Here are some comments, suggestions and other thoughts from visitors to retreatday.com
I hope to have a BLOG up and running by the end of the year, but for now if you have any comments, kudos or criticism, please enter it in the contact form below. Thanks!
►Hi John,
I stumbled onto your site trying to find spiritual retreats possibly in my area to attend. I am so glad you designed such a gratifying personal retreat for all to indulge in. I just wish I could find more time for it as I am a part time working mother and wife. I enjoy each aspect you developed and also all others feedback and advisories too. I wanted to make sure I did take the time to thank you and extend my appreciation, it is wonderful. I check in as often as I can, even though it isn’t always quiet time for me, but I totally love it and will squeeze it in when ever I can. Thanks again John, bless you! Well, you are blessed for such insight and we are blessed that you share with us!
In Faith, Rina
►Thank you for taking the time to help others. Your site is an answered prayer.
►Hello. I am enjoying your web site on personal retreats. I have a book I love for personal retreats: No Man is an Island by Thomas Merton. It is composed of a set of loosely related chapters which can be read individually. Furthermore, each chapter is clearly broken down into paragraphs/sections, which make great short readings interspersed through out a day of retreat.
Sincerely,
Fr. Sean
►I found your site refreshing and helpful. I plan retreats for others but have found the most enjoyable retreat I ever did was a retreat in my home. I am sure you have much more to add to the retreat experience. I’m going to follow your page. I thought you might have been in a Catholic religious order since your site was made on Christmas. It all seemed so interesting. Good job.
K.C.
►Here a few suggestions for some books I’ve enjoyed on personal retreats:
“The Practice of the Presence of God” – Brother Lawrence
“Passion For Jesus” – Mike Bickle
“Desiring God” – John Piper (This book is a lot to read in a day or two. It’s deep!)
“The Blessings of Obedience” – Derek Prince
I usually read “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross. Did you know it? It is really inspiring and illuminating in times of grief and loneliness, or when we are looking for answers. I read it in Spanish -St. John’s original language- but I’m sure you can find a good English translation.
Regards,
Mike
►Dear John,
Just saw your page of recommended readings for personal retreat. Great! My new job with our religious congregation is Coordinator for Senior Confrences. I am spending the year readying, listening to tapes, doing the workshop scene, etc.
May I suggest you add to your list books dealing with the Body, Mind, Spirit connection:
For starters:
Caroline Myss, Ph.D., Anatomy of the Spirit
Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul
Deepak Chapra, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantam Alternative to Growing Old.
Thanks for your spirit-filled site.
(Rev.) Frank
►Thanks for the great site. I’ve been considering a retreat for a while now and believe it will come to fruition this summer. I’m looking forward to it greatly. You said to e-mail favorite authors/books: one of mine is Richard Foster’s “Prayer”. Foster is a Quaker and his writings are wonderful. Check them out if you haven’t already.
Take care,
John
►I am a regular personal retreat “Goer” and I love your web site wonderful advice I will share it with many people who seek time to be close to our Lord.
Thanks so much for your effort.
Gary
►I came across your web site in search for retreat centers in NY. What a delightful, insightful and practical offering. Keep up the good work. I will recommend it highly.
Peace and blessings from NY.
Deacon Tom
►Be blessed as you walk on. Jesus is Lord. He loves you right where you are right now.
►Such a simple concept but you’ve put it all together. Love your site.
►Thank you for this site and so many good ideas!
►Fantastic website…idea…presentation!
►You’ve inspired me. I’m planning my own personal retreat. I live in North Louisiana and I’m going to drive a couple of hours north into Arkansas. I’m going to camp out and spend the following day on my mountain bike winding my across a 30 mile mountain bike trail. I’m in the process of designing my stops along the way. I may begin with the Stations of the
Cross. I may invite one person or several persons to provide a design a meditation for several stops. I’m planning on spending the day on the trail. Mountain bike trails on Mondays are deserted and beautiful. It has become my habit of praying while riding. Your presentation has made my scream, “This is what I’ve been wanting to do, I just didn’t know how!”
Thank you, thank you.
►John, Thank you for the personal retreat page. I have never been on a retreat before….not a formal directed retreat….and I have not been to the church I belong to in years. God is speaking to me to slow down and to come closer to him. Your site has shown me that I can take a retreat to God anytime I want to! Keep up the good work! The site is a blessing!
