Retreat at Rockport

On Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, our lovely wives, gave Derek (my good friend and neighbour) a retreat to the nearby town of Rockport. This was a chance to re-charge our batteries off campus, minus parental responsibilities, and to spend time with God.

We stayed at The Tuck Inn in the centre of Rockport, and spent the first 3 hours horsing around in the swimming pool, have various competitions (such as diving, swimming, water running, and float battles) all the time indulging in puerile jokes. It was great fun. The following hour was spent in devotions, which I fell asleep in the middle of, and then we went out for an Italian in a nearby restaurant. It was a great opportunity to talk about our marriages and future plans in a safe and trusting environment, and to share the common experiences of being a father and full-time student at seminary.

I was asleep by 10pm and didn't wake up 'til 8:30. It was absolute bliss, not only in terms of length of sleep, but also because it was disturbance free. After a leisurely breakfast, we visited the nearby Halibut Point, which jutts out into the Ocean, where we were able to spend an hour and a half seeking the Lord in our lives.

I am so grateful to Shelley for allowing me this time, and feel completely rejuvinated because of it. Derek and I had given our wives a similar retreat last year, and so in the future we hope to be able to let each couple have a day and night at Rockport, whilst the couple remaining looks after both sets of kids.

One of the beautiful rock formations at Halibut Point.

Walking through the woods to get to the rocky outcrop.
The pool in a more peaceful moment, before we got in.

Andy and Shelley, I mean Derek. The lithe Derek runs marathons, and is a keen runner as the logo on his shirt shows. It would have been good if my shirt had 'wrestling' on the front.
The quarry just before the headland.
The picture below is the rock which I sat on to do my devotions. I was a little nervous as the rocks were slippery leading up to it, but I felt God was inviting me to spend my time with Him there. It was a little object lesson on life, as although it was a little uncomfortable and scary to get to, but once there it offered a vantage point to see God's glory much more clearly. Rather than read and journal when I got there, I just sat and listened to God in my thoughts, and was able to contemplate life. It was very refreshing to see how the power and proximity of the waves spoke of God's qualities, as did the rest of creation all around me. Rather than feeling an insignificant spec in the great cosmos, I was able to feel a significant spec in God's plans and creation. I was reminded of God's omnipresence and omnipotence, and felt God tell me that I should see his beauty more in Shelley's servant-heartedness, Sienna's shy smiles, and Jessie's complete joy of life and sense of adventure.



From the rock I was able to watch many seabirds fly close by, and also watched a comorant diving for food and catching fish amongst the breaking waves. How wonderful it was to have the space and opportunity to see the majesty of creation in this setting.

Thank you God for Shelley, and thank you Shelley. I love you xxx