Restored: Girls' Retreat

As the girls and I sat in the living room and sang, "Oh How He Loves Us," I felt overwhelming joy to see this vision become a reality: All these girls, 6th-12th grade, gathered together in one room worshiping our Creator and learning alongside each other the truth of our identity in Christ.


Arise and Go

"Restored," the much-prayed-about theme of the Crossfire Girls' Retreat kicked off with our visionary and leader, Esther Brunat, speaking on Micah 2:10: "Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction." Esther highlighted God's commandment to "Arise and go." She explained how there is a physical, mental, emotional or spiritual place in all of us where we don't want to be, that is unclean or leads to destruction. She shared that our thought-life, especially as women, is where our battles are fought and won. We have maybe a 5-second window for when thoughts enter our mind. We can either let the unhelpful/destructive thought (ie: of comparison, or lust or jealousy) capture us and lead us away into sin, or we can take that thought captive to Christ and ask Him to fill us with His truth.

Esther continued to reveal truth to us through God's Word:
In Haggai, God promised that the "latter will be greater than the former,":

"The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." Haggai 2:9

We are not meant to rest or make our home in these "former" places, but God wants to deliver us. God promises to replace fear with love, anxiety with peace, and insecurity with assurance.

After this talk, each girl had a thirty-minute "God-time," where she found somewhere on the premises to spend time talking one-on-one with Jesus honestly about this topic. For each girl, this served as a special and powerful time, as the Lord revealed important, life-changing truths and next steps toward that transformation God desired.


R & R

Interspersed between these more serious sessions of spiritual self-examination and growth were times of relaxing in the pool, jumping on the trampoline, playing soccer/basketball, or taking a stroll on the beach. We were incredibly grateful for the generosity of the family in the church who

lent us the beach house and acted as our hosts for the weekend. I couldn't imagine a more ideal setting to contemplate God's restoration and beauty.

Best Yes
In the afternoons, we split up into "Break-Out Sessions," where different leaders had the chance to speak from their heart and life experience to smaller groups of girls. The topics covered everything from: "The Father's Heart," to "Courage," "Comparison," and "Self-Worth."


I had it on my heart to share about a book I read recently, called The Best Yes, by Lisa Terkeurst. The book is about how to make Godly decisions and make time to slow down to listen to Him to find the best decisions for our lives. The ironic thing about my talk though was I almost completely missed my session! Due to a mix up in the schedule, I started my session late, and all the girls had already gone to other break-out sessions. I was so discouraged! Here, I wanted to share about these important, life-changing truths, and there was no one to share it with.

Fortunately,  a small group of leaders (my friends) hung around and came to my shortened session. I was appreciative to them for coming, and we actually had a good discussion around the topic of making big life decisions. One student arrived about half-way through, as she had walked up from the beach in the rain, and had almost missed the session as well.

I shared what God had taught me through the author's words and prayed that somehow God would use this. In my heart of hearts, I prayed that maybe I'd get another opportunity to share with the rest of the girls.

Afterwards we shared a community-style lunch and, later, split into small groups that were just assigned for this retreat weekend. I was relieved to learn that the girls in my group were all native English speakers, because this meant I could be more open with them. They could share from their heart in their heart language, and I would understand it fully. (Normally, my Crossfire freshman/sophomore girls small group is a combination of English and Spanish speakers, and my co-leader and I are constantly translating back and forth. It works, and I end up learning a lot from these girls.)

As I looked around at the girls in my small group (for just this weekend), I was excited to learn that these four girls were 8th-12th grade girls that I had had multiple chances beforehand to pour into, and ones that I thought specifically about when I was preparing to share the lessons in the Best Yes book. Now we got the opportunity to talk and be real with each other about decisions we were wrestling with, and I was impressed how the junior/senior girls shared about their experiences with decision making, in relation to college and summer jobs. Though I didn't deserve it, God had redeemed this time and given me another outlet in which to share!

