Christ the King Retreat Center-- a beautiful place to get away to for some quiet time!

This week I spent two nights and three days at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, MN.  It was my first time to that retreat center.  It was my first time to Minnesota.  Click on the link above to learn more about the retreat center.  I will post some of the pictures I took while there too.

The retreat center is a beautiful place, right on Buffalo Lake.  The grounds are kept up very nicely, with the exception of a few places that could use some care and loving to remove a tree branch, do some weeding, etc.  These areas were on the lower paths near the water.  There are still plenty of wonderful spaces that are kept up pristinely to enjoy without letting these areas get in your way.  You can get through the downed branch, but the path to go further needs repair too.  Some wonderful Scout Troup or other volunteer group could take care of that, I'm sure.

There were benches set up in various places for resting and gazing up the lake.  There was a wagon-wheel bench in a garden setting, other benches in other areas.  The stations of the cross are along a walking path.

Indoors, there are many spaces in which one can find quiet and reflect: a room with icons, an art room, prayer rooms, a chapel, an indoor fountain in a patio setting, and several other spaces.  There is art and antiques from many places.  There is a gift shop/book store with books, cards, icons, journals, etc.  Amazingly, I didn't buy a single thing this time. [I say this time because I will be going back next year for our national gathering and retreat and who knows?!?!]

In addition to the retreat center being a beautiful place and opening up those spaces for quiet and reflection, my time there for the board meeting allowed time and space for quiet and reflection.

This was my first time to meet face to face with the other board members for a Hearts on Fire board meeting.  I came onto the board in the Spring of 2012, had my first phone call with the board while I was at an Academy session in April of that year.  I had met two of the board members in the past, but this week I got to put faces in person to their voices.  It was good to catch up with the two I knew and good to meet and get to know the others. 

It was a wonderful board meeting!  We had worship, prayer time, reflection.  We shared meals.  We did lots of business.  We toured Buffalo, hunting down as many of the Buffalo buffalo that we could find.  We were tacky tourists.  It was fun.  My spirit and soul were refreshed.

Are you ready for the pictures?!?!

Here they are:



view of dining room and lake

the cross on top of the chapel

view of lake
from walking path

     

the cancer support buffalo

one of three swallow nests under the walkway at the main building

big bloom



the town buffalo

Christ the King statue in front of the main building







the building we stayed in and ate in (it connects one level under along side the lake to the first building via a "tunnel" / hallway)





inside the chapel



the chapel

Sunset from town view on lake

Where are your spaces for quiet time?

I encourage you to check out Christ the King Retreat Center as one of them.  If you need a reason to go there, then mark your calendar for July 22-25, 2014.  That will be the next National Gathering and Retreat for Hearts on Fire.  It will be held at Christ the King Retreat Center.  Terry Hershey will be the keynote speaker.  You can learn more about him at his website by clicking here.

Blessings on your journey!

Debra