Followers

Monday, June 20, 2011

TIRED...oh so tired.
I got home less than 48 hours ago from 23 days at Lost Canyon where I was incredibly privileged to work alongside 52 amazing college students. Amazing? what I really mean is unbelievable, spectacular and awesome beyond belief.
Yesterday I experienced the Summer Staff Blues. I missed these wonderful friends so much. I didn't have energy to do much of anything. Well I did vacuum because there was alot of dog hair around, and I did wash my clothes and because it was Father's Day and none of our kids were around, I tried to make Scud a nice dinner. He really deserves it as he has been the BEST dad possible for our kids and quite a few others.
But I was so tired. and today...tired too.
Altho I have done a bit more housework today, I went outside to read a book and quickly dozed off. And then I woke up hungry.
So I have this schedule of a newborn baby...eat a little, stay up and then sleep some more.
And I wondered why its so hard to settle back into normal everyday life.
And I remembered the story of Elijah in the bible. Its in 1 Kings chapters 18-19.
Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal (those who worship false gods) to see whose GOD is real. In this story, Elijah mocks them and gets them to yell louder and louder to wake up their false gods. And of course, the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, the ONE whom Elijah serves, makes known His Presence in front of these foolish prophets and eventually all 450 are killed.
This does not sit well with Jezebel the wicked wife and queen of Ahab. She orders that Elijah be killed at once and frightened, he runs away, fearing for his very life.
Here is the story of a man who valiantly spoke of the power, the love, the protection of his God and yet because he was God's own prophet, he spoke up against the deception, the evil, the atrocities of his day and repeated over and over that GOD would not allow this to continue.
And God was faithful to His servant in the midst of these troubling times.
And yet we see Elijah running for his life immediately after he kills all the prophets of Baal.
This is a great reminder for me and my amazing summer staff.
WE, like Elijah, have just ministered for the LORD. We did all that we possibly could to make sure that the over 1000 high school kids that visited Lost Canyon had every opportunity to hear and see the love and kindness of our SAVIOR. Everything we did for 3 weeks, from cooking our meals, to washing the clothes, to making sure the sound boards were working, to manning the ropes course , the zip, the heist, the pool, the blob, the bikes-Everything we did was to show Christ in visible and some invisible ways.
And now, we are home ...tired, exhausted and needing some rest.
In 1Kings 19, an angel of the LORD ministered to Elijah. He needed rest and sleep. He needed to be strengthened, just as we do.
WE need to rest, to eat and most of all, we need to spend time with the LORD to be refreshed and rejuvinated in His Presence. We need a touch from Our Master.
So lets be like babies...eat, sleep and get ready for the next step GOD has for us.
I love you Session 1 Summer staff of Lost Canyon and I miss you terribly.

Monday, June 13, 2011

TIME

TIME...how precious time is. Time is a gift . What we do with it says alot about who we are and what we are about.
Right now time has become a mystery to me.
Yesterday at 4:05pm, my watch stopped. My trusty little timex watch.

And time stood still. I was thinking I was so efficient doing my one on one summer staff evaluations until someone pointed out to me that it was 1 1/2 hrs later than 4:05. I didn't realize how much I used my watch. At camp, I am always looking at it to see what time it is and where I should be. And well today, I have been late twice already and feel a bit disconnected all because the battery in my watch decided to stop.
I actually went to town in Williams to see if I could easily get a battery. But NO...many watch batteries were seen, but none that fit my watch.
So time remains a mystery to me today.
But also on other days it does too. What do I do with my time?? Do I use it wiesly? Or do I act as if I had all the time in the world? and possibly waste it?
This week, time seems of the essence. I have 26 evaluations I need to do and then now I have 4 days left with this wonderful staff of 52 summer staff kids. I want to spend as much time with them as possible and squeeze in every precious moment that I can.
Which today seems like quite the task.But I don't want to miss this time, I want to take advantage of every single hour that I am given.
And then there is time in general...which we all have. And what we do with our time is our own responsibility. How much time have I wasted in my life??? Probably alot and now I am realizing as i get older, that time truly is a precious gift.
Just this week one of my dear friends was told of 2 of his friends death within 10 minutes of each other.
We don't know how much time each of us has. And we do not appreciate the time we do have. It really is a gift.
Only God knows how much time each person has and yet we need to treasure all the time we do have.
The book of Ecclesiastes says that "there is a time for everything...a time to be born and a time to die". I know from my many years as a nurse, that someone is being born right now as I type and someone has ended their live on earth.
What we do with the space in between our birth and our death is what really matters.
Am I using that time for God? To bring Him glory? To tell those that struggle and cope with life that HE alone is their hope? That HE exists beyond our time and has been God from Ages past into eternity?
This brief bit of time without a watch has made me realize that time itself is a very precious commodity. Oh how I want to make the most of all the time I am given. and i want you too to realize that life is short. Try to savor life with a deep reverance and appreciation for all the time we are given.

