Spa, Butterflies and Crap

Lovely title huh.  Give me a chance to explain and then you can decide if I need a different one.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go on a retreat with the women of my church that I haven't attended for months now.  We went to Bonneville Resort and Spa.  It was a lovely hotel which has water flowing into the pools and spa from a spring.  This was lovely minus the sulfuric aroma that wafted through the halls from this magic water.

The speaker was Diane Moore.  She is a family counselor as well as a radio talk show host here in the Portland/Vancouver area.  It is called Parent Talk Radio.  I am not sure of the station or times she's on.. but when I figure it out I should post it.  For now here is a link to her website.http://www.parenttalknw.com/PTNW/parent_talk.html  She reminds me a lot of my dear friend Tori, and so I like her teaching style bunches.  She is a lovely woman.  She also attends our church and so was obligated to speak at our retreat.  Just kidding.  I'm sure she enjoyed it.

I neglected to take notes as I was in a foul mood most of the weekend.  This was partially due to the fact that I was taking pills for a "cleanse" so my tummy was upset, (no this wasn't the reason for the sulfur smell).  The other factor was.. I was being asked to be introspective.. and I didn't like what I saw and didn't understand how to deal with it.  So I was crabby.  That makes sense right?

She, Diane, spoke on butterflies.  She talked about how as caterpillars they live on poisonous milkweed and eat it in case they are eaten by a predator.  This ensures they get the last laugh.  They also apparently see in only black and white.  At some point in their life-cycle they attach themselves to a leaf and within two minutes are completely enclosed in a cocoon.  Then, over a period of time.. they turn to complete liquid.  Completely except for a little bit of their heart which keeps them alive.  So, the are liquid except for part of their heart and then they turn into a butterfly.  When they emerge from their cocoon they fly some crazy long distance like 2000 miles or so and then instead of eating poisonous milkweed they sip nectar from flowers that have bright colors or something which means that now they see in color.

All of this was meant to be a picture of us and how we live and then the process of change that happens in us as we allow God to work in our lives.  She also spoke on the ways that we cope with things that happen to us and then how we behave when we are transformed.

We were given a spa treatment.  I didn't think I'd like it.  We were to receive a mineral bath.  I don't like baths.  I don't like being stuck in hot water.  And we were told to use that 30min. to talk to God.  I don't like being told to talk to God.  And I don't like sitting still. (foul attitude)  Ends up you don't fill your tub with hot mineral water though.  It is supposed to be as close to body temperature as possible.  This ensures that your body is able to absorb the healing minerals within the water.  And that in 30min you can absorb up to 1 pint of water.  After 30min you don't absorb anything.. so they don't leave you in any longer.  It was delicious.

Then they took us to a room filled with massage like tables where we were to lay for another 30min and be wrapped up so that we could sweat out toxins.  At this point I was loving the whole thing and so thoroughly enjoyed it.  Minus feeling like I was in The Matrix.  :)

So, we were in our liquid state and cocooned.  Fun huh.  Allowing the weekends teaching to absorb into me has taken the better part of the week.  And I'm sure that there is plenty more that will come.  But for now it has been good to see the foulness that I've allowed to build up within me and see the gentle cleansing that the Holy Spirit brings as I open myself up to Him.

My next post has more evidence of this need for a detox of my soul.  Please bear with me as I work through it and use this blog to think it all through.