Thursday Was Thrilling... Even With Our First Bit of Rain

Thursdays are a Lighthouse favorite for staff, guest families & Family Partners alike! That's for good reason: Imagine a day of sun, fun, laughter, sharing, relaxing, performing & feasting all tied into one!

With Flip Flop fun in the pool and last-minute rehearsing for the talent show, there was a general flurry for the kids. But that all slooooowed down for the moms as they were treated by staff & Female Partner ladies to an afternoon of our very own brand of spa pampering. With soothing music, delightful air conditioning and gentle conversations, they were indulged with massages, hair styling and manicures. A few tears were seen as moms read letters crafted for them by their very own children and received gifts generously donated by a ladies' group in Atlanta.

As evening neared, the serious fun began. Chef Jim spilled two massive pots of mouth-watering low country boil goodness onto the outdoor tables and the feeding frenzy began!

Then, as the storm clouds began to whip the stage elements around, a last-minute decision was made to shift the talent show to a church just down the road.

No worries!


Everyone swiftly adapted and made the short trek to the new site. Summer staff & the production crew were rock stars & made it all seem easy!! The acts were awesome — and fun and funny and emotional and inspiring — all great elements for a fantastic talent show!

No one is particularly ready for tomorrow to arrive... the week is whipping past way too fast & no one wants to think about See Ya Laters, yet!

Friday has some reeeeeeally cool stuff in store... even a surprise first for Lighthouse... stay tuned!

Wonderful Wednesday was Full of Fun for All

Wow, we have really defied the weather forecast for storms this week! The weather couldn't be more gorgeous and everyone is enjoying fun in the sun. Finally, the flags on the beach calmed down to the point where we could go into the ocean and surf those waves! :)

Today, everyone had lots of pool time, too, and great talk time in Common Ground. But the real fun kicked in when the parents headed off site for a date night of their own (one mom said it had been TWO YEARS since they had been able to have a date!). Kids of all ages gathered under the tent for our very own Drive-In Movie Night! Check out the pictures for our homemade hot rods.

Next up will be Talent Show night, so everyone is busy getting their acts figured out and costumes planned. Stay tuned, because it's going to be exciting!

Tuesday Rocked!

It's always great to have the first full day together with families at Lighthouse! Family Partners woke up early to get breakfast ready & prepare for the day ahead. As guest parents went to hang out together and share stories, the kids had a fun day at the pool with Family Partners.

Then, one of everyone's favorites, Tuesday was Italian Night! It's kind of tough to capture it well by describing it, so we'll just let the pictures do the talking. Can't wait 'til tomorrow night! More fun ahead...

Monday Was a Whirlwind!

We gotta tell ya — feeling anticipation about meeting families who are coming to Lighthouse & then finally watching them stream in, connecting with their new Family Partner volunteers, is SUCH a rush!

Today was no exception.

During dinner, the last of the families made it in and there was a joyful flurry of Family Partners helping with luggage, kids ever so happy to be out of their cars & playing in the field, parents getting to know other parents under the tent, and lots of Chef Jim's awesome Mexican fiesta cooking.

The weather, despite a forecast of 90% chance of steady storms, blew to the right and left of us — and left Lighthouse Family Retreat gorgeous and clear in the middle!

We're happy that everyone is safely here, connecting with Family Partners & staff who care about them, and know this is going to be a great week!

Helloooooo Week 3!

Another week at Lighthouse is about to begin! We're excited about all of the families who will soon join us and yet another new set of Family Partners!

In fact, the volunteers this week are nearly ALL new! North Point Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia is sending an entire team of rising 8th-grade students, their parents and some enthusiastic leaders to "do life" with our guest families. They'll be here tonight and we know they will be a great addition to our Lighthouse experience!

We've been watching the weather forecast and know that, despite the wet predictions, God has a way of taking what is challenging and bringing something good through it. So it's not dampening our spirits! Hey, we love to play in the rain!

Tomorrow, families arrive & we are soooo eager to get to know them!!

Say it isn't so! 

Yesterday was the big day . . . TALENT SHOW NIGHT! Just when we thought it we were going to have a huge storm the skies cleared so we could have a great night! We started the night out with our famous low country boil then it was show time! We had some amazing acts thanks to many talented kids. To end the night we headed to the beach to send off our prayer lanterns! It may not have gone quite as we planned but it sure was fun trying.

I am sad to say that the week has come to a close. This morning we had to say our "see ya laters" and send everyone on their way. It was a great week with GREAT families!

A late start  . . Week 2!! 

Week two at Lighthouse has been a crazy busy week for us! We had the AMAZING Chris Tomlin and Chris Cauley Benefit concert on Tuesday Night, where families and VIP got to meet and greet Tomlin and Cauley. Wednesday Night we had a fun Movie Night with ice cream sundaes while the parents had a much needed date night. Today has been a much more relaxed day for the women with ladies spa . . . lets just hope they are ready for the fun filled night tonight. If you couldn't guess it already I'll give you a hint ITS ITALIAN NIGHT!! We are so excited to surprise our families with our dance moves tonight! (don't forget the mustaches)