Jacquelyn
►Hi John, greetings! Last November, I was looking for some “answers” and I found your site…then I suggested you the Dark Night of the Soul, remember? Well, I just want you to know that there’s a Canadian composer, (Loreena McKennitt) who set music to St. John’s poem. The CD’s title: “The Mask and the Mirror” Beautiful work! Merry Christmas. God Bless!
Mike
►John, it worked! It worked! Ok, now I’ve got you in my favorites…..thanks so much for your patience and support with this….I really like your website. I’m finishing my training at Seattle U. in leading Ignatian retreats, and I think you’ve made it all so available to people…it’s a wonderful service you’ve provided. I’ll be happy to share my experiences. Take good care of you. Peace,
Dani
►Thanks for your generous assistance. I’ll begin contacting the retreats immediately.
►Dear John:
Thank you for your prompt response. Indeed, do send me by mail the retreat booklet in question. Thanks and have a great day and God bless you.
In Him,
Jacque
►Hi John and thank you!
I did find a place, the guest house of an abbey near Worcester. I’ve saved your suggestions for future use. Thank you again and thanks for the great website!
Blessings,
Gina
►This is truly one of the very darkest nights of my soul, and I have been through many losses, deaths, disappointments, dis-illusionments, in my 39 years. I never expected to sound so pathetic, but I truly believe that God has forsaken me (Psalms language isn’t even despairing and self-pitying enough for how lost I feel!). I’m screaming in my soul, and out loud, for God to send his grace enough that I can go on. I’ve been sitting in front of this computer bawling when it occurred to me to type in “Spiritual retreat” because I need one badly in order to figure out what to do with my life from this point on. Your site is the only one I’ve looked at so far. None of what you have to say is particularly new for me, but it is SO well done. It feels like God is granting some grain of grace through you. Not hope, really, but surely some grace. Although I can’t pray with any self-love right now, I’ve already offered prayers for you, that you be blessed in all the ways I have been and in all the ways I so wanted to be but am not. Thank you for spiritual air to breath when my spirit is suffocating. Thank you for the reminder of Light via your humor and acceptance to all comers and faith in grace,
from someone who feels spiritually blinded. And thank God for your grace and inspiration on Christmas Eve 1997.
►Hi John! I really enjoyed reading your site. I will share it with others.
Sandy
►How about: Mere Christianity or the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis?
►I want to thank you for a terrific resource! I’m doing research for spiritual retreats in the NC – SC -TN & GA and ran across your site. It’s great to remind myself that I don’t always have to pay a lot of money and travel far away from
home to have the “retreat experience”. As a fellow Roman Catholic, I appreciate the humor, the focus of this particular site. Again, thanks for all of your hard work putting this site together and updated. I am inspired by your endeavors.
Peace,
Owen
I’m struggling with the problems of making plans for such a retreat myself, and this site must surely be a gift from God.
God bless you. Thanks again.
Jimmy
Good for you, thank you for your time and your help.
I was searching the web, seeking nearby locations for a retreat, only to read your site and realize that a retreat site is closer than I expected – wherever I choose it to be 🙂
Thanks for putting this information in the world.
Hi I just love your web site…it so happens I am trying to plan a personal retreat. Usually I just have them at home, by not answering calls, nor watching TV, or reading the papers. Just shutting the outside world and going inside to commune with God. But this time I really wanted to get away. I’m having a difficult time finding an appropriate place to go for my retreat. Motels don’t seem to feel spiritual for me. You mentioned state parks…so I assume you live in the U.S. What kind of accommodations do you stay at when you go for your retreats? A list of places would be a great addition to your web-site. It just occurred to me that maybe your retreats are one day affairs. Personally I enjoy taking a weekend. But this time I want to do a week. I am rambling on. Just wanted to say thank you for a wonderful website and may God bless. Olga from Toronto
Hi John,
Just a note to THANK-YOU for your web site on retreats.
It is very helpful.
Yours in CHRIST
Michelle
My friend from my women’s spiritual group found your web page and so passed it on to me. It is really good. One suggestion for reading materials, especially those of us who are none Catholic would be the books by Kathleen Norris. Her Cloistered Walk, The Psalms and Amazing Grace and even Dakota are wonderful, retreat materials.