The Gift of Song
Julianne Wonser
Written by: Shari Martin
Header Photo: GoodBird Media
Professional Retreat Photography: Matt Andre
When a group of songwriters recently gathered in Cabin 7 at EdenRidge, many of them had never met before.
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Guitars rested against chairs. Notebooks were scattered across the table. Conversations slowly unfolded as people introduced themselves and began sharing pieces of their stories.
For Julianne Wonser, the retreat leader, gatherings like this did not start with a grand plan. Julianne said, “I didn't shoot out of bed one morning with the decision to be a songwriting retreat leader.”
Recently, during a small gathering at Julianne’s home, a friend looked around the room and said something that caught her off guard.
Her friend said, “You just ask people from all areas of your life who don’t know each other to come over, and you connect everyone in your home?”
Julianne paused, surprised at her friend’s question.
“I guess that’s true,” she replied. “I just planned the evening because I needed it. And if you needed it too, you would come. And here you all are.”
What began as simple evenings of connection slowly grew into something more. She began inviting songwriter friends to gather in places where they could step away from their daily routines and create songs together.
She discovered that something powerful happens when people make space for God’s presence.
“If I wanted to grow,” she reflected, “I needed to get in the room with other songwriters. Their questions. Their listening ears. Their open hearts. Their songs. Their tears. Their jokes. Their presence.”
Over time, Julianne’s in-home gatherings became songwriting retreats. They were spaces where creativity, faith, and honest conversation could unfold.
Her connection to EdenRidge came through family friends who had been involved with the retreat center since its early days. When she first visited the property in 2020, she immediately sensed that it was the kind of place where meaningful gatherings could happen.
And that’s exactly what happened when her group arrived for their retreat at EdenRidge.
Throughout the weekend, songs were written, and stories were shared. Some people arrived as strangers but quickly became collaborators and friends. Music filled the cabin as songwriters listened to one another’s ideas, encouraged each other, and explored new melodies and lyrics together.
But the retreat was about more than writing songs.
There were also quiet walks outside. There was time to slow down, notice beauty, and simply wonder. Julianne said those walks and wondering stayed with her long after the retreat ended.
The experience also deepened her sense of calling. Through the retreat, she sensed God continuing to confirm something she had begun to recognize in her life: that gathering people together in these spaces was part of how God had uniquely designed her.
“God made me for this,” she shared later. “For leading retreats and bringing people into the safety of being known and loved so they can step out in courage and share honestly with the world.”
Leading a retreat, however, is not always easy. It requires planning, energy, and emotional investment. Before each retreat begins, she often wonders how God will provide the encouragement and strength she needs as the leader.
But during this weekend, she noticed something beautiful.
After returning home, she journaled about the retreat and realized that God had provided for her in twenty-three different ways throughout the weekend!
​Some provisions were small, but they all were meaningful for her: warm conversations, laughter over inside jokes, unexpected phone calls, sunshine during a walk, and even a good night’s sleep. Each moment reminded her that God was present in the details.
That awareness continues to stay with her today. The words of Jesus in John 15 about abiding in Him have become an anchor in her life. They constantly remind her that creativity, connection, and leadership all flow from remaining close to God.
Looking back on the retreat at EdenRidge, what feels most meaningful to her is the connection that formed through music.
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“The connection with other beautiful people through song,” Julianne says, “is what stays with me.”
Many songs were written during that weekend. Some songs that may one day be recorded and shared more widely. But even before those songs reach a larger audience, something important has already happened.
People gathered. They listened deeply to one another’s stories. They created together. They heard from God. And they left encouraged to continue sharing their gifts with the world.
God works in many ways. Sometimes He works through quiet conversations, through laughter around a table, or through walks surrounded by His beautiful nature.
Long after the retreat ends, the memories of music, laughter, and new connections live on with the people who experienced them. God was truly at work during this group’s stay in a cabin in the beautiful mountains of eastern Tennessee.
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God …”
Psalm 40:3 (NIV)
You can learn more about Julianne’s songwriting retreats at https://juliannewonser.com/home. You can also listen to one of her original songs on Spotify that she says, “expresses a sentiment of hospitality and connection through listening well to another’s story.”
Do you have a story about how God showed up while you stayed at EdenRidge or after you returned home or to your ministry? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at rest@edenridge.org.