I got home Saturday evening and every time I talk about the week I get tears in my eyes.
I will try to tell you little bits and pieces throughout the week and hope you get a GLIMPSE into the beauty of Brave Girls.
I flew in Tuesday evening and met my blog friends Lissa and Becky at the hotel. We were all sharing a room that night. A bus would be picking us up the next morning to head up into the mountains.
First of all let me tell you….these girls are not just my blog friends anymore…they are my friends for life.
I love them.
They are real. Creative. Tender. Joyful. Full of grace. Brave. Women of faith.
We were all comfortable the moment we met each other and I felt like I had known them forever.
The next morning all the girls met outside the hotel and we were taken up the mountain for the next four days that would change our hearts forever…we had no idea what was coming!!!
(They stopped the bus on the way up the mountain at an overlook)
On our way up the mountain Lissa had to share with us a note written to all of us by Lisa's daughter Natlie to warn us about the dangers of ticks and how to protect ourselves. Could she be any cuter???
When we were almost at the cabin our bus stopped and Melody met us.
We all pulled out a note and bag of bird seeds that had been given to us when we boarded the bus. It was included with a ton of other goodies in our handmade totes…they were gorgeous.
The note said "Worries Are For The Birds". Melody went on to say that any of our worries could be left right there. Where we were going was a place for openness, comfort, safety, creating and growth. She then asked us to toss the bird seeds into the air. We were reassured that we could pick up our worries on the way home if we so chose…but the birds would have probably flown off with them by then.
Don't you just LOVE that!!!
What a sweet way to start our time together.
(taken on one of our early morning walks)
When we got to the cabin all of the "staff" came out to greet us. They had the biggest smiles on their faces and they all knew our names. We all felt so welcomed and loved immediately. The cabin was so gorgeous and the moment you stepped in the doors you felt at home…how could we not….the whole place was decorated with Melody's amazing art and photos of all of us and the people we love!
We all shared an amazing brunch and got to know each other a little bit.
We then all went out into the art tent.
Now…this is a good lesson to not judge a book by its cover.
It was an old army tent that had been repaired but when the rains came hard there was some leaking.
Melody's husband fixed it so it wouldn't leak.
It might have looked a little rough on the outside, but girls…it was so gorgeous on the insides.
When I walked into the tent I cried.
This is what we got to create in….
We then worked on three simpler projects to get everyone slowly warmed up to create.
When we came in from the art tent we were greeted with beautifully set tables and amazing food.
To say we were being spoiled would be an understatement!
The first evening ended with a speaker that has forever changed my heart.
I tried to write about it a few times and it doesn't come across right here.
So, I will just tell you the lesson.
We all have pain.
Different pain.
It changes us.
For the better or the worse.
What is does to us it up to us.
We all have a choice what we do with our pain.
Right now in my life I do not have real pain.
I am not bragging…but I am also not embarrassed to admit this.
What I am saying is that I am also not naive.
Pain will come my way and I have a choice what I do with it.
I will not be ready for it.
I will not welcome it.
But I still have a choice.
It was an amazing, full first day.
And the best was yet to come.
I can't wait to share more and I hope I do it justice.
I’m so happy to hear it was more than you expected. What a wonderful way to spend a few days. I want to go next year. Jeanne, I love reading your perspective. It is so genuine. You have such a tender heart. Once again, thanks for sharing it with us. Welcome home. I can’t wait to read more. Please hurry. I’m not sure I can wait.
Xoxo
Wow. This truly does sound like an amazing time. How did this work as far as who could join in? I think it would be wonderful to be a part of something like this with like-minded, creative women!! I know you had a blast!!
Can’t wait to hear more!!
Blessings,
Becky
Wow, Jeanne, it sounds just so incredible. I really can’t wait to hear more. So glad you are home safe and sound.
I got weepy just reading your post. I can’t believe how amazing it sounds and I’m so glad you got to go! I love the lesson about how we can choose how to handle pain – very meaningful. Can’t wait to hear more!!
I have goosebumps reading this life changing few days you experienced… thank you for sharing it with us and spreading all your insight.
Welcome home sweet friend and so so happy for you,
xo,
LuLu
What a rich, meaningful, life-impacting experience you were blessed with!! I am eager to hear more. You write beautifully:)
How amazing! Looks like this was definitely good for the soul. I’m glad you had a wonderful time. I have come to feel the same way about my blogger friends. It is wonderful to have so much in common with women you have never even met! Thank you for sharing!
wow, jeanne. looks like a wonderful experience. i am sure that you will be reliving your time there for a long time.
oh my goodness…what a blessing for you to be able to attend such an amazing event!!! I would of loved to have been there! Thank you for sharing a wee bit with us…I feel blessed already. Your words are amazingxoxoxoxo
clearly much thoughtfulness and love was put into this time together! it sounds like it was a beautiful time! i want to hear more!!=)
Wow – this sounds like it was a life-altering (or at least perspective-altering) experience. Like the others who’ve commented, I am also looking forward to hearing about the rest of your retreat.
