A FREE Women’s Retreat — from our family to you! No travel required. Just grab your Bible, a cup of tea, and if you can–a beautiful view and a REAL (i.e., grace-filled, wise, compassionate, FAITHFUL–friend). And enjoy!

Earlier today, I was poking around some old files and I found all of the audio recordings that I did for the beautiful women of the beautiful Camp Barakel just a few years ago.

Since I assume that a few of you, like me, might be struggling a bit with lingering sorrow, heartbreaking confusion, or simple relational pain and loneliness … I thought it might be a good time to review God’s Word, meditate on Truth, grieve as needed, and most of all … be refreshed in Christ, our Savior. Our God. Our Brother and our Friend.

And so. Here is a little FREE RETREAT from our family to you. You can download the handouts right here, and all four of the audio sessions have been posted for you right here:

(NOTE: All biblical peacemaking sessions are (c) Ken Sande-RelationalWisdom360)

Most importantly, of course, I urge you to read, re-read (and re-read again if it’s just been one of those days!), these truths from God’s inerrant Word …

Psalm 55

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!

    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,

    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

    and horror overwhelms me.

    I would fly away and be at rest;

    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah

    from the raging wind and tempest.”

for I see violence and strife in the city.

on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it;

do not depart from its marketplace.

it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.

within God’s house we walked in the throng.

let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.

    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.

    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
    and do not fear God.

My companion stretched out
his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.

    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.

and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.

into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.”

Oh! My dear friends! Did you hear that? Really hear that?! Please. Go back and read God’s Word!

Some people bear grudges against us. They talk about those grudges with others–but never even give us an opportunity to learn what we have done, repent, apologize, make restitution. They just bear a grudge against us.
Some of those people we (mistakenly) thought were our friends. We didn’t even know they were our enemies! But they were. We could have borne the taunts of an enemy. But he was our companion. Co-pastor. Brother. Friend. She was our sister in Christ! Our spiritual mother. Daughter. Faithful friend! (Or so we thought.) We took sweet counsel together. Her children were my children. We were in and out of each other’s lives on a daily basis.
But then. Something broke. Laughter and joyful care twisted into treacherous mocking. Abandonment. War.

If you can relate to any of this, then PLEASE be careful to relate to the MOST important part of this tragic tale of lovelessness and broken trust: God gives ear to our prayers. Our complaints. Our moans. God alone is our True Shelter from the raging winds and tempests. The Lord hears your voice. The Lord will save you. GOD redeems your soul in safety. People violate their covenants, but GOD will cast them down. War is in their hearts, but GOD will never allow the righteous to be moved.

Weep! Yes. We weep. Our hearts are broken. We long to risk and trust again. But we claw against the very risk that makes us vulnerable again. O God, our God. O God, our Father. Help us to trust in you. Please. We do trust you! We believe. Please. Balm our wounded hearts and help our unbelief. Thank You, Lord.