“I was looking for clarity and hope”

“I am so blessed by this retreat you offer and by meeting you.  I am renewed and refreshed.  I was looking for clarity and hope but not only found this but answers and faith.  Thank you for being a place of refuge for my soul.  God bless you and all who journey.  May their thirst be quenched as mine is.”

“You enable me to start my year in such a fantastical way”

“Two years two retreats!  I love that you enable me to start my year in such a fantastical way.  Inward and out looking past and into the future with patience, hope and stillness.  I look forward now more than ever to making this my only New Year’s resolution, a belated Christmas gift to myself, if you will.”

Lynee Noseworthy

“A blessed respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life.”

“Thank you for such a blessed respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life.  You have created a place of silence, of kindness, of peace… Upon returning home, I found my attention span increased and my eyes and ears sharpened.  One of the things I noticed in silence is that without speech, one picks up tremendous significance in gestures and actions that might otherwise get drowned out.  I’ve tried to carry some of that awareness with me in the intervening days. ”

Rabbi Dan Fink

“I go 110 miles an hour 24/7″

“Thank you for giving us the gift of silence. I didn’t realize how tired I was.  The sleeping, napping, relaxing was very good and much needed.  As you know I go at 110 miles an hour 24/7.  I have not rested like this in at least 20 years…I cried and had a great purge of sorrow related to my mother’s death.  I spend a great deal of time in silence at home; however, I rarely spend time being still and that was more amazing to me than the silence.  I learned I can be still—never thought I could.”

Elina Dicostanzo

“It’s a gift you need to give to yourself.”

“It’s a gift you need to give to yourself.  It’s the only way for you to be able to slow down, give your body and your spirit what they truly need and gain some clarity in your life.”

Linda Binns

“It was wonderful to focus on myself for a change.”

“I had a great time.  It was wonderful to focus on myself for a change.  It was relaxing to spend time on myself without feeling the need to ‘make conversation’ to explain what I am doing.”

Elisabeth Sonersen

“Silence brings our lives in focus and new paths emerge”

“Everything was easy which made the silence so much richer and helped me to use it well.  Time to focus on self to discover who we are and where we are going; away from “noise” of our lives, silence brings our lives in focus, and new paths emerge; relief from the constant”

Jan Salisbury

“Absolutely unforgettable interval in my life”

“Thank you, Carolyn, for this wonderful experience.  The silent retreat is an absolutely unforgettable interval in my life—and I hope to take what I’ve learned forward into my life journey.”

Justin Schwartz

“An unforgettable experience”

“To rely solely on myself during 24 hours of silence—to let go of the noise in my mind, the worries in my life, was an unforgettable experience.”

 Susan Kelly

“The clutter of our busy lives falls away”

“The opportunity to be in silence and stillness is a gift that your true self is calling for. The experience allows the clutter of our busy lives to fall away and you are left to become reacquainted with the true essence of who you are.  There is a calm and peace that washes over you.”

Kimberly Truitt

“I don’t take time in my busy schedule to positively think of solutions”

“I loved turning everyday thoughts of drama, work, money, the economy into positive thinking.  I don’t take time in my busy schedule to positively think of solutions and changes to make each day special and memorable.  A time of silence is a perfect way to reflect on the past, the future and the things that are important to each of us. The setting is perfect.  What a beautiful place to be!  It’s been wonderful sharing this with a good friend.”

Laurie Kaufman

“One can listen to the ‘still, small voice’ within”

“In silence, one can heal.  One can listen to the “still small voice” within. Only in silence can we truly hear God.  Without “earthly” distraction we can with courage face “truth” about anything and begin the process of renewal.”

Rev Jackie Holland

“A wonderful opportunity to be with myself”

“This was a wonderful opportunity to be with myself in all that came—the thoughts, the feelings, the stillness, the awareness, the tears…so much!  Too much to put into words.  This experience has been the beginning of a routine of quietude for me (hopefully).”

Katie Sullivan

“I have never been silent for any specified amount of time”

“Any clarity I needed I knew it would come to me in silence.  I have never been silent for any specified amount of time and now I am renewed in spirit and mind.  It is the only thing I need to remember my rhythm, my breath, my soul.”

Lynee Noseworthy

“Eternity is always quiet”

“You were right:  24 hours is enough. The space is so conducive and the river so peaceful.  We live in a noisy world.  Eternity is always quiet.  To hear the still, small voice of God you have to get quiet.  It’s not a burden; it is a gift!”

Pastor Phil Moran

 “The robins, ducks, deer and fox get my thanks as well”

“Thank you for an incredible experience.  The robins, ducks, deer and fox get my thanks as well!  Truly, this has been an experience that I will take with me in all that I do. I can’t wait for the next time.”

 Athena Killeen

“There is a sweetness in the quiet”

“I’ve been meditating long enough to know that the “monkey brain” keeps on cavorting.  But if I can achieve stillness, which I did, I no longer worry.  There’s a sweetness in the quiet that I experienced here that will last.  I know it will. I guess that’s how I’d talk about it:  it’s sweetness, tenderness, fullness.”

Nancy Gedney