Ladies retreat

A couple Saturdays ago, there was a Ladies' Retreat in Denver hosted by Denver God's Missionary Church.

It was held at Anythink Library--so named for a company who rebuilt it!

My friend Tammy Hallam was the main speaker. I didn't know she had such a sense of humor and was such a good speaker!

Another friend, Maria Hunt, volunteered to take part in an experiment of trying to blow up a balloon that was stuck inside a bottle. It would not blow up! But taken out of "the world's mold," it blew up just fine!

I enjoyed walking outside for a few minutes during lunch break.

There was a lovely lunch.

The Denver Bible Missionary pastor's wife, Mrs. Gutierrez, provided the craft in the afternoon.

For their privacy, I am not putting pictures of the ladies, but there were about 35 in attendance from about 9 different churches! I enjoyed visiting with Melissa Johnson, whose husband Aaron pastors in Lakewood, CO.

Some people are just plain artistic!

We had a good time decorating our little flower pots.

Young and old alike decorating .

There was potting soil to fill the pots.

And herb seeds.

Here's mine.

I thought the retreat was important enough to travel an hour and a half to attend, 

because we conservative ladies need to encourage and support one another.

Here are some thoughts my sister Iva shared today on Facebook about women in power stooping low in America this week,while some in Smalltown, USA, reached high. The rest of this post is by Iva.

"In America—where women have been freed, educated, empowered, and equalized in ways women in almost all other countries of the world can only dream of—in America this week, women with power and prestige were a reproach to noble womanhood.

From JLo to NP.lo.., women stooped low. 

But not all women stooped low. Some women without power and prestige reached high:  reached arms around their returning Army husband’s neck; reached high to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom; reached high to seek a better school for their child; reached high to save their premature baby’s life.

And the nation over, women are making America greater. I met 2 wives this week who giggled with their husbands as they checked out their groceries at a Walmart in small-town, USA. One wife, after her husband checked out his groceries separately (because he cooks a weekly breakfast for his work buddies), told me emphatically that the secret to their 31 years of marriage was buying groceries separately! Then she laughed so hard she ended up coughing and said just kidding! The other husband teased his wife the whole time they rang up their groceries and she laughed and blushed the whole time too! (They were in their 40s, don’t assume these were silly 20 somethings.)  Those women are making America great because they are making solid homes for their families. 

I saw more great women this week in small-town USA. I saw women caring for elderly parents. I saw women caring for babies and young children. I saw women caring for special needs adults (how I loved the joy and compassion I observed flowing between the caretakers and their charges!) I saw women communicate through extremely tense moments to diffuse a volatile situation. I saw women speaking with respect to others who had treated them disrespectfully. I saw women fighting illness and pain still showing up to work because that’s what great women do. 

I saw great women in a church at small-town USA teaching Sunday School and reading the Scriptures and leading the music. I saw great women praying with tears for loved ones and for their government. I saw women make coffee and bring goodies to feed hungry bellies. 

I received emails this week from great women whom I love:  my mother (won’t catch her pole dancing); my sisters (the poles they know are fence posts for goats and pigs); and dear friends, all of whom are fighting soul-draining battles for hope and joy in a world where selfishness, cancer, and pride have sought to destroy lovely, great women. 

But sin is not winning in great women’s lives. I know great women whose humility would make them the last to guess that they are great. My mother, Carolyn Morley, is one of them. Imagine her being known as CMo! When I was deeply disappointed in how powerful women represented themselves this week, I kept reminding myself of my mother and sisters and daughters and nieces and friends who bring honor to the title of “woman.” Beautiful, honorable women. Women who make America great.

Alexis de Tocqueville, mid 1700s:

“As for myself, I do not hesitate to avow that although the women of the United States are confined within the narrow circle of domestic life, and their situation is in some respects one of extreme dependence, I have nowhere seen woman occupying a loftier position; and if I were asked...to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of [the American] people ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply:  To the superiority of their women."