February 29, 2012

The Strong, Silent Type

Read Psalm 138:3

When I was a child, every night my Mom or Dad would stand vigil by my bedroom door as my sister and I said our prayers. We would kneel beside our bed, hands clasped together and recite in unison the prayer we were taught. Many of you know it I’m sure. It starts “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.”

As I became a teenager and then an adult I abandoned that tradition, but as soon as my own children were old enough I continued the tradition of my parents. I became my mother, teaching them the simple prayer and standing or kneeling beside them as they recited it.

Somewhere along the way we all became busy, my children’s bedtime ritual no longer included me and regular daily prayer once again slipped out of my life. Then, about 8 years ago, GPUMC offered a Disciple 1 Bible study class. This was a 32 week program that met once a week. During that time we read and studied 70% of the Bible. It was during this program my “conversations” with God began. Of course I wasn’t praying in the formal way I had as a child or we do in church, but I was praying again. As time went on these conversation became more regular. I would talk to God while I was making dinner, driving my car, taking a shower, or walking the dog.

During the last several years my family has had many blessings but we have had many difficult trials too. I know without prayer getting through these trials would have been so much more difficult. My conversations with God still my heart, calm my fears, and ease my mind.
If you are not having regular conversations with God consider starting. He’s a great listener and has a tremendous ability to make you feel better and keep things in perspective even if He doesn’t say much.

Prayer: That all may turn to you, Lord, in good times and bad that you might bring them peace.

Cathy Lorenz

February 28, 2012

My How Times Change

Read: Proverbs 17:6

Years ago (when our son Charlie was in high school) we made almost nightly calls to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This was in the days before unlimited long distance. Charlie was in Honors Math which was not being taught very well. His grandfather in Ft. Wayne was a math teacher and our source of help.

How times have changed. Now a granddaughter (Kayla) is the source of help for the grandfather. Now Grampa calls for help to download from iTunes, or other computer related items that the local expert (Charlie) is not familiar with.

It's great to have a resource like my iTunes-meister. She spent so much time with an illiterate, she went cross eyed. Nothing phases the guru - - even special needs students.

God works in mysterious ways. Role reversal is just one of them!

Jack Van Becelaere

February 27, 2012

When Morning Gilds the Sky

Read: UMH #185

When I retired 1 ½ years ago I made some resolutions to give my new “free time” some focus – get some exercise, don’t eat too much, clean some part of the house every day (I haven’t kept that one up!), read the newspaper on the day it comes (l love that one), be more patient with my family and others, don’t get excited over the little snafus in life, hang with friends more, sing in the church choir, etc, etc - but the main resolution which I have truly enjoyed is to take time to see the beauty around me.

For example, last fall I taught an early morning class at a campus which was new to me so I was not familiar with the layout of the campus and buildings, especially the building I was going to teach in. The first morning I arrived really early (did I say that I am Type A?) – before the sun was up in fact – and I walked into my classroom to settle things in. I opened the blinds and got ready for class when I realized that the window in my classroom faced east and the sun was beginning to rise. What a treat that was for me.

So every week after that I looked forward to the sunrise as a wonderful perk to start the day. I actually mentioned it to some of the folks who work in the same building but in fact they didn’t get to work early enough to see what I saw every week. (This semester I am teaching a couple of noon classes so miss out on my sunrises and that’s a shame. I just don’t seem to be at the right place at the right time.)

There is no question that before I retired, my work consumed me and I loved just about every minute of my job . I’m thinking though I have missed a few sunrises so I am trying to make up for lost time.

One of my mother’s favorite hymns sums it up for me:
“When morning gilds the skies, my heart awaking cries, may Jesus Christ be praised.”

Vivian Anderson

February 26, 2012

UMH #595 – Whether the Word Be Preached or Read

Whether the Word be preached or read,
no saving benefit I gain
from empty sounds or letters dead'
unprofitable all and vain,
unless by faith thy word I hear
and see its heavenly character.

Unmixed with faint, the Scripture gives
no comfort, life, or light to see,
but me in darker darkness leaves,
inplunged in deeper misery,
overwhelmed with nature's sorest ills.
The Spirit saves, the letter kills.

If God enlighten through his Word,
I shall my kind Enlightener bless;
but void and naked of my Lord,
what are all verbal promises?
Nothing to me, till faith divine
inspire, inspeak, and make them mine.

Jesus, the appropriating grace
'tis thine on sinners to bestow.
Open mine eyes to see thy face,
open my heart thyself to know.
And then I through thy Word obtain
sure present, and eternal gain.

