on retreat

Twice a year our staff team comes together from all over the state and hangs out for a few days. This time we are at a huge, well-equipped house in Faulconbridge that belongs to a board member/volunteer and I like the sprawling, homey, comfortable nature of it.

Things I have thought over the past few days at staff retreat:

• I work with a great bunch of people from a huge variety of backgrounds, with a lot of life experience, united by the love of God
• I am the only single person in a team of 12 people. It doesn't make me feel bad, it just struck me.
• Lying on a deck in the sun under a bright blue sky is pretty great and I love being in the Blue Mountains
• I can't cope with multiple conversations happening at once or people with exceptionally loud voices getting excited
• I really need to be alone a lot of the time, but being alone is not always a good idea
• Crocheting cats is quite easy and brings quite a lot of joy to people when they see the finished product - especially to the little bub who's along for the retreat :) (I made him a kitten)
• Sleeping in a queen size bed is really wonderful when you're usually in a single
• Having your own room when you're away with a big group of people is luxury (and so kind)
• I am still always tired
• My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do (it's true!)
• Taking time to just be still with God is so rewarding and yet something I find so hard to do on normal days
• I'm sick of always talking about having depression and yet talking about it is really important
• Weird things (like toothpaste...?!) make me miss people unexpectedly
• Some people have seemingly unlimited amounts of energy and it's hard not to be jealous of that