Small Group Retreat

Ryan and I have been blessed to attend an AMAZING church here in Atlanta.  We started going to North Point Community Church when we first moved here, and about year and a half ago they opened a satellite church right down the street from our house (we hear the same messages, just a week delayed on an amazing high-def screen).  Anyways, the thing we love about the church is the emphasis on small groups (and the a-ma-zing pastor, a-ma-zing worship, and unbelievable children's program).  We have an awesome network of friends here, mostly all whom we have met through groups.  In fact we have witnessed some of our good friends get married, we have all had babies together, and now we are all going through parenting issues as the kids get older. 

We had the privilege of joining a new group at the beginning of summer.  The leaders are good friends of ours, and they are so enthusiastic about being leaders and having us all grow in our relationships with each other and Christ through the eighteen months that we will meet. 

A couple weekends ago all five of us couples went away for the weekend to a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area).  (Side note....thanks to Grammy and PaPa for taking the munchkins).  We had a blast, and it definitely brought us closer as a group.

Here is four of the couples on the way to the cabin (can't see the mountains as well as I'd like, but you get the idea):  It was GORGEOUS!

Saturday we went into town and had some country cooking:  fresh biscuits, grits (I skip those), and some eggs.  It was yu-mmy.  Then we headed to the local river and went tubing.  The river was a little slow due to the lack of rain here in the south, but nonetheless it was fun.  That is, until the end when we heard from a local that some sewage gets dumped into the river.  We all ran home to shower and wash our suits!!!  That night we had a low-country shrimp boil. 

Everything was boiled together in hot water:  shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes.  Then you dump it on the table and eat with your hands.  I think that's the "low country" part of it:-)  Later we played some board games.

 

I can't wait to see all that will happen with this amazing group in the next year or so.  Each person is unique in their personality, strengths, passions, etc.