Reflections From the Lake

As I write this, we are all on the bus heading home from a very memorable Music Retreat at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. This entire week was such a blessing to all of us, especially the Handbell classes. I think we really did learn a whole lot more than we expected! The seminars offered also covered many areas of worship. Our prayer as a team is that we will be able to take what we learned at Music and Liturgical Arts Week and use it to enhance the worship experience of our home church. When you think about it, our question really is: Why did we come on this trip? For most of us, I think that we came not only to learn how to better serve God through music, but to also grow closer in our relationship with Christ.

Whether we realize it our not, God truly did work through this trip to bring us closer together as partners in serving him. We all learned so much this week about each other and our relationships together. We were all brought closer to him, not necessarily during times of worship, but as we spent time talking, laughing, and sharing. We all learned so much about the other people that came on this trip with us just by spending time with them.

Over the course of this week, we have all had a great time spending time with one another and just getting away for a week. Even though we’ve been rushing around a HUGE campus trying to be on time for classes and catch trolleys all week long, it still seems like we’ve had time to just sit back, chill out, and enjoy creation. The whole week has really given us a vacation away from the routine, time to breathe in, breathe out, and move on. This year’s Lake Junaluska Trip was truly a trip like no other. We all learned so much and grew in our relationships with Christ and one another more than was ever expected!

Thank you all for the prayers and support this week while we have been gone. God has blessed more than we could have ever anticipated. He has kept us safe throughout the entire week and has taught us many things. Thank you for all your support, it means so much more than you think.


So, being blessed so much on this trip, I leave you with these words:
*New Doxology By: Gateway Worship

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above, ye Heavenly Host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Let and Earth and Heavenly Saints Proclaim,
The power and might of his great name.
Let us exalt on bended knee.
Praise God, the Holy Trinity.

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God who saved my soul.
Praise God, Praise God, Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise to the King, the throne transcends.
His crown and kingdom never ends.
Now and throughout eternity,
I’ll the one who died for me.

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God who saved my soul.
Praise God, Praise God, Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, Praise God, Praise God who saved my soul.
Praise God, Praise God, Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above, ye Heavenly Host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.


From the Hilltop,
Hunter Odom
hunter2444@coastalnow.net
Romans 8:28

Preformance Day!

Today was the day that we’ve been working for all week! This afternoon after lunch, the performances began with the Children’s Demonstration. Joanne and Christine did a beautiful job singing 5 songs that they have prepared. Christine even had a solo!!. Soon after the Instrumental Group had their concert in the auditorium. Caleb, Hunter, Mary, Callie, and Miranda did a great job as they played 5 selections that they’ve only had about 2 hours to learn! After the concert, it was time for the moment that everyone had been anticipating. We all made our way to Shackford Hall for the Handbell Concert. Our Handbell Choir played 4 pieces; The Gospel Train, With all my Heart, All Glory Laud and Honor, and Happy Birthday Variations. Our Director, Valerie Stevenson, a famous composer, arranged all of them!

The night overall was wonderful! We all played our best and worked our hardest to prepare for this night! We’re really tired though, so we’re ready to sleep in our own beds again! So anyway, we’re coming home tomorrow! See yall soon!

From the Hilltop,
Hunter Odom
hunter2444@coastalnow.net
Romans 8:28

Finding Happiness

Over the past few weeks, some friends of mine have been struggling with finding happiness. You might say that this is a minor problem and that they were just having a bad day, but these people are facing issues that have haunted them for years. There are so many things that can send someone’s life into a nose dive. Grief, depression, and fear are just a few things that can truly haunt people, day after day. Our job as their friends is to help them get through it.

For the past few weeks, the Lord has been showing me and a few others what happiness really is. When you think about it, that’s always been a question in the back of our heads. The Lord has shown us that we, nor anyone else will ever be able to find true happiness in anything but him. All worldly things will satisfy for awhile but nothing will stay with you like He will. It doesn’t matter how rich you are, how many friends you have, or how high you are on the popularity scale; true happiness can only be found in God. There is NOTHING that will satisfy a persons hunger more than the living water of our living God. He is constantly helping people deal with sadness by just being there. But for him to bring you happiness you have to completely give yourself to him. Every ounce of your being has to be fully surrendered. If not, it could be too late.

There are different types of sadness; they could range from grief to true, full-blown depression. No matter how serious, God will always be here to help the people that want to have happiness through him. Other than him, there is no other.

“You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. Follow the impulses of your heart. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know also that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.”
-Ecclesiastes 11:9-

From the Hilltop,
Hunter Odom
hunter2444@coastalnow.net
Romans 8:28

Lake Junaluska 2008!

As many of you know, I am currently on a Music Retreat with RHUMC’s Music Ministry. On Sunday, June 26th, 2008 our team met at RHUMC to take on this exciting adventure. We loaded up the church bus and headed to Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. Lake Junaluska is a Methodist Retreat Center in the Appalachian Mountains. Church groups can come on retreats or come to conferences surrounded by God’s natural beauty, his creation. We arrived at the lake at about 2PM checked in with the Music Liturgical Arts Week 2008 staff. Once we were given our cabin keys, we unpacked the bus and settled in.

Music Liturgical Arts Week (MLAG) is centered around three main aspects of today’s traditional worship scene: voice, handbells, and dance. As most of you know, traditional worship isn’t exactly my preference, but MLAG enables worship to truly come alive. I’m here mainly for handbells, but MLAW offers 3 seminars each afternoon. Many of these seminars deal with the planning and conducting of creative and captivating worship. I have been excited to be able to attend a few of them so that I can take what I learned back home and put it to use with our Youth Worship Team.

Overall, we’re all having a wonderful time here at the lake. Please keep us in your prayers as we finish off the week and travel home. Thank yall so much for your support as we learn how to better our church’s worship!

Lake Junaluska 2008 Team Members:
*Jason Moon
*Yoon Nam
*Terri Jarrell
*Hunter Odom
*Caleb Ingram
*Adrienne Warren
*Allison Lott
*Mary VanDerHeyden
*Brittany Jarrell
*Callie Harkness
*Miranda Cooper
*Anna Lott
*Audra Warren
*Joanne Moon
*Christine Moon

From the Hilltop,
Hunter Odom
hunter2444@coastalnow.net
Romans 8:28