Summer Camp

I drove up to camp not wanting to be there. I was dreading the week...for various reasons. I had tried for two weeks to get excited for camp and change my attitude...and it didn't work.

God had a plan for the week. A divine appointment with the students AND with the leaders that were up there (including me!). I realized that I was going to get in God's way because of my crappy attitude. I spent a good portion of the first worship time, on my knees before God. I confessed my bad attitude and that I couldn't change it. I desperately wanted to be a part of what God was going to do during the week, but I had NOTHING to give. I was running on empty. I gave God my nothing and I rested in the promise that when I'm weak...HE is STRONG! And WOW! Was I BLOWN away by what God did through me during the week.

I'm not sure exactly how to really put down in words even a small part of what God did during the week at camp...but I'm going to give it my best shot.

The camp we take our kids up to every year is beautiful! I'd only really been up there in the winter, because we also do winter camp up at this location. It was cool to see it in the summer.

Camp, of course, included lots of fun stuff. There was hiking, boating, swimming (in a VERY COLD lake), biking, tree climbing, ropes course, etc. for the kids to choose from during afternoon free time. The activities staff planned a lot of different team games that we played throughout the week. I was on the green team...that's our mascot...the HULK...One of the other green GLs (Group Leader) was our mascot all week.

What the green team lacked in talent and the ability to win, we made up for with pure enthusiasm and spirit!

We were paired with the yellow team (their mascot is the sun looking thing...named Wilson) for a few of the games. The purple and pink teams ended up kicking our butts! Purple won, which was ok, since I knew a lot of the people on that team :-)

We played kick ball...

Had a pie eating contest...

(The guy on the end (right) was from the green team...he gobbled that pie up so fast! We actually did win that event)

Decorated "tanks" which we threw paintballs at...

Had a big pillow fight...

(there were a number of bloody noses...not my idea of fun, but some of the kids enjoyed it)

Other games included ultimate frisbee with a cows tongue (remember me mentioning there has to be something just slightly wrong with you in order to be in youth ministry??), a bowling ball toss, and a big relay race.

One afternoon during free time a cute little chipmunk got stuck in our cabin.

But, the main part of camp...the stuff that was life changing, had nothing to do with the games or the late night activities. God moved so powerfully, despite - or because - of our weaknesses. The two guys that were running camp this year ended up stepping down as the youth pastors of their churches and also left a lot of things for camp undone. The speaker was asked a month before camp and the worship team was asked just two weeks before! They might have been asked at the last minute, but MAN, did God have everything worked out!

The speaker built the week off of Luke 6:46-49 --

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

The first night, the speaker made a bold move...that set the tone for the entire week. He didn't give the traditional "God's gonna do awesome things this week" message. He had a come to Jesus meeting! He flat out told the students...and the leaders...that there were things in our lives that were keeping us from being built on a rock. That before we could really hear from God the rest of the week we needed to do the action step of coming. The speaker had warned the leaders before hand that he wasn't going to do a traditional alter call. This was going to be a night for everyone to come to Jesus...not to the speaker, not to a leader, not to a friend...just Jesus. And that's exactly what happened. The students encountered God as they came before Him in repentance. It was incredible. I have never seen students SO hungry for God and so broken before Him. And God promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him. The rest of the week, the whole atmosphere of camp was different, because students were truly experiencing freedom in Christ.

The rest of the week God continued to move powerfully as the kids learned more about what it means to live for God and were challenged to change the world. This generation, this world is hurting and something needs to change.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and HEAL THEIR LAND."

Our land desperately needs healing, and I saw a group of kids stand up and say that they will no longer accept the way things are...I saw God equip those students to be His army.

The worship team did an incredible job. I have never seen a worship team that ONLY worshipped. They went after God so hard, you just couldn't help but come along. They also taught on worship really well. I spent a lot of the time just standing back watching in awe as I saw the kids sing praises to the Lord - without words on the screen or many times a previously written song.

The other thing that was so cool to sing, was the guys stepping up and pouring themselves out to God. The worship team really challenged the guys that it was time to step up and be men of God...not to be worried about looking cool, but to really become the leaders that God has made them. And wow! It was incredible!

Pudding Fight

Youth ministry - it takes a special breed of people to do youth ministry! We were talking about it at camp and came to the conclusion that you also have to hand God ALL of your dignity in order to be effective :-) There's just something about acting completely real and goofy that attracts kids!

One of the fun activities that we do with our youth is the

PUDDING FIGHT.

Not sure why but there's something about throwing massive amounts of pudding at each other that gets kids excited! It's been such a hit that we do one every year. I think we had 60+ pounds of chocolate and vanilla pudding this time around. It's amazing how fast that much pudding can go!

Can you see how much pudding this girl has in her ear? She's hardcore about the pudding fight!

This girl (below) is awesome...She came to youth group for the first time for our first annual pudding fight. She came right up to us leaders and defiantly proclaimed that she was an atheist and didn't believe in God. We just loved on her and told her to come again...and she did! At winter camp in February she told me that God was starting to make sense...when she heard Jeff speak about Jesus and when she experienced the unconditional love and acceptance that we gave her, it just was starting to seem real. At summer camp, she got re-baptized (as she puts it, since she was sprinkled as a baby) and now is PROUDLY proclaiming that she is a child of God and proud to be called a Christian!

And all that started because of a pudding fight!

If God can use pudding and a handful of leaders who want to be Jesus to hurting kids - then He can use ANYTHING!

Clair - before and after

Ever seen a cat who has been shaved. It's rather comical! Here are a few pictures of Jill's cat, Clair, when she was a bit younger...and very fluffy!

Here's what Clair looked like after a visit to the groomer. :-)

Nature

I'm sitting outside getting ready to do a post about camp. Gotta love wireless!

I love sitting on the back porch swing and just soaking up the presence of God. The day isn't particularly beautiful, but it is cool and breezy and I love closing my eyes and just letting the wind whisper by.

Since you can't be here to share this quiet moment with me, I thought I'd share some pretty pictures of God's creation that I've taken recently.

This picture really doesn't capture how big and bright the moon was that day...but maybe you can use your imagination.

I took this one right outside the house a few weeks ago. I love how pink the sky was.
This is what I saw one day when I came out of work...I just stood there for a long time drinking in the beauty. It was absolutely breath taking...look at those clouds!

Fireworks

I love fireworks...but it is SO hard to get good pictures with a little digital camera. Here are a few that turned out pretty well.

I think this one is my favorite :-)

4th of July

The city does a wonderful fireworks display every year along with a local symphony concert. It's really fun :-)

Jill and Steph still were not happy I had the camera out. Jimmy didn't seem to mind though :-)

Here's the rest of the gang (minus Neil) listening to the music.
Jill and Steph were a bit tired. That wiffle ball sure wore them out!
All the comforts of home...a comfy chair - complete with foot rest, a pillow for your head, and your Iphone.
I love this picture of AK and UJ!



The sunset was beautiful...this picture really doesn't come close to doing it justice!

Here's the symphony. I especially love that they play a tribute to the Armed Forces, the 1812 Overture, the Washington Post March, and and Stars and Stripes Forever each year. Those are some of my favorites
You can't really tell, but those are three ski divers. They were MOST impressive!
Can you see the parachute open?
If you look really closely, under the fireworks is the American flag. It was SOOOO cool to see in person.

Vietnam Memorial

The traveling Vietnam Memorial is in town. It really is overwhelming to see how many names are on the wall...and each name represents a person, a son, a father, a husband, a friend that gave everything for our country.

It was a humbling experience.

Can you see the flame through the flowers?