Unbridled 2011 was the best yet.  The friendships we made, experiences we shared and fun had will be with me for a lifetime. I spent 3 days with Children’s Pastors from all over the Country who shared my passions, my frustrations and my need for a ‘get away’.

Unbridled 2011

I went into this years retreat loaded down and overwhelmed with the tasks of ministry leadership.  I have VBS looming over me, Kids Camp is getting closer by the day and even our Preteen Mission Trip countdown is getting smaller and smaller.  They will all be here before I know it!  Unbridled was my opportunity to set aside all of those ‘stressers’ and focus on my walk with the Lord.  In our Quiet Times, I immersed myself in the refreshing Word, listened to amazing podcasts and spent time worshiping.  I didn’t use my email or my iPhone.  They sat silent in my truck.  No one needed to know who was serving in the Nursery, or where the extra diapers were.  There was no complaining that a particular class received more snack than another or that Miss Suzie was late to teach the Preschoolers, yet again.  It was 3 days of ministry and fun for ME, not for my ministry, not for my volunteers, for ME.  What a blessing.  The proverbial calm before the storm.  In fact, my leadership team at church has began to joke that without Unbridled each year, they don’t know how I would make it through the summer!

Enjoying the Ride!

This year we were blessed to have women from Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia & Ohio.  We learned about horses, roped and rode together, we laughed, relaxed, poured our hearts out, cried and shared.  Ministry is no easy task and if you feel like you’re at the end of your rope, then Unbridled may be the retreat for you.  This isn’t a place or a time for training.  It is a time to step away, to be refreshed and renewed so that you can be the BEST Pastor and Leader you can possibly be.  Don’t take my word for it.  Our ladies are going to be sharing their testimonials over the next few weeks.  They have come and experienced as I have the awesome power of what the Lord can do in a time away from ministry.

From the Saddle,

Kim & Stomp

Many women have emailed me and asked what to expect if you attend Unbridled.  I thought that I would make a list of my top ten favorites. If you have other questions, feel free to email me.  We have just 3 spots left and we would love for you to fill one of them!

Top 10 Things to Expect at Unbridled:

1. A fun, relaxed atmosphere
2. A time of spiritual renewal
3. A place to let your hair down
4. A time to be with other women who share your passion, your ministry and your calling
5. A place to learn about horses and sit around a camp fire
6. A place to be silly and laugh
7. A few days to just be yourself
8. A time to be a cowgirl and enjoy nature
9. A place to make new friendships
10. A retreat you won’t want to leave!

Horsin’ Around in Ohio,

Kim

If you are a woman, you know exactly what I mean.  At some point in your childhood, you probably shared one of these two dreams with me.

1. Meeting your Prince Charming, falling madly in love, and being his princess.  I like to call this childhood dream ‘Happily Ever After’.
2. Having your very own pony or horse to brush and play with and ride off into the sunset.  I call this one the ‘Cowgirl Dream’.

While I am blessed as an adult to have had both of my little girl dreams come true I can still remember sitting in my bedroom as a kid daydreaming out the window about what the man I would marry would be like, how he would smile when I would enter the room and how the mere gaze of his eyes would make me melt like butter.  I remember wondering what he would look like or smell like.  Wondering what he would like to do, etc.  As an adult, I am blessed with an amazing husband who still does make me melt like butter when he affords me his gaze, but it is the other ‘Little Girl Dream’ that I really wanted to discuss.

See, you might call me crazy but the Cowgirl Dream chased me right into adulthood.  Many girls go through phases and I am sure that my parents hoped I would as well.  Even after graduating from college I would find myself daydreaming of riding the horses I would see in the fields on my way to work.  I had the bug in a big way.

As a Children’s Pastor, I often find myself doing things I never thought I would try…at least not while in a sane state of mind.  I have jumped off cliffs and into lakes; I have wallowed in a giant slime pit and taken a headfirst dive down the slip n’ slide; I have even locked myself in an old firehouse with 200 plus preteens and stayed up all night.  I have done all of these crazy things for the sake of teaching kids about Jesus.  I am sure you have your own insane stories about things you have done for the sake of the kids in your ministries.

My question to you is this: When was the last time you did something just for you? If you read that question and you don’t know, then I would like to share with you an amazing opportunity to take some time out and join us for Unbridled 2011.  It is every little girl’s dream come true.  A real ranch with well trained horses, awesome times with other women who share the same passions and struggles that you do, and a great time of fun and refreshing that will send you home ready to hit the ground running.