Lies About God

That same night, after dinner, we all reunited downstairs for Lisa's talk. Lisa is a woman of God that I highly admire; she is incredibly sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit and allows God to speak truths from His Word through her. Needless to say, I was already hyped up about all that God was doing that weekend, and sat on the edge of my seat, ready to take in whatever truths would be spoken that night.

As the sun set, and it got increasingly darker in the room, I heard whispers about how the generator was broken, and Lisa addressed these concerns by giving them to God and declaring His power over our circumstances. But the lights stayed off.

Despite having to hold her iPhone in one hand as a flashlight to read her notes, Lisa spoke boldly and had her mind set on the task at hand. The main point of her talk was the challenge to reflect upon what lies we were currently believing about God and ask God to get rid of these lies and fill our hearts with His Truth.

The Bucket
 
As the mom of four, she compared these lies to old, broken toys that she made her kids put in the "throw-away" bucket. She said we needed to put these lies in the bucket and throw them away, so that God could "renew our minds." (Romans 12:2), and transform us, often by fire (Job 28:5). We need only to recognize the Truth of who God is and what Jesus is offering us (everything). When we begin to know and declare these Truths, our relationship with God is restored, and we can enter into close communion with Him.

God is not like the over-tired parent who gets weary of hearing about or helping us with "petty" problems. The Truth is that it brings God great pleasure to work in us. Philippians 2:13 says: "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." 

The Lullaby

In fact in Zephaniah 3:17, it says:

"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

Personally, when I read this verse, I like to think of God whistling happily as He chisels away at our lives, making us more and more into the image of Christ. Or maybe He's humming a comforting melody as He reaches down to pull us up out of the same hole we've fallen into time and time again. He gently instructs us about the better path and guides us to step boldly in the way He has prepared.

Lisa compared it to a father singing sweet lullabies over his baby, swelling with pride and bursting with love at the thought of this little one made in their image. The baby is soothed by the Father's singing. "You're beautiful. You're precious. You're mine."

The Light

Lisa closed her talk and gave an invitation for girls to come up and pray with different leaders around the room. During the invitation she said, "And you don't have to feel ashamed about coming up for prayer, because the lights are still out."

She was about to say something else, when there was a loud clicking noise, and the generator kicked in and light flooded the room.

Blinking in astonishment, I smiled and almost starting laughing in surprise at what the Lord had done. A mini-miracle! The lights were back!

My friend, Erica, elbowed me with a chuckle saying, "God has such a good sense of humor!"

I couldn't agree more. In the moment we were trying to hide, He turned on the lights: there would be no shame anymore. Jesus is the light. Darkness does not understand the light and cannot overcome it! This Light permeates every dusty crevice of our hearts, the parts we want to hide or cover up with lies, illuminating the truth and allowing us to clearly see the path ahead.

Afterwards

This tangible sign of God's intervention and answer to prayer really shifted the girls' perspective and remained the topic of discussion all that night and later on into the week. What was it again about lies we believed about God?: Is He Enough? Is He all Loving? Is He caring enough to be there in the details, the specifics, the mundane areas of our life, like the lights not working? Is He all powerful? Can we trust Him?

Continue to pray that these girls' lives would be restored, filled with the truth of knowing Christ as their personal Savior and what difference this makes in their lives. Pray that they would continually be seeking out the heart of Jesus and take time to spend time with Him daily and listen to Him and His reassuring song of love over them.

Verses for the Road

 

Rest at Rock River

Thursday, April 9th, 2015

 Today was full and glorious! I had an unforgettable time with friends exploring God’s creation, and then capped this with a hilarious community dinner/game time in the evening.

The Deal of a Lifetime

I subscribe to a local website that offers incredible deals on businesses and services in Panama. Just a few weeks ago, we scored a canopy and river tubing tour in Colon for under half the original price! We were pumped and waited for the opportunity to use this oferta. When we learned that schools all throughout Panama City would be closed on Thursday and Friday because of the Summit of the Americas, we knew we had found the perfect date to go on this adventure!