Charles Wesley, 1783

February 25, 2012

A Light to My Path

Read: Canticle of Light and Darkness (UM Hymnal #205)

A new day has dawned for our crazy dog, Toby. I have gone back to work, and he is adjusting to a different schedule (as am I).

Since I was feeling incredibly guilty that he is now home alone so much, I decided that he needed two walks a day. This means getting up at 6AM for the early morning hike. As I am not typically an early riser, I was surprised and dismayed to discover that in the winter-time it is still dark at 6AM. This can be rather treacherous with black ice on uneven sidewalks, not to mention half-opened eyes. I’ve come to rely on a small flashlight to shine on the pavement in front of me.

It got me thinking of the way that we, as Christians, rely on the light of Christ to guide our steps when the going gets rough. With Christ’s light to guide us, we can always safely navigate the dark times in our lives – no batteries required.

Sue DeWitt

February 24, 2012

Practicing God’s Presence

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I’ve been reading a little book by Brother Lawrence called The Practice of the Presence of God, and it’s beginning to have an effect on me.

The basic idea is quite simple and Biblical: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk in 17th century Paris who found himself working at tasks which he could have found distasteful or unsuitable, but which he instead performed as an offering to the Lord – he offered up his work and his suffering to God.

The bigger thing, though, was that he tried always to be aware of the presence of God, not just His omnipresence, His being in all places and times, but most especially the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence.

What this has done for me is to cause me to talk to God much more frequently and more conversationally, and that has meant a deeper and more satisfying and energizing prayer life. After all, what is prayer, but a conversation with God – talking with my Father about whatever is going on in my life or the world?

I’m praying that this will continue long after I’ve finished reading that book, and that I can encourage you to try it too. God is there, already listening – go ahead and talk to Him.

Charlie van Becelaere

February 23, 2012

Sailing Through Life

Read: Hebrews 13:8-9

We go from day to day, caught up in the “busy-ness” of life; our bodies, minds, and emotions leading us through life like wind blowing the sails of a sailboat on a lake. We are carried along, filled with getting “things” done. Every so often, the wind ceases, and we have an idle moment to observe the beauty of the water reflecting blue sky, and the sun dancing across its surface; or perhaps we see dark, menacing clouds of gray on the horizon that warn of a storm. It is in these lulls that we have the opportunity to take inventory of ourselves, and the way we live our lives.

Lent is such a lull.

How blessed we are to have a structured time built into our calendar to reflect on what puts meaning to our very being. Without intention, it is easy to let the winds of life take control, but Lent gives us an opportunity, or lull, to remember that we are sailors, and as such, cannot control the winds of life, but are our own navigators, and have a compass to guide us.
Our North is God. He is our constant by which we set course. Lent provides us a time to reflect on His ever-present, boundless Love.

He understands our role as sailors in life; for a little while, He became one right here on Earth. Our Father, our constant, showed us how to sail. He sent His Son to teach us. He sends the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the wind of life.

Lent reminds us vividly that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One.

Lent is a gift. Lent is a time to reflect, a time to regroup our thoughts, and a time to prepare for Easter. Easter, the time that defines Rejoice! God blesses us with lulls as we sail, and winds to move us, but always is our North, our constant.

Anne Rector

Ash Wednesday – February 22, 2012

Waiting and Yearning in Lent

Read: Mark 9:2-8

In the season of Lent, we are invited read the stories in Scripture that are filled with a strange mixture of excitement and fear, success and failure, loyalty and betrayal, affirmation and denial, life and death. The popular healing and teaching Galilean ministry of Jesus took a dramatic turn following his mountaintop visit with Moses and Elijah. There God affirmed for the second time that Jesus was God’s beloved Son.

From that moment on, Jesus told his followers of his determination to go to Jerusalem where he would encounter death. (Luke 9:51). That was not what any of them wanted to hear. His followers were waiting and yearning for a popular crowning of a king. Matthew places Jesus’ intent to go to Jerusalem after the feeding of the 5,000, where waiting and yearning were expressed by the crowd’s determination to make him their king. (Matthew 16:21).

Our Lenten stories can be filled with the same sense of frustration … waiting and yearning … in the experiences of repentance, suffering, death, relinquishment, brokenness, alienation, abandonment, loneliness, isolation and conflict.

