Life has been full these days. A week after my wedding I participated at a youth ministry retreat where I gave two presentations. Pictured here is how participants were greeted.
Mae did a lovely job of collecting objects and arranging them on the table.
The starfish was a gift from one of Mae's students. Have you heard of the story of the boy and the starfish?
A man was walking along a deserted beach at sunset. As he walked he could see a young boy in the distance, as he drew nearer he noticed that the boy kept bending down, picking something up and throwing it into the water.
Time and again he kept hurling things into the ocean.
As the man approached even closer, he was able to see that the boy was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time he was throwing them back into the water.
The man asked the boy what he was doing, the boy replied,"I am throwing these washed up starfish back into the ocean, or else they will die through lack of oxygen. "But", said the man, "You can't possibly save them all, there are thousands on this beach, and this must be happening on hundreds of beaches along the coast. You can't possibly make a difference."
The boy looked down, frowning for a moment; then bent down to pick up another starfish, smiling as he threw it back into the sea. He replied,
"I made a huge difference to that one!"
~Author Unknown~
Mae reminded us that nothing we do for children is ever wasted.
As I looked through the letters of the sign that spelled "LOVE," I noticed the word "OPEN." My thoughts drifted, "Are you open to love? Are you open to receiving love? Are you open to giving love?"
The retreat was held at Camp Bernadette in Wolfeboro. Here is a peek at the space where we congregated.
I had made little signs for Mae to use to decorate the environment.
The "create" sign hung over the section of the room where I presented. I think that was a good sign for me.
"Play" is another favorite. In this photo you can see we were on a quiet and beautiful lake.
I gave a presentation on Sacred Circles and showed them an easy way to draw mandalas.
When Mae told me that the title of the event was "Open Doors to Open Hearts" I thought of the perfect image to use for the flyer. Pictured above is the flyer I designed for the event.
The artwork is a spirit box (the detail shown above) designed by Adele Sanborn. I contacted Adele to get permission to photograph and use the box for the event. Adele is a NH artist and long-time member of the League of NH Craftsmen. She is a talented calligrapher who makes handmade books. Adele began designing these spirit boxes to house the books. Learn more about Adele Sanborn's beautiful artwork on her website: www.cornerstonedesignnh.com
Bookmarks were used with the heart image on one side. Participants were asked to write their name on the back side.
The bookmarks were shuffled and each person was randomly given one. The name on the bookmark was our prayer buddy.
The chapel on the grounds is a sweet little spot to pray and worship.
I fell in love with the objects selected and placed at the doorway to the chapel.
Soooo sweet.
That night we enjoyed toasting marshmellows and making s'mores at "Shawn Fire."
My favorite time of day is morning when I capture the beautiful morning light.
I was lucky enough to sleep on the water.
One of the participants, inspired by the mandala presentation, created this sacred circle and worked in the names of each participant.
Here is a list of resources and related links from my presentations:
SACRED CIRCLES AND MANDALAS
- See my blog post HERE with lots of ideas on mandala making and a video on how to draw mandalas.
- See my blog post HERE about the "walking a labyrinth" journal exercise.
- Natural Mandalas: 30 New Meditations to Help You Find Peace and Awareness in the Beauty of Nature
- Mystical Mandala Coloring Book (Dover Design Coloring Books)
SEE ALSO
- See my blog post HERE about making crosses.
- Making Crosses: A Creative Connection to God (Active Prayer Series)
- The Prayer Box: Create, Write, and Live Your Prayers
- Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God (Active Prayer Series)
I had a wonderful time at the retreat. It was so lovely to get out from behind the computer and have the opportunity to share my love for creativity. I felt so welcomed and energized by the response to my presentations.
With Brightest Blessings,
Kathryn Costa, Collage Diva
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