Providentially, we left Panama around 9:45a and arrived at the Panama Adventures tour headquarters in just a little under an hour and a half. That's pretty incredible timing when you think of crossing the isthmus from Pacific to Atlantic/Caribbean oceans. Along the drive, it was pouring rain, which is completely uncharacteristic of the sunny dry season we’ve been having. I prayed the rain would stop as I weaved my way through the road blocks along the highway. The road blocks were all red and white striped, and I joked that we were passing through the candy cane forest (“Elf” connection anyone?). Taking the Sabanitas exit, we turned right at the Rey on the main road and took another right, headed along the same road to Portobelo. With the rain and some confusing website directions, we got a little turned around, but eventually saw the landmark beach "Maria Chiquita," and, a little while further on our right,  the sign for "Panama Adventures."

Jungle Chicken

The “road” turn-off to reach Panama Adventures was not really a road at all, but rather a very rocky path full of potholes and puddles. We slowly bumped along, and I hummed the “Indiana Jones” theme song. If only I had four-wheel drive. We passed occasional houses with horses walking freely about, and people sitting on the front porch watching as these strangers drove by. Brennan pointed out the “jungle chicken,” and, knowing his scientific knowledge of birds, I slowed the car further to look around for this special chicken. The others in the car started laughing, and I realized I was looking at a regular chicken, just one that happened to roam the jungle! Hilarious!

A taxi going the opposite direction pointed us toward the correct fork in the “road,” and after a series of hill-climbing and pothole-dodging feats, we pulled into a flat, grassy area with a bohio and one man sitting with a stack of forms. I breathed a prayer of thanks—we had made it safely without popping a tire and, not only that, but the clouds had parted and the sun shone right through. Also, because of the “candy cane forest” detour and getting gas along the way, we had been running late, so we had felt the pressure to get there quickly. However, when we arrived, we were told to wait for 45 minutes for the next tour. Whew! We wouldn’t miss the tour at all.

The Tour Begins

Fortunately this 45 minutes actually turned into 10 minutes as the guide walked us around the premise, showing us the hiking trail, the river where we’d use the inner tubes, and where the surprisingly nice bathrooms were. We “signed our lives away” on the liability forms, and then headed up the super steep road to the zipline area.

Because Becca and Renee aren’t proficient in Spanish yet, Brennan translated the life-saving instructions of the guide, as he showed us how to sit properly in the zipline harness and, most importantly, how to brake. For me, this was my third time ziplining, and, after overcoming the initial fear of the unfamiliar, I've loved the pseudo-flying experience every time. For Brennan, Becca, and Renee, it was their first time! But we were all giddy with adrenaline and ready to go.

We waited anxiously at the bottom of the platform steps watching as, one by one, each person launched out onto the course. Everyone went until it was just Renee and me waiting for our turn.

Then, out of nowhere, a swarm of large blue hornets surrounded Renee and me. I swatted them off, and the hornets came back with a vengeance. We ran away from this area, but some had gotten trapped in Renee’s helmet, and they stung her on her cheek and shoulder. We were pretty shaken.

Renee was up next to go on the zipline. The guide made sure she was okay and not allergic after this completely unexpected, painful incident, but this definitely affected our perspective of the first few zipline runs, and I can't even imagine what thoughts were going on in Renee's mind as she held her throbbing cheek in one hand and gripped the zipline cord in the other. Standing a little distance away (far from the hornets), I prayed for healing and peace. 

On Top of the World

On about the 4^th or 5^th run across, we started to laugh and enjoy the canopy experience again, trying to block out the freaky hornet attack from earlier. We stood reunited on a platform lodged into a giant tree overlooking the forest around us. Yellow-orange flowers dotted the tops of the branches, and we could see the peaks of some of the nearby mountains. Having the assurance of my caribiner and trusting the guides completely, I had no fear. Yet, I could still sense some anxiety in the group brewing just below the surface. The group was on a high alert and, a few of us, were extra jumpy around the large bugs climbing the very tree trunks we were hooked onto for safety. Rest would not come so easily.

In contrast, the guides had done the zipline course hundreds of times, so when they went across, they seemed completely carefree, pulling all sorts of daring stunts, like going upside down and spinning at the same time. Becca was courageous enough to try going upside down, while I learned how to let go of the rope awhile and see the jungle from a different angle. The experienced guides captured some amazing photos and video of our expressions while sliding across the canopy cables.

