I'm not gonna lie...

Wide Road

2012-01-28T11:35:00.003-07:00

Psalm 119:44-45 "I will keep your law continually forever and ever, and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts."

We often see God's road, or way for our life, as narrow and restricted. This isn't wrong for Christ himself tells us to "enter by the narrow gate for...the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13-14) So why does the Psalmist in Psalm 119 say that by keeping God's law continually he walks "in a wide place"? Because he has discovered the truth that when we follow God's way for our life we find freedom. It is "for freedom that Christ has set us free." (Galatians 5:1) God's plan was never to restrict our lives, but to free them from sin to live in the abundant "wide road" that he originally intended for us! Once we secure ourselves on God's road we find that it is wide and flat and free. God is ruler over all the world and, in Him, we find that all the world is ours as well, through what Jesus Christ did on the cross, which brought us in the family of God. The life God has for us is intended to be a life of freedom, you can walk, you can run freely, not worrying for as Proverbs 4:12 tells us "your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble" because we have kept the way of righteousness, the way of God.

Let us not forget that the gate is narrow that leads to life, but once we have found it, once we are walking in His way, let us not keep looking back at the narrow opening but look forward into the wide lush road of freedom that lies ahead. God is a good, and his goodness never ends!

God Who Loves

2011-06-02T01:06:00.002-07:00

I have come to know and believe this Love that God poured out for me
And for all who will believe in the One that sets us free
So with every breath that comes, I'll make known this God who loves.

So let us lift our broken hands and bring strength to our weakened knees
That we may run to the God who loves and brings everlasting peace

Your love sings over us
Your love reigns victorious
Your love brings glory to Your Name in all the earth

Your love pours unendingly
Your love shines for it is Holy
Your love never fails to lift me up though I have fallen to the ground

Your love brings peace to all
Your love it saves my soul
Yes it broke the chains that bound me
I was lost, but Your love found me
I pour Your love on those around me
For my God is God who loves.

You are my All in All

2011-03-02T09:12:00.003-07:00

Jesus You heal my soul
Raised me up and made me whole
I called, Your answer gives me strength
In weakness Your power goes the length
No height, no depth can separate
All that You've done, I do give thanks
To You alone all glory given
For You were dead but now You are risen!
Your perfect love, shown on the cross
Has cast my fear, Lord I am lost
For words to say how much You've done
Transformed my death to life, I've come
To tell You know, here on my knees,
You are my all, my everything
No rocks will cry, no trees will ring
In my place, it's for your grace I sing...

Random but Intense thoughts from the morning....

2011-03-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

God created all things. He is the sustainer of all things. He is the only one who is worthy, and all the worth of everything else is given and put on by God.

You are worth only the worth that God gives you. Just as the worth of the planets are only worth as much as God has given them. The standard of worth in the universe is the worth that God places on a given thing.

God allows and knows every breath we take. If we live another minute, it is because God said it could be so. He is so much greater than us and we ourselves are worth nothing.

Apart from God we are worth nothing. Because of God our worth is great. He sent his son and died for us..thats how much we are worth to God. No other living or non living things has God done anything like that for. Not even the angels.

If we take our identity from somewhere besides God we are putting our worth in something worthless and we become worthless in the world.

We have no right to tell God what to do and we really have no right on our own to talk to God at all. He, in his divine wisdom and love, CHOOSES to allow us to talk to Him but that is because of no merit of worth of our own. And because of our sin we not only have no worth or right aside from God but we have chosen to give up the worth given by him in search of creating our own worth. We should fear God because he has all things under control and could at any time, in righteous judgement destroy us at any moment. We have no right to live and we have no worth so its pointless for us to exist.

BUT, God gives us worth and a chance to live and raises us above all creating and all the universe. Not because of who we are or what we did or even because of our faith(our faith simply allows us to accept His gift). It is just because he loves us.

If our identity is in God our worth is so great that all of the universe is in our inheritance and is subject to us.

We have no choice or right to do anything but to surrender to Him EVERYTHING and accept ALL that He allows us.

Time to get dressed I guess...

I Am Deeply Sorry Sunday...

2010-10-03T21:12:00.002-07:00

I think we owe an apology to Sunday. We've robbed it of all that it was intended to be and instead placed it at the back of the line. Most every calendar in America puts sunday at the beginning of the week, where it was meant to be, but who actually puts it there in their head? Definitely not me, and most likely not you. Christ rose again, proclaiming new life, on a Sunday which is why the early church switched its worship day to Sunday. It's supposed to mean new life, new beginnings, aliveness. We were meant to START our week off worshipping God so that we can remember all that we experience throughout the rest of the week! Instead we tag it onto the back end of our week and we start monday morning all things that before then go into "last week" in our minds and are put aside.