As we journey through this season of reflection and self-examination, perhaps these questions will guide us on our way:
Do I feel as though I am in a wilderness?
Am I facing temptation and need help to resist?
Do I see a weakness in myself and the need to change?
What do I need to allow to die in me in order to be closer to God?
With what am I struggling and in pain?
What do I need to confess in order to be rid of guilt?

Lenten waiting and yearning is the time of tension between dying and birth … it is about change: of heart, perspective, focus … sobering thoughts, but not morbid. We wait and yearn in Lent for the astonishing proclamation: Death is vanquished! Sin is overcome! God’s reign of justice and peace is ours! Tender and astonishing love embraces us!

With you on the journey,
Judy May

Introduction - 2012

As always, it has been my privilege and Joy to edit this book; and as has often been the case, there are a few common threads winding their way through the devotions you’ve shared here.

Over and over, expressions of the awareness of God’s Presence and Providence have cropped up. Over and over, experiences of the Triune God overflow with Joy and Awe. Over and over, the welcoming nature of our congregation comes into focus, whether based on our official status or simply on the experience of that welcoming. Over and over the experience of God’s love and leading in marriage and family is shared. Over and over, the Joy of living out our faith comes pouring out of pens and keyboards and off the pages into our hearts.

We have much to treasure and celebrate in the pages of this little book; it’s hard to imagine how a mere fifty or sixty pages can contain so many thoughts and emotions and experiences. I don’t know how it works, I just know that it does.
   

Just as we have each year since reviving this Lenten tradition, we repeat the introduction from our congregation's first book of devotions of well over thirty years ago:

Keeping a true Lent requires us to be vigilant in many ways: in prayer, study, worship, sacrifice, giving, meditation, and fellowship.

One or all may take precedence, depending upon our daily commitments. From these devotions, lovingly prepared, may you find a well spring of faith to renew and sustain you, so that the Glorious Triumph that is Easter will remain with you always.

The Lenten Committee 

Again, we can but say, “Amen.”

Charlie van Becelaere, Editor

Easter Sunday - April 24, 2011

Christ, The Lord, Is Risen Today!

"CHRIST, the Lord, is risen to-day," Sons of men and angels say!
Raise your joys and triumphs high: Sing, ye heavens; thou earth, reply.

Love's redeeming work is done; Fought the fight, the battle won:
Lo! the sun's eclipse is o'er, Lo! he sets in blood no more!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Christ hath burst the gates of hell:
Death in vain forbids his rise, Christ hath opened Paradise.

Lives again our glorious King! Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save; Where's thy victory, boasting grave

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Following our exalted Head:
Made like him, like him we rise, Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.

King of glory! Soul of bliss! Everlasting life is this,
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Thus to sing, and thus to love.


Charles Wesley (from 1739)

April 23, 2011

Everyday Signs Often Go Unnoticed

Read:  Psalm 23 and 121

As most of you know, (and I won’t deny it), I am a car guy.  I take a lot of heat for that most of the time.  Pretty much everyone dismisses my car “selections” as extreme, or extraordinary – not very realistic.  Everyone except my Aunt Martha.  I was Martha’s “car guy.”  She told me so.  I shared special times with her in all her vehicles.  Let me tell you the first car I remember her having, a new 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass – I remember my father going to get it after an accident Martha had with it.  No one was hurt but the car was totaled, as I recall.  My father had towed it back to our house where it sat in the backyard, next to the garage, I believe waiting for the insurance adjuster to make a final ruling on it.  I played in that car as a kid.  It was kind-of like the movie “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.”  Remember from the movie the kids playing in the wrecked car?  Maybe, just maybe – this is where my interest in cars took root.

After the Cutlass was a used 1970 blue Mustang not the “sporty Mustang Mach 1” (which would have been my choice), but the Mustang “Ghia” - what I will call the “pampered” edition – with a full vinyl top no less – which to say the least was somewhat unique.  As was Martha.  Next up was the brand new 1974 Oldsmobile Cutlass coupe.  Baby blue with a white landau vinyl top, her Cutlass had white buckets seats with a really neat automatic floor console shift.