River Tubing 

After this adventure, a family who ziplined with us offered Renee some afterbite cream, and we all had some time to rest and let our stomachs settle. Then, two of our guides (Jose and Olmedo) told us to grab an inner tube and head down to the river. Rio Piedra (Rock River) has a very calm current with small sections of rapids and sandy banks that are easily accessible. We floated along, lettting the current carry us, admiring the unique trees of the jungle all around. Our guide, Jose, even pointed out a gorgeous red flower that only blooms during the month of April (el flor de crucero).

The water was still and quiet, and, lying back in my inner tube, I contemplated the part of Psalm 23 where this promise is found: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul." (vs. 2-3a). 

In fact the only time we had to strain at all, was when going over the tiny rapids. We had to remember to prop our bodies higher in the tube, because it was dry season, and these were very shallow parts with lots of rocks. After one of these more turbulent sections, we floated into a much deeper part of the river. I closed my eyes a minute, taking in the serenity of the moment. I again prayed "peace" over the day and tried to let go of my own agenda and fully trust Him.

Rope Swing

My thoughts were interrupted by an exciting observation. “Look!” Renee tapped my inner tube, and motioned to a nearby hill where there was a long rope hanging from the trees with a wooden handle bar. All of us looked at each other with wide eyes of anticipation. The guide calmly explained that we would beach our tubes here, and people who wanted to, could climb up the side and use the rope to swing into the river. Everybody ended up doing it, even the two elementary kids who were also on our tour. Thankful for encouraging friends and the adrenaline still coursing through my veins from the zipline adventure, I followed them up the hill, excited for this new experience.

Brennan went before me and easily swung out over the river and dropped down naturally into its depths. My turn was next. The view was different from up here, and reality hit me. I was about to do this. I whispered a prayer as I saw the rope hurtle back towards me. "I need Your peace, Jesus." In the midst of turmoil, in the midst of our weakness, Jesus makes Himself the most apparent. He holds us in His strong arms.

“Okay guys, I need a 1-2-3, if I’m going to do this.”

I grabbed a hold of the wooden handle, leaned back, and on “3,” tucked my legs up and swung. I cleared the rocks and now the river was far below me. “Let go! Let go!” the group yelled from the side. The pendulum swing had reached its furthest extent.

I pried my fingers lose and began to fall. I closed my eyes, screamed, then remembered to close my mouth so I wouldn’t swallow water. Splash! The impact was smoother than expected, and using the buoyancy of my Keens I pushed myself to the surface, whooping and cheering and laughing all at the same time. What thrilling fun that was; how abundantly joyful I felt, bursting to the surface with a newfound glow in my cheeks. 

The peace I felt in that moment overwhelmed me. I floated on my back and looked back at the rope swing. This "swinging into action," this exertion of energy to triumph over a fear and take the leap was somewhat exhausting, yet energizing at the same time. My body felt recharged, capable of much more than I had thought it was moments ago. I felt stronger, not because of my ability to jump, but, because I knew that it was only through Jesus' power and strength helping me conquer my fears that allowed me to take the step off the ledge and later let go of the rope. 

The Return

I ended up doing the rope swing three times, along with the others, and then we spent time relaxing and swimming around the river, talking with the guides about nearby sites and what life was like if you made your home on its banks. 

Eventually, the conversation found it's natural lull, and we all came to sit on the water’s edge. “Es tiempo de regresar,” Jose said, picking up his inner tube and wanting us to follow his lead. I had the feeling that I never wanted to leave that calm, clear river pool; for there, I had felt overwhelming delight and profound peace. Shouldering our inner tubes, we reluctantly trudged back to the main bohio area. This time, we took a shorter route, through the jungle. With quiet, gentle steps, we took in the sights, avoided crushing the leaf cutter ants on their determined trail, and contemplated all we had done in the past three hours.

