Dobbins UMC Personality Retreat

Published by Angela | Filed under Uncategorized

Refreshing and stress free are two adjectives I would use to describe Dobbins UMC Women’s Retreat this past weekend in Ocean City, NJ.  The Personalities was our topic for the weekend and specifically understanding ourselves and others so we can get along better.  Well, most of these ladies were Peaceful Phlegmatics/Perfect Melancholies so it made for a peaceful, calm weekend.

Even though the participants hadn’t taken the personality profile yet,  when they started putting their group puzzle together I knew we had a Peaceful group.  I was the loudest person there.    Gerry (Sanguine/Phlegmatic) and her group of ladies, which included one Sanguine/Choleric, mostly stood to put their puzzle together.   They meant business and it paid off as they were the first to complete their puzzle.  Corine Elliotts group was the loudest with one Sanguine/Choleric and one Phlegmatic/Sanguine but they never finished the puzzle.  But we did have fun!

Chris, Joann, Sue and Barbara led us in worship with their beautifully harmonizing voices.  Their harmony was a living example of our need for “harmony” in relationships.  I was so blessed by their choice of songs and the sweet presence of God.   When they sang “How Beautiful” by Twila Paris I had to weep as it confirmed the leading of the Lord for Saturday night’s session.  Their sensitivite ministry blessed us all.

I left Ocean City on Sunday morning feeling refreshed and energized.  Refreshed from being in the presence of the Lord and energized because of these wonderful ladies.  I hope they were as blessed as I was by being with them.  The beauty of Jesus shown through them all weekend.

James 3: 17-18  in The Message tells us  “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. 

Knowing, understanding and accepting who we are is the beginning of getting along with others.  As we understand how people are wired differently by the Divine Designer we can treat them with dignity and honor because different isn’t wrong; it’s just different — uniquely His.