There were lots more after that, but here’s where I’m going with all of this.  Martha had all of these, what I will call “close hits.”  I finally got my chance for full input in 1998.  I was now her car guy, officially.  I knew what she deserved, but would never have picked out for herself.  She was too humble – me, unfortunately, “Not-so-much.” 
Martha thought she might like a Buick.  “I’ve never had a Buick,” she said to me.  Keep in mind Martha was only after transportation at this point in her life.  But her “car guy” knew what he wanted for her.  What she deserved.  She had not seen anything she was interested in.  I said to her “Over there, that’s the one you want,” pointing to the Regal GS.  She immediately said no – I don’t need anything like that.  I was insistent.  I said, “Yes – Yes, that’s the one you want.”  Now Martha at this point in her life was somewhat unstable with her walking.  But, picture this, I made her walk to the other side of the lot, and then climb – yes climb up onto these cement blocks holding this Regal GS.  Once we got up there I remember her gasping and saying she can’t believe she climbed up here, but there we were, peering into the side windows like little kids.  Gray leather cushy seats, console and bucket seats in the front with the automatic floor shift.  All the bells and whistles except for a sunroof – she was adamant it not have a sunroof.  So here we are, I said Martha this is your car – it has everything on it and the only thing it’s missing is a sunroof.  It’s like it’s meant to be!  And I truly believe it was.  Martha, not so much . . .

Now here’s what came to me early one Wednesday morning.  I knew I had to share with you, so I wrote myself a note.  I know Martha secretly loved that car – it took both of us, but we finally hit the mark with the Regal GS.  In retrospect, it actually carries a very special message to the rest of us about Martha – A sign, I believe.  Who possibly could have known?  I certainly never put it together.  The “GS” in Regal GS stands for “Gran Sport” 
My Aunt Martha was a “Gran Sport.”  With everything medical she had to deal with since the age of four, she was a “Gran Sport.”  The way Martha approached life – and the special challenges in her life – she truly and indeed was a “Gran Sport.”

Thanks be to God for my Aunt Martha – the comfort I find in her life, and in her Buick.  We should all go through life facing all the everyday challenges like Martha did – by being “Gran Sports.”

Bill Kremer

Good Friday - April 22, 2011

O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done

    O Love divine, what has thou done!
    The immortal God hath died for me!
    The Father's coeternal Son
    bore all my sins upon the tree.
    Th' immortal God for me hath died:
    My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

    Is crucified for me and you,
    to bring us rebels back to God.
    Believe, believe the record true,
    ye all are bought with Jesus' blood.
    Pardon for all flows from his side:
    My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

    Behold him, all ye that pass by,
    the bleeding Prince of life and peace!
    Come, sinners, see your Savior die,
    and say, "Was ever grief like his?"
    Come, feel with me his blood applied:
    My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

Charles Wesley

Maundy Thursday - April 21, 2011

Bread and Wine

Read John 6:35-58; Hebrews 10:1-25

Bread of the world, in mercy brokenWine of the soul, in mercy shed,By whom the words of life were spoken,And in whose death our sins are dead.    Bread of the World by Reginald Heber (UM Hymnal #624)

Communion. The Eucharist. The Mass. The Last Supper. The Passover.

What is it that happens when we participate in Communion? Are we commemorating the Last Supper? Are we looking forward to that Heavenly Feast? Are we celebrating a special closeness with the Lord Jesus? Yes, we are.

The elements, the bread and wine, are taken from the Passover meal celebrated by Jesus with His disciples before His Crucifixion. They are a part of the tradition of the Jews from the days of the Exodus down to our own day, and they truly foreshadowed the sacrifice Christ was to make for us. So when we take Communion, we take part in that long line of history; but that’s not the whole story!

“This is My Body” “This is My Blood” The ceremony, as completed by Jesus, not only took in the Passover, but the whole sacrificial system under which His people had been living since the days of Moses. Think what a devout Jew would have seen at the Temple: the sacrifice was literally a bloody affair. The blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar, and covered the sins of the people.

But what happens in Communion? The blood of Jesus doesn’t merely cover our sins, leaving us needing another dose later. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sins; and the word in the Bible is in a tense that lets us know that it not only has cleansed us, but it keeps on cleansing us of all unrighteousness.

What is it that happens when we participate in Communion? We celebrate the amazing Love of God for us; a Love expressed in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, our Lord - Jesus Christ. Feed on Him, and know that in Him you are forgiven.


Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to You confidently in prayer, knowing I stand cleansed by the blood of Your Son, Jesus. In His name I ask that the Holy Spirit who indwells me will make me ever more aware of the fellowship I share, both with You and with other believers. Thank you for the sacrament, and for allowing me to share in it.  Amen.

Thought for the Day: Too soon we rise; the symbols disappear;the feast, though not the love, is past and gone.The bread and wine remove; but thou art here,nearer than ever, still my shield and sun.

