Soul Sanity

January 27-30 started a new chapter in my life. One that i feel very humbled about & thrilled all at the same time.

Myself and 4 other dudes from all walks of life, backgrounds, experiences, desires & facial structuring spent 3 days together. We sat, talked, prayed, played, laughed, ate, drank, surfed, slept & pushed deep into each others lives. We talked about some painful circumstances, joyous occasions, theological questions, curious wondering thoughts that definitely had some random moments in them.

The whole reason we took personal time, money & energy to make this happen cause all of us need it. Too often people live their life without close relationships that they can share with other their deep hurts, longings, frustrations & questions without care or concern. This retreat was time for friends to provide some sanity in each others lives.

Only a couple times in my life have I been 'welcomed' into a group of people where i felt i belonged, this was definitely one of those times. The great part is its just the beginning. Each year we are going to commit to making this happen. For our marriages, our families, our leadership positions & for each other we commit to "being" friends & not just acting like it. I honestly don't know the last time i walked away from a 3 day time away from my family feeling as emotionally loved as i did last week.

I took away many highlights:
- laughter is a great healing prescriptions
- dolphins, when popping out of the water 30 yds from shore & 5 feet from your surfboard, can SCARE you and THRILL you at the same time
- tough conversations are healthy
- men who love you & act as a soundboard by asking insightful questions is even healthier
- men who drive yellow suburbans should not make comments about 'parking bananas'
- home cooked meals with friends taste amazing
- sushi at sushi restaurants taste better than sushi from Albertsons
- beach houses are amazing places for retreats like this

Until next year dudes!