It's in the Details

Last weekend was a Captivating retreat up at Frontier Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado.  It was, in every possible and impossible way, simply beautiful.  God is SO faithful!  Oh, how he loves it when his women pay such a cost in time, money, effort, battle...to gather to seek his heart.  And he comes!  He came gently, powerfully, heavily.  And he came intimately.

 

I'm just getting some stories in now...one woman whose favorite breakfast is french toast asked God if he would give her a special love gift of french toast for breakfast.  How she smiled Sunday morning when she came in to the dining room to plates overflowing with french toast.

 

Another woman was being wooed by Jesus to remember how close they had once been - how sweet their relationship - and inviting her back to his heart when we played her all time favorite worship song that held memories dear to her heart of her Lord.  A song she hadn't heard in years.  She wept. 

 

Actually, there are hundreds of stories.  Literally.  Women who so deeply longed to hear the voice of God in their spirit - and did.  Felt his deep affection.  Encountered his love.  Worshipped him with a passion, intimacy and sweetness they had never experienced before.  Will never be the same.

 

He came for me in heart rocks.  He's been wonderfully extravagant with them!  He even gave me a heart cloud with wings on either side of it!  I love how personal, how sweet his gifts to us are.

 

How is he coming to you?  Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see and receive his loving pursuit - his intimate gifts, just for you.  He is a God of details.  :-)

Comments

[Nancy]

Right now...the one way God will truly show He is interested in my situation is to open up a job for me. I am broke and completely dependent upon daughter, son, other family to pay my way right now when I am an able bodied, capable, hardworking, dedicated worker. He told me He is my husbandman...I am widowed...I need Him to provide.

[Jerodterimasonjake]

Thank you stasi for reminding me how glorious it was. I needed that reminder.......thank you Jesus

[MoniQue]

Hi Stasi,
I am Monique and I am 23 years old. I have read Captivating and God has pressed apon my heart to take this message to young women in my country, South Africa. I was so excited to see that there are retreats and if I could have participated I would have! I want to do that here!
I heve no idea where to start to take all the wonderful insight in your book and make it a powerful message for an afternoon or weekend session.
Is there any way you could assist me in resources that you share at your retreat, or even tips or insight as to what works? Feel free to ask any questions if you have!
Maybe an international outreach would be possible? Im dreaming big here! :)

I hope you have a blessed day!

Regards,
From Sunny SA!
Monique!

[Stasi]

Hooray for dreaming BIG!  Yes, we have resources to help you MoniQue!  Theres a Captivating DVD series that is immensely helpful for women to use in small groups...theres CDs of the retreat we do...all kinds of things!  Go onto our webpage and look at resources.  If you have further questions, feel free to contact our events department or send your questions to the Contact Us link!  Weve actually had several women come to our retreats from SA and one day, I sure hope to come there too!  God BLESS you!

[Stasi]

Praying for you Nancy!

[Leticia]

Thank you Stasi for reminding me to ask the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to see and recieve His loving pursuit,His intimate gifts just for me. He has pursued me more as a Father lately. He had to discipline me and I felt loved. He always knows what I need, and He is generous, and kind. I am looking forward to seeing and recieving from Him. I do feel particularly needy of Him today for very good reasons. My heart is broken today, someone I love dearly has decieved me. I am running too and sticking closer than glue to the One who will never lie to me. My eyes are wide open ready to see and recieve.

[Kristin Eldridge]

The realization that Christians can still be in captivity and bondage is very new to me. I have lived most of my Christian life unaware of my own bondage. God is revealing lots of pain and hurt (that I wasn't even aware of) that has been deep in me for most of my life. Instead of dealing with it, I just coped.

He wants freedom for me and I feel the fight everyday.

Thank you for Captivating. It has helped me tremendously.

[Stasi]

Im sorry Leticia and yet so thankful for the posture of your heart. I love that one of Jesus names is Faithful and True.  He is.  May He hold you so closely today - and every day.

[Stasi]

Hooray, Kristin.  I am with you in the wanting of all the healing and deliverance and freedom available.  God is passionate and devoted to us in every good way.  BLESS you!

