, what new skill would you like to learn or study?

9) What things would you want differently right now and why?

10)What relationships would you like to improve or deepen? What can you do to add value to that person?

11) Is there a current relationship that you need to let go because it isn’t good for you?

12) Core purpose: If there are two words that you can use to describe the core of who you are and why you are put on this planet, what is it?

13) What do you do that gives your life meaning and significance and makes you feel alive?

14) What do you like about yourself? What can you do to enhance your strengths?

15) What do you dislike about yourself? What can you do to improve your weaknesses?

16. Who do I need to forgive and how can I begin to forgive that person? (forgiveness letters)

17. In what areas do I need to forgive myself and accept who God says I am?

18. Who do I need to make amends to? (write amends and begin to come up with a plan to meet with that person if possible)

19. What victories in the past 6 months that God gave me can I celebrate today?

20. What advice would you give your younger self?

21. Can I schedule more uninterrupted time with Jesus daily/weekly? How much time?

22.  When can I schedule my next Jesus Retreat?

I hope you go on a Jesus retreat and write your comment below.  It's so life-changing!