You see, my Cowgirl Dream was made a reality in my own life when my Prince Charming saw a need for me, as a woman and a leader, to have something that was just for me.  So I started riding horses like I had dreamt of since I was a little girl.  Riding has brought me peace, laughter, friendship and the realization that there is a reason that I dreamt of riding when I was younger.  Because it is amazing.  If you want more info on Unbridled and how you can be part of this year’s retreat, contact me directly.  I would love to help make your dream come true!

From the Saddle,

Kim

Springtime is upon us in the Midwest!  The snow is melting away to reveal the bright green buds of springtime flowers.  Everything is wet, saturated from the months of melting snow but my heart rejoices because the green grass is poking through and that means we are one step closer to Unbridled.  After experiencing such an amazing time of refreshment last year, I simply cannot wait for this retreat to get here this year!  69 days…that’s right, I am counting!  69 days until I am surrounded by the pristine beauty of the country, amazing horses and women who share like passions with myself.  I am excited!

My hope for you, as you sit at your computer and read this, is that you won’t putt off the nagging feeling that this is something you should attend.  My hope is that you would go straight to the website: www.unbridledretreat.org read more about it and register!  You won’t regret it!  I know I didn’t.  We have some great things planned and I can’t wait for you to be part of them!

See you at the Ranch,

Kim Bobb

Well, the snow is falling in Ohio….again…and quite frankly, I am tired of it. It is cramping my style. I am pretty active with friends, family and horse stuff but this snow has just gotten in my way. In Ohio, we usually get snow and it is amazingly beautiful and I love it. But a few days after the snow comes, it melts and goes away. In the past 2 weeks we have had over 19 inches of snow and it isn’t going away. As I type this, I am looking out the window at more snow falling as the next storm front approaches us.

Due to our wonderful wintertime weather, I have been spending a lot of time riding indoors. Last week I was out at the barn enjoying a great ride on Stomp. I was feeling the wind on my face, the comfort that only comes from sitting in my saddle and feeling all of the stress of my day melt away. It was a great ride. I think I can assuredly say that Stomp was enjoying the ride as much as I was. Every so often he would toss his head as if to say, “Let that snow keep on falling, it won’t keep us from having a great ride!”.

While enjoying our nice ride indoors, something flew past my head and it startled me. I knew right away from its erratic flight pattern that it was a BAT! I really dislike bats…in fact, I would even go as far as to say, I hate bats. Let me take just a small rabbit trail to let you know that I had a less than wonderful encounter with one while in college many years ago that led to me screaming and jumping around and a bat falling out of my pant leg. So needless to say, bats and I have some history. Anyways, I was so distracted by the bat, that I lost focus on all of the things that drew me to the barn in the first place. The quiet, spending time with my buddy, Stomp, and the relaxation I get from a great workout with my horse. This tiny little bat made me feel uncomfortable and with every flap of its wings, an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach grew. So, what did I do?? Call an exterminator, call my husband, chase the bat away?? Nope, I left. I took off my saddle, threw Stomp some hay and hit the road.

While I was driving home from the barn it struck me. How often do we let something so tiny drive us away from doing what we love? Maybe it is the bad attitude of a volunteer in your ministry, or an unsupportive staff mate at your church. Perhaps you struggle in ministry because you are always trying to please others or you just feel burned out. Because of my past experience with bats, it made this small problem seem a lot bigger than it really is. In ministry, the same thing can apply. Often we deal with problems that we have dealt with before and they make our current situation seem much more difficult than it actually is. I have experienced all of those things in ministry and my hope and my prayer for you this week is that you will give those ‘tiny’ things that keep you from doing what you love to the Lord. You and I both know He can handle anything but we have to CHOOSE to give it to him.

So, here’s to hoping for no more bats and less snow!

Riding in the snow….still,

Kim

This week was a busy one!  Planning for the upcoming spring and summer in ministry, preparing for Family Month in our church and choreographing a TON of new music for our ministry.  While I am not typically glued to my iPod, over the past few weeks I found myself with ear buds in and one toe tapping while I mapped out the ‘motions’ to all of these new kids songs.  I was even totally busted while driving one day by the man in the car next to me as I passionately sang and practiced my newly planned motions in the car.  He has to think I was totally insane!  The truth is that while I listened and planned all of these great worship experiences for the kids in my ministry, I found myself worshiping too.

