I returned from my 4 day (5 message) retreat with Highlands Community Church.  It was a wonderful camp with about 100 others at the historic Mt. Baker Chalet.  It is a 4-Story A-Frame lodge about 1/4 mile from the Mt. Baker Ski Area. 

One of the views from the lodge

It was COLD, but the Highlands group was very warm!  From the time we arrived on Monday to the time we left yesterday, I believe it stopped snowing for about one 8-hour stretch.  My 4-Runner was buried up to the windows with some three feet on top of it as well, it was quite the sight.  Inside the lodge we bonded well and old relationships improved and new ones were established!  God was at work!

The theme of the camp, “Face to Face Friendships” was a perfect one to use 1 Thessalonians as our key text.  I love how Paul names and displays his love for that church.  It was so nice to get away to a place where ipods, hand held gaming, texting, calling and the like were not allowed.  It put us all into a place where we relied upon Face to Face contact.  None of these things (the above mentioned devices) are  necessarily BAD, but they sometimes can distract and/or replace face to face encounters.

It was a great way to start the year, I greatly missed my family, but am blessed to have a wife and three kids who support me the way they do! 

Happy and Holy New Year!

Grace,

Brian