Last weekend marked the fifth time that Tallowood’s young married adults gathered in the Round Top Retreat Center for a weekend of fellowship and getting to know each other.
Led by young adults minister John Music and several of his Sunday School leaders, the annual retreat was in a large home-like hideaway surrounded by peaceful grounds that allowed worship, outdoor recreation such as football and whacking golf balls around despite the cold temperatures, plenty of indoor board games, movies, food and getting acquainted with each other.
For several, it was their first retreat. Brad and Kristin Waller of the New Beginnings department (for newlyweds) wrote:
“Being half a year into our marriage, we are no strangers to the idea that a good marriage takes work. We work to blend the traditions and common practices of our individual families. We work to find compromise between what he thinks and what I think, what he wants and what I want. We work so hard at building a strong foundation for our marriage that sometimes, we forget to have fun.
“This weekend we were reminded. We were reminded of the joy that should be found in marriage. We laughed, we played, we relaxed. We broke bread, worshiped, and prayed.”
Justin and Nicole Lofts, who attend Foundations Department, said:
“What a wonderful way to begin 2010. My wife and I have been members of Tallowood for about 3 years and have never attended Couples Retreat but I am so glad that we did this year.
“Coming into the weekend we did not know what to expect. We did not know too many people that where going and wondered if we would feel out of place, but, as always, the members of Tallowood opened their arms and pulled us in. Couples Retreat is by far one of the best weekends I have had in a long time and I will definitely mark my calendar for next year’s retreat.
“This weekend gave us a chance to rest, relax, play hard, fellowship, and spend time renewing our relationship with God and each other. It was incredibly refreshing to break from the daily grind of life and to spend time doing things that we enjoy. Nicole was able to play games, watch movies, spend time talking with other mothers and Christian women, and even squeeze in a nap or two.
“I was able to play football, try my hand (quite unsuccessfully) at golf, and hang out with my wife. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life it is easy to forget to take time to enjoy the little things and that is what this weekend is all about. I think we all need to retreat every once in a while and I am glad that I had this opportunity to do just that. The lodging at Round Top is very nice and we were fed very well. In fact it sometimes seemed like the meals ran together. But the best part of couples retreat by far was getting to know other Christian couples. I highly recommend going on this trip to anyone considering it. It is one of the most refreshing things that you can do as a couple.”
Wiley & Meredith Parkman, also in the New Beginnings class, both commented:
Wiley said “While I was hesitant at first about the retreat, my hesitancy soon gave way to excitement. Getting outside the city limits and just “being” was amazing. There were numerous opportunities to hang out with Meredith and friends not to mention beating Dave Ray by 1 stroke at the Tallowood Open. Definitely a great weekend!”
Meredith wrote that she found “The young married’s retreat is a fun weekend to get away from Houston. I enjoyed it because it gave us time to hang out with each other and with our friends from church as well as meet other couples close to our age. It was a good way to start the year and really built fellowship among believers.”
The retreat is held annually in early January.
