These Are the Women in Your Neighborhood

This weekend is the annual Women's Retreat at my church.  I am really, really looking forward to it.

The retreat is a newer thing for our church.  We've had a beach theme one year, a cozy lodge theme the next, and this year's theme is chocolate!!!  The retreat will have a Scripture based theme and fun activities and interesting conversation topics and a missions project.  A group of us will connect to our teen years and have a sleepover at church.  And I'm sure there will be ample amounts of chocolate!

But here's what I have loved best of all about the retreat the past 2 years and am hoping for this weekend...

The bonding, the intimacy, the connecting with the women in my neighborhood (aka my church family).

Who are the women in your neighborhood? In your neighborhood? In your neighborhood?

Oh she sings with the Worship Team.
And I think she's really keen.
She's my friend named Tiffany!
And she's pretty and funny and sweet.

Oh Tiffany's a woman in my neighborhood! In my neighborhood! In my neighborhood! 
Tiffany's a woman in my neighborhood, a person that I love each day.

Eh, you get the idea.  The women who are part of my church are important to me.  I have some close friendships thanks to my church.  One of the greatest gifts I've received each year at this retreat is the opportunity to deepen existing relationships and also connect to women that I've not been able to spend time with before.

And there's one other thing I'm expecting... lots of hugs.  Some of my favorite moments in retreats past are the moments where you could simply reach out and hold someone's hand, put an arm around someone, get a hug.  Or maybe even hold on to someone and weep uncontrollably through insane laughter when you're supposed to be singing a song about friendship (you know who you are).

The bond between women is an important one.  I truly believe that we feed one another in a way that is hard to describe with words.  Care and attention and compassion must be given to these relationships because they are truly so important.  A strong network of women can make an incredible impact.

Oh the women's retreat starts tomorrow
And I leave my family with little sorrow
Because I know they will be fine
And I really really need this time

I need this time with women in my neighrborhood, in my neighborhood, in my neighborhood!
It keeps me sane this time with women in my neighborhood, the women that I love each day!