Comments from men at our September 11th-13th, 2009 "Journey to Freedom Weekend"

It was real with real people - Steve

It impacted me more than I expected. This is my third men's weekend, and I never cease to be amazed at how God shows up...the power is witnessing God working in the lives of men who are facing the same issues as me! - Jim

I liked the transparency. A good reminder of God's grace. - Jack

Very impactful...it has increased my awareness of how walls prevent me from seeing the truth of myself - John

It has reminded me of how desperately I need other men in my life, not just acquaintances but guys to do life with, be real, sharpen, and bless. - Kirk

I especially like the wall metaphor - which grew on me as the weekend progressed. - Sam

It has allowed me to realize that I am not the only person that is broken and that I need to open up more with my family and friends. This weekend has opened my eyes to how "blessed" I really am and how i should thank God for this. - Frank

It has been good to give some verbiage to some deep issues of my heart and spirit. By bringing them into the light I can allow God to work them out now. - Stephen

This weekend has allowed me to connect with men at deeper levels than I ever have. This connection is something I have longed for for many years. - Bob

It helped me lower my defenses, my barriers, because the retreat encourages being "real"...I benefited by understanding that my walls don't have to define me, and can come down by the grace and power of God combined with my choices. - John

It helped me see how it's necessary to continue connecting with other men...I'm not as afraid as I was before of speaking from my heart and being real.  - Harvey

The weekend was very affirming. I really appreciated the fact that this was a place and space to be authentic without pretense. - Joey

It opened my mind to see that I have a voice and it will no longer be muted by the world. - Brandon

The weekend helped remove the distractions of the world (women, e-mail, cell phone, business). It promoted a relaxed neutral, warm environment, so when we attempted to remove walls, it was not a difficult, treacherous task. - Texas

It allows for a rare time for solid, guided reflection on what is it that stands in the way of becoming more like Christ. - Jonathon