“If you don’t come away for a while, you will come apart after a while.”
We’ve heard some say that taking time out from the usual rhythm of life for a retreat is a luxury, but we think it’s more than that. We believe that making regular retreat a part of your rhythm of life, is necessary. Pulling away from life’s steady obligations for a brief period of retreat, isn’t selfish, it’s soul care—it’s like putting on your oxygen mask before assisting others. This is why Dallas Willard said, “if you don’t come away for a while, you will come apart after a while.”
For the last six years, we have been hosting our annual women’s retreat in Ohio, helping women embrace time away from their regularly scheduled lives. Our retreats are specifically curated to encourage what we sometimes refer to as, the 5 R’s— rest, reflection, refinement, renewal, and revival. On retreat, we {re}learn what Eugene Peterson called, “the unforced rhythms of grace” (Matthew 20:28, Msg).
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
While our annual, in-person retreat is limited to 44 women, we have been praying and dreaming about a way to widen the circle, and help YOU experience retreat—even when circumstances (hello, Pandemic!) make it impossible for you to join us in person.
We have put together a Refine {in a box} experience, for such a time as this.
Our team of experienced retreat hosts, spiritual directors, life-coaches and mentors are curating items and resources that are specifically designed to help you experience a retreat in the comfort of your own home, nearby hotel, lodge—or anywhere else you want to slip away to! Every item we’re putting into these boxes is designed to help you experience the 5 R’s of being on retreat.
In addition to the tangible gifts you’ll find in the Retreat {in a box}, every box also includes a special QR code that gives you access to guided Scripture readings, Lectio Devina, Visio Divina, Art journal prompts, Playlists, Liturgical readings, short teachings, and more. Each of these resources are available for you to use during your personal retreat—custom curated content specifically aligned with the theme of your Refine {in a box}.
Sometimes, when we give ourselves the gift of unstructured time away, we can feel a little lost as to how to spend that time intentionally, which is why every box also comes with a printed guide, highlighting the items in your box, offering suggestions for how to use them, as well as suggestions for how you might structure your retreat time, in case you need a little help.
Here’s a look at our previous Boxed retreats
Questions? See our FAQ page for more info.
