Refreshment

Sonrise Mountain Ranch in beautiful Cimarron, Colorado.

It has been almost a week since we left Sonrise Mountain Ranch, but the refreshment God gave our family there lingers.

The setting was gorgeous and we enjoyed many fun family activities, including making s'mores, swimming and boating, and participating in an Amazing Race (Team Gosselin came in 4th!). But the teaching Matt and Chantal McGee provide on marriage and family life was truly life-changing. (You can get a taste of it in their book "The View From the Rocking Chair.") It forces you to evaluate what your priorities truly are and move forward with intentionality that will change the course of your family. There are a lot of things you (and your children) can spend your time doing. Some of them are good things. But are they the best things? That is a question that parents should never stop asking.

Another thing that really blessed us was the wonderful staff and volunteers at the camp. These people loved on our kids (Josiah in particular) and encouraged Kevin and me as parents. As my last post showed, parenting can be really difficult sometimes. And it can be a big deal for someone to notice your efforts and tell you that you're doing a good job—that they can see God at work in and through you.

It reminds me of Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5:11: "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." I think sometimes we forget how critical this is—to notice what God is doing in the lives of other believers—and to not only notice, but to speak up about it. Many times when I've received this type of encouragement, it feels as if the words are being spoken to me directly from God.

So refresh someone today. Notice what God is doing and say something. A little encouragement goes a long way.