After thanking our guides, I had a minute to sit and process in the car before we continued our drive out to Portobelo to see the ruins of old Spanish forts. God had given me some edge-of-your-seat thrilling experiences this week, followed by times of deep relaxation and appreciation of His creation. After working hard, whether through physical or mental exertion, these times of rest seemed much sweeter, much deeper. 

R & R

To relax implies trust that God will do what He says He’ll do, that He is in control and is the Master Provider. Relax literally means “to become less firm;” and, in the same way, God is shaping our lives as we give more control over to Him and rest in His promises. In return, He fills us with his peace and gives us a larger picture of His sovereignty. We can come to Him and surrender our worries, recuperate, and find renewal in the assurance of our true purpose and identity.

After arriving home safely to Clayton, I couldn't get the picture of ultimate rest out of my mind. I began to look up Scripture and came across a Biblical commentary website that mentioned an old hymn. The hymn not only speaks perfectly about rest, but also uses the metaphor of a river!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnIcKms_IUY “Like a River Glorious”

Read the story behind the hymn here.

Some Scripture for your journey:

Matthew 11:28-30

28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 

3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 91:1

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

La India Dormida

Spending a day hiking and exploring the trails of El Valle, a small mountain town located about 2 hrs from Panama City, seemed like the perfect plan; we just didn't think our hike would come so soon!


When we arrived to the trail head, we were greeted by a petite woman who said she would take us to the top of La India Dormida (the Sleeping Indian Princess). We were planning to hike to the peak the next day, but thought it would be great to see the Petroglyphs and lower waterfall pool from a local's perspective. 




It was just as gorgeous as I remembered El Valle being last visit. Water spilled over the rocks and formed a pool that brave souls jumped into from the cliff's edge. I held my breath and cautiously followed Becca, Renee, and Brennan as they easily climbed over the rock ledge of the waterfall. We picked our way over the slippery rocks of the waterfall until we couldn't climb anymore, then climbed back down to find our guide had disappeared. Nevertheless, Brennan and Becca continued on, and Renee and I followed their lead.



Together, we stumbled upon a larger waterfall that went all the way up the mountain. We were told later that the waterfalls were like the flowing hair of the Sleeping Indian Princess. Above us were two more waterfalls with little pools that people were swimming in. At one point, Brennan and Becca decided to scale the steep rocks on the waterfall's face. I was impressed to see the skill of these fearless rock climbers, but for myself, chose the safer-looking path that seemed to run parallel to the waterfall.

 








Risk and Reunion

A little ways up the path, Renee looked down to where Brennan and Becca had climbed. Renee, with great foresight, predicted that the waterfall route and the path did not, in fact, follow each other. Fortunately, she realized this early, and, brave soul that she is, scrambled down the side of the mountain to deliver the news. Five minutes later, we were all reunited once again on the correct path.

Meanwhile, biding time waiting for my friends, I began to talk to passerbys; I kept seeing more and more people coming up this path. While talking to someone on their rest break, I learned that this path was in fact the route up to "La India Dormida." The exact destination we wanted to go (tomorrow)!

The Dilemma

After my friends and I were reunited, we deliberated whether or not to summit the peak today or wait until tomorrow like originally planned. I figured we were already halfway, and knew that it was better for me to hike now, while I was still full of adrenaline to push through and complete the trek. We all got excited at the thought of climbing the mountain a day early; the only argument against this was the rumbling in our stomachs. Would we make it okay for one more hour without lunch? Right as we were weighing our options, Brennan reached into his pocket and discovered that he had stashed a bag of peanuts and some jolly ranchers in his jacket! We were saved, and our decision to climb onward and upward was unanimous.

The Climb

We traversed a series of rocky steps, clinging to the side of the mountain as we pulled ourselves still higher. At one point, we were about to take a wrong turn, when a man with a crate on his back providentially pointed us in the right direction--a switchback, up the trail to the left. Only when doing the about-face did we notice the tiny purple arrow spray painted onto a rock at the trailhead.

