Ep 14: Holding Space for the Spirit

Why not a day retreat center?

Greg Smith asked his wife Lil this question around 2015 when the two were heading back from East Texas to look at some ranch property and a possible overnight retreat center.

“You’re always complaining that people don’t take time for themselves,” he continued.

Rev. Dr. Lil Smith is one of the co-founders of Retreat House Spirituality Center, and she says there has consistently been a personal invitation to create a space where people could go to rest, reflect, to play and to pray - a place to connect to themselves, the Holy and others. She saw a need for people to gather without membership requirements or too much conformity, a place where they might explore and express their spirituality with a freedom that isn’t always the cultural norm.

With her husband working in real estate, creating an overnight retreat center together was her original dream.

God had something else in store.

 We hope you enjoy this conversation with Retreat House co-founders Lil Smith and Rev. Deanna Hollas as they share the many holy threads that brought and invited them to the mission and ministry that is Retreat House – a day retreat center in Richardson, Texas.

Quick podcasting note. This is our first season of the podcast, and our storytelling focus for this year is Living Faith Out Loud.

 Special note: This interview was originally recorded in 2023 when we were researching and gathering information to write a story about the history of Retreat House. With Deanna’s and Lil’s permission, we’re sharing this conversation with you now as we begin to celebrate our community’s 7th anniversary this October. To learn more, you're invited to check out Holding Space for the Spirit: A history of Retreat House on our blog www.retreathousecommunity.org/blog.

Our hope and prayer is that this conversation of God’s faithfulness bless and encourage you and your ministry and journey.