I’m back. Back from spending the last couple of days in the woods. Just me and… well me. And my Bible. And a couple of books. And some good coffee. 

I left home Thursday morning around 10:00 or so. After stopping for gas (and a honey bun), and then stopping back at home to pick up something I forgot (I don’t even remember what I forgot!), I was off. I went to Eminence, Missouri, to Discovery Ministries. 

Upon arriving, I took some time and set up camp. Since I was the only one there during the middle of the week, I had my choice of camping spots. I picked the most secluded spot I could find. You can see my tent in the photo… 

My Campsite at Discovery Ministries

 I grabbed a book (Born To Run) and a camp chair, found a shady spot and began to read. About 1:30 or so, I decided to go for a hike. I filled up my hydration pack and threw some granola bars in a pocket and drove off. I drove just down the road to Alley Mill and Spring. I hiked some of the trails (about 6 miles), and even bushwacked to the top of the ridge to see if the view was any better up there than it was from the “official” lookout point. It was. It was way better! You can see my view in this photo. 

View of Jacks Fork Valley

After I made it back down to the spring and mill, I played with my camera for a while, trying to get great shots of the mill and some small waterfalls. My goal was that silky, water-in-motion look. I’m not satisfied with the way that they turned out. I think I’ve done much better. But, here’s one of those photos. 

Alley Mill

Once I made it back to the car, I realized that it was past 3:00. So I fixed a couple of sandwiches, grabbed my book and found a quiet place beside the river to eat and read. It was incredibly peaceful. The only thing missing was a fishing pole… 

I headed back to camp. And I didn’t move for the rest of the evening. I read through most of Born To Run, and started Eat Mor Chikin; Inspire More People. Around 11:30, I called it a night. 

The next morning, the sun woke me up through the open flaps of my tent. So, at about 7:30, I got up and cooked some breakfast (I ate six eggs and four slices of toast). After washing that down with half a pot of coffee, I settled back into my camp chair with my Bible. 

I had a great time in the Word. I read a lot! Here’s a quick list of my Bible reading from the last couple of days: 

The Resurrection accounts from Matthew, Mark and Luke.
All of the Gospel of John.
The Book of Revelation.
Numbers 1-15.
Psalms 18-46.
Job 1-18. 

My time absolutely flew! It seems to always do that when I’m in the Word. Before I knew it, I had to get up and move my chair into the shade again. And again. And again. And again. 

Around 2:30, I decided to switch gears. I grabbed the book about Chick-fil-A, and continued it till I finished it. 

After that, I grabbed some supper (sandwiches again) and headed back into God’s Word and the list above. I was still reading around 7:00 (in the shade) when I looked up and realized that the campground had filled up! There were about 30 sites in use! And I never even noticed! That’s how absorbing God’s Word can be when you totally immerse yourself into it. 

I grabbed a granola bar, made another pot of coffee, and turned my back on the campground. I was enjoying my time soaking in the Word. 

About 10:00, I decided to dig back into Born To Run. I finished it somewhere around midnight and went to sleep. (Book reviews of both books will be posted on my blog soon!) 

This morning, I was pleasantly awakened again by the sun shining into my tent, and by the neighbors clanging pot and pans around (not so pleasantly). So I got up, packed up, and headed home. 

This two day retreat is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I feel so renewed and recalibrated and refreshed. I want to go do it again! It was such a great feeling that I know I will structure time like this into my schedule on a regular basis for the rest of my life. 

I encourage you: just take a day or two and go spend it alone, with nothing but your Bible, maybe a good book or two, and God. You will be so refilled… you can’t even imagine how you’ll feel! Just try it. It’s definately worth it!