Memorial Weekend Retreat Memories

The Memorial Day Weekend retreat was spectacular! Here's what struck me and stuck to me.

Sonia's amazing cooking and enlightenment ~ Janice and Nina's duet at church ~ Ultimate! ~ Kevin and Zach taking a leap of faith to come to Maine ~ The dedication of the drivers from the Midwest ~ Your teen session and what you taught me ~ Nina and Holly acting out Rent ~ Dopey r us ~ Singing graces ~ Cody and Gibby hanging out together ~ Fire ~ Communion Worship Service ~ Alex's return after prom ~ Your love for each other

What stuck to you?

God's Gifts

The May edition of the Chaplain's Corner by Pastor Dave, SCYL Chaplain

We work hard to achieve the good things in our life. So we can be tempted to take pride in our achievements. But in fact, even though it doesn’t look like it, everything we have is a gift from God. Our very life itself isn’t our own. We live because God’s love makes us alive. We can get discouraged when things we want don’t come through for us. But if we take a moment and reflect on what we do have, our whole attitude changes. Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have food to eat? Can you breathe? Are you alive? When we look at the basic things that God freely gives us we have so much to be grateful for.

But we still need to make the effort. We still need to figure out what we think is best for us, and to pursue it. We also need to ask for God’s guidance. God influences our thinking so that when we are open to God, and when we ask God for help, we make better decisions.

No one is more unhappy and frustrated than someone who can’t accept things the way they are. Some want to be like a Hollywood director and tell everybody where to stand, what to say, and how to move. When the world doesn’t cooperate the director gets frustrated and angry.

Spiritual life is a dialogue between our actions and the world’s reaction. Act as if everything depends on your decisions. Then pray as if everything depends on God. And don’t forget to give thanks for the good things God gives you.

4 Days Until the Memorial Day Weekend Retreat!

The big retreat in Fryeburg, Maine is in 4 days. Don't forget to let me know that you are coming. If you are still thinking about it, hope you decide to join us. This is going to be a great retreat.

Maine Youth Group Play

We concluded our Maine Youth Group dinner gatherings May 3rd with an outdoor afternoon at the playground, laughing, throwing the Frisbee and running an obstacle course. We had a cookout back at the church and finished with an interesting game. I found lyrics from song by the rock band Journey and took words from Jesus (The Message translation) and challenged the teens to play "who said it", Journey or Jesus. Thought I'd post a few to the blog to give everyone a chance to play at home. Look for the answers soon.



You are the queen of many faces. How you can move me with just one glance?

These things I do, it's all because of you.

How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this?

Saints or sinners, take no prisoners. What's left after you fall? No not much.

You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame.

You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what's behind the appearance.

Our love remains the same, God knows we've had our share of saving grace.

Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn't destroy you.

You're looking right at me and you don't see me.

But none of you are living it. So why are you trying to kill me?

I am like...

As part of our Earth Day retreat in Kitchener, Ontario the teens wrote some inspired poetry. They each chose a word related to the earth and then wrote a poem about how they are similar to that word starting, "I am like...". Here are a couple of them.

I am like the sun
I am bright
I am warm-full
I am big
I rise in the morning
I set in the evening
I am like the sun

I am like a flood
I show up unexpected
I am always exciting
I normally cause disruption
I always try to give back to the earth
I can be good or bad
I am like a flood

I am like the clouds
simply drifting
simply moving
simply existing
simply there
I am like the clouds