I do the same thing every week and I work at a church! We sit around each week planning for "this sunday", and what we think God wants the message to be for our church "this sunday"....NO! This sunday was the sunday that started at the beginning of the week, "this sunday" should be what we are still talking about as we live this week and seek to be His servants! As I prepare for the coming sunday it should be instead "what does God want for us next week?" And that is what we plan for that upcoming sunday!

I believe that if we started seeing Sundays as the beginning of the week instead of the end, we would see a change in how going to church impacts our lives, how worshipping together impacts our lives, how God impacts our lives. We need to apologize to sunday for what we have done to it and return it to its created, destined, and rightful place at the beginning of our week.
Today is Sunday night and I am praising God for the amazing way He has started this week, I cannot wait for the rest of it!

"Wait....I want my ark back now!"

2010-09-20T15:55:00.006-07:00

2 Samuel 6:5-15
5 And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had burst forth against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. 12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

We see that God is not safe here by the way that he deals with the priest Uzzah. I find David's reactions interesting though...first he is angry with God and then he is afraid. So afraid, in fact, that he does not allow the ark to enter his city. He sees that God is not a safe thing to have around and is afraid to let him dwell so near to his own home!

I feel that we often respond to God in a similar way. When God does something that shows that he is not safe to have around, we get angry and afraid and do not let him close. We close off our cities from allowing his presence in until we get wind that he is blessing someone else and suddenly we want Him back to bless us!

God is not always safe, but we learn that the only safe place from God is to seek to be as close as we can to Him. We need to pray that we would not be afraid when God seems unsafe but instead march him even more quickly and praised straight to the heart of our city that we might be blessed by His presence. Lets cut out the time of sending God away cause we know we will only want Him back again.

Arguments or Obedience (from My Utmost for His Highest)

2010-09-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

. . . the simplicity that is in Christ. —2 Corinthians 11:3

Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).
Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.

Two Gospels...

2010-08-22T01:47:00.002-07:00

The modern day gospel says "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Therefore, follow these steps and you can be saved." Meanwhile the biblical gospel says "You are an enemy of God, dead in your sin, and in your present state of rebellion, you are not even able to see that you need life, much less to cause yourself to come to life. Therefore, you are radically dependent on God to do something in your life that you could never do."

The former sells books and draws crowds. The latter saves souls. Which is more important?

-David Platt (from the book Radical)

Czech 2010

2010-07-27T01:21:00.002-07:00

“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." Habakuk 1:5

This verse pretty much sums up the last week. My friend Nathan shared this verse during a prayer time that we had the friday night before camp started and for me it has become a theme verse for this camp. I don't want to make this a long post describing how ever part of our trip went...if anyone wants to know they are free to ask! I just want to talk about the way God worked.

Ways God worked (that I know):

1. We had twice as many students at camp this year...half of them were returning and about half were new campers! We also had about half as big of a team this year....but we prayed for strength and energy and God gave it to us. Every one of us made it through camp without crashing and burning....to me this was a huge answered prayer.

2. Each night after we would tell a story from the Bible about someone who had been redeemed we would have discussion groups. These discussion groups went better than any camp I have ever been at. I don't even know how to write about this to truly say how awesome it was. Students were asking questions about God and really thinking about their lives and what they believe like I have never seen. Usually there are a few students at each camp who you can see God really working in their minds but at this camp about 95% of the students were really interested! God was working mightily in nearly EVERY student at camp. Each night it seemed that there were not enough of us to talk to students who had even more questions after discussions!

3. One of the biggest praises for this camp was about a student who has been coming to camp for the last 3 years. He is a totally crazy but fun kid and he likes to go by Bob. He lives a lifestyle that is far from God but I have seen many guys pour into him over the years and seen him wrestle with this idea of God. But last wednesday night (not even on the night we present the gospel) he accepted Christ. This was a momentous occasion for many of us especially the Bohumin youth pastor George. He was crying after that night as he led Bob in a prayer for salvation. The coolest part was that some of the change in this student was instantaneous...the rest of the camp he had what I can only describe as a new life inside of him. He was still the same crazy Bob but there was an overwhelming sense of a a feeling of being loved behind it. It was utterly amazing.