Charlie van Becelaere

April 20, 2011

Not Neglect My Gift

Read: 1 Timothy 4:13-15

Unto the stars I looked
No like could be the place again
Lost in self-being and will
The created was my apocalypse

When we went on our first Confirmation retreat, our first assignment was to listen to the night.  That day I was starting to think about giving up my art of words.  Somehow, though, the stars conveyed to me that I should tell the story of my existence through poetry.  That I should “not neglect my gift.”

Dear God, help us to be ever mindful of the gifts we have received, and how they can help, whether it be mentally, physically, or emotionally.  Amen

Emily Stowell

April 19, 2011

True Happiness Comes from Within

Read: Matthew 6:19-23

When I started studying for the Bar Exam last summer, it soon became very clear to me that if I didn’t start cutting out some time to relax and reflect each day, I would most likely end up certifiably insane by the time July rolled around. And so, I practiced yoga. I indulged in the occasional $10 chair massage from the nail salon down the street. I tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to meditate each morning for at least 15 minutes.

Perhaps most useful were the audiobooks I downloaded, which I listened to every day while I walked my dog. I listened to the “Seven Spiritual Laws” from Deepak Chopra and learned about “The Art of Happiness” from the Dalai Lama. Toward the end of my long reign of studying, my mom (perhaps sensing my possible nervous breakdown herself) sent a care packaged filled with books – including “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” and other books of that nature.

Despite the various authors from different walks of life, it seemed all of these books had the same underlying theme: most of what we THINK is important in life simply isn’t.  Most of what we THINK defines us doesn’t. While this idea wasn’t exactly new to me, it took on a new meaning against the backdrop of studying for what I thought was a life-defining, do-or-die exam. If I were to fail, I once thought, it was the sort of setback that made ME a failure as well.

I began to understand, as the summer went on, that whether I passed an exam or not, it wouldn’t define who I am. When I did pass (phew), but then found myself unemployed for close to five months (with all of one measly interview to my name), it was perhaps even more difficult to remember that whether or not I had a job did not define me, either. And when things got especially difficulty, and I was feeling especially dejected, I tried to remember back to the “laws” I learned over the summer – and I’m not talking about the ones that were tested on the bar exam. 

Practice non-judgment (even of yourself). Accept people, situations and events as they occur. Trust that there is a reason things don’t always go your way. Seek your higher self. Practice compassion. Remember that true happiness comes from within. Relinquish your attachment to titles and possessions. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

These teachings aren’t based exclusively in Christianity. But in the spirit of Lent, which evokes self-reflection, sacrifice, and ultimately, renewal, I thought I would share those teachings that inspired me. I use them as daily reminders that most of my worries are wasteful, and that a person can only be truly happy once they are truly happy having nothing at all.
(I know, easier said than done. But worth consideration every once-in-awhile).

Beth Filice

April 18, 2011

Just Because

Read:  1 John 4:19

The first time I met and got to hold my grandson, Logan, I knew I loved him.  He’d just arrived in this world.  He didn’t talk.  He didn’t crawl.  He didn’t play with me.  He didn’t do anything.  But, I knew I loved him.  He didn’t need to do anything for my love.  He is my grandson.

Logan is a year and a half old now.  I just came back from a visit to California where he lives with my daughter, Laura, and my son-in-law, Eric.  Logan walks now.  He talks too.  And, he plays with me down on the floor.  He also will cry, throw an occasional tantrum and act “feisty” as my daughter, Laura, refers to it.  I love him anyhow.  I love him just because.

I’d like to think God loves me just the same way.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you for the blessing of my grandson and for the real example of what your unconditional love is all about.  Keep your examples coming.  Amen.



Mike Bernhardt

Palm Sunday - April 17, 2011

Depth of Mercy

Depth of mercy! Can there be
mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God his wrath forbear,
me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood his grace,
long provoked him to his face,
would not hearken to his calls,
grieved him by a thousand falls.

I my Master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
oft profaned his hallowed name,
put him to an open shame.

There for me the Savior stands,
shows his wounds and spreads his hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Now incline me to repent,
let me now my sins lament,
now my foul revolt deplore,
weep, believe, and sin no more.

Charles Wesley

April 16, 2011

The Right Side

Read: John 21: 3-13

The Lord said, “Fish off the Right side of the Boat.” So I always start on the Starboard quarter. We’ve taught a lot of kids to fish, we usually take them for 6-8 hour trips. Sometimes I think I like teaching the kids more than I do catching the fish. Naaawwww catching is best.

