Jonnie speaking..

Jonnie was to be the first speaker for Saturday morning. I tried to capture the moments leading up that point. I know that she was really nervous about speaking, so she was trying to make light of every thing. Christy Guinard and she are BFF's. So Christy was trying to keep Jonnie grounded.

Debbie Hoisington...a wonderful lady, came over to wish her good luck.

The theme of the retreat was John 15 :1-15

1 "I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit.

3 "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain joined to me, and I will remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can't bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.
5 "I am the vine. You are the branches. If anyone remains joined to me, and I to him, he will bear a lot of fruit. You can't do anything without me. 6 If anyone does not remain joined to me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned.
7 "If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be given to you. 8 When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples.
9 "Just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. In the same way, I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy will be in you. I also want your joy to be complete.
12 "Here is my command. Love each other, just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 "I do not call you servants anymore. Servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father.

Different speakers spoke on certain verses. Jonnie had verses 3 & 4. She used a a lovely word pictures when she described the verses. She said that as parents we have to teach our children how to wash their hands. We tell them that they need to lather the soap in their hands and create friction to get the soap sudsy to work into our pores to get them clean. But how many times have we caught our children putting soap on their hands and running them under the water faucet? That's what the word of God is. His words are the soap and to apply them to our lives we need to take action, create suds and work it in to our pores. And it's easy to just read the word and not apply what's said to our lives, just putting the soap on our hands and letting the water rinse it off. So how are you washing your hands....??

I was pretty proud to call her my sister. Afterwards we a little down time, so we ventured out along the river. Christy and Jonnie thought they'd be cute and play in the road. Photo opt!! I don't think she knows I'm posting this.....

O' Well!! :)