4. That same night I had an awesome experience with another student that I found sitting on a bench. Its important to note that this student was in one of the lower level english classes and so I was little hesitant to really engage him in real convesation without any translator near. But I felt I should, and so I did. I asked him what he was thinking and told me he was thinking about God and then asked me "how many years been a christian?" So I prayed a little prayer and began to tell him my testimony and he listened intently. He asked a question or two here and there which led our conversation into presenting the gospel. After I had sat with him and we talked for about an hour and I told him the gospel and my whole testimony he just looked at me and said " Its amazing, I understand everything you are saying"

5. There were numerous other conversations people had with students where they got to answer questions about God and what it means to have a relationship with Jesus and it was absolutely amazing. And it never seemed to matter what the level of english was, truth always got across. :) Many students at our camp went from saying there is no God to really thinking that maybe he does exist and if he does, what He is like. I have never seen so many large steps toward christ at once. Even though Bob was the only student we know that accepted christ with one of us I am almost certain that there were a handful that accepted Him in their mind or are about one more conversation away!

6. Another highlight of our camp was the fact that we had a baptism ceremony. I have never been to anenglish camp where someone wanted to be baptized. The crazy part was we didn't just have one student...we had 6 people come to George and say that they wanted to be baptized. Bob was just one of them, but also several of the students who were in the youth group were moved to take that step in their faith and also a few students who had accepted christ in the last year or so. It was amazing. We invited anyone from the camp who wanted to come to come see the baptisms and everyone showed up. So got a chance to explain the meaning and show this great symbol of new life and faith to all the students...whether they believed or not. And it was a moving experience for all!

There were many more moments and experiences of God working at this camp I could talk about but these were the main ones for me. I remember thinking one of the nights about that verse I quoted at the beginning and feeling just like that. God was showing us the work he was doing and I could barely believe it! Thank you all who supported us on this trip and know that your prayers and gifts did not go in vain. They went to one of the most amazing english camps josiah venture has ever experienced.

Please continue to pray for the czech youth group in Bohumin especially for the leaders George and Pajin for God has given them a great gift of all of these students who are interested in God and church and thye will be following up with all of them. They will definitely need patience and strength to do it, but as we know, the same God who worked in their lives, saved Bob, moved many of the students, and gave us all strength for the week is with them still and will continue to work through them and their church. :)

Czech update #1

2010-07-15T20:23:00.002-07:00

Its our last day in Malenovice for english camp training and training has been great! There were so many teams here that they actually had two trainings going on at the same time staggered which seemed crazy at first but really it didn't seem as busy as I thought it would. Our team got to spend a good of amount of time hanging out with each other and laughing and also praying and preparing each other for camp. Its been a good experience and I am excited to move forward to camp! We leave today for bohumin where we will be for one day and then on saturday we leave for the camp and get started! I am so excited, I know God has great plans for this camp (we have twice as many people as last year!) and I can't wait to be a part of them!

Please keep us in your prayers, especially as we start camp. We will need a lot of supernatural energy to keep building relationships all week and as we start camp just pray that connections are made quickly and easily so that they can move quickly during camp and we can have the opportunity for many deep and lifechanging discussions!

Thanks you all for your continued support and prayers!

Living, breathing hope.

2010-07-03T23:49:00.003-07:00

1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.."

Peter describes a life that is born again as "living hope" -or "hope" in living, breathing form. I am floored. If I was asked to describe what hope looks like would I say myself; would I say you? When people look at my life and how I act would they describe me as "hope in human form" ? I am not so sure they would most times.

So then what does hope look like so I can look more like it? I think probably like the wind....wait what, you don't know what the wind looks like? So how do you know the wind is around? Oh by observing the effects..I got it, so for something to look like wind the effects need to be present. So what are the effects of hope? I think they are probably love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Would you be described as living hope? Lets let the Holy Spirit of God, that is given to us by faith in Jesus Christ's conquering of sin and death, help us be the embodiment of hope. :)

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to” -Gandalf

2010-06-23T23:35:00.006-07:00

Habakkuk 2:3 "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end-it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay..."