When we are in Kids Church all of the time, we often find ourselves without time to worship and focus on the Lord.  Now don’t get me wrong, we worship in Kids Church; but as a leader, I often find myself eyeing my volunteers to direct their attention to the need of a child, looking at who is at the door or simply distracted.

One of the new songs we added to our ministry library is the song ‘God You Reign’ by Lincoln Brewster.  We used the version found on the CD Shout Praises Kids:  Today is the Day.  That song has spoken to my heart time and time again this week.  The words that move me are:  “You hold my life, you know my heart and you call me by name, I live to say God You Reign!”  What powerful and true words for all of us.  I feel so blessed to serve a God who loves me enough to know my name and love me for exactly who He created me to be:  A Crazy, Jesus-Loving, Kid Friendly, Singing & Dancing, Horse Riding, Ministry Minded Lady!

I hope that these words offer you the same comfort that they have offered me this week…busy or not.  So, what are you waiting for???  Grab your MP3 player and get worshipping!   And remember the God who parted the seas and moved mountains with His words, loves YOU and wants to know you better every single day!

I am counting the days to Unbridled and hoping to see you there!!!

Horsin’ Around in Ohio,

Kim Bobb

I have had the opportunity to be part of Children’s Pastors Conference in Nashville, Tennessee this week.  As I have attended workshops, wandered through the Exhibit Hall, greeted old friends and introduced myself to new friends, I am reminded that I am not alone in this huge undertaking we call Children’s Ministry.  As I type this, I sit in a room surrounded by over a thousand other people who share my passion for teaching kids about Jesus…did you hear that???  It was my sigh of relief.  What a blessing it is to know that I am not alone in this journey.

As I spend the next few months continuing to prepare for Unbridled, I want you to know that I am praying for each of the women who will attend.  I am praying that you will feel the same hope and refreshment that I have received from this event in the past.  The relationships that I have built through the Unbridled Retreat are priceless.  To bond with other women who share my passions is a priceless gift.  So, as I continue to prepare, my hope is that you will join me in prayer.  Ask the Lord if this is an event that you need to be part of.  My hope and my prayer is that you will receive the same hope and encouragement I have from the simple pleasure of spending time with other women of shared passions, like callings and love for the Lord.

Ridin’ with Jesus by my side,

Kim

Well, it is fall in Ohio and I love it.  The leaves are a rainbow of colors, the sky is clear and the air is cool.  It is my favorite time of year to throw a saddle onto Stomp’s back and treck out into the woods for a trail ride.  In the woods all of my burdens melt away.  All of the crazy stress of ministry, all of the phone calls I have to return, all of the mental sticky notes, they’re gone…all I can hear is the rhythmic plodding of Stomp’s feet as he tromps through the fallen leaves.  This is MY time.  My time of peace, of relaxation, and of rejuvenation.

Being a Children’s Pastor is a tough job.   We see kids and families at their best and at their worst.  We deal with curriculum, props, toys and volunteers.  Our days are filled with planning, meetings, creativity and wiping little noses. Being a Children’s Pastor requires you to be flexible both physically and mentally.  You have to be on top of things all the time.  We are usually people who are creative, fun loving, and have a tough time saying no.

This being said, a few years ago I found myself overworked and exhausted.  I was emotionally drained, spiritually empty and physically tired.  Then I started to ride. I started out small.  Once a week I took a riding lesson at 3P Ranch.  Then, as the years went on, I rode more and more.  Soon, I found myself to be the proud owner of a fine steed.

I discovered when I took a little time out for me, I didn’t feel quite so exhausted the next day…I also learned that I could praise God from the saddle for His amazing creation.  Riding at 3P Ranch became my time of quiet worship, my time to pray and my peace in the insanity of ministry.  It became my refuge in times of turmoil. From this need in my own life, Unbridled was born.  Now it is my pleasure to share with you the wonderful peace and quite of a place that has become my refuge, 3P Ranch.  Please pray seriously about joining us for the 2nd Annual Unbridled Retreat as we, women who serve and love kids, pack up and head out to 3P Ranch for a time of renewal and rejuvenation.  I hope to see you there!!

From the saddle,

Kim Bobb