Part II. Callaway Gardens
Part II. Callaway Gardens
We arrived at Callaway Gardens Friday afternoon. After signing up and checking in, we dropped everyone off at their hotel buildings. We found that ours was located at the top of a steep hill. Here is one of the many stairs we had to climb up and down several times a day. It made for good exercise between lectures!
That evening we ate a hearty indoor picnic lunch. (Outdoor activities for that weekend were cancelled due to a constant chilly drizzle. No one minded though, because everything was so lovely!) Afterwards we enjoyed a Neopolitan ice cream social (with pecan sandies—very Georgia). While we enjoyed our meal we enjoyed meeting and conversing with the other fathers and daughters at our table. Throughout the retreat we marveled at the diversity of people united in their love for God and their dedication to family. It was so very refreshing.
After dessert, Mr. Doug Phillips (the founder and president of Vision Forum) and Mr. Scott Brown began the opening session and introduced the various speakers who would be teaching that weekend.
Mr. Phillips spoke on “What the Bible Says About Fathers and Daughters.” He outlined the biblical responsibilities a father has towards his daughter, and that of a daughter to her father.
Mr. Voddie Baucham, whose work Papa has come to deeply respect, spoke next. His subject was “How a Father is Leaving a Legacy Whether He Knows It or Not.” It was encouraging to hear of how Mr. Baucham and his family have risen above their “family legacy,” and convicting to see what kind of legacy they are leaving today for future generations.
Papa listened intently and took lots of notes!
We went to bed very late that night, but I found it difficult to sleep because I was so excited to be there!
The next morning we awoke, dressed in our teatime finery, and went down to the hotel restaurant for a leisurely breakfast. We checked the time upstairs in our hotel room and determined that we had a lot of time. What we did not realize, however, was that Papa’s cellphone had been picking up a different time zone, and it was an hour later than we supposed! We eventually became aware that none of the other conference attendees were in sight, and hurried to the conference room to find Mr. Botkin ten minutes into his speech. So much for leisure!
It was difficult to find seats, so we stood in the back for a while with several other families. What a lot of people there were!
Some of the kind staff members saw us standing and combed the tables for extra seats. Soon we were guided to... a specially reserved table near the very front, within touching distance almost of the Botkin and Phillips families. Of course, we took a photograph of the placard that hailed us as special guests.
Mr. Brown spoke to fathers on “Nourishing a Daughter’s Vision of the Home.” It is a representative of God, a foundation of culture and society, a conduit of the gospel, a fountain of life, a refuge for those in need, an economy for provision, a school, and a place of reward. This may seem like an ambitious list until one considers that the family is the basic building block of life!
Next, Mr. Baucham discussed “The Ministry of Marriage: Why Putting Off Marriage to Do Ministry is Unwise and Unnecessary.” Mr. Phillips then spoke on “How a Father Inspires His Daughter; How a Daughter Honors Her Father.” All of the lectures were excellent and instructive.
The last of that morning’s session was a panel discussion with the speakers and their daughters. All of the questions—everything from the question of interracial marriage to personal struggles to “What is it like to be the daughter of your father?”—was answered Biblically and articulately by the participants.
After the panel discussion, the audience was dismissed to tea. We sat at table 12 and enjoyed the good company of the Turley and Whiddon families. We nibbled fresh fruit and lovely scones, delicate tea sandwiches and tasty truffles. We sipped Darjeeling tea and conversed about lambing ewes and fainting cows and budding churches. We each were allowed to take our tea cups home, and a sticker beneath my cup made the lovely tussie-mussie which decorated our table mine.
It was raining outside and bitterly cold. (What can I say: we aren’t used to the 40’s!) It was thundering fiercely and the sirens on the golf course wailed. It even hailed for a brief while! We decided to visit the butterfly conservatory which is indoors.
The conservatory was a beautiful, multistoried affair with lush growth everywhere and an amazing variety of butterflies. The whole air was alive with bejeweled wings.
This Malaysian Lacewing was my favorite of the many butterfly which fluttered ‘round. Notice the lovely edging.
Below, a Paper Kite butterfly sips from a porterweed. It was funny to see how many of the plants in the conservatory (and later, the horticultural grounds) grow in the outdoors where we live. We saw chenille plants, powder puff trees, bromeliads, banana, papaya, and paper flowers. We joked that we had come hundreds of miles to see the same things we have at home.
A congregation of these stunning Owl butterflies feasted on the stands of rotting banana and grapefruit.
