Poem from Hannah Barg

oh! and one more thing. I wanted to post the poem I shared with everyone on the last day.
here it is :
how do i greive, how do i deal with this loss? words cannot describe how broken i feel. my heart is shattered into a million shards. you oh lord are the only one who can heal my wounds and pick me up from the low, dirty, confusing ground. The sun shines but i am blinded by darkness. help comes but i remain lifeless. these tears i cry form a river of sorrow. my body is nnumb. My soul aches for your presence. I cry out to you.
Suddenly the blanket is lifted, my burden is taken away and i begin to feel life warm my cold skin. God has provided and i realize he is with me. I find myself on a sandy beach. We walk together, and as i look behind us, two sets of perfect footprints are indented into the soft ground. they wind for miles, forming the path of life. bubba (my brother) hold my hand-he is with me now. He always will be. God made his body whole and his brilliance remains. We are all three together now-the lord bubba and me- and now i see God took Bubba from his pain and left his joy and legacy amung us. for this i am thankful. My lord is with me once more and so is my precious brother.
-hannah barg

Hannah Barg

've been going on church retreats for a while, and they always affect me a little bit, but one life was different. This time i decided to bring 2 of my good friends along. It was really powerful to see them grow in their faith and be able to share my love for God with them. It inspired me to continue to share my faith with others because they want to hear! I love covenant point becuase of the small setting and all of the amazing people who work there. Thank you for making my weekend such an enjoyable one! I love you guys!
-Hannah Barg, Libertyville Covenant

Reflection from Meagan Schade....

Meagan Schade said...

Church has never really been a part of my life before...aside from Christmas Eve and Easter, I never went...and I didn't really care either. Nobody made me go and it didn't really do anything for me so I just never got into it.
Then I went on OneLife. It literally changed my life around completely; The way I see things, the way I think, the way I listen. I was touched so deeply by the entire weekend. Everything that Jeff said applied to my life exactly. I wasn't even going to go on OneLife until about a couple days before we left because of certain circumstances, but I got wonderful support and love and encouragement from a few people in my youth group and so I decided to go. I also had this little instinct voice inside my head and my heart telling me to go. OneLife was one of the best decisions of my life. I became so much stronger because I have discovered this whole new support system who will always be there for me and who has been rooting for me since the day I was born, God. I never knew! But now I'm okay with what happens in my life everyday, because I have learned that this is the way that He wants things to be, this is part of my life path that God created which will lead somewhere wonderful someday. Drama with my friends, boyfriend breakups, stress at school, ...it's all very hard, but I know that I can get through it if I remember that God is by my side every step of the way and that he is rooting for me every second. I love that. I love everything I learned on OneLife.

I cannot wait for next year.
Thank you
and thank you to everyone who encouraged me to go!

From Ryan

Alright, I have my story to tell... not much, but hopefully it can show you how I got really in touch with God.

Alright, so in the few days before this trip, I was thinking, "Oh boy. 4 days of freezing cold weather with a lot of people I don't know that well. Sounds like fun!". I was so wrong.

It was Saturday night, I believe, that I truly felt his presence. I was listening to Jeff and his preaching, and it was the first time that preaching really got me thinking. I thought long and hard, and I realized, "I need him." I need God more that I've needed anything ever before. It took me 14 years, going to church for a year, and youth group for about 6 months, to realize this. I thought I needed my iPod, my computer, my friends, family, but in reality, I need Him, and Him only.

This retreat really showed me what is meaningful in my life. I just wish I can convince my friends to show the same love and affection to God, that I am now doing. Thank the Lord for everything I have, and I fully trust Him, with no strings attached.

