R4 Retreat Center

Hey folks! We still have space for you to register your families for our 3rd Sunday Family Funday on Sunday, June 23rd from 1:30 - 5:30pm! Bring your whole family to enjoy a time of camp-y fun for the kids and respite and connections for the parents/caregivers! Check it out! These are monthly events so if you can't come this Sunday, pick a different date! Can't wait to see you there!

Register Here To Get Your Tickets: https://www.r4retreatcenter.org/3rdsunday

R[4] Mom’s Lunch is growing. We had 7 moms there today! What a great discussion and encouragement session for all of us. Some are going through some very frustrating waters as they try to navigate “the system.” Please be in prayer for these warriors! Their battles are tough. Really tough. But it’s good to have an outlet, a community to vent to and network with.

Please take some time to watch this message from our pastor at First Baptist Forney. If you need some encouragement about your journey as an individual with special needs/disability or as a parent/caregiver, please watch. I’ve NEVER heard a sermon about the subject so beautifully and thoughtfully taught! ❤️❤️❤️

FBC Forney Live - 6/2/24 11:00 am

SAVE THE DATES!

We could not be more excited to announce the launch of our new monthly events called 3rd Sunday Family Fundays!

Launch date: Sunday, June 23rd (We know. That's the fourth Sunday...but we wanted you to be able to celebrate Father's Day your own way!)

If you've ever been to an R4 Retreat, this is going to follow a very similar format but it's going to happen monthly now! AND....we're adding some new features for parents/caregivers! How fun is that? So, check your calendars right now! Then gather your family together and bring them to R[4]'s new 3rd Sunday Family Funday whenever you can!

Registration for families opens tomorrow (5/20/24) at noon Central Time!

Check back here for updates!

If you'd like to volunteer, please go to: https://r4retreatcenter.regfox.com/volunteer-app

Another Mom’s Lunch is in the books!!!! We had a whole new group of moms today and I’m so excited to have met them!! My heart is soooo full! Thanks for joining me today Amanda, Haley and Penny! ❤️❤️

Every month R4 gets the joy and privilege of hosting some incredible moms of kids with special needs for lunch at area restauarants. Tomorrow we will be meeting three new moms who have never joined us. 🎉🎉 One of the things we love to do as a group is send out thank you cards to our monthly donors who generously sponsor our Mom’s Lunches. Here they are ready to be signed and mailed out. 👍 📫
If you would like to sponsor our moms and get one of these super special cards too, below is the link to do so! Just $15 a month! Something so simple is incredibly powerful! ❤️😎🤩
https://givebutter.com/momslunch

Another GREAT R4 Mom’s Lunch is in the books! What a lovely day to be out on the patio to enjoy some amazing conversation and incredible Greek food. Thanks Onassis Greek Taphouse + Kitchen for a great time!!

Thanks to our donors who make this happen. ❤️❤️

Attention: Moms of kids/adults with special needs...

Join us for our Kaufman/Rockwall County Mom's Lunch this Friday, April 12 at 11:30am. We'll be doing lunch together at Onassis Greek Taphouse in Rockwall, TX. See the link for address and details. Make sure to RSVP if you can make it so we can save you a seat!

We hope to see you there! It's an amazing time of conversation and fun with other moms who just "get it." You'll be glad you joined us. And lunch is on R[4]! Seriously, just come and relax and let us take care of the rest. :)

Mom's Lunch - Kaufman/Rockwall County | r4rc Come join other moms like you for a time of conversation and connection over lunch.

On this International Women’s Day, R4 celebrates all the moms of special needs kids who tirelessly advocate for and fiercely love their families through all of the ups and downs of special needs life!!

Today a few of us got together for our monthly Mom’s Lunch! This group is always such an encouragement to one another. It’s just great to have a monthly lunch date to look forward to where we can all just be ourselves and share life authentically with one another. It’s one of my favorite days of the month!

If you’re interested in joining us in April, please message us and we’ll give you the details! We’d love YOU be part of this special time together!

