Today is all about shopping and preparing for the Alpha Retreat tomorrow. So far I've made flower pens (pens with fake flowers attached), personalized notebooks, deviled eggs, stovetop popcorn, cocoa krispy treats, caramelized popcorn, and frosted pecans. Up next: peach drop cookies, chocolate chip cookies, humus, guacamole, toast points, coffee cake. Also watching the last two videos. I'm already exhausted and wishing I had started this yesterday. Part of the trouble of all this is that I am making up for lots of things we don't have (microwave popcorn, rice krispies, corn syrup, peach jam, chocolate chips, pre-made humus, tortilla chips). Lots of improvising, which seems to take longer. But when else would I have ever made fresh jam and homemade humus?!

As I'm cooking, I've been praying for this retreat. We'll be together tomorrow from 9 am- 7 pm tomorrow (Sunday). Here are some ways you can pray for us.

1. Pray for all the right people to come and to be at my house before 9:30 am so that they can ride over together. Pray that they wouldn't deterred at the last minute by fear, family, laziness, sickness, etc.
2. Pray that our time "away" would help them see things more clearly and make important decisions about what direction their lives are going in. Pray specifically for our housekeeper, our druggie neighbor, and our carpenter friend, all of whom seem to be on the brink (or over?) of a big leap of faith.
3. Pray that our guests will experience God.
4. Pray for growing friendships.
5. Pray that our time together would be fun and that everyone would be enthusiastic and alert. Pray that we would feel comfortable together.
6. Pray for the logistics, particularly as we hold this retreat in a location other than our home and have another group of people preparing the lunch.
7. Pray that God's grace would be on Tim and I to give us peace, strength, energy, confidence, and joy.

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