A decision is made. WE NEED TO GET AWAY!

We call each other and find out who has what---when. (If you understood that sentence---you might be one of us!)

Then we set a weekend! We call again to confirm that NO ONE has anything to hinder—and assure one another that whatever comes up can be handled!

We then make plans.

We decide on the “where”.

We find out how much it’s going to cost to rent the facility.

We divide the cost of the house, cabin or condo between each of us. Then we share in the cost of gas and food.

There are a lot of “we’s” in the above statements---but it is a combined effort all the way around! (As for the co0kies being snatched…see---it’s combined---Aunt Evielean bakes…we EAT!)

I wish I could say we drew straws or said ennie-minnie-miney-moe to decide who drives…but no matter who’s vehicle is used…I drive. Not my choice. But it’s okay. I have learned that I am either in the driver’s seat…or I am the vehicular “ONSTAR”. (Aimee named me that after our She Speaks Conference---she drove---but I HAD to be the OnStar :) to watch for the signs…of the times…you know. We went through Atlanta. Remember??

We make SURE the snacks are well within reach for munching while traveling! We have our Bibles in hand (well, all except me—I have the steering wheel in hand), and whatever book we might be reading.

There is great music ready to go (sort of like the Jack Nicholson movie, “As Good As It Gets”…sometimes we make our own CD from a compilation of the Worship songs we all enjoy! (I made everyone a CD last year to take home.)

We load up, join hands and pray, and take off!

We generally have the trip planned, however, we have been known to stop at an interesting looking Flea Market, Thrift Store, or Antique Store on the spur of the moment. These are great adventures!

We eat out when we need to—but generally, we take food to cook for our dinner meal, or go to the grocery store. Usually we have a cook crew and clean up crew. Aimee calls it the “Butler System”.

I wish you could hear her…actually, I may talk her into demonstrating this process in an upcoming video commercial for the Bloggers Retreat!

After the “Butler” (Aimee pronounces it “But-la”) does the cleaning up, we get ourselves ready for bed.

But bedtime will be a few hours yet. It’s just more relaxing to us to read and sing in our p.j.’s and robes. Not all restaurants allow this.

We gather in the living room, around the fireplace (it was very cool weather at night during this retreat), and with the worship music playing softly in the back ground, we start our sharing.

Jesus is shared---talked about, worshiped and sang to. We sing old songs and new ones.

We have a Bible Study session—many times impromptu –and I can tell you those are AWESOME lessons! We share stories of faith and perseverance and testimonies from our own lives, AND we have an incredible time of prayer for one another. Usually around midnight we shuffle off to bed.... :)

The above pictures was from the retreat of 2007. It was the last Sister's Retreat Wanda joined us on.

Today, she is already enjoying the next retreat---

An incredible journey to heaven!

This collage was made by Susan, a dear sister of faith. She attended the Retreat of 2008. It was a blessed one.

Aimee and I spent weeks planning, praying and getting everything together. We wanted many things to be a surprise for our “adopted sisters”. We surprised them with PURPLE bags---full of surprises! That was fun!

I believe they had a good time. I know that Aimee and I enjoyed ourselves! God was indeed present! And He was so good!

Before we left on this retreat to North Georgia, I felt the strong desire to share my love for Jesus to many women who may have never had the experience of the love of a sister. I can tell you there is nothing like it! You don’t even have to be REAL life sisters to enjoy the fellowship of sisterhood!

This group pictured above are not all related. Not by birth---oh, there are a few of us, but there are those who are simply sisters by choice. Not birth.

I invite you to join us on the Bloggers Retreat 2009!! You will have a GREAT time!

Be a sister by choice!!

See you here!

Angie