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It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that
prevents us from living freely and nobly.
—Thoreau
An object in possession seldom retains the same charm
that it had in pursuit.
—
Pliny
the Younger
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talk about it
 What’s
something you wish you had? New clothes? An iPod? A Wii? More love for
others? It would be pretty cool if you thought of love first, but we all
know that our first thoughts usually go to material things. We fill our
lives with them and we never have enough. What is enough? How can we change
our focus and go for more of God and less of what the world tells us we
need?
We want to know what you think! Talk about
it with other SpringHill campers, staff and counselors on the SpringHill MySpace page. Or, if you
have another question you'd like to discuss, email us.
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talk
back
You know what’s cool and what’s not. What
works and what doesn't. And we want you to tell us! You can be part of a
special group that gives SpringHill feedback by joining SWISH (Students
With Ideas for SpringHill). Just fill out this online form and answer
"yes" to the last question and we’ll sign you up! When we
have questions about things here at SpringHill, we'll send you an email and
you can be part of making SpringHill the great place that it is.
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stay
in touch
 What’s
better than the sound of a pencil sharpening? How about the sound of your
pulley ripping down the zipline? Summer’s over and the leaves
crunching under your new shoes might be the highlight of the fall, but
memories of your SpringHill summer live on! So, tell your friends how you
took some brutal hits on the paintball field, tuned into some of the most
incredible live music and served God with your whole heart. Then get back
to SpringHill as soon as you can (and bring a friend — or a whole
youth group — with you!). In the meantime,
find out what we’re listening to and think about who you're answering
to. The Well has a lot of
great things to say this month, so read on and talk back!
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news @
springhill indiana
Are
you ready to rock? An amazing lineup of some of today's hottest Christian
bands (like Sevenglory, Red Umbrella and Heath McNease) will be coming to
SpringHill Michigan for our first annual Music Festival September 22 and
23! Bring your whole family to this awesome, fun-filled event in Evart,
Michigan, that includes all your favorite SpringHill
activities and three stages rocking with music all weekend long. Check
out the Festival webpage and the Festival myspace page for more details, music
samples and a rad promo video — and, of course, to register!!
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what
does your life consist of?
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be
on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an
abundance of possessions.” —Luke 12:15
Do you consider yourself a materialistic person? Most
of us would probably say "no," but what do our thoughts and
actions say? Look at all your stuff: your clothes, your electronics, your
transportation. Consider the amount of time you spend plotting and browsing
for what you’ll buy next. If all of your material possessions were
taken away, who would you be? Without our even knowing it, we become known
by what we own. We find our worth, our status and our security in our
possessions. This is why Jesus says with such emphasis, “Watch
out!” Don’t let your stuff define your life.
Think about this: Where do you
find your worth? How can you “be on guard against all kinds of
greed?” If your life doesn’t consist of all your possessions,
what does it consist of? How could you direct your thoughts and actions in
ways that honor God instead of ways that honor stuff?
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alisa turner unplugged
 How do you
describe beauty, sadness and hope all wrapped up in one musical package?
Alisa Turner is emerging not only as one of the hottest new female voices
on stage and soundtrack, she’s also getting buzz for her ability to
relate to anyone going through the tough stuff of life with her raw
experience and gritty encouragement to hold on. Don’t miss Alisa LIVE
at the SpringHill Music Festival and in this exclusive
interview:
The Well: Who gave you the encouragement
to pursue a singing career?
Alisa:
I have a very supportive family; my father was a worship pastor so music
was a big part of our lives. I never had aspirations to do this full time;
singing is just second nature. I guess the career chose me.
The Well: What's your favorite part of
the creative process?
Alisa: I’ll
get inspired about a story or a movie and think I’ll be able to write
something, but nothing comes. Then, another time, out of the blue, God will
have something to say through me and a song will pour out in minutes. Being
patient is tough, but it’s the best when the music just comes out. I
never have to think twice about those songs.
The Well : What do you hope people take away from your
music?
Alisa: I
think my songs bring up tough issues that young people deal with. I hope to
get people talking and help bring encouragement.
The Well : How do you try to avoid the traps of our culture, like
materialism?
Alisa:
I love nice clothes and I don’t think it’s wrong to buy them if
I tithe and take care of my expenses first. God doesn’t want you to
sit naked in a desert, but he does want you to have a thankful heart and to
see the things you own as a gift.
The Well : At the times in your life when you've felt the
lowest, what's helped you most?
Alisa: There
have been low times when I couldn’t even think straight. During those
times Satan messed with my ability to pray or focus on God, but I somehow
held out hope — hope that all my
negative, drowning thoughts were not from God, hope that God was far better
than all this.
The Well : What advice do you have for a teen who is experiencing
a lot of emotional or psychological pain?
Alisa:
My troubles started in middle school. I found out later that my depression
was triggered by a thyroid problem but I was uninformed. I believed that
God was punishing me for something. I know now that that was Satan tricking
me and making me feel even worse about myself. God wouldn’t take you
to the point where you don’t want to wake up the next morning. God is
love. God is about abundant life. So, if you’re losing grip on your
life, get help. Talk to someone. Above all, don’t lose hope. Believe
that God loves you.
Check out Alisa's MySpace page; then, come see her live on stage at SpringHill!
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now playing
 The
Chess Hotel from The Elms
Straight out of Seymour,
Indiana (home to
SpringHill Indiana),
The Elms sing out about life and love in blue-collar, small-town America.
Highly emotionally charged, this bold, inspired album (the band’s
first with Universal) gets in your face with its buzz-saw, straight-ahead,
rock-and-roll sound and the raw sentiment in the lyrics. Get more on The Elms MySpace page. And
don’t miss them on stage at the SpringHill Music Festival!
 On the Move
by Bono
If you’ve ever questioned whether you have enough, this small book,
based upon the speech given by Bono (of U2) at the 2006 National Prayer
Breakfast, will set the record straight. Through word and image, On the Move delivers an inspiring and
powerful message, challenging people of all faiths to reach across
boundaries and come together on behalf of what the Bible calls "the
least of these." Check out the book here.
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