Peaceful Retreat

There is something supremely satisfying about a life that is self-contained, complete unto itself – Henry David Thoreau lived such a life on Walden Pond. I like to imagine living in just such splendid isolation and seclusion in a setting of my own choice – A Peaceful Retreat.

This simple cabin provides everything a person needs to sustain a rewarding life. The stream is pristine; I can drink its pure waters. It teems with fish; my boat lets me pursue the mountain trout when I choose. The woods abound with game. My cozy Adirondack chair invites me to relax and savor the refreshing mountain breeze. I’ve stacked firewood for the campfire that will warm the chilly evening air. Above all, I am surrounded by beauty that feeds my spirit with endless reminders of God’s grace.

Like you, I spend my time in a world more complex than the one I imagined in A Peaceful Retreat. And I would not trade the pleasures of family and the rewards of a demanding and satisfying career for the peaceful pleasures of this happy solitude. But it is good, sometimes, to retreat, at least in our imagination, to a quiet place, where one can refresh and restore the soul. In that spirit, I invite you to share with me the tranquil pleasures of this, A Peaceful Retreat.