Last fall we had a chance to take a few United Methodist Youth out for fishing trip. We figured a daylong adventure but when we got to the dock we found we had 1 ½ hours. We had to go out, find fish, anchor the boat on fish, teach the crew to catch fish, catch fish, clean up, and return to the dock in an hour and a half. We’re pretty good but that’s a tall order. Of course I said a prayer. See Ta Ra Ra Boom Di Aye. The Bearhooks motto is the 139th Psalm.

The Lovely and Gracious Captain JeriLynn ran the boat out to one of our fishing holes while I rigged up some stuff, and she stopped the boat right on top of a school of hungry Perch. That’s why I love her. We caught 26 fish and kept 18 and were back to the dock only a fashionable 10 minutes late. The boys had a lot of fun and so did we. If you twist our arms we could be talked into doing that again.



P.S. The American Bass opener is June 18 this year, and the Bearhooks is available.

Ron Draper

April 15, 2011

A Renewed Spirit

Read: Romans 12:4-13

My father did not take our family camping.  He said he had enough camping in North Africa, Sicily, Anzio, France, Germany, and Austria to last a lifetime.  My parents did allow my sister and me to participate in Girl Scouts where we learned to love camping and the out-of-doors.  My sister spent her summers at a camp near Cadillac and I attended church summer camp at Lake Louise.  Mom and Dad did volunteer to be the MYF youth group leaders and went with us to Winter Retreat at Wesley Woods, and the annual canoeing adventure down the Rifle River.  It was during the canoeing overnight that Mom and Dad ended up fighting for the backseat of the car to escape the tent.  I have deep gratitude for the many hours my parent devoted to our church youth activities even when the activity included camping.

When Jack Giguere suggested 21 years ago that our church family participate in a weekend at a Lake Louise our family signed up.  The retreat was led by Bob Keiss.  The GPUMC Family Winter Retreat was born.  Our church families have been traveling North ever since.

This year I was amazed and gladdened by the number of college age, single twenty something’s, and married couples, with and without children, in their 30 and 40’s that chose to come to Lake Louise this year.  There were 18 children ages 2 to 12.  Yes, those of us in our 50’s and 60’s attended also and played hard. 

My spirit has been renewed by watching these families interact with each other, share games, equipment, transportation, and children’s medicine! There were 21 first timers attending.  GPUMC was the only group that came to Lake Louise for the retreat season with youth!

Josh Dixon won my heart this year with his classroom “Traditions” poster on his experience at Lake Louise.  New traditions this year were a campfire at the sledding site with hot chocolate provided, an evening campfire outside of the lodge complete with benches and smores!  Besides trips to the skiing hill there were trips to Avalanche Bay, the local water park.  Fresh talent was shared at the Saturday night “Really Big Shew”, from real tumbling, a clarinet trio, operatic aria, and the debut of a new product to keep you warm while sledding.

The people attending the retreat this year are the leaders of the WOW Program, Mother’s Day Out, ushers, finance, trustee, worship, nurture, UMW, youth group, VBS, choir, VIM, Workcamp, book studies, etc.  They are our future.  They have chosen to make church a priority and they enjoy being together.  New friendships were made and old renewed. 

So thank you Mom and Dad, and those that have nurtured me through my life to be a part of a great tradition.  Church!

PS  Think about joining the retreat next year.  New all season buildings have been added so that larger numbers will be able to attend! 

Lynn Van de Putte

April 14, 2011

Life’s Puddles of Water and an Umbrella

Read: Psalm 91

“The Lord will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge.”
Psalm 91:4

As we walk in the rain in the spring, we carry an umbrella to protect us from getting wet.  Sometimes because of rain there are ‘puddles’ of water which we must step in or jump over. If we have no feet protection we get wet.  In life we encounter ‘puddles’ of water over which we must jump.  Even if we have an umbrella, we will still experience wet feet. 

These ‘puddles’ sometimes are sickness, loss of a job, loss of a beloved one, depression, difficult decisions or any array of challenges which life brings.  Isn’t it comforting to know that the Lord covers us and protects from all troubles and is there covering us with His wings of refuge!  Even though our path might be an obstacle course, His wings protect us and His presence guides us.

Prayer:      Dear Lord we ask you to protect, protect and guide us through the ‘puddles’ of life with your wings of refuge.  We find comfort in knowing that you know our needs before we do. 

Amen

Carolyn Barth