I recently got back from a 3-day personal retreat at Pacem in Terris, a hermitage retreat center near St. Francis, MN. As has been my experience in years past, it was AMAZING.

3 days in the quiet woods to pray, reflect, read, sleep (SO much “holy rest”! ❤️😄), and experience the peace of body, mind, and soul that only God can give…

Oh man, it was so, so good. 😊

This marks my 14th year of Kate (God bless her! 🥰) letting me get away for a retreat of some kind. The majority of the years have consisted of me “retreating” in a tent in the woods (at various Minnesota State Parks), but for my winter retreats I prefer to have a place with heat. 🙃

But no matter where I go, a few things stay the same: I get away. I stay close to nature. I slow down. I pray. I journal. I read. I hike. I sleep. I eat good food. And I spend time reviewing and updating my “Rule of Life” (my personal mission statement and written-out vision for who I want to be) and my “North Star Goals” (and corresponding plan for accomplishing them).

All in all, my annual retreat helps me reconnect with both God and myself. And one of the reasons I think Kate is so willing to let me do this year after year is because she sees just how good it is for me: I always come back a happier and better (though not perfect!) husband and father. 😇

If you’ve ever wanted to get away from it all and have some space to just slow down and relax, I can’t encourage you enough to carve some time out for something like this. If you’re in Minnesota, you can’t go wrong with Pacem in Terris (just 1 hour north of the Twin Cities). If you’re elsewhere, simply Google “retreat centers near me” and see what pops up. 😉👍

God bless you!
Greg

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

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