Don't worry about when/how God's plans will happen, because they will just as they are to; count on it....they will not delay. :)

God-Sized Questions Require God-Sized Answers

2010-05-29T12:48:00.006-07:00

John 5:1-17
"Do you want to be healed?" -This is the question Jesus asks a man who has not been able to walk for 38 years. "Do you want to be healed?" When i first read that my answer is HELL YES this man of course wants to be healed! BUT, that is not the answer the man gives.
Jesus asks him if he wants to be healed and instead he answers "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." The man simply answers that he needs someone to help him in and out of the pool so he can have temporary moments of healing every once and awhile. It seems to me he has completely lost all hope that he could ever be healed so instead he just asks for small human sized answers to his God sized problem. He simply asks for a temporary fix instead of believing that true healing is possible.
I think I do this often in my life. I have a problem and then when God asks if he can help I tell him "If you could just do this small thing that would help me feel a little better..." NO. God asks only questions he knows he can answer. He would not ask "Do you want to be healed?" if he knows he could not heal totally. I cannot allow the world to dull me so much that I lose the mentality that ALL things are possible. And in order to see those things I must start asking and expecting God sized answers to God sized questions.

I Come in the Name of...?

2010-05-12T22:59:00.002-07:00

What or who do i come in the name of? Watch any medieval movie and someone will undoubtable come "in the name of the King". They come in the king's authority. Or what about songs like Pride by U2: "In the name of love, one night in the name of love..." We as people come in the name of things all the time. In the name of love, in the name of honor, in the name of peace, in the name of revenge, in the name of lust, in the name of the president, in the name of all that is good! What do I come in the name of?

Some things like love, honor, peace aren't bad though right? What is bad about doing something in the name of peace? I mean, its peace! But no. Peace isn't in itself worthy of authority. Peace, love, honor...these things by themselves have no authority. But Christ does. God does. And who is God? He IS peace, He IS love, He IS peace. So in everything we must come in the authority of Christ, and Christ ALONE. He is the only one with the authority. And by the Holy Spirit I have that authority! Its amazing, the same power that lived in Christ Jesus lives in me and I can come in the same authority that Christ Jesus did, and He conquered death and the world! Thats some authority.

I come in the name of Christ Jesus. Watch out. :)

Two Thoughts

2010-05-08T18:13:00.002-07:00

I have two thoughts today....

1. Sometimes we have to tally the things we do know about something to figure out what it is we don't. Similarly to how scientist measure how much "dark matter" is in the universe. They measure what they DO know first and see whats left from the total. If you are confused by life just recite the things you do know (ex: your close friends do agree, there are people who like you, you do have power to do some things, God IS good., etc) then see what is left. Sometimes you might find that what was left "confusing" you is quite a small amount and not as big of a deal as you thought.

2. God likes to party. As I continue through Deuteronomy, God commands a lot of celebrating...sometimes a week at a time! Can't wait to see a party thrown by God in Heaven. :)

That is all my thoughts for now.

Its Time to Change My War and My Wardrobe...

2010-04-29T00:15:00.005-07:00

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

God is inviting us to join His war. This battle against the powers of darkness. But what war are we really fighting? I feel that many times I am fighting my own war against what attacks me. Really its probably not suited to be called a war but rather a series of meaningless bar fights against things like anxiety, pressure, insecurity, temptation. But they keep us occupied enough, don't they, that its our whole world.

We all learn to suit up in preparation for these encounters in things like the collared shirt of pleasing others to feel important, the jacket of alcohol to forget worry, the shoes of running away from pressures, etc. I've learned what I think works best for me and wear what I feel best will give me the upper hand in each battle.

But thats not what God calls us to. He has asked us to join a much bigger problem...a full on "war" against all forces evil in this word. This is a much different battle than the ones I face in my life. Its the reality of the world that I am missing while I am busy dealing with my own problems. This war is the real cause of the problems. I need to start fighting for something bigger than myself...why? Cause its my nature. Who doesn't secretly want to be Aragorn or Gandalf and enter into a situation that is bigger than themselves. It makes life worth something.

But this is a different kind of war that requires a different wardrobe. My old clothes won't do any good in a real battle. I need the armor of God. To put on the true uniform of a soldier designed by the mastermind and general himself to defend and conquer in this war.

Its time to change my war, and my wardrobe.

Obey with purpose!

2010-04-24T11:11:00.005-07:00

Dueternonmy 6:1 "Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it..." 8:1 "The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may lie and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers."