We followed the switchback as it snaked around the mountain and up. I recognized La Piedra de Sapo, and mentally checked off that this was the farthest I had ever climbed on the trail. Continuing on, we surveyed multiple people about how much longer it was to the top. We received such a variety of answers, from 20 minutes to one hour. But we were already resolved to keep going to the peak of La India, so their answers did not deter us. And just twenty minutes later, we reached a steep gravel section of the trail which seemed to lead to the very top of the mountain. I was excited, thinking, "This is incredible. We're almost there!" Gripping onto secure rocks and roots protruding from the path's edge, I clawed my way to the top.

"Is this the top?" I wondered aloud, as I stepped over a large tree root to join my experienced hiker friends.

Brennan calculated the time, and shook his head "no." 

Yet, we were all grinning like crazy. We had our first glimpse of the view of El Valle from above, and it was stunning.
 
Fork in the Road and Enchanted Forest

From here, the path curved in two different directions. We noticed some faded turquoise arrows pointing to the left and felt reassured we were going the correct way when we met up with fellow hikers along the path.

This next part of the trail led downward, instead of upward, as we had hoped. The path led us right through the middle of a thick forest. We all paused, listening to the trees, as we swore we walked straight into an Enchanted Forest. The trees looked unreal with their roots twisted into elaborate patterns, and the branches of the trees extended as if to grab parts of the sky. "This hike is totally worth it." Becca commented after taking in this view.


 













Leaving the "Forbidden Forest," we began our ascent up the mountain's crest. My heart started to beat faster as I saw the path narrow ahead. I gritted my teeth and resumed my self chant that helped get me through the intense Huayna Picchu hike last summer. "It's okay. Do not fear." My friend, Renee, heard me and offered some words of encouragement. She also agreed to walk in front of or behind me, depending on what I needed. (True friendship.)

Brennan shouted down to me that where Becca and he were standing was stable. If only my knees would stop shaking! I exhaled as I sat on the ledge of rocks, and rubbing my sore legs, I looked up.

"Wow." I gasped. Majestic mountain hills surrounded me, and I could see a solitary man hiking two mountains away. Becca, Brennan, and Renee continued on, taking the high road, a path that curved upwards over a steep hill and down. 
They pointed out that there was a lower, much easier path that would connect up again just moments later. Never have I felt so relieved.

The Final Push

I met up with my friends on the next dip and looked up at the highest peak up ahead. I didn't want to climb it; too much unexpected, too much mental strain. I sat down on the rocks and tried to gather up my courage. Breathe. Just breathe.


   


And then I heard them. My friends were a little ways ahead of me, and they were shouting and pointing at something in the valley below. Lost in my own thoughts, I switched back into alert "hiking mode," and followed their gaze. In the valley below was something spectacular, something that was the the "cherry on top,", the "crowning jewel," the redeeming part of this whole hiking experience. 

A rainbow! I sat there in amazement. God had got me this far, and He would carry me and guide me all the way to the top! In my life, rainbows have served as a special sign of God's promise, just when I've needed the reminders most, and I again felt His gentle whisper echo in my heart: "I love you. I've got you. Do not fear." 



"Okay." I shook my hands out nervously and brushed the dust off my pants. Ducking down, I grabbed ahold of the rocks and slowly used my legs to push myself upward. Even though it was a mere 10 feet or less of this steepest part, the unpredictability, the edge looming near, and the strong wind whipping at my clothes taunted me. "Almost there!" my friends called from the top.

I stumbled and collapsed near them onto a relatively flat surface. We had made it: La India Dormida! I forced myself to breathe and look downwards. The rainbow was brighter now, wider, stretching across the whole valley, and making a perfect arch. My mind spun as I thought of how far I climbed, then I smiled as thought of how Jesus continues to help me conquer my fear of heights.

I wanted to shout and cry with joy at the same time. We sat together in silence a moment, admiring the volcanic crater now filled with lush greenery, forests, and village homes. A light rain pitter-pattered on our backs and cooled our weary bones. We were literally "somewhere over the rainbow." The others were similarly moved by the sight, compelled to burst out in the Doxology song. 

 


I sang with them, contemplating what a mighty God we serve and how much He knows and cares for His people.

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him, above ye Heavenly hosts.

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 

Amen."