Leadership Catalyst Getaway at Bo's Cafe March 1-4, 2007

Last week our organization hosted our 2nd marriage retreat for executive couples called the Getaway at Bo's Cafe, which is why I haven't been blogging much lately. I'm the Events Manager so I get the privilege of coordinating all the details for these events.

These are the 3 guys who are the authors and presenters in the organization (L to R - John Lynch, Bruce McNicol, Bill Thrall). They did the majority of the teaching for the weekend. I love these guys! They're an awesome trio, each with their own strengths and contributions to the group.

We held the event at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson and it went very well with very few glitches. Here are a few pics to give you a feel for the weekend.

When we got back to our room the first night we were greeted with lots of goodies (one of the perks of being the event coordinator...they want to keep you happy). Besides a plate of fresh fruit, chocolate dipped strawberries, chips and salsa (like the ones Linda mentioned in her blog) we also received a cool plate of chocolates including these chocolate cacti. I was going to save them for our get-together on Saturday night, then forgot to bring them over to the Hospitality Suite. On Sunday, when we were packing up to leave they were still sitting there waiting for us, so I forced myself to eat them on the run as I was packing up the last of our stuff. They were delicious! One milk chocolate, one white chocolate and the biggest one was dark chocolate. My favorite! How did they know?

On Friday night Don & Carol, and Terry & I had a chance to meet some old friends who live in Tucson for dinner. Dave Argentati used to play steel guitar, mandolin (I think) and guitar in a band with Terry many years ago. We had recently reconnected with him and met his wife Kathrin. It was so much fun to catch up on their lives and get to know them both better. We went to El Charro Cafe for mexican food. The restaurant happens to be celebrating their 85 anniversary this year. I can see why they've been around so long. The food was excellent! Check out Dave's music site and if you live in the Tucson area, go check out their band some time. We're hoping to go down and see them play when we have a chance.

Because it was the second time around for the event and we had more help with set up from the LCI team on the first day of the retreat, I actually had a bit of time to relax during the weekend.

I was able to join Linda, Michelle and Carol beside the pool. As you'll see from their dress, it was pretty cool, especially in the shade, but the sun felt good and we enjoyed the time together on Saturday afternoon while the guys rehearsed for their performances that night and in the morning.

On Saturday night after our big dinner, most of the support team went to the Hospitality Suite to kick back and relax for a while. There was a huge balcony off the suite with a beautiful view of the city, golf course and nearby mountains (see below-enlarge to get the best view).

So all in all, it was a success on many levels, and based on the feedback we've recieved so far, the teaching made a huge impact on the couples that attended. Those who are familiar with the principles of grace and trust that are the core of Leadership Catalyst, know how life-changing they can be. These retreats are our way of introducing those principles to couples who may not have heard about them before, especially in relation to their marriage. It's an amazing thing to see how God can impact a marriage, family and beyond when a husband and wife understand how His grace and protective love can work in everyday life. What a blessing! I'm so honored to have a small part of bringing this message to the world and I look forward to seeing where God will be taking it in the future.