I love that line: Worries are for the birds!
Good times… good friends… We all need some good fun like this. I hope your week is WONDERFUL!
Sheila
Oh Jeanne.. I am getting so excited.. now I am going to have to go next year! I need to hear more!
I am on the edge of my seat! I just want to know MORE MORE MORE. I also wish I could crawl back into time and get on that plane to Idaho and have joined you. It sounds like your trip was full of moments I would have cried over and rejoiced in!
Sounds wonderful…thanks for sharing…and I can hardly wait for more!!
Jeanne – this is so amazing. What an amazing testimony you will have now, and how Brave Girls is now being exposed to all of us who have never heard of it before and all of us who NEED it!
I am in pain – and I have to say, when I’m in it – I need to be reminded that I HAVE A CHOICE. I have to choose Him and choose to surrender my pain.
I can’t wait to hear more!!
I’m so blessed by you.
xo – Tracy.
I’m so happy to hear you had an amazing time. I saw Lissa at church this morning and she was glowing. She spoke great things of you. I can not wait to hear more!
: )
Wow, what amazing friends and time you must have had!
I’m having the same reaction as the others…I want some, need some, and am glad you got some!
It all sounds so wonderful. Love the inside of that tent!
Jeanne, the inside of that tent is utterly gorgeous…what an amazing place to share and create…it sounds like you had a wonderful time on your getaway…the note about ticks cracks me up, what a cutie that girl is!!!
Wow ~ what an awesome tent! You can’t judge a book by its cover perfectly suits this diamond in the rough. Meeting and spending time with Becky & Lissa must have been incredible ~ I love the bird seed and throwing your worries away ~ what a great start. I cannot wait to hear more…
oh my!!!
the tent with the lanterns & twinkle lights…wow
so glad ya’ll were blessed by such an amazing time
can’t wait to hear more
& see what you created too
xo
Jeanne thanks for sharing about this experience- it looks amazing. I would love to go next year- it’s not to far from where I live. What a beautiful place to create- can’t wait to see what you have made.
Oh girlie it just takes me back. You did a great job telling the first day. I got to get on the ball:) Can’t wait to read the rest.
Sounds like an amazing & inspiring experience…and one that would leave a profound & lasting impression on a person’s heart and outlook. Thank you so much for sharing a little bit of it with us. Now, I think I need to get some bird seed and toss my worries to the birds {love that}!
this looks absolutely amazing! Thank you SO much for sharing. I really want to go after seeing your photos and reading your blog. Just precious. Jules
How beautiful! You girls just sparkle! 🙂 I am so glad you had a creative, spiritual, blessed time. 🙂
good morning my wise old soul of a friend! I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!! Lovely, lovely post. Natalie was GLOWING when she saw her note on your post. Thank you for doing that for her! This brings it all back!! Are we going to be brave girl camp junkies???
Oh my goodness!!! How absolutely- amazing, awesome, endearing, delightful, magical- and life-changing!!!
What a Blessing for you to have been a part of such a special time!!
I dream of being able to do the same someday!
can’t wait to hear (and see!) more!
Many Blessings!
Jill
It sounds amazing and totally life changing. I want to be a brave girl!
Hey Luscious!! What a great time! I loved meeting you and I love your sense of houmor!
What a great post. It truly was an amazing experience.
P.S. What size “Ryan’s biggest fan” t-shirt did you want?
Hi Jeanne! I skipped over here from Becky and Lissa’s blogs to “meet” you. I’m glad you had such an amazing time and I’ve enjoyed reading about your experience there. What a mountaintop you must be on right now!
beautifully said! i wanna ditto everything you wrote. i have yet been able to blog about it. tears still fall everytime i see a picture, see all your faces, comments and all our projects. maybe someday soon i can share the most amaZing 4 days of my life with the world. thanks for being there, meeting you and becoming bgc friends! sorry i didn’t get to your book and you to mine. would have loved to leave you a message. have a great day!
jeanne, you have a lovely way of writing, i cried while reading about the speaker on your first night. that is so true it is always a choice. sounds like a beautiful time.
Jeanne…I just couldn’t stop crying as I read this. I have had pain in my life and when I read your words I just broke down. I am so happy for the three of you. Thank you so much for sharing this and I hope that maybe I can make it to the next one. I would love it. I can’t wait to hear more!
Oh wow! This looks amazing! How beautiful is that tent?! Thank you so much for sharing it with us Jeanne. I wish we had something like around this part of the world *sigh*.
Looking forward to hearing more of your wonderful experience 🙂
I am so happy for you – that you were able to take this trip – to have this weekend. I am sure it was just amazing. This is a dream – to attend a art retreat with kindred spirits! Can’t wait to hear more about it!
