Serenbe (sair-EN-bee): 1. a word created by Marie Nygren combining the words “serenity” and “be.” 2. A place to step off the treadmill of life and simply be.

Sounds like a perfect place for our next Women’s Retreat, doesn’t it?

The retreat committee rode down to see this piece of heaven today and fell in love with it.

Serenbe is nestled in the rolling countryside on the edge of Atlanta, less than an hour from St. James.
Their 900 acres include preserved forestland, wildflower meadows, 15 miles of trails that go by two waterfalls and
a large granite outcropping, an animal village, swings and rocking chairs, two pools and a cabana, two hot tubs, croquet lawn,
and endless opportunities for relaxing and connecting with nature. As you stroll across the wildflower meadow
to the Serenbe community you’ll find the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop and The Hil restaurant. StudioSwan art gallery,
Harris & Clark Thoughtful Grocery and Food School, boutique shops, and more.

It’s simply lovely.

Won’t you join us the weekend of January 25-27th?

The cost is $325 and will include a two-nights stay in either the Main House, the Guest House or one of the cottages.
The cost includes an ‘elegantly rustic’ dinner Friday night, Southern brunch Saturday morning, dinner on Saturday night and
a continental breakfast on Sunday morning...plus the marshmallows we roast over a bonfire down by the lake.

http://www.serenbefarmhouse.com/

[ by the way, Steve & Marie Nygren, visionaries of Serenbe, have a long history with food—Steve as founder of the Peasant Restaurant Group;
Marie as the daughter of Margaret Lupo, owner of Mary Mac’s Tea Room — dishes use ingredients freshly picked from Serenbe’s organic farm]

We have chosen to study the book, Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. A mother of five, an acclaimed writer and a pioneering aviator,
Lindbergh casts an unsentimental eye on the trappings of modernity that threaten to overwhelm us: the time-saving gadgets
that complicate rather than simplify, the multiple commitments that take us from our families. And by recording her thoughts during a brief escape
from everyday demands, she helps readers find a space for contemplation and creativity within their own lives.

There are plans for a cooking class in one of the stunning homes in Selborne, which is an art center and home to about 100 residents.
If you’d rather, you can attend a yoga class, afternoon tea in the Inn, or ride horses. And you wouldn’t dare miss the pajama party...

http://www.serenbe.com/

Visit their website and see what you think. Let us know you’d like to attend by, first, responding to this email,
then by sending in a $150 deposit as soon as possible. Make your check out to St. James UMC and send it to:
Lisa Weldon, 4309 Glengary Drive, Atlanta, GA 30342.
The balance will be due early in January.

This will be a different women’s retreat.
It will be a weekend full of fresh country air, serenity and thought. It should certainly take us one step closer to God.