Hope for a Woman's Heart

10/22/2026

💖💖Retreat Reflections & More💖💖
Shared by Debbie Geer~ founder of Hope for a Woman’s Heart

"SOUL ON FIRE" WOMEN'S GETAWAY RETREAT has ended but not the burning within our heart & souls. Each and every woman that shared at this retreat stirred the fire coals within us. Each woman’s fire was different…some embers were barely seen, some fires were blazing hot, some barely flickering, some needed their fires to be stoked..and yes…some were sitting in the ashes. All weekend we heard of how God wants to meet us where we are and how He desires to lift us up and strengthen us. To be aware of when we are exhausted, to give ourselves permission to grieve the loss in our lives on many levels and to recognize the difference between what fires we choose to get close to..the fire of regret and shame from our past or the life giving fire we have awaiting us now. There was a unique freedom of transparency and sensitivity shared at this retreat from the women who were speaking up front to the personal conservations shared from the women attending the retreat during the breakout sessions, or as we ate our meals or gathering by the fireplace or in the the Chapel on Saturday night. I’ve never seen this unfold like this before over the 15 years of hosting Hope for a Woman's Heart events. It was a time of deep soul searching as women were being open with their struggles, pain, griefs, hurts, feeling burned out, feeling exhausted. There was also a closeness and presence from Jesus as He came alongside us desiring to meet us right where we are…not where someone else thinks you should be. This retreat was stripped down from the “things” we tend to deem important in appearance or structure and as a result it allowed the messages from God to be what we focused on and yes what we desperately needed.

❤️Some Retreat Highlights❤️..
Ashley Quartararo shared a unique perspective since she is a firefighter. It was so interesting as she used examples of what must be done to put out a fire and how that pertains to us spiritually. She also led the worship music and did a beautiful job.
Our amazing and beautiful speakers~ Cory Scott Patterson, Melissa Guay shared life changing “Messages of Hope” using FIRE stories in Scripture Plus during the Breakout Sessions Lauren Steward shared being ON FIRE & Melissa Guay shared when we are BURNED OUT. Lauren also shared her personal and very moving testimony.
The Glorious Praise Dancers (video in next post) wowed us all as they danced to 🔥SOUL ON FIRE🔥! Plus we had 2 young women share…Nora Geer, my beautiful 14 year old granddaughter who choreographed and danced to “You Make Everything Beautiful” and Deborah Elizabeth Pierre, 13 years old who wrote and sang a special song on Sunday morning. Amazing!
Of course, women had lots of fun throughout the weekend too…
Friday night we had Worship Karaoke and WOW could the women sing, plus Free time on Saturday afternoon enjoying all the activities from REFIT DANCE led by Donna Ellis, Movies, archery, on site games and activities or just relaxing & enjoying the amazing Fall colors and views of the Lake sitting in a rocker on the porch. We offered shopping opportunities from Debbie LaBombard, one of our favorite vendors and Ova It Chocolates…the chocolates tasted amazing!! Plus a great blend of gift baskets/items that were raffled!

💖FROM MY HEART💖
For those that attended and shared at this retreat, I want to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart! 💖
As we close out 15 years of hosting the Hope for a Woman’s Heart events our mission statement “Real women touching the lives of real women with Hope through the love of Christ” remains true and was once again displayed so beautifully.

I announced at this retreat that I am stepping down as President of Hope for a Woman’s Heart which I have been blessed to have been a part of for 15 years. I will be overseeing this ministry but not in the capacity of being President.
I am happy to announce that Lauren Steward will be the new President. She is a wonderful woman of God…INSIDE AND OUT! Lauren has such a passion for sharing the love of Christ to women and I know she is the woman God had prepared to lead this ministry moving forward. God has prepared her for “Such a Time as This”.
Since God placed this ministry on my heart in 2011, He has been so faithful leading and guiding us as a ministry year after year. It has certainly had its highs and lows, learning curves, mistakes, joys & victories. So many lives have been touched with Hope and that would not have heard about the love of God otherwise. Many women accepted Jesus into their hearts and were touched by the testimonies shared at our events over the years.
It has been a joy and honor to serve for the last 15 years and I am so excited to see what God continues to do in the years to come. To see, under Lauren’s leadership and the wonderful women that will serve on the board, the new & fresh ways and opportunities God will reveal to reach and touch the lives of more and more women in this region and beyond…WITH HOPE! 💖

