6-30-10
First, I want to thank everyone for their kind and
encouraging comments on my other posts! It’s super encouraging to get on and
see that you guys are all praying for me! I have started to really love playing
with the kids and working with them. I really want to respond to each of your
comments, but our internet access has been very limited this month. Thank you
all so much for the encouragement and
support!
encouraging comments on my other posts! It’s super encouraging to get on and
see that you guys are all praying for me! I have started to really love playing
with the kids and working with them. I really want to respond to each of your
comments, but our internet access has been very limited this month. Thank you
all so much for the encouragement and
support!
I think our team has
finally gotten into somewhat of a groove here! Once the Fresno team left, we
were all moved to different groups, and we found ourselves suddenly leading the
groups alongside a team from Fairfield, CA. So we went from just hanging out
and playing with the kids to actually having some
responsibility. It was cool when the Fresno team was here because they were
able to work with and connect with the kids in ways we never will, but it’s
been really nice to feel like we actually have a place here. So now our day
consists of morning stretches at 8, breakfast at 9, Bible lesson at 9:30, play
time with the kids 11-1, lunch at 1, quiet time (Praise God!) from 2-4, games
and crafts at 4, recreation time at 5, dinner at 7, and the evening program at
8. So it’s a pretty busy day after you
throw in the 3 team meetings we have each day!
finally gotten into somewhat of a groove here! Once the Fresno team left, we
were all moved to different groups, and we found ourselves suddenly leading the
groups alongside a team from Fairfield, CA. So we went from just hanging out
and playing with the kids to actually having some
responsibility. It was cool when the Fresno team was here because they were
able to work with and connect with the kids in ways we never will, but it’s
been really nice to feel like we actually have a place here. So now our day
consists of morning stretches at 8, breakfast at 9, Bible lesson at 9:30, play
time with the kids 11-1, lunch at 1, quiet time (Praise God!) from 2-4, games
and crafts at 4, recreation time at 5, dinner at 7, and the evening program at
8. So it’s a pretty busy day after you
throw in the 3 team meetings we have each day!
Story of camp for me: Wrestling.
The other night, I
got signed up (yes, I’m saying it was one of those voluntary non-voluntary
situations) to speak during the evening program. In all honesty, I signed up
for the last possible night with the hopes that we would maybe be gone by the
time my night rolled around. That kind of backfired on me because they said
that we were going to be gone the night I signed up for so I can just take the
2nd night. Awesome.
got signed up (yes, I’m saying it was one of those voluntary non-voluntary
situations) to speak during the evening program. In all honesty, I signed up
for the last possible night with the hopes that we would maybe be gone by the
time my night rolled around. That kind of backfired on me because they said
that we were going to be gone the night I signed up for so I can just take the
2nd night. Awesome.
Naturally, I wasn’t
super excited about it. And for some reason the whole, “…don’t worry about it, they are just kids”
line still doesn’t make me not worry about it. Of course I didn’t have any
grand ideas about what I wanted to talk about or what “wisdom” I should impart (I can’t even type that
without laughing a little). Don’t get me wrong here; I’m not complaining about
having to speak in front of all these kids. In fact, I truly believe that if
I’m given an opportunity to talk about God, I must look at it as just that…an
opportunity. And that is exactly what it
is. I never want to complain about a chance to tell people what God has been
teaching me and share with them the Truth.
super excited about it. And for some reason the whole, “…don’t worry about it, they are just kids”
line still doesn’t make me not worry about it. Of course I didn’t have any
grand ideas about what I wanted to talk about or what “wisdom” I should impart (I can’t even type that
without laughing a little). Don’t get me wrong here; I’m not complaining about
having to speak in front of all these kids. In fact, I truly believe that if
I’m given an opportunity to talk about God, I must look at it as just that…an
opportunity. And that is exactly what it
is. I never want to complain about a chance to tell people what God has been
teaching me and share with them the Truth.
Anyways… Without
any real inclination about what I should do, I just started reading and
praying. After reading for a while, I made it back to 1 Corinthians 1-2. This
is one of my favorite passages and one that I hold onto a lot.
any real inclination about what I should do, I just started reading and
praying. After reading for a while, I made it back to 1 Corinthians 1-2. This
is one of my favorite passages and one that I hold onto a lot.
1 Corinthians
1:25-2:5
25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than
man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 26
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were
wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble
birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of
the world to shame the wise; God chose
the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things
of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to
nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 30 It
is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom
from God – that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as
it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’
1 When I came to you
brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to
you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with
you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear,
and with much trembling. 4 My message and my
preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of
the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on
God’s power.
brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to
you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with
you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear,
and with much trembling. 4 My message and my
preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of
the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on
God’s power.
What an awesome
passage! I love it! God doesn’t use the strong or wise people according to the
world but instead he uses the weak! He chooses to use people like me to
accomplish his work because when his work is accomplished by the weak, we can
only boast in the power of God. It isn’t by my own power or strength, but
anything that is accomplished for God is through a demonstration of the
Spirit’s power. I feel so unqualified and unworthy most of the time, but that’s
okay. I don’t have to be qualified as I see it. I must simply be an open vessel
for God to use.
passage! I love it! God doesn’t use the strong or wise people according to the
world but instead he uses the weak! He chooses to use people like me to
accomplish his work because when his work is accomplished by the weak, we can
only boast in the power of God. It isn’t by my own power or strength, but
anything that is accomplished for God is through a demonstration of the
Spirit’s power. I feel so unqualified and unworthy most of the time, but that’s
okay. I don’t have to be qualified as I see it. I must simply be an open vessel
for God to use.
I hope you can find
that as encouraging as I find it! It’s such an awesome passage! So that’s part
of what I talked about to the kids. I talked about how God wants to use the
weak of the world for His purposes and how God’s love and strength cannot fail.
that as encouraging as I find it! It’s such an awesome passage! So that’s part
of what I talked about to the kids. I talked about how God wants to use the
weak of the world for His purposes and how God’s love and strength cannot fail.
This blog has
already gotten way too long. If you’ve made it to the end of it, thanks! I
promised myself I wouldn’t write any long blogs, but I guess that’s harder than
I expected. There’s more that I wanted to talk about but I guess that will have
to come in a Part 2.
already gotten way too long. If you’ve made it to the end of it, thanks! I
promised myself I wouldn’t write any long blogs, but I guess that’s harder than
I expected. There’s more that I wanted to talk about but I guess that will have
to come in a Part 2.