And a HUGE thank you to all our donors who make our Mom’s Lunches a reality. We are so very grateful. ❤️❤️

We hope you’ll join us for our Spring Fling on Sunday, March 17th! Families of children (young or adult) with special needs, join us a time to relax and “find your tribe” with other caregivers and some crazy outdoor fun for the rest of your family! Let’s do this!!! Get your tickets now!!!

Time: 1:30pm - 5:30pm
Location: 7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd, Dallas, TX 75236
Cost: $7.50/person

3rd Sunday Family Funday SPRING FLING! Join us for an afternoon of fun as we celebrate the changing seasons and new life!

CANCELLED. Our 3rd Sunday Family Funday is cancelled this Sunday. We’re sorry for any inconvenience. But mark your calendars for March 17!! ☘️ That’s our next scheduled date! It’s gonna be great!! Stay tuned for more details. We should have info out to you tomorrow so you can plan and start signing up!!

Our first 3rd Sunday Family Funday is coming up this Sunday the 18th!! We hope to see you there!! We’ll have pizza and games. Come chill out with us and enjoy an afternoon of fun!

Make sure to RSVP below!! 🎉🎈🍕

3rd Sunday Family Funday Join other families for an afternoon fo fun!

YOU'RE INVITED to R4's first 3rd Sunday Family Funday! Woot Woot!

This month: Family Game Day and Pizza Party!
Date: Sunday, February 18
Time: 3:00 - 6:00pm
Location: SIL - 7500 W Camp Wisdom Rd, Dallas 75236 (Follow the R4 signs)
Cost: FREE!!! (Donation is optional)
What to Bring: Your family, your family's favorite game, a beverage and/or dessert.
Who's Invited? Any family who has children with special needs, volunteers who have served with us in the past and donors who would like to be part of what we do!

Join us for a fun afternoon of Board Games, outdoor games and pizza!

Please RSVP below so we know how much pizza to get! Thanks a bunch! SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!

3rd Sunday Family Funday Join other families for an afternoon fo fun!

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

We are ridiculously excited to tell you that we are ready to rock and roll at our new location and start getting our R4 families, volunteers and donors together on a monthly basis!!! How cool is that?😎🤩🥳

So, every third Sunday of the month we are now going to have 3rd Sunday Family Fundays at our new location! Mark your calendars right now.

Each month’s event will look a little different but you can count on the fact that it will be fun and you’ll be able to find your people to start building family friendships! How does that sound?

If that sounds like something you’d like to be part of, sign up right now for our first one scheduled on Sunday, February 18 from 3:00-5:30pm. All the details are in the link!! We absolutely cannot wait to start seeing you guys every month!!

3rd Sunday Family Funday Join other families for an afternoon fo fun!

We have some crazy exciting news!!! R4 FINALLY HAS A HOME…a location…a permanent address! After 7.5 years of being sort of a nomadic ministry, God has provided in an absolutely incredible way!!! I will do a video to share the story of how this all happened because it was definitely a God thing. But we are so happy to share that we have moved into an office at SIL International in Dallas. We are so thankful for how they are partnering with us and encouraging our growth as an organization!

Not only do we have an office space, we have a whole campus at our disposal for all our events and retreats…all at the same location. Playgrounds, picnic space, soccer fields, a pool, meeting/event space, hiking trails, “beach” volleyball, overnight accommodations, dining hall, etc, etc. EVERYTHING we need to do our thing on a regular basis instead of just once a year!!

Today, in the freezing cold, I took a walk around the campus and felt such joy with each step. I could visualize us all there enjoying the space together as an R4 family. You would never know you were right in the middle of DFW. It is just so incredibly peaceful! We can’t wait to invite you all to join us there so you can celebrate this milestone with us!!

We’re working on our first event there in February as kind of our “launch event” in our new location. It will be a Family Dinner and Game Night!! Once things are finalized, we’ll be sharing all the details!!! We absolutely cannot wait to see y’all there! 🎉🎉🎉

Check the location out on GoogleMaps!!

SIL International · 4.7★(36) · Non-profit organization 7500 W Camp Wisdom Rd, Dallas, TX 75236

I know you’re getting a million end of the year donation requests today. And yes, I’m going to add to them for R4. But I want you to know exactly what your donation will do.