10/20/2026

🔥 Soul on Fire: A Reflection ❤️

I've been trying to find the words to describe this past weekend at Silver Bay, and I'm realizing that some experiences are difficult to put into words because they touch so many different parts of your heart.

We spent weeks preparing for this retreat. The presentations, the music, the decorations, the schedules, and all those little details that go into making a weekend special. We worked together to make sure everything came together beautifully for the women attending.

What I didn't fully realize was how much I needed this weekend myself.

I came carrying things that have been weighing heavily on my heart, hoping to find some clarity about who God wants me to be and how He wants me to move forward.

Throughout the weekend, we heard messages about burnout, shame, forgiveness, hope, and the importance of caring for ourselves. Some of those messages were things I already knew, things I've even encouraged other women to remember. Yet somewhere along the way, I had forgotten to apply them to my own life.

But some of the most meaningful moments of the weekend weren't on the schedule at all.

They happened in conversations. In unexpected prayers. In the courage to be vulnerable with women we barely knew. In realizing that despite our different backgrounds, experiences, and circumstances, so many of us carry the same insecurities, fears, and struggles.

At one point, someone simply asked me how I was doing, and I found myself opening up about things I had been holding inside. In another conversation, I realized how many women struggle with the same feelings of inadequacy that I sometimes do.

There is something incredibly powerful about being surrounded by women who can set aside appearances, share their struggles, and remind one another that we are not alone.

And then there was Sunday.

After the retreat ended, I spent some time sitting quietly by the fire pit, looking out over Lake George. The mountains, the trees, the water, the sunshine. For once, I wasn't worried about what needed to be done next. I wasn't preparing anything or taking care of anyone. I was simply sitting there, enjoying God's creation and allowing myself to be still.

And I didn't want to leave.

It makes me think of Mark 6:31:

"He said to them, 'Come away into a deserted place, and rest awhile.' For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."
Mark 6:31 (WEB)

Even those who were busy doing God's work needed time to step away and be renewed.

How often do we forget that we need that too?

We spend so much of our lives taking care of everyone else. Our families, our responsibilities, our jobs, our ministries. We push through the exhaustion, put our own needs aside, and tell ourselves we'll rest when everything else is taken care of.

But there will always be something else that needs to be done.

I didn't come home with every question answered or every problem solved. But I did come home reminded that I don't have to have everything figured out. That it's okay to be tired. That forgiveness, healing, and growth take time. And that caring for ourselves isn't something we should feel guilty about.

Maybe being a soul on fire doesn't mean always feeling strong, energized, or full of passion. Maybe sometimes it means admitting we're burned out and allowing God to rekindle what has grown dim.

To every woman who attended, thank you for being part of this weekend. Thank you for the conversations, the laughter, the prayers, the vulnerability, and the love. To everyone who worked so hard to bring this retreat together, thank you for pouring your hearts into something so meaningful.

My prayer is that what we experienced at Silver Bay doesn't stay at Silver Bay. That we carry those lessons into our homes, our relationships, our churches, and our everyday lives.

And I hope each of us remembers that we are worthy of the same love, grace, patience, and care that we so freely give to others. We don't have to wait until we're completely exhausted to give ourselves permission to rest.

When the excitement of the weekend fades and ordinary life takes over again, I hope we remember what God stirred in our hearts.

More than just survive.

