Why I’m Thankful Today

“By focusing our heart’s desire on Christ and letting the Holy Spirit transform us from the inside out, we are indeed becoming beautiful where it really counts.” Debra Evans

I wanted to sleep in this morning, but couldn’t. Having wrapped up our seventh Texas Lutheran Women’s Retreat, I woke up compelled to praise God for how he worked in every aspect of the weekend.

I praise God for our entertainment on Friday night. Christian illusionist Taylor Griswold is a performer who used to be the mascot for the Auburn Tigers and the Detroit Pistons. A juggler and magician, Griswold’s appeared on many national television shows but was called to create a ministry out of his work. Griswold, who moved from Detroit to Austin, Texas, realized fame and fortune aren’t where it’s at; it’s all about leading children and adults to Jesus.

I am praising God for Ron Glover’s testimony on Saturday morning. Ron was a former standout basketball player at Texas Lutheran College (TLC). One of the all time leading scorers, he played professionally in Argentina, Turkey and Mexico. Although he was raised in the church, he strayed from his faith in college and spent ten years immersed in heavy drinking and pot smoking. He received a call on his life to be a preacher when he was a child and ignored it. But later, as an adult, God knocked on Ron’s heart again. He couldn’t deny the call this time and put away the bottle and the joints to become a pastor. Today Pastor Glover is sold out for Christ and he is not the same guy that attended TLC. He’s a shepherd through and through and knocked our socks off when he sang “How Great Thou Art,” a cappella. Thank you for sharing your heart with us, Ron.

I praise God for the many gifts represented on our retreat team. I am thankful for Georgie’s hospitality gift. Every Friday, Georgie prepares a lunch for the team before we get busy with the work required to set up the retreat venue. Georgie also makes sure we have pizza and salad on Friday night, our first retreat meal together.

I am grateful for the Carol and Brenda, who have an eye for decor that I did not receive when God packaged up my gifts at birth. This year the theme was “Sweet Times Café” and our venue, Jackson Park, looked like a café. They’ve transformed rooms into jungles, libraries and polka dots, when we had a “Connecting the Dots” theme. They are amazing.

I am thankful for Noemi, who is our “IT” gal and the one who keeps us on time and organized. I am grateful to Mary Alice, Julie and Leah who led the music.

I am blessed to speak alongside, Mary Ann, who received the original vision for the retreat, and is now reaching youth and women in Northern California through her messages. She is a great encourager to all.

I am thankful for the other team members like Karen who are there to set up tables, place items in the rooms or do whatever it takes to make the retreat successful. They are the servants who come alongside us.

And thanks to my friend, Lori, who didn’t attend TLC, but every year helps out by printing the schedules and the name tags for us. That is an amazing act of unconditional love.

I am also thankful for the twenty-three women who attended the retreat this year. We’d like more to experience this special twenty-four hours back at our college, but God keeps it intimate. I think he does his best deep work in smaller settings. So we go with it, and we allow the Divine retreat director to put it all together. He has never failed us and has already given us the theme for next year: “Country Road, Take us Home…to TLC.” Our 2018 Friday night entertainment, country singer, Clifton Jansky, is booked, so I am already thinking about buying some boots!

Thank you Lord for transforming us from the inside out. Thank you for taking these lost souls in college and using us for your glory. Thank you for the beautiful work you do, in and through us. Thank you for opportunities like the Texas Lutheran Retreat to display your glory.