Your donation will allow R4 Retreat Center the privilege to provide monthly lunches to moms who have kids with special needs. These ladies have my heart! You’ve seen me post about those lunches before. I absolutely adore the amazing ladies with whom I get to break bread. But because the need is so great for these precious mamas to have a safe space to build community with others like them who just get it, moms from all over DFW (Texas) are asking us to expand Moms Lunch into their area(s). We absolutely can’t wait to move beyond Kaufman/Rockwall County into Collin and Tarrant Counties and one other spot yet to be disclosed.

Our Board of Directors is ready walk forward by faith to expand our territory but funding is greatly needed to step out in obedience into that need. We have budgeted $150 per lunch. Starting in early 2024, we will be running 4 Mom’s lunches a month. That comes out to $600 a month or $7200 for the year for just this part of our programming. Would uou consider helping in some way?? https://givebutter.com/r4-retreat-center

And we will also be creating safe spaces for dads later in the year plus doing more special events and retreats throughout the year for our families. Please consider how you can help provide these encouraging moments for the families we serve. Thank you so much.

I can’t wait to share with you all the things that are to come for R4. God is opening so many doors and providing in such fun ways.

https://givebutter.com/r4-retreat-center

Photo: The Creation Museum

We have to work together to find solutions to this crisis. My heart just breaks as I hear more and more stories like this. 💔💔

At the risk of receiving a boatload of backlash for being negative, I’m going to be completely honest.

While I make every effort to share the good and difficult parts about being a lifelong caregiver to my adult son with severe, nonverbal autism, sometimes the tough times stick around longer than I’d like and make it impossible to just slap on a smile and move forward.

During every challenging moment, I try to maintain a positive mindset by attempting to identify the teachable moment or look at all angles and perspectives. Telling myself, this too shall pass right?

Well, during this season of my life, it seems there are no obvious silver linings and things have become so overwhelming that even my minimal level of patience has deserted me.

My son’s Crohn’s disease has been in flare mode for a solid 6 months with no relief in sight. We’ve changed medications, given him countless suppositories, enemas, and bowel cleanouts with no success.

His most recent bout of constipation lasted for 9 straight days!

He’s suffering . . . and WE are suffering. It absolutely kills me that I can’t take his pain away and fix this for him.

“You’re the strongest person I know,” is a phrase I hear literally every day.
I take the intended compliment in stride, smile and say thank you even though I feel deep down that most days lately, I’m at my breaking point. I feel like running away.

I’m exhausted.
I’m stressed.
I’m angry.
I’m afraid.

Fighting for my son’s rights for the past 20 years – to have an education, to be included, to have his medical issues properly addressed, for his nonverbal communication to be recognized and to have a future full of opportunity, among countless other battles, has taken its toll.

Although I thought I was appropriately managing my own physical and mental health, my body is indicating that I’m failing at that too.

Over the last few years, I’ve experienced random medical issues - shingles, countless kidney stones and now significant hair loss (Telogen Effluvium).

Every single one was a result of stress with the medical advice being, “You have to reduce the level of stress you are carrying. Your body is warning you that it can’t take much more.”

I feel like screaming, “Really? How exactly do you suggest I do that? Perhaps I’ll just call the respite hotline and they’ll send someone right over.”

Okay, I’m being snarky, but most of us know that handing over the caregiving duties to someone else is next to impossible. So, here we are.

I’m not sleeping more than 4 hours a night, concerns about the countless ‘what ifs’ of the aging out process and future always on loop in my mind.

Will he be surrounded by supportive people who encourage and love him when I’m gone?

Will he finally make some friends who make him giggle and smile like we do?

Will he be able to clearly communicate on his own behalf his desires, needs and feelings to every person he encounters?

Will he live a long, pain-free life where his Crohn’s Disease is no longer a burden?

As caregivers, we take on SO MANY extra responsibilities and uncertainties while simultaneously worrying and pre-planning for potential issues and concerns 5-10 years down the road.

If not us, then who?

Who else will tolerate being the target of his frustration and aggression, trying to not take it personally?

