Brave (By The Brook 2018)
On June 22&23, moms, grandmothers, and female caregivers of individuals with special needs came from far and near to join together for By The Brook 2018. What an honor it was for us to welcome these amazing women to Cookeville, Tennessee for two days of pampering, refreshment, encouragement, and fun.
By The Brook weekend always begins with a chance to catch up with friends and enjoy manicures, pedicures, haircuts, massage and delicious food in the spa.
On Friday evening we enjoyed sitting down to dinner that we did not have to cook OR clean up, thanks to Grade A Catering. And as always, our hosts Dawn and Lori had us laughing from the very beginning.
Kay Dodd joined us Friday evening and both her comedy and her heart are some of the best we've ever known. She even surprised the ladies on Saturday by coming back and giving out door prizes at lunch. We sure do love you, Kay!
Friday ended with Coffee Talk - a time for moms to enjoy dessert, coffee, and fellowship in small groups.
Saturday was a day full of encouragement to be Brave, from the first notes of the worship set with Jimmy Thorpe and Cheyenne Lewis, to the end of Becky Davidson's keynote session. "Brave women surrender all to God," Becky reminded us.
The afternoon brought breakout sessions led by a stellar lineup of leaders, covering a broad range of topics.This year we enjoyed learning about homeopathy, nutrition, dressing for your body type, hand-lettering, and so much more. In the middle of the awesome breakout sessions we were blessed with a delicious lunch provided by Chick-fil-A Cookeville.
Our afternoon Living Room Session featured Dawn and Lori, as they shared a conversation with Becky about some practical ways that they have learned to "be brave" in their respective journeys as special-needs moms.
We are truly grateful for all those who partnered with us to make this weekend possible - The River Community Church, Grade A Catering, Chick-fil-A Cookeville, Select Designs, Poet's Coffee, First National Bank, First Volunteer Bank, and the countless volunteers who gave of their time to serve and love those attending By The Brook.
To say that Rising Above Ministries looks forward to this weekend each year is such an understatement. It is truly our honor to welcome women who are caring for individuals with special-needs, and we pray that each year they would leave encouraged and better equipped to return and be the best caregiver they can be.
Want to join us in lifting up the special needs community? Make an impact today.
Want to register for By The Brook 2019? It's not too early - you can register now!