We were impressed by the emerald hues of this Green Malachite.
After exploring the conservatory and taking numerous photographs, we decided to visit the Sibley Horticultural Center which is also indoors. There, a most interesting adventure befell us.
As we came into the lobby we encountered a bridegroom and bride. Imagine our surprise when we realized that Mr. J and D recognized him! After greetings and introductions, the bridegroom invited us to his wedding which was to soon take place at the historic chapel nearby. We accepted and, as we walked through the horticultural center, we felt a bit stunned at this turn of events. We gave glory to God for orchestrating everything so finely!
This lovely viola was sparkling with dew.
After exploring the horticultural center we drove to the chapel. As we climbed out of the van, smoothing our clothes and brushing back our hair, we could hear the organ playing some of the best old hymns of the faith. The bridegroom received us with all graciousness and we were soon seating inside the tiny but beautiful chapel with its stone walls and stunning stain glass. It was a beautiful ceremony, not only in the sense of the location, but in the sense of God’s blessing on the couple. Unfortunately, I have no more photographs ‘till Sunday because my camera’s batteries had died!
After the ceremony, we headed back to the conference center and had time to fortify ourselves with a large and tasty dinner before hurrying over to hear Elizabeth and Anna Sophia Botkin share “What My Father Taught Me About Boys” and the importance of treating young men as brothers with all purity.
Their father Mr. Geoff Botkin came next with an incisive look at “How Hollywood is Stealing the Minds and Hearts of Our Daughters and What to Do About It.” I am sure that many of us were personally convicted about the kinds of movies we watch in our own homes.
After the lectures we enjoyed an immensely entertaining hour of special Father and Daughter unity games. Fathers serenaded their daughters, and daughters helped their fathers “get ready for work” by shaving him, putting on his tie, and lacing his shoes. The entire audience was roaring throughout. I made noises I should normally have been embarrassed to make in public! My belly ached with laughter, and that night I again had trouble falling asleep because of the excitement.
The next morning was bittersweet as it was the last day of the conference. After breakfast we joined everyone to hear Mr. Baucham outline “The Four P’s: Looking for a Man Who Understands a Husband’s Role.” Many of us young ladies wish we had a Biblical outline for godly young men just as they have for us in Proverbs 31 or Titus 2. Mr. Baucham, however, made an excellent argument for Titus 1 as such a criteria for a husband. That was food for thought!
We checked out of the hotel and packed our things into the van. All of us decided to visit the “Overlook Garden” and take pictures before heading home. It was very, very, very cold!—but breathtakingly beautiful. The azaleas were so vibrantly colored!
All too soon, it was time to leave. Our plans were to drive home in one straight trip of 12 hours! Along the way we enjoyed many rich (and eclectic!) conversations—how the fathers met their wives, Kosher food, the Sabbath, church, books, large families, the entertainment culture, and even funerals (and other things I won’t mention here!). We stopped for boiled peanuts once, stopped later for dinner, admired the brilliance of the starry skies, enjoyed listening to Hannah sing a song of her own writing. Later, our conversation was frequently checkered by dozing. Papa was everyone’s hero when he succeeded in bringing our van-load of sleepy (and sleeping) people home sometime after midnight.
Although the retreat was a week ago already, the excitement and conviction we found in learning more about God’s will in our lives has endured. Our families are already trying to figure out how we can squeeze more Vision Forum events into our schedules. I would encourage you to visit this organizations website at: http://www.visionforum.com.
I hope you enjoyed this account of our trip. Thank you for being patient as I was hard-pressed for the time and concentration needed to collect my thoughts and photographs. Please feel welcome to leave comments or ask any questions. I always appreciate feedback from my readers!
COMMENT ON THIS POST BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO THE HANDMAIDEN.
DESIREE said...
That looks like SOOO much fun!! I wish I could have gone. But hopefully next year!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 04:44 PM
ELISSA said...
*SIGH* How LOVELY!!! I have been wanting to go to the Father Daughter Retreat for a very long time, but we never have yet. I am hoping we will still get to. Perhaps next year!
Thank you for taking the time to chronicle your trip. I enjoyed reading about it, and looking at all the lovely pictures, very much!! —Elissa
Thursday, April 9, 2009 06:16 PM
KAYLA said...
It looks like you had a lovely time! Thanks for sharing the photos and stories. The photos of the butterflies and flowers are beautiful!
Thursday, April 9, 2009 06:31 PM
Tuesday, April 7, 2009