"Of course, personal and professional challenges continue to lurk in the dark corners of my life...and though they try, they will not steal my joy or the peace I feel in this moment."

It felt early as I found my way to my office chair at Lone Oak and sat down. There was very little movement anywhere when I drove in from my home 20 minutes away on this Friday morning. I opted to keep the overhead lights off to prevent any distractions that may be looming. I arrived over 20 minutes ago and the digital clock on the corner of my desk now reads 6:12am. The window shade is open giving me what would normally be a full view of our front yard, parking area and main gate, but I can’t see anything through the darkened abyss and past the window frame. With only 1 lamp illuminating a small portion of my wooden desktop and computer keyboard, I can only see 2 lights at the front gate as I stare out into the darkness. Warm, bright, sun rays will still be deeply submerged for another 45 minutes in the darkness of winter.

I lit the wood burning stove in the large, main office earlier this morning in preparation for the rest of our team to arrive in a few hours. It's our primary heat source for that space, and I know they appreciate stepping into a warm, comfortable space warmed by a natural fire from the trees we harvested a few months ago just 50 yards from the front door. The small heater in my office is warming my space nicely. I hear the faint sound of classical music being played through the Bluetooth speaker on the other corner of my desk. My breathing is slow and easy.

I’m at peace.

I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the work we do with our team and guests. The food we prepare, the lawns we groom, the rooms we clean, and the trees we trim.

Of course, personal and professional challenges continue to lurk in the dark corners of my life. And though they try, they will not steal my joy or the peace I feel in this moment.

Matt, our facilities director, just popped his head in my office door. It broke my quiet, peaceful thought process, but he wanted to share a very brief update. He explained how he, and the rest of the team, had a large job they were going to tackle later that day. A full turnover of our rooms and meeting spaces in just a few hours. He simply wanted to reassure me that it was going to go well and would get accomplished without any issues. He left in less than 3 minutes.

More peace…and even more gratitude. I wondered what I had done to deserve such good friends in the team we had assembled.

It's now 7:00am. A bit of light is beginning to open to a clear, blue sky. I see the faint outline of a few, large Oak trees and our pasture fence through the darkness and outside the same window. It’s time to engage in the process.

Right here. Right now. I’m at peace in this moment. 

Lone Oak is an 81 acre, wooded retreat center & RV campground located less than 1 hour north of DFW airport. On a blacktop road 10 minutes from Lake Ray Roberts, Lone Oak uses a variety of amenities (animal farm, hiking trails, fishing ponds, pickle ball, dog park and more), full service RV sites, themed hotel rooms, guest homes, cabins, meal service and meeting spaces to share quiet, distraction-free experiences for guests in search of discovering the same peace we all desire.

Remain Encouraged, 

- Brian