Anyone who knows me well knows that one of my favorite moments of the year comes along each fall when I head to the beach for The Fall Bible Getaway, also known as FBG. So, why is FBG one of my favorite weeks of the year?  I’m so glad you asked, because I have 7 reasons I’d love to tell you about… well actually, I have many, but lest this blog post run on forever, I will focus on 7 and save a sweet surprise for the end.  And please don’t fast forward to the surprise… I promise it will mean a lot more if you read the 7 reasons first!

So, let’s start with the BEACH!  Need I say more?  It is not a secret that I am a beach girl at heart.  It’s definitely my happy place, and each year FBG is held at a luxury oceanfront home along the coast of North Carolina.  The views are breathtaking, the sunrises glorious, and the moments in the afternoon along the shore are just the right setting for girlfriend time, reflection time, nap time… really whatever you want to make it.  The last couple of years we have even offered early morning sunrise Pilates on the beach and it has been so special.  After 7 years of hosting this special retreat, even those who don’t share my beach crush usually agree that the beach is the perfect place for this special gathering!

And who do we gather with?  GIRLFRIENDS!  This getaway is for girlfriends and I love me some girlfriend time! But don’t make assumptions… before the women arrive, most of them I barely know, and some I’ve never even met, and it is the same for most everyone coming through the door. But, we are super intentional about building sisterhood from the moment each girlfriend arrives… and it doesn’t take long before hearts of all ages are opening up to new friendships. 

A couple of weeks ago as we began FBG 2020, I encouraged the 35 ladies present to look around the room, because I knew there was someone there who would greatly encourage and inspire them over the next several days… but the encouragement also included this…  that they each would become that special friend for someone else too. 

^{_{See at The Fall Bible Getaway we become more than girlfriends, we become sisters in Christ!}}

Over the years as we have invited women to come to FBG, I have also found that some women avoid groups of women … because they have been hurt or feel insecure or uncomfortable in those kinds of settings.  And I get it, because let’s face it, women can be mean spirited sometimes.  But the culture is different at FBG and you sense it from the very beginning.  Of course you have to be willing to step into the experience to know what I mean, but if you come, the sisterhood built during this weekend is rich, inspiring and long lasting.  It is beautiful to watch and experience and I just love it!

But I also love this…  The Fall Bible Getaway is best described as DISTRACTION FREE!  By that I mean this weekend carves out 3 days for women to encounter God’s presence in a space that is free from distraction… and we are pretty intentional about that. We are all so busy these days… not only is our time overloaded, but our to-do lists and brains and hearts are also maxed out. In all our best intentions, we are often the creators of our chaos and we don’t even realize it.  Fall Bible Getaway moves in a different rhythm though.   We encourage women to give their phones and electronics a break, and once we arrive, we stay in the space to connect with God, with others and with ourselves… no shopping, no sightseeing, no duties… our team serves the women and loves on them and encourages them to just be.  Three days without distractions is LIFE for the soul and it is so so good!

Number four lands right in the middle of seven and I placed this specific one here on purpose… because GODS WORD is the center of all we do, hence the name of this special weekend is The Fall Bible Getaway.  Over the years I have spoken at many retreats in a variety of settings, so when we began FBG, I offered the best of what I had learned from all those experiences and every year we creatively mold these dynamics and more into many moments in God’s Word for everyone present. I get the privilege of leading these times in the Word and it is such a joy to me to teach in these moments…

but we do more with the passage than just teach it… we read it, devote on it, sing it, study it, craft it, talk about it, pray it, copy it, wear it, memorize it, display it… and so much more!  When we go home on Sunday, we take that Word with us and we will never be the same.  I absolutely love seeing women get into God’s Word, and even more I love seeing God build His Word on the inside of us . It happens every year at The Fall Bible Getaway and it is my favorite part of the whole experience!

Which takes me right to the next thing I love about FBG which is DEPTH! See I don’t like shallow… and The Fall Bible Getaway is anything but.  There is depth of intention, depth of study in Gods Word, depth of friendship, depth of conversation, depth of worship, depth of fun, depth of meaning, depth of seeking, depth of sharing, depth of rest, depth of blessing, depth of service from our team and depth of experiencing God’s presence as we encounter Him in all these ways and more. In a world where things often seem superficial, I absolutely love the depth we all  experience in so many ways at The Fall Bible Getaway! 

And to get that depth, it takes a lot of CREATIVITY which is something else that I just love!  See we are created in God’s perfect image, and He is the master Creator. So each year as we begin to plan, God points us to a passage in His Word, and then we create with Him from there. Every year is different and I always marvel at what He brings forth as our team works together to create a one of a kind experience for the women who come. And when they come, they  join in on that creativity in various ways too, and we literally get to experience the beauty of God’s creative nature all around us and within us. It is something really special that has the creative touch of heaven upon it!

Which leads me to number 7… MIRACLES!  Every year we experience touches from heaven where God moves in peoples lives and hearts in ways that are miraculous. I love having a front row seat to seeing Him work in unique ways, touching us in ways that only He can. 

Just a couple of weeks ago at Fall Bible Getaway 2020, which we called The Father’s House, we prayed for miracles, sang House of Miracles and we definitely saw God move in divine ways! He stirred a hunger in our hearts for His Word,  bringing the miracles of hope, healing, confession, repentance, clarity and revelation.  We saw miracles of restoration, peace, self discipline, unity and protection from the Covid19 virus. We definitely felt the miracle of His touch and presence, healing deep emotional wounds and opening up our hearts to understand Truth.  When we come together for this special weekend and claim the house we are in as God’s House, miracles take place, and I absolutely love the privilege of being a part of seeing God move!

So… you’ve made it through all 7 reasons, and I know you are looking for the surprise… well guess what, we are too!  

Let me explain… see over the last several months God has stirred our hearts to look for a major surprise from Him.  We believe He is planning to gift us with a house on the shore that would open the door for us to host many retreats throughout the year! Of course Fall Bible Getaway would continue… but we are dreaming with God about all kinds of retreats in a place that would be called The Father’s House and we know that 7 blessings I have described here, as well as many more, would continue to flow upon all who enter.  It is a big promise and we have big expectation as we wait on God!

Many of the details are a mystery, but in faith we believe God is up to something big and we look forward to all He will surprise us with in The Father’s House in the days to come.

I’m looking, I’m praying, I’m believing…  please join me in these things! 

And… make sure to subscribe to my blog, because once it happens, you can be sure I will tell you all about it right here!

Thanks for reading… and I hope you know I’d love to see you walk through the door next year at Fall Bible Getaway 2021… planning is already underway!