2012 Women’s Overnight Retreat

On October 19-20, nearly 50 IBC ladies gathered in Woodland Hills for the annual Women’s Overnight. Beyond the fun of Minute to Win It games and late night food runs, this short retreat gave us women a chance to build or deepen friendships in Christ and find refreshment in God’s word.

The first night, our speaker, Marlean Felix, challenged us to reflect God’s light by rediscovering who He is.  We looked at John 8:12 where Jesus claims to be the light of the world and calls us to follow Him. Marlean reminded us that just as a flashlight without charged batteries is useless, so are we when we’re not plugged into God and His word. By remembering who God is (our deliverer and the One who sees our hearts and motives), trusting in Him, and following His wise counsel, we can overcome any struggle, sin, or fear.

On the second day, Marlean encouraged us to reflect God’s light by being an effective witness and by practicing His cure for anxiety. We looked at Matthew 5:13-16 where Jesus calls us the “salt of the earth” and exhorts us to “let our light shine before men.” It was a good reminder to me that although I am called to influence others with a godly perspective and attitude, I may forfeit my impact because of sin such as embarrassment, anger, pride, impatience, or impure thoughts. Later, Marlean spoke on anxiety, a sin where we exalt ourselves by thinking that by worrying we can handle the problem, or where we distort the proper view of God and think that He doesn’t care about us or can’t do anything about our concerns. This is an issue that has been on my mind recently as I am in the midst of a busy season at work and struggle with anxiety about how I will get everything done. I am thankful for how Marlean pointed us back to Philippians 4:6-7, exhorting us to be anxious for nothing and to make our requests known to God with thanksgiving. Only God’s peace can keep my heart and mind calm in the most pressing circumstances.

Thank you IBC for bringing the Women’s Overnight back this year!