From Nikki

so my story. well ill admit for a long time up until about a year ago i didn't believe in god. i thought he wasn't there for me and i didn't understand his ways. but ever since i've been going to deer grove my life has been so much better and fuller and richer in god.He has helped me through so much and cant thank or love him enough.
this weekend was an amazing experience. it was done to bring me closer to god and my fellow youth group students. i feel so much better about myself since the retreat. on Saturday night, i had a moment, a moment were i was one with god and nothing could stand in my way of loving him. i felt so much in love with him and his goodness i just couldn't stand it. i was crying and blubbering the song lyrics like a baby and i didn't care. i was one with god and that was all that mattered. thank you youth group for getting me to go on this retreat it has changed my life. <3333333

From Lauren

This year was my fourth time at One Life, so I figured I knew what to expect. Every single year has been unforgettable, but this year honestly can't compare. I NEVER could have imagined that it would have such an impact on my life. Before going on this retreat, I felt that I was slowly drifting away from God. I felt close with him at church (DeerGrove) and youth group, but when I wasn't at one of those places, I felt disconnected and frustrated. Every single moment...car rides, worship, skiing, and just hanging out, i will never forget. The worship services changed my life. The messages that Jeff said connected so well with what I was feeling, and have helped me through life back at home. During one of the services, there was a station where you could pray and they would lay a cross on you and slowly lift it off...that was one of the most powerful moments of my life. Not only experiencing it myself, but watching others as the cross was lifted off their back...I will never forget their faces. One of my favorite memories was after the service ended, we were all invited to stay after and continue worshiping. I remember sitting with my hands out, crying so hard because i felt God's love stronger than I ever have. I opened my eyes, and saw EVERY SINGLE PERSON with their hands raised, crying, even on their knees. It was absolutely breath taking.

From Becky

This weekend was huge for me and my relationship with Christ. I've been on other retreats before and all have been amazing, but for some reason this trip really stands out for me. God was so present during this trip. Sunday night in the tab was so emotional, but at the same time i knew that God was calling me into the next adventure that He has planned. I'm scared, but at the same time I'm so excited and ready to give my life and future to God. This was also a big weekend for me because one of my close friends who was new to our youthgroup came on onelife and decided to accept Christ into her life. I got to see God at work in so many people and in so many ways and I pray that I get to continue to experience such amazing things through the Lord.

From Margo

I dont really like to cry, but for some reason more and more it seems like I can no longer even get through a regular church service with out crying. Not necessarily because there are such hard struggles going on in my life but more because I just feel like the Lord is calling me to be really vulnerable with myself and with him. Crying is messy, it is stepping out of my comfort zone, and I am learning that for some reason is is how i can really resonate with God. OneLife was no exception to my new habit of tears, on the powerful Saturday night service I really got to connect with others in my youth group and be with them during their holy moments with God. On Sunday night it gave me the chills to see how at work God was in that tab. Every student's face was filled with different emotions as they encountered Christ in very mighty ways. What an experience to see and be apart of. That night I felt like I was being challenged to meet people in their encounters who were not in my youth group, I cried with and hugged boys and girls I had never met, cried with and prayed with girls I had hardly talked to and prayed again with girls I will most likely never see again. I cried and sang with a random youth group- I have no idea where they are from... I prayed with my best friends, the people i know the most and total strangers who i know the least...and in all those encounters and all those holy moments, and in all those tears is where I met God. The whole weekend was full of blessings and christ-like moments, but Sunday night is where God's presence was unavoidable and his challenges were impossible to miss. If I prayed, or hugged, or sang or cried with you, then thank you for helping me hear God's voice Sunday night and live my faith. I look back on OneLife with a very tender and fond heart, what an incredible weekend that blew me away, and what a perfect place to reinforce my relationships with God and other students.

We want to hear your what "One Life" meant to you!

Students and Leaders!!!!

I hope this weekend was an amazing weekend for you and your group. I pray that this weekend was an opportunity for you to see or experience God on the move in your life. We want to hear your stories!!! What did God do this weekend? Where did he show up in your life? What was your "One Life" experience like?

Here is how it works....Just hit the comment button and tell your story!

What is One Life?

One Life is a way of living. Its saying that the kind of life I lead on Sunday is the same life I lead on Monday. Its a kind of living that takes seriously the radical call of Christ in our lives. Its saying my entire life is affliated with Christ's life. Its a life that asks the though questions, its a life that seeks to find the difficult answers. This blog is meant to ask the difficult questions and together find the answers. Its meant to be a place where your voice is heard and where we grow together!