Set our souls on fire. ❤️🔥

10/18/2026

This song was inspired by a sermon from Paul Walden at Mission City Church about Acts 3, where a man came asking for just enough to survive, but God had something so much greater in store for him.
It reminded me how often we ask God for just enough to get through another day, when He wants to do so much more in our lives.
That message stayed with me and became Set Our Souls on Fire. My prayer is that we stop asking God just to help us survive and start asking Him to set our souls on fire. ❤️🔥

Verse 1
He came asking for a little,
Just enough to make it through.
Forty years beside the doorway,
That was all he knew to do.
But You saw beyond the moment,
You saw what his life could be.
He came asking for tomorrow—
You called him to his feet.

Chorus
We come asking for the daily,
For the strength to make it through.
But You are still the God of wonder;
Do what only You can do.
Give us more than mere survival,
Fill our hearts with holy desire.
Call us up into the life You give—
Set our souls on fire.

Verse 2
We come asking for the rent paid,
For the food and for the light,
For the courage for the morning,
For the peace to sleep at night.
And You care about each burden,
Every ordinary need.
But You also see the fire
You are longing to release.

Chorus
We come asking for the daily,
For the strength to make it through.
But You are still the God of wonder;
Do what only You can do.
Give us more than mere survival,
Fill our hearts with holy desire.
Call us up into the life You give—
Set our souls on fire.

Bridge
Call us to rise.
Call us to move.
Open our eyes
To something new.

Call us to rise.
Call us to move.
Take our ordinary lives
And make them burn for You.

Final Chorus
We come asking for the daily,
For the strength to make it through.
But You are still the God of wonder;
Do what only You can do.
Give us more than mere survival,
Fill our hearts with holy desire.
Call us up into the life You give—
Set our souls on fire.

Outro
More than just survive—
Set our souls on fire.

10/18/2026

10/16/2026

🔥Let the "SOUL ON FIRE" WOMEN'S GETAWAY RETREAT BEGIN!!!! 🔥
Below is the weekend itinerary!
Be sure to dress warm!
Come expecting God to warm your heart with His love!

10/07/2026

🗣️🗣️THIS IS IT!🗣️🗣️
🎉LAST DAY-15% off Retreat ticket🎉

✨Don’t miss out on attending one of the most moving, inspirational, uplifting retreats ever!
👉LAST DAY to get your tickets for the Hope for a Woman's Heart "SOUL ON FIRE" WOMEN'S GETAWAY RETREAT at Silver Bay Retreat & Conference Center on beautiful Lake George, Oct. 16-18th!
The amazing women featured in the retreat Cory Scott Patterson, Melissa Guay, Lauren Steward & Ashley Quartararo ..(Quartararo Michael), Glorious Praise Dancers- Donna Ellis, Nanette Gwendolena Levons, Beth Sweeney, Debbie Geer, Josephine Pierre, Julie and Martha, Nora Geer & Deborah Elizabeth Pierre will share through song, dance & words of hope!
💖You will laugh…cry…your will be deeply soul moved by everything shared plus have time to relax, spend time with old and new girlfriends and enjoy the fall beauty all around you.🍁🍂🍁

🎟️Retreat Tickets & Reservations:
https://www.h4awh.com/soulonfireinfo

10/06/2026

🎉FINAL OFFER- 15% off tickets!🎉

Don’t miss out on attending one of the most moving, inspirational, uplifting retreats ever!
Be sure you get your tickets TODAY for the Hope for a Woman's Heart "SOUL ON FIRE" WOMEN'S GETAWAY RETREAT at Silver Bay Retreat & Conference Center on beautiful Lake George, Oct. 16-18th!
The amazing women featured in the retreat (Cory Scott Patterson, Melissa Guay, Lauren Steward & Ashley Quartararo ..Quartararo Michael, Glorious Praise Dancers- Donna Ellis, Nanette Gwendolena Levons, Beth Sweeney, Josephine Pierre, Julie and Martha, Nora Geer & Deborah Elizabeth Pierre) will share through song, dance & words of hope!
You will laugh…cry…have your deeply soul touched plus have time to relax, spend time with old and new girlfriends and enjoy the fall beauty all around you.

Retreat Tickets & Reservations:
https://www.h4awh.com/soulonfireinfo