[Carlene Ann Tenorio]

Thank you dear Stasi, for being the vessel God used through Captivating to bring me into my love relationship with Jesus. Thank you to John too, because of Ransomed Heart (Waking the Dead) I'm so passionate for sharing your ministry message with my brothers and sisters. We are about to begin Love and War in my small group.
When I first read chapter seven, May 14th of 2005, it was 11:11 a.m., and you asked, how is He romancing you now...I set the book down and asked for a "starfish." (: I love You, Jesus, I said to Him. I'm falling in love with You. This overwhelming urge came upon me to get up and turn on the radio. Jesus was singing me a love song. It was Up Where We Belong by BeBe and CeCe Winans. My favorite movie of all time is An Officer and A Gentleman. I was Paula and Jesus was Zak. He came for me! In my heart's eye, he lifted me up and carried me away. It was the most romantic moment. For the first time in my life, I felt loved without "pressure." A love that no human man is capable of. (You know?) Perfect love that is casting away my fear little by little. That was my first wooing.
And then last Thursday morning, I was sitting on my patio having quiet time, crying out to Father God, crying over a message we heard in church the night before from Dr. Mark Rutland, who was the guest speaker at our First Wednesday Communion Service. He spoke to someone who was angry, having an empty reservoir of grace inside. I was that person! I have been such an angry girl lately. :( Tears poured from my eyes. I was desperately trying to understand what it meant to be emptied of grace. Long, long story short, my healing really is coming in measures. My Father has a plan for me in this ministry, and healing is taking place in me one day at a time. I can feel Him filling my empty reservoir now. Finally my tears slowed, and I looked out to the pond, the sun was shining so brightly across the water. There were dancing sparkling diamonds! Jesus was giving me hundreds of diamonds. Will you marry Me? Oh, yes. Yes, Jesus, I will marry You. I will be Your bride. I am feeling like the lady at the well. I have been forgiven much. I love Him so deeply. He loves me so endlessly. Your gift of Captivating has been the most beautiful gift I have ever received since I received the gift of salvation, and now grace. Thank you, my sister. God bless you for your labor of love.
Carlene Ann Tenorio
The Crossing Church
Tampa, Florida

[Stasi]

Oh, he is just SO good.  Thank you for sharing!

[Danielle]

Stasi, I can't even begin to tell of the ways God is coming for my heart in this season of my life. After I long fight for my marriage, it is about to end in divorce. My husband filed this past December and it looks like it will be final before the end of next month. Through all my grief and disappointment (disillusion is more like it), I am here to say that God is still GOOD, very GOOD! He will see me and my children through this. He knows how homesick I am for Colorado right now and all my friends and family there. At the beginning of this week, a dear friend from Denver texted me to ask, "What are you doing this weekend? Will you be available if I come to see you?" I'm picking her up at the airport in Seattle tonight!!! Oh, God is sooo GOOD!!!

[Skye]

I was the one attending the Captivating retreat a week before her wedding and am so glad I did! I found rest, healing, restoration ...and when my wedding day came, I was present and enjoyed every blessed moment.

As some of the girls at the retreat said, coming that weekend was the best "bachlorette party" a girl could have! Blessings!

[Kary Oberbrunner]

Stasi,

I got the following message from someone who just attended your event. Be encouraged. http://www.yoursecretname.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-xavMhcZK8

Interesting story (I'll try to be brief): A friend and I read Your Secret Name while on a trip to CO for a Captivating Retreat (w/ John Stasi Eldredge). The afternoon we both finished the book and were still processing, wouldn't you know the evening session was about the very same topic (they even gifted us with a white stone leading into our silent time). And one of the speakers even mentioned the book, Hinds' Feet on High Places. I had heard the title but it didn't strike me as very interesting...but I read it the week following the retreat. AMAZING! I loved it (kind of Pilgrim's Progress meets Chronicles of Narnia meets The Shack). I love allegory writing - gives me a visual in my mind to relate to.

BTW - my friend and I LOVED your book - thinking of incorporating some of it into our Spring Women's Retreat. Thanks so much.

[Stasi]

Hooray!

[Stasi]

Hooray!  Im so glad to hear it...and CONGRATULATIONS!

[Pete Carroll]

Wow, ladies, this place feels like Holy Ground!

Thank you for sharing your stories and your hearts, I have tears in my eyes from all the Papa is doing for each of you!

[Supra Shoes]

Love's tongue is in the eyes. There is no hiding from lover's eyes.Love is a fabric that nature wove and fantasy embroidered.

[expository essays]

I spoke to someone who was angry, having an empty reservoir of grace inside. I was that person!

[buy mbt shoes]

Wow, you might say that the technology is very good! Photo, so beautiful, very clear, wish you good luck, create the future together! And I share my blog http://www.mbt-onsales.com/

[freelance writer]

That is such an inspiring story! A woman who had hear the Voice! It so great...

[family law sydney]

The grounds for divorce are in the details and accounts. Whether the jury finds them serviceable or not, you can still file for reconciliation.

[cheap air jordan shoes]

ocean apart day after day
and i slowly go insane
i hear your voice on the line
but it doesn't stop the pain
if i see you next to never
how can we say forever

[cheap true religion]

ocean apart day after day
and i slowly go insane
i hear your voice on the line
but it doesn't stop the pain
if i see you next to never
how can we say forever

[cheap furniture los angeles]

It's good that they're receiving the need they help. More organizations should be concerned as well.