On Palm Sunday weekend, I went on an amazing retreat, for moms, by moms. This was my second year going and I plan to do it every year from now on... it was that great.

What speaks to me most is that we are all a sisterhood - a wonderful tribe of women who are mothers who can all share their knowledge with one another. I felt like I had so much to learn from the wisdom of the "seasoned moms", and that I, amazingly, have some wisdom of my own to share. Moms need to support and nurture each other. I would wear it on a shirt, broadcast it on the news if I could.

While last year I felt the focus on Motherhood speaking to me, this year what jumped out at me again and again was the focus on the relationship between me and my husband. It's very easy to concentrate on the kids and their needs - they're in your face all the time! I came away from this retreat with a renewed plan for Paul and I to schedule more dates together, time to talk together each night, and most importantly, to pray together and for each other.

So... some ideas I really liked from this weekend:

• motherhood is holy by nature. We tend to think of ourselves as inadequate or not a good enough mother, when in fact we're blessed by being a mother.
• the idea that you have seeds of faith (like my necklace!)
• I have this written in my notebook - I don't know who said it but I love it: God has loved us into being. and: All true prayer leads to love. and: All prayer is good.
• that you can pray "in the chapel of your car"
• scripture can be very powerful - we talked about posting favorite verses around the house where they can catch your eye and inspire you. Some ones I really liked this weekend: Fear is useless, what is needed is trust.
• It says in Paul's first letter to Timothy, You will be saved by having children. That got a round of applause!
• A priest on the retreat told me to look at Lent as a time of thankfulness and gratitude and hope, instead of sacrifice. Revolutionary for me.
• That you can fast from negativity, from gossip, from fear.

The weather was wretched, but I did feel called to be outside and sit with the flowers that were just starting to come up. When I feel called, I go! So when there was some free time, I wrapped myself up in my coat and sat outside and wrote in my journal in a pen the color the sky should have been that day.

And the best part - my mom was my roomie! :) We didn't stay up TOO late.

ps: For those of you who asked - I did make a clean version of the quote from the poster I made! Click here to get it: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (in watercolour, of course) Print it out and post it, or carry it in your wallet.