"A time to rest, be in nature and deepen your spiritual journey — all in an atmosphere of prayer-filled silence. This is an intentional silence that helps persons on retreat encounter that still, quiet, healing place within — where there can be openness to the movement of the Spirit. An hour of individual spiritual direction is offered each day and the community of retreatants comes together daily for meals in silence and participatory worship."

My daily life is full of noise. Mostly it is joyful noise, but it also contains angry noise, stressful noise and the loudest noise of all- Frustrated Silence.

Frustrated Silence because the words remain in my head. I do not speak them in an attempt to get the other noise at a minimum. But of course that ever does anyone any good and this silence can no longer remain.

To trade it for Chosen Silence- feels like I've been given a precious jewel. I hold it in my hand and just feel the relief and joy of it wash over me. I crave silence. I crave quiet. I have not heard my inner voice speak for so long, I wonder if we still speak the same language.

I feel that my soul is withering on the vine and this choice of silence will be the sweet water that revives it. It waits patience and still knowing that in mere days I will feast on Silence and Solitude and the voice within and the voice of God will speak as one.