Abby Lane Weekend

This past week we spent some time with special friends at a most special location.

Several years ago the Lord led our friends Wayne and Nancy to build a retreat center for ministers and their wives.  After they retired from the pastoral ministry in the Houston area, they came back to central Louisiana where Nancy had family land, and did what God told them to do.

Abby Lane was opened in 2016.  It is 80 acres of Holy ground where God ministers to people in so many ways.

If you would like to see the beautiful grounds and prayer gardens, and read about our get-together last year, click on this link:

Abby Lane Visit 2018

Our little group of four couples began back in the 70's when we were all involved as ministers of music and children's music leaders in our local churches and state convention.  Wayne was the only preacher in the group.

Time and moves took its toll on our friendship and we went almost 30 years before getting back together as a group.  Two years ago we all met for lunch and renewed those long missed relationships.

Last year, Wayne and Nancy invited us to Abby Lane for a couple days to become reacquainted.  It didn't take long and it was like all those years simpy melted away.

Before we parted, we put a date on the calendar for 2019 and that was last weekend.

I didn't take a lot of pictures because I simply enjoyed just sitting and visiting.

Behind the Spears Chapel is a new prayer garden that I hadn't seen.  It is the Family Prayer Garden.  I enjoyed sitting on one of the large rocks and thanking God for our family and for this beautiful place.

We spent most of Friday sitting on the large side porch and remembering past experiences and catching up on each others children and what the Lord has been doing in our lives.  It was such a sweet time.

Later in the afternoon we walked to the newest prayer garden that Wayne just recently completed.  He has carved out a path through the 80 acres that contains 12 different gardens.

This latest garden is a labyrinth that Wayne explained signifies our walk with Christ.

 He Came
He Died
He Arose
He Ascended
He's Coming Back

Afterward, Marvin led the group in singing "Amazing Grace".  What a beautiful sound that was as it resonated through the woods.  This is truly Holy ground!

Each visiting couple prepared one of the meals and let me assure you we ate well.

Just a photo not a video

Friday night before going to our cabins for the night, we all went to the chapel and the three ministers of music and two of the piano playing wives accompanied as we sang several of our favorite hymns.  These old, semi-retired Ministers of Music can still sing and harmonize so beautifully.  It was a wonderful way to end our precious time together.

And yes, we have a date on the calendar for 2020.

If you are interested in knowing more about Abby Lane and it's ministries, this is the link:
Abby Lane Retreat Center