At Activate Your Life, our weekends away are designed to inspire, encourage, and equip you in your faith journey. They offer a space to reflect, grow, and connect with other women who share a passion for living well and for God. Sometimes, the insights we gain from these times away stay with us for years, becoming a source of strength when life takes unexpected turns.
Whether it’s wisdom from a speaker, a conversation with a friend, or a practical tool that helps in a difficult season, these weekends can be life-changing.
As we approach our next weekend away, consider taking notes, writing down thoughts that speak to you, and keeping them close. You never know when you’ll need to revisit them. Proverbs 4:21-22 reminds us, “Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.” Just like the story below, what you learn could be exactly what you or someone close to you needs in the future.
When the first lockdown began (can you remember how scary it was, when we had no vaccines and no real idea even of how Covid spread?) my husband unexpectedly started experiencing real anxiety. Not the usual ‘I’m a bit worried about this,’ but something close to panic attacks. He had had similar sensations once before, after a prolonged period of stress at work, but we thought he had recovered. Now we were back in the same place.
Fortunately, a year or so before, I had been to an Activate weekend where Sheila Bridge had talked about her own experience of burnout and breakdown. Among lots of good advice about boundaries and self-care, she had given us a handout with links to useful resources. One of these was ‘Headspace’, a mindfulness app which offered a free trial. I tried it and passed on the link to my husband. As well as a general introduction to mindfulness techniques, it also has specific courses for stress, anxiety, grief and so on.
We both used it and found it really helpful (and took out a family subscription). We both still use it (separately) – usually, after the stilling and focusing exercise and the meditation, we move on smoothly to Lectio365, the Bible reading and prayer app. They both start in the same way, pausing to be still, to breathe slowly and (in the case of Lectio) ‘to recentre our scattered senses upon the presence of God’.
Sheila’s wisdom and understanding made a huge difference to us, and we’re still benefiting! I think of her often, with gratitude…
This powerful testimony shows how a lesson from an Activate weekend became a source of strength during a time of crisis. A simple resource recommended by a speaker became a lifeline, helping to navigate fear and anxiety. It’s a reminder that the wisdom we gather in moments of peace can sustain us in times of uncertainty. As we prepare for our next weekend away, let’s be open to receiving encouragement and equipping ourselves for whatever lies ahead.
We love hearing your stories from the Weekend Away! If something has encouraged you and you’d love to share it to inspire others, do get in touch. Your story could be just what someone else needs to hear.