The West Coast Men’s Retreat is an annual event that takes place at The Oaks in Lake Hughes, CA. Men of all ages, from all walks of life, different races, creeds, and ethnicities come together to relax, decompress, and enjoy being in each other’s company. Once the dates for the Men’s Retreat were announced, all the fellas that attended my church immediately began to make plans to go. It was so cool. Everybody started discussing possible weather conditions, room arrangements, and who was going to be king of paintball.
It was amazing to see the expression of joy on everyone’s faces and hear the laughter and camaraderie among men, young and mature. In a way, it reminded me of a huge family reunion. I had not seen some of those who were there since the previous men’s retreat, so I was happy to reconnect and catch up with them.
The main focus of the men’s retreat was the uplifting and empowerment of men. The theme of this quest is Fierce Men of the Word. I felt that the name was empowering in itself, given the setting we were in. Several workshops were available for us to attend. They addressed World Impact, its purpose, and its mission to assist communities across the nation. Other workshops offered Bible Study, parenting, and financial planning just to name a few. The most most powerful segment of the retreat was the intimate time we spent during praise and worship.
The musical arrangements that were sang were very powerful. The words of each song and the sincere devotion the praise and worship leaders blessed us with shifted the atmosphere into a state of lament and celebration. It was a beautiful sight to see men of all ages praising the Lord with hands held high, broken, vulnerable, and emotional, open and ready for the love of Jesus to come down and touch our hearts. We were blessed with three powerful and inspirational messages that were nothing short of phenomenal. Each fierce leader delivered his own message in his own format of truth.
Pastor Larry Acosta spoke to us about growing up in a house with an abusive father who never showed love but disciplined with the belt in anger. He also talked about how he battled the same behaviors with his own family and how he overcame them.
Bishop Edward Smith brought the realness discussing his past life and how he overcame evil and the dark temptations that consumed him. Manhood and lack thereof was thoroughly discussed. He gave us some perspective on how we can be better men in the household. He was a true inspiration to promote positivity and good spirits.
Bringing up the rear was Pastor Cedric Nelms, who always keeps it real. He brought the message on how to deal as a man: how to deal as a man with a family, how God gives you what you need and not what you want, and how to deal with the negatives that keep resurfacing in your life. And how to face it head on and overcome it.