Friday, June 10, 2011

There's Hope for me yet

Right now I am two thirds thru my assignment as the women's summer staff coordinator at Lost Canyon.
I can't even begin to tell you how blessed this time has been. God has been so wonderfully gracious to me. I have 26 girls that I am to get to know , and lead. But by far, my most important job is to love them. And this has been very easy. They come from all over the United States...the south is represented in gals from Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas. We have midwestern girls from Kansas and Iowa and Illinois. Of course California and Arizona and Nevada are represented and Sweet Angel comes from Hawaii.
We also have 26 young men with us and they too come from all over the country.
We are truly a diverse group of different races and yet we all are here to serve Christ.
I have been humbled by the stories of their lives. There are heartaches,tragedies and pain that seem most unbearable to me. I want to love them as they deserve to be loved. I want them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that a lifetime of walking with Jesus is worth it. That life doesn't make sense at all apart from Christ. That there may be joys,and happiness; but there also can be times of great challenge, frustration and yes, even terrible pain. Times where they may wonder: "GOD, are you even there?"
My heart's desire is that they will know the Love, the Strength, the Hope, the Grace, the Faithfulness of Our Savior. That it is something that will always be there for us;even in the midst of the darkest of times.
This has been such a rich time for me.
But it hasn't always been easy. This late 50's body isn't what it once was. I am tired tonight and know that we will be leaving at 6am to see the Grand Canyon tomorrow. So I know I need to sleep well tonight and encourage them to do the same. Because tomorrow afternoon brings our last group of campers for their "WEEK ONLY" and we need to be at our very best to serve them.
As an assignment team, we have had devotions every morning. As the entire camp, we have a booklet on the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthinians-the LOVE chapter and it has been very thought provoking and challenging.
Today we looked at ! Cor 13:5b "Love keeps no record of wrongs"
OUCH.
How many times have I kept records? and why??

I was very convicted and after our meeting, I opted out of our next meeting so that I could spend some time with the LORD getting my heart right.
So many Scriptures speak of our need for forgiveness.
I think the one I go to the most is Colossians 3:13.
Bear with one another (or make allowance for each other's faults)and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the LORD forgave you.
Luke 6:37 says:
Forgive and you will be forgiven

So I take that to mean if I don't forgive, I won't be forgiven. WOW...that is some serious words of Jesus. I want and desperately need forgiveness. So I must forgive, even when it means I have been offended, or taken advantage of, or someone has deeply wounded me or worse yet, someone I love.

So the pettiness and grudge I had against someone back home, was quickly confessed.
I was cleansed and forgiven for my lack of mercy towards someone.
And thankful that the Holy Spirit spoke deep into my heart and showed me that I needed to keep no records of wrongs. That keeping short accounts really is the BEST way.
And that Hebrews 8:12 is a promise I claim today:
For I will forgive their wickedness, and remember their sins no more.

Thank you Lord Jesus, that slowly but surely , You are changing me from the selfish unforgiving person I naturally tend to be, into the person You envision me to be.
There is hope for me yet!!