Training camp.. Training camp… Oh! Oh! Training Camp!!… How do you begin to even try and explain how great this time was that we had. 10 days in a backpack was on like donkey kong. And I must say I don’t think it was long enough!
It was the most I’d ever felt what it was like having what you got in a back pack, in the woods, with a bunch of crazy people, who
Just wanna strive to love Jesus the same kinda way he loves us. It was hard but at the same time easier then anything I could’ve ever imagined. Words don’t just express what it was like. My heart broke and cried and laughed ALOT! A whole bunch of lifetime relationships were formed. An eternal sonship with my brothers and my sisters!
Gosh how great is that? He asks us out of no where, US, all of our friends, our family and loved ones, even you sitting at home reading this, everyone involved is now apart of something pretty amazing that’s happening. So, we can jump on this wave and ride his coat tail out or stay where we are in our comfortable little bubbles aiming to be “perfect little Christians.” I mean that totally in the sense of breaking what we’re used too, stepping out deeper and trusting a little harder. He is with and for us no matter what! He’s already gone in first, we have nothing to fret or be afraid of.
JESUS!!! Man he fills me full. His name is even more amazing when you scream it. (Justin, say it wit ya chest lolol) it feels good…
Anyways, This was that time i dreamed I was gonna go in the Navy and never did. This was that rescue diver I was supposed to be. This is the kingdom! This is how he saw fit I contribute. Annnd it feels good being called to the ends of the earth I’m not gonna lie lol!
But I’ll be honest weeks leading in to camp were tough. I doubted this more then any of you could ever possibly know. Atlanta’s comfortable, got a great new job, tons of stuff happening at Passion, tons of ministry here. I’ll just stick around a little while longer then I’ll do the race. I’ve given up on dreams in the past what’s another right? Nope, that wasn’t me thinking and it sure wasn’t my best friend! If it’s good he’s gonna keep it good. He’s not gonna say it’s good if it isn’t good and he’s not gonna turn good stuff bad. He’s a good good father! He had my back all along.
All I can say is that call is still ringing. He spoke and he said yes! I want you to have total peace for me. And if you’re scared of me dying or being imprisoned or anything else horrible happening, don’t be! Say the worse thing that could ever possibly happen were to actually happen. Well that’d suck right? Yeah duh! And I dang sure would hate it if it did but at the same time, this is the only war worth dying for. Pause on that…. The one between love and hate, good and evil, light and darkness, LIFE and DEATH and that’s it! The simplistic meaning of life! lol who cares about all the questions. How about we find the easiest answer! LIFE. Abundantly at that
Anyways, It literally was like a month in 2 weeks. Best as I can describe. Im still learning a lot about my self. Thank God, cause that’s fun. Am I right? (A hint of sarcasm) Who would want to know these things about yourself? Going deep, living from the inside out. Who wants that? Who wants to deal with all of that stuff! we’ve tucked under the rug all these years??? Well… I guess I kinda do because I know that’s where I’m gonna find healing and inner peace, that’s how I wanna see my self, as my father sees me and I can’t do that without looking at me.
Yeah it’s tough to dig into that ol heart of yours and look around and say Oh Lord! I hope you never leave me cause I’ve got a whole bunch of every days left and that’s what it’s going to take. Everyday you Jesus, looking inside my heart, answering my prayer and turning me into the man you would have me to be. I’m willing to ride that struggle bus when life gets hard because I know first hand, the good has always outweighed the bad!
Then again maybe he already sees me as that guy! That’s awesome right he sees me for who he created me to be? Not that guy I used to be or even the guy I am today. He’s already seen the finished product! I am who he says I am. I am a child of God!
(Easy with the lyrics geeze!)
Training camp wasn’t about me preparing myself to go on the race to find out who I am. No, he engrained that very quickly. YOU ARE MINE, I AM YOURS! Now let’s get out there and do work son! He didn’t say it exactly like Big Black but he did spark something deep within me during camp. And I really mean deep, like straight to the core, this God of ours sees something in this group of people we call Expedition. I am beyond honored to get to serve and love with you people! Under a God ordained leadership team. I couldn’t be any happier with these folks and the wisdom we get to follow. I right now, at this point in life, feel more ready then I ever have to go out and disciple and show people who this Jesus really is!
So if you’re planning on going on the race or are going and waiting on training camp. My only suggestion is to lose your expectations. Go with the flow? ride it out, whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen. You have nothing to worry about or be scared of. Camp is not scary. Jesus is not scary. There are times that do get tough, emotionally, physically and spiritually but do you think God would bring you to something you couldn’t handle?? No, not at all. When you feel like you’re sitting on empty, I promise there is always more in the tank!
To our families and future racer families. We love and adore you. You have to believe me when I say this is tough for us too! Leaving our blood, the only people that would never leave us. Look at it like this. You’re not going anywhere you’ll always be on our hearts. We love y’all more then you could ever know. Although it is 11 months, 11 months is only 11 months. It’ll be up before you know it. I mean it was just 11 months 11 months ago and 11 months later it’ll be 11 more months,,,, so it’s just like not a long time at all, don’t freak out. We love you.
To our supporters and future supporters. This is huge. This is kingdom altering type stuff we’re talking about. This is the possibility of hundreds and thousands or more lives being altered in the way of the light. This is the healing and prosperity of oppression, deep seeded sin, and darkness that may or may not have ever experienced the light. The atmosphere is already shifting for each and every person we will encounter. Lives will be touched. Souls will be healed. Families and relationships will be restored. The kingdom of God! Will find its way to earth through us and into the hearts of many many lives and you are more then invited to walk along beside us! We need your support! Whether that’s a couple of prayers or 10 bucks or a thousand. We need it, these lives need it! And I for sure believe God wants to see it!
So that’s my bit about camp! See you in Indo!!