Who else will fight for his life to be recognized as valuable, worthy of resources and respect?

Who else will sacrifice their retirement plans, finances and having a social life to ensure my son has the best chance at a meaningful future surrounded by love and kindness?

I wish I could rely on a psychic reading or crystal ball that reveals everything will work out perfectly, so I don’t have to spend another moment of my life in panic mode. But that’s just not reality.

I don’t need a prize, medal or declaration that I’m doing a fantastic job as a lifelong caregiver, a role no one would willingly apply for no matter how much it paid. What I do need is for the system to change.

None of us are built to withstand this level of stress and exhaustion without any help.
Sadly, our kids need us to live forever, but at the rate we are mentally and physically burning out, we will soon need caregivers for ourselves.

These keys are an amazing answer to prayer…a prayer we weren’t even actively praying but God knew we needed. These keys are going to bring joy to so many. These keys are going to launch R4’s ministry into a new dimension. These keys are going to provide an incredibly peaceful place for community and connection right in the city. These keys are the beginning of the very unique future that God has ordained for R4. These keys are truly a gift of joy for our leadership team and very soon for all the families God has waiting for us to serve. These keys open the door to our very exciting future as R4’s ministry expands operations across DFW.

:::These are the keys to our new R4 office!!!:::

Thank you God for this gift! 🎁 We are thrilled to get started here and to invite you all to join us for meetings, events, retreats and lots of fun! We are feeling incredibly blessed with what God just laid right into our laps! He is good! So, so good! Ephesians 3:20. ❤️🤯😁🎉❤️

Y’all have seen posts from me about how much I LOVE R4 Retreat Center’s Moms’ Lunches. It is such a blessing in so many ways! ❤️❤️

As we’ve shared this part of our ministry with people across the area, we’ve seen the enormous need to expand Moms Lunch to other areas around DFW. In 2023, we have focused on the East side of the Metroplex in Kaufman and Rockwall Counties. In 2024, the plan is to offer more dates for moms in Collin and Tarrant Counties as well!

So, for our year end giving drive, we are asking you to sponsor a mom in honor of your mom and create a double Christmas gift - one for your mom and one for a very special mom who longs for community with people who completely understand what she faces each day.

You can choose to do a one time give but imagine making a greater impact by sponsoring one of our moms every month! For just $15 a month, you can make a HUGE difference in the life of a mom who just needs to know she’s not alone! Donate today!

Moms' Lunch The gift of lunch and connection for moms who have children with special needs.

This Friday, December 8 is our Moms’ Christmas Lunch! If you are a mom of a child with special needs in the DFW area, please join us for some joy and refreshment in a safe space with others who just “get it.”

Sign up here: https://www.r4retreatcenter.org/events/moms-christmas-lunch/form

It’s Friendsgiving Day!!!!

It’s R4 Friendsgiving Eve. All the prep is done. All the details are covered. All the bags and bins are packed. Emails and texts have been flying for days. But I think everyone knows what’s happening and when. I can’t wait for tomorrow. I can’t wait to meet our families. It has been four long years since we’ve done this. It feels so good to be “retreating” again with such beautiful people!!

I can’t wait to see old friends who have graciously chosen to volunteer. I can’t wait to meet our new volunteers. I can’t wait to really share life with our parents/caregivers. I can’t wait to watch the kids light up and squeal with all the fun things in store for them. I can’t wait to share pix and videos with you!!

There are great things coming for R4. 🎉🎉 And Friendsgiving is just the start! 🦃🦃

Thank you to all our generous donors! YOU made this happen! We are so grateful. Without you, none of this would be possible! So, from the bottom of our hearts to yours, THANK YOU!! Don’t ever stop being amazing!

Offering parents/caregivers the opportunity for connection and community…priceless! You can hear a collective exhale as they picture themselves getting a break and sharing life with others who just get it.

These women bless me so much! R4 is so honored to be able to serve them with lunch once a month. If you haven’t joined us for Mom’s Lunch yet, please mark your calendars for Friday, December 8. It’s such a special time of blessing and a bit of a retreat!