The Cove and personal spiritual retreats

I always have to give one person in my life credit for the cherished discipline I've implemented over the years of taking a personal spiritual retreat. Here's what I said in another entry:

I’m grateful to David James, the Arkansas Baptist Collegiate Ministry Team Leader, who effectively urged me to take a regular personal retreat each year that I served under him as a campus minister. It was a strange practice to me at first, but it’s become a cherished pilgrimage that I now seek to prioritize twice a year.

I've been overdue for a retreat/conference getaway, and after much looking, I settled on attending the Pastor's Institute at the Billy Graham Training Center's The Cove. The PI features Pastor Chip Ingram leading a one-day seminar titled Helping Move Your People from "In" to "All-In." In addition, I signed up a personal retreat after that.

The sense of God's presence here is palpable, even from entering the campus and meeting the security guard. The views, facilities and personnel have been refreshing. After a memorable supper and conversation with pastors from Texas, Alabama, Australia and New York at my table,I took a walk on one of the many trails scattered over this corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I have high expectations - not for answers to anything in particular. Simply for His nearness.