Over and over again God tells the Israelites to obey His commandments...but why? So that they will go into the lands that he promised them and possess them and it will go well with them. God doesn't call us to obey his commandments just because, but there has always been purpose in them. That we may go into the lands God wants us too. The question I must ask myself is where are the lands that God is calling me to go into and obey His commandments? Are there lands I am to afraid to go into that he is calling me to...are the men of that land too big? Am I obey his commandments in all the lands He is already brought me into? I can't just sit around and obey, God gives us purpose to obey and I think for me, that really makes it easier.

I have purpose today so I shall obey the Lord :)

Look Again And Concentrate

2010-01-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

"If God so clothe the grass of the field . . . shall He not much more clothe you?" Matthew 6:30

A simple statement of Jesus is always a puzzle to us if we are not simple. How are we going to be simple with the simplicity of Jesus? By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, obeying Him as He brings the word of God, and life will become amazingly simple. "Consider," says Jesus, "how much more your Father Who clothes the grass of the field will clothe you, if you keep your relationship right with Him." Every time we have gone back in spiritual communion it has been because we have impertinently known better than Jesus Christ. We have allowed the cares of the world to come in, and have forgotten the "much more" of our Heavenly Father.

"Behold the fowls of the air" - their main aim is to obey the principle of life that is in them and God looks after them. Jesus says that if you are rightly related to Him and obey His Spirit that is in you, God will look after your 'feathers.'

"Consider the lilies of the field" - they grow where they are put. Many of us refuse to grow where we are put, consequently we take root nowhere. Jesus says that if we obey the life God has given us, He will look after all the other things. Has Jesus Christ told us a lie? If we are not experiencing the "much more," it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us, we are taken up with confusing considerations. How much time have we taken up worrying God with questions when we should have been absolutely free to concentrate on His work? Consecration means the continual separating of myself to one particular thing. We cannot consecrate once and for all. Am I continually separating myself to consider God every day of my life?

-Oswald Chambers (from my utmost for his highest)

Fusion Camp!

2009-08-05T03:25:00.003-07:00

I am here at Malenovice for fusion music/arts camp and its been great! The camp focuses on many different kinds of art forms including music, drama, dance, and media arts and its been really cool to see so many students producing so many kinds of art all over camp! It has been a different experience for me personally than my other camps because I am one of only 3 english only speaking people so the camp is entirely in Czech which has made some things challenging (like knowing whats going on) but there are students I can still talk to in my very basic czech as well as some that are very good in english that I have connected with as well. Its cool to see how music can bring people together as well even without any talking nessasary, the choir time here has been really great for that. :) I have been talking to many of the leaders as well and seen and heard that God is doing much work here as well during discussion times where students have been hearing the story of God and talking about what they think and what it means to them. It has been really a great experience so far.
Please be praying for continued work in students lives and wisdom for all the camp leaders and christians to be a great witness to the almost half of students who are non christians. Also please be praying for me as well that I would continue to have energy and passion for my work and place here even though it is sometimes harder to find and know.
3 more days of camp and then a concert....can't wait!

Last day!

2009-07-26T05:24:00.002-07:00

Camp is over and I am now in Bohumin for one last day to hang out with students. We went to their church this morning and it was awesome. It really allowed me to remember that God is not a God of just Czech Republic or just America but a God of all the nations and all the universe. It was a really amazing experience to have worship in two languages at once. Its one of my favorite things about these trips. :)
Another great part about the service was the presence of some of the non christian students who had come to the church with us americans and got to experience what it was like. I pray that this would not be their last time there..and for some I definitely dont think it will.
After the last night of english camp we had many students with questions about the gospel and even a few whos lives were changed for eternity as they asked to recieve God's gift of grace into their lives!
We still have today to continue relationships and I pray that students w0uld really connect with the church and the youth group today so that they might continue to come and the czechs can continue the ministry we started in the one week we were there. I know that english camp is just one part of the story for many of these students and I am excited to hear about the rest in the future from George and his youth group.

Half-time at Camp

2009-07-21T07:43:00.003-07:00

Its tuesday and camp is going amazingly! We are really seeing Gods hand in many of the students minds and each day seems to be bringing more and more questions from students. When we landed in prague (after having to be somewhat seperated, re-routed, losing all our luggage, and losing creditcards) we seemed to be feeling quite the resistance to our coming to the Czech but as a team we took it as a blessing and foreshadowing of how God is going to really show his power on our trip. THen during training we found out that there were going to be somewhat less students than we were planning on which was a little discouraging but we trusted that God had a plan for what he wanted.....and he definintely has shown us that. From the moment students arrived camp has been non stop fun and full of love and connectedness. I'ts been really great. My english class has been amazing thanks to a great teaching partner and open and fun students. During each evenging we have been talking about bible stories and disscussing them both as a large camp group and in our english classes and the conversations have been great and full of stuggle. You can really see God working in many of the hearts and minds of the students in many of the classes both christian and non!
Please be praying for wisdom for each of the leaders (both American and Czech) during the disscussion times as well as during the day time when we get more one on one chances to talk and connnect with students.
Also be praying for the students that they would continue to listen and be challenged and transformed by God and his story of grace and redemption.
Tomorrow is hike day where we will be going on a all day hike which is an great time to really talk to students so please be praying for that time that it would be very fruitful.

