If you haven't noticed already, I love the concept of belonging. My website is filled with thoughts, words, and images surrounding the idea.

I think it's because for as long as I can remember, I've been a joiner. If there was a group, team, club or organization soliciting members, I was an easy target.

Behind my interest in joining was a deep sense of community and a longing to find the one for me. Was it here with this group?? Or over there with that one? For years I was on a quest to find "my people."

Belonging is happiness found in a secure relationship. The joy, encouragement and satisfaction you find when you're in a safe, authentic, vulnerable reliance on others who know you deeply and who've made themselves known by you.

I believe we're wired at our core to belong. We're made to need others.

I'll be talking more in the weeks and days to come about belonging, but in the meantime I wanted to let you know that I'm speaking about the topic at a women's retreat this coming weekend (Oct. 1-2). I'd love for you to join myself and other women at beautiful Lake Okoboji for a refreshing, restful weekend where I'll be speaking about Belonging: Finding Your People in Life and Faith.

Here are more details:

Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp Women's Retreat

Oct. 1 at 8:30 am - Oct 2 at Noon

Registration: http://www.okoboji.org/womens-retreat