You girls are so sweet… I’m so glad y’all had such a great time… and that you were well prepared for the pitfalls of ticks. You just never know when you need to know that sort of thing.
Can’t wait to hear more about it!!
It looks amazing! I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Wow, what an amazing beginning to what I am sure is an even more amazing time! Thank you for sharing what you can. . .I cannot wait to hear what comes next!
(Thanks for visiting my blog. I haven’t been writing much lately. . .taking time to figure out my direction. I did take that picture in the most recent post. Have a wonderful day!)
what a neat thing to get to be a part of…
very special.
I wish I could just sign up to be your sidekick and hang out with you and all of these extraodinary places. You do just fine descibing things, but i understand that you want to be able to convey the joy, happiness and inspiration of the experience…and you do a great job at it!
It looked absolutely amazing and seeing event like this just confirms I am not where I should be in my life. You are living my dream life, being with these creative spirits. I would have cried too walking into the tent because I *LOVE* twinkle lights. They make everything wonderful. Who sponsored the event? I would love to learn more and come next time!
Can’t wait to see more pictures and glad you had such a wonderful time with these amazing creative friends! Hurry and post some more!!!
Smiles, Nancy
It is a story of three brave and courageous girls who just changed their lives take their
fear out and have done an excellent task.It is a real challenge for girls who are real brave and want to show up something.A brave women leads a good house take many different difficult and complex challenges in life.
Salute to brave women of century!!!
I have read Becky and Lissa’s posts as well, and it just truly sounds like you girls had the most amazing time! I’m so happy for all of you…that you got the time away from “life”…that you were treated so special…that you made life long friends…all of it!!! Can’t wait to hear more Jeanne 🙂
🙂 T
Oh my — it sounds like a truly incredible experience and so beautiful too! Isn’t it fun to make real life friends of bloggy pals! Have a great week. Can’t wait to hear more about your time at camp.
Janet
I’m so glad you guys had such an amazing time! I can’t wait to hear more stories and see the things that each of you created. All of the pictures are amazing.
Sounds like your life has been changed forever…and really, what more could you ask for 🙂
Wow Jeanne! Just reading about it gave me a sense of peace. I would love to go next year….I can’t wait to see what goodies you brought home and hear about the rest of the trip. Sounds blissful.
What a wonderful experience Jeanne….girls together – always the best, xv.
Hi Jeanne! What a wonderful experience you had, sounds so amazing!! I can’t wait to hear more. The place you stayed sounds wonderful, the crafts marvelous, your new friends, the best part I can assume!! I’ll be back to read more…xoxo
wow,, sounds like a true lifetime experience. What exactly is Brave girls camp? I’ve never heard of it.
Wow, I am feeling super emotional just looking at and reading this post! I can only imagine how you girls must have felt!
I am soooo looking forward to seeing you at SB!
xoxo, Tiffany
Oh makes me wish I was there even if I am no so creative! What a wonderful experience…can’t wait to hear more!
Makes me wish I was there even if I am not so creative! Looks and sounds like you had an awesome time…can’t wait to hear more!
Wow! I am loving hearing about the camp. Sounds so amazing…
that is wonderful. I feel like I need to shed a couple tears after reading your entry! So amazing – so glad you were able to experience something so powerful. Can’t wait to see what you have created…
I can tell that you were floored by this experience and, thinking it over, I’ve never been met with that much kindness. A tent full of wonders. Or friends that want to share in all of that happiness. And knowledge. A trully beautiful post, Jeanne! I’ve been brave all of my life.
But bitterly. I wonder if that’s being brave, afterall.
Love this.
& will be thinking about it the rest of the day, as a result. You are a keeper. 🙂
I want to go to Brave Girl camp! And maybe I will get to.
I appreciate your post. It is so authentic and heart-full. Especially the part about how each of us has pain, and how it is all about how we carry our pain. My prayer is that we could keep that in mind about ourselves and each other. Maybe we would all be a little kinder to each other if we did. Thank you for sharing your special adventure.
God bless you.
Karina
Brave Girls camps offer a encouraging, supportive atmosphere in which girls can build up their personality, behavior, and learn valuable life skills. These camps recommend wide varieties of out door wilderness activities and programs. There are several certified girls wilderness camps are working in country which provide an outstanding forum for girls to build up independence and improve self- confidence level.
http://www.girlschools.net/
I just stumbled onto the Brave Girls website! I wish I had known about it before! Although I won’t be able to go to camp right now, as I’m mom’s caregiver. But some day, I will got to Camp, and become an even braver girl! Thanks for sharing, Hugs
Jessica
This is beautiful in fact they seems having so much fun, I was in some of the places those woman appeared, also it captured my attention because my best friend told me he knew those women, by the way the woman in the middle is so beautiful.