"I first went to We Want More kicking and screaming. I was in a hard and a dark place – overwhelmed by an intense full-time job, three kids under 5, and a marriage that desperately needed change. I thought that taking a weekend away would only make life more stressful. Gratefully, a dear friend literally dragged me into her car and off we went to the retreat.

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I spent the entire weekend sobbing – I was scared and sad and angry at life circumstances. I was met with embrace, comfort, care, wisdom, and love. I was held in tenderness. In other words, I was presented with the face and heart of Jesus. The next 24 hours were transformative.

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Through prayer, reflection and release, God convicted me with the truth that He does not want me to live a life driven by fear or anxiety or of lurking in shadow hoping to just get by. No – instead, He wants for all of us to have an abundant life – filled with hope and joy – birthed by Him and fueled by community around us.

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Six months later, I returned again to We Want More. This time, I entered in a much different state. I was joyful and expectant for what God had in store. And again - I was met with embrace, comfort, care, wisdom and love. This place – We Want More – it is the embodiment – the object lesson of what Christ desperately wants us to understand about his character. He loves us just as we are. That He is consistent. He starts and ends with grace. He wants to know us MORE – no matter our state of mind or being.

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At We Want More, my journey to know Christ was put into fast-forward mode. It has given me the standing rock to know that it is only Christ who can liberate me from the straining at perfection, rid me of the constant and overbearing weight that comes from thinking that I am never enough. A place where I can shed the belief that I must make the journey from good to better by myself, through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, with my obviously limited capacities. A place, where surrounded by woman of faith, heads bowed with mine, that Christ’s enabling power can strengthen me to do things I could never do on my own. A place where I replaced the fear of the unknown, the challenging, and even the heart-breaking, with Jesus. With whom all things are possible.

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I am forever indebted. Thank you for this place."