I am really excited about how God is working, we have already had students asking for bibles because they wanted to read for themselves further into the things we are talking about, it has been a great camp so far and I anticipate that God has even greater things coming!

Same power, that conquered the grave lives in me, lives in me....

2009-07-11T20:03:00.003-07:00

I just returned from Zona Yuth Kamp, a youth camp for Southern Baptist youth groups all over Arizona. To say it in short...God worked. I had the chance to talk to tons of students over the course of the week in many different settings and really got a chance to witness how God works in so many different ways to each one of us. I had the chance to talk to a few boys who dedicated their lives to christ this last week and hear their story about how God has been calling them and how it led to a new life at that very time. Out of the 12,00 students and staff that attended the camp, I am certain that not a single person walked away from last week closer to God. Many called Him Father for the first time and some are still in the process but there was no doubt that God did amazing things in many lives.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

This passage was really made clear to me this week personally through many circumstances and conversations with friends, leaders, and students. I really witnessed firsthand how there is a real battle on the earth that goes unseen but is immeasurable powerful. I also witnessed how God has the true power in this battle. The same power the raised Christ from the dead and conquered death lives in me and on this earth. So I need not to be afriad because I have been perfected in love and no longer need to fear evil in this world. God wants to do even more amazing things through each of us than he did through Christ's earthly ministry if we just be his servant and trust God to fight with God sized strength.

As I take this thought and go off this week to the Czech Republic I am excited to see how God works in such a dark country. I am ready to be challenged by the dark forces but even more ready to see God overcome in ways only he can accomplish. My team and I will need much prayer in the next weeks as we join in Gods work over in eastern Europe. Please pray that:
1. We would continue to connect and work together as a team united in Christ both with each other and with the czech youth group team that we are joining.
2. God would bring double the amount of students than are already signed up to camp. We have I think about 20 signed up but there is still time. Camp does not start until saturday so please pray that God would double that amount (or more!) in the next days and that our camp would be bursting at its limits with students and challenges.
3. Pray that myself and my team would be ready for Christ to get us through these challenges, for once we are in God sized territory only He can make great things happen!

My nicknames for God

2009-06-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Lord is my...

Provider.

I recently got a new job doing some administrative temp work at a nearby prison and it is great! The work isn't too hard, the people are fun and the pay is better than any other job I have had, He has really been blessing me and showing me that I can trust in him to provide.

Strength.

With starting a new job, preparing a mission team, counseling, leading worship, its definitely been a busy summer so far, much busier than I anticipated. But in my time with Him I have found passion, excitement, strength, love, and discipline to get done what I need to in this time. I also trust that He will continue to be my source for life through the rest of the summer so I am not burned out.

Leader and my Example

I have found that God has been my leader and example in some of the relationships with both friends and family lately. I have found that seeking people for relationships does not make a solid love foundation; but often in seeking Christ you will find people, and with Christ at the center you can truly find the love God designed for us to have together.

Teacher

I could go on, but I am getting tired. But what God has really been teaching me is that he has so many roles in my life and his love for me is both personal, practical, and real. He is constantly teaching me what I need to know for the future as he invites to work with him more and more. I pray that I never stop having new names and roles for my God to fill.

A vision beyond me

2009-05-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

So lately I have been thinking a lot about my day to day vision for my life. I often find myself basking in a long term vision for the future but not as often thinking about what today holds. I know that that I should trust God to do God-sized tasks in my future plans, but I rarely think about Him doing that on a daily basis. Each day I should expect myself to do things that I can do, and expect God to do things that only He can do, and that I cannot. If my expectations for each day are only within the limits I am capable of, then I will never see Gods power in my life. We must all live and learn to count on and expect Gods power and seek a vision for each day, each week, each month, that is beyond us and only able to be completed in Christ and through his power.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to His power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21