Welcome to the Monthly Mini-Retreat
A place to restore the heart, refresh intentions, & rekindle creativity right from home
preparation
This small retreat is self-paced, designed to fit your unique schedule. But here are a few considerations to get the most out of the time you’ve set aside.
Reserve an hour on your schedule, or two 30-minute blocks of time. If you want to complete the Creative Project at the same time, I think about 2 hours total will work. Settle into a quiet corner of your house, preferably away from laundry, dishes, and distractions.
Light a candle.
Turn on a soft background playlist. If you need inspiration on Spotify, search for playlists with keywords like Classical in the Background, Piano Hymns, or even Soft Vintage French Countryside.
Prepare a cup of coffee or tea. For a Fall touch, try making this delicious homemade coffee creamer. Click image for the handwritten recipe card below.
If possible, silence your phone or set it aside. This is a time to refill and restore. On that note, I’ve also tried to keep links on this retreat page to a minimum. Sending you all over the web and back again does not sound like a peaceful way to recharge.
Gather your supplies:
Journal & pen/pencil
Items for the Creative Project, listed below in that section
Opening Prayer
Song
Scripture Reflection
Spotlight
Monthly Outing
Reflection from the Past
Art Observation
Month’s Reset
Creative Project
Retreat Rhythm
prayer
from The Book of Common Prayer
A dedication of soul and body to God’s service, with a resolution to be growing daily in goodness.
Since it is of thy mercy, O gracious Father, that another day is added to our lives;
We here dedicate both our souls and our bodies to thee and thy service, in a sober, righteous, and godly life:
in which resolution, do thou, O merciful God, confirm and strengthen us; that as we grow in age, we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture Reflections
Stewardship
I have been thinking over stewardship this month, as September always feels, to me, like a reset for the back portion of the year.
Because all blessing come from God, I am a steward, which implies a daily commitment to faithfulness in how I use the gifts he’s given.
I’m inviting Eric Liddell to join us today for a few words. He was a gold-medal olympic runner, but first and foremost, a disciple of Christ who lived and died as a missionary. He left behind a wonderful little book called “The Disciplines of the Christian Life,” whose manuscript circulated around the internment camp in China where he died in 1945.
Here are a few words from Mr. Liddell:
“If I borrow money I can use it as I please; the only obligation is to repay at the appointed time. Here I am a debtor. A steward is not so. What he has is not borrowed for his use, but loaned him on trust, to be used as his master desires. His obligations are twofold:
He must use his master’s gift according to his master’s will.
He has no obligation to repay but must give an account of his stewardship when his master asks for it.
This is what we mean by saying we are stewards of God’s gifts. All that we are, all that we have, and all the latent possibilities within us are God’s gifts, to be used according to his will and for his glory. Some day we must render an account of our stewardship.”
He proceeds to outline various kinds of stewards:
A wise steward (Luke 12:43).
A foolish steward (Luke 12:47).
A slothful steward (Mattew 25: 24-30).
Lastly, Mr. Liddell, outlines God’s various gifts and how they might be stewarded:
Stewards of our bodies. See Romans 12:1
Stewards of our minds. See Philippians 2:5
Stewards of our memories. See Philippians 4:8
Stewards of money, possessions, lands, education, gifts, and time. See Luke 19:11-27
Reference:
Eric Liddell, The Disciplines of the Christian Life (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1985), [insert page number].
song
Just as I am
by alkjdoaisdfna;odvij
Today’s Prayer is from adsfhadshf who lived in X in 9999
Prayerprayeakjhd kahdf;lkja sdlvjldkjvlskdvlskdvkndsavasdksdvka;sldkv;kdvnakdjv;asdv;aksdv;lksdvlaksdvlksdf;kvjlafkgslkdfjvlskdf;lskdfjnnjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjr
art
Art Title
little bit of info
reflect
what is your eye drawn to?
do you enjoy this style?
Argenteuil
by Claude Monet
The day that Eric Liddell won gold in Paris, Frenchman Claude Monet was a few miles away, struggling to get paint on his canvas. Monet had already achieved international acclaim for his distinctive painting style, but in recent years, his eyes had failed him. Operations helped a little, but ultimately, the distortion is evident in his work.
Claude Monet had helped form a group of artists, inadvertently called Impressionists. Critics saw their unusual approach as blundering the popular realistic style of painting by making it blurry, incomplete, and unrefined. Others praised it, understanding that these artists were aiming to capture the impression the scene or subject evoked, focusing less on detail and more on essence.
Critical to Monet’s approach was the element of light. He loved to paint “en plein air” or outside, which was less common then. The ability to look at the real subject matter in natural sunlight has a significant effect on the work. The colors and shadows are vivid and true to life. Monet’s study of light was revolutionary.
Impressionistic artwork speaks to something deeper. When standing close, it’s hard to see the bigger picture. The brush strokes are abrupt, nonsensical, and merely look like messy swipes of color. But from a few feet back, with a little distance and perspective, the scene is grasped in its fullness. And so it is with our lives and the Master Artist who has the full picture in mind.
Collective Excellence
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Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer
We count on this visionary to define strategic priorities, allocate resources responsibly, and ensure every decision reinforces long-term value creation. -
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Head of Operations
Head of Operations
We trust this leader to synchronize production, logistics, and support functions, cultivating dependable processes that uphold our service commitments. -
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Lead Engineer
Lead Engineer
We depend on this engineer to transform conceptual requirements into robust technical solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructures. -
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Client Services Manager
Client Services Manager
We empower this manager to maintain proactive client dialogue, demonstrating our accountability while anticipating emerging needs with tailored solutions.
Monthly Outing
One enjoyable element of retreats is that they often set you into a new environment, which in turn sparks creativity and wonder. We are at home today, which we love, but occasionally it’s a treat to virtually travel to new spots. You never know how they might inspire your art, writing, or even future travels.
Today’s Retreat Outing:
Victoria and Albert Museum
South Kensington Books
The English Rose Tea Shop
The English Rose Tea Shop in London will be a perfect place to sit. They have everything you need to sit for a quiet, uninterrupted hour with a scone and teapot.
Two other stops for today’s retreat: VA Museum and South Kensington Books.
Afterward, take a stroll over to the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Kensington Bookshop.
It’s a rainy day in London. Let’s slip inside the Victoria and Albert Museum for a few moments.
Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive—it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?
-Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy M. Montgomery
Reflection from the past
The wind that blows can never kill
The tree God plants;
It bloweth east; it bloweth west;
The tender leaves have little rest,
But any wind that blows is best.
The tree God plants
Strikes deeper root, grows higher still,
Spreads wider boughs, for God’s good-will
Meets all its wants.
—Lillie E. Barr
From Daily Strength for Daily Needs, 1884
“Lillie E. Barr was a nineteenth-century author of children’s’ works, including a retelling of Pilgrim’s Progress.”
