Grieving With Hope

Okay, I don't have too much time before we pull out for home, but I need to get this down...

Yesterday was our last day, and it was pretty much a free day. So we woke up a bit later than usual for breakfast, and then headed up to the Angel Oak for some group pictures. Then we came back and played a bit on the beach before lunch, after which we were pretty much free to do whatever we wanted for the rest of the afternoon. Some of us played out in the ocean, others played some more rounds of Spades in our conference center, while others just came up with their own activities. We did that until dinner at 6:30, which was followed by a volleyball tournament on the beach. I got to play in that because my sister wasn't feeling too good (stomach bug). It got fairly intense at times, but overall we managed to have a good time.

Okay, sad news. Near the end of the games, one of the girls named Katie Thackston was called off the court to talk to her sister and family. I only learned what was going on while we were assembling for worship time, but as the remainder of the group came in slowly and with tears in a lot of their eyes, I knew something was wrong. As it turned out, Katie's grandmother had just passed away. I know she was distraught; I saw several of the girls formed a circle around her and were praying for her even while she was crying. We knew we needed to get her back to her family, so Will and Gareth, two of our older students, volunteered to drive her back upstate to meet her dad and relatives, and Alvin and Kendell Sell went with them.

The rest of us assembled in the chapel, and to put it mildly, we were grieving really hard. Lots of people were crying, girls and boys, other had their heads in their hands, some were praying by themselves, etc. Ryan Godsey managed to begin the service by addressing what had happened immediately, and by sending up an assembly of prayer for Katie and her family. We prayed for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then we did our best to get through the announcements and tournament results, although it was obvious those were the last things on our minds at that point. Then we opened the floor for testimonials. A girl named Chantelle, who is very close to Katie, offered to speak. She addressed a lot of the same feelings we had in our hearts about the situation, and she reminded us that we should take from this a valuable lesson: not to take life for granted, because none of us knows how long we have on this Earth. She was in tears halfway through her talk, and I knew she was fighting to hold it together. Many others shared similar statements; our thoughts continued to be with Katie, as well as Will and Gareth who were driving her all the way back to Columbia, and then coming back to camp in the middle of the night.

After that, the praise band stepped forward. For the first time since my junior year of high school, I didn't want to sing. I didn't feel like singing. I don't think any of us felt very upbeat about it. And yet Josh Murphy, the leader of the band, offered up a brief message of hope to cling to as we tried to sing one song, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord." He touched on the power and truth behind the lyrics found in the bridge.

You give and take away,
You give and take away,
My heart will choose to say,
Blessed be Your Name.

Being reminded of that simple truth, however much it hurts, gave me the strength to sing. It was extremely hard, though. Eventually, everyone else joined in. Once the song was finished, our speaker, a teacher named David Thompson got up to do the message for the evening. I knew he was trying his best to keep the students focused and himself composed at the same time. But there was a lot of power behind his message, based on Hebrews 12:1. I knew that God was supplying him with the strength to speak, and us with the fortitude to listen as best we could. We finally let out sometime after 10:00 for our last couple of hours before bed. A lot of us just stayed close to each other, hugging, conversing, praying. I went over to comfort Chantelle, the girl who had spoken to everyone during worship, because I knew she was grieving especially hard. We all were, in our own way. Most of us just made the rounds and checked in on each other, or otherwise stayed together in the conference center for the remainder of the evening. There were a lot of tears, lots of hugs going around. After a long while, we did finally manage to lighten our mood somewhat with some laughter and a few more games of Spades, just trying not to grieve too heavily. That lasted until about midnight, when we finally did go to bed.

I will never forget last night. Despite all we've done this week, all the work we've accomplished, how 'on fire' we have been about praising God, last night was the real testament of this group's faith. The more I think about it, the more I realize this. Satan will use anything, anything, to try and turn us from our walk with the Lord. And I know that last night, with the tragic news we received, right at the end of our week of hard work and service, it was perfect. It was a perfect opportunity for Satan to come in and try to destroy it, to tear it all apart. But I will say this...judging by how our group responded in the wake of the news, Satan's plan failed. We didn't fall apart. We didn't get bitter or rail at God or each other. Instead, we came together in our chapel and we prayed with every last ounce of our strength. Satan tried to use tragedy to split us, but tragedy brought us even closer. The group dug in even deeper, praying aloud to themselves and with each other. Even when the mood was far from cheerful, we managed to sing praise to God after He empowered Josh with the brief message he shared to raise our spirits enough to fuel our voices. The Holy Spirit was with Mr. Thompson, who was able to speak even with the tragedy that had happened. We still needed to hear the message, and he delivered it with great conviction.

This is real, hard truth. God loves us deeply and unconditionally, and He wants us to seek and follow His will for our lives. But that doesn't mean our lives as Christians will be a bed of roses; not at all. It will be a bed of thorns. Sometimes we are blessed beyond imagination, and sometimes tragedies happen that cause us to grieve deeply. God does not promise a life that will be perfect and happy even though we follow Him. As Christians, we know Satan will attack us any way he knows, any flaw we have, and he'll use it. He'll even use the death of loved ones to try and turn us from our faith, to try to convince us that God doesn't care about us and having faith isn't worth it. But that's not true. God does care. His will works in everything, even tragedy, even though it's difficult to see it at the time. God wants us to grieve, but as people who have hope. I'm sure Katie knows that although she has lost one of the most important people in her life, she also knows without a doubt that she'll see her again one day when she meets the Lord in Heaven. That's the kind of hope that only God provides: the promise of eternal life that was paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. I pray that we'll keep clinging to that hope, even after this sadness fades and things settle back to normal, and that we'll never let it go.

Well, that's about it. Please, please keep Katie Thackston in your prayers, and her family and relatives as well. Pray also for the adults and students who traveled with her and who had to come back to camp in the middle of the night. And pray for the rest of our group for safe travel back to Greenville. We're pulling out around lunch. Thank you very much. God bless.

Final Thoughts

I just wanted to put down my thoughts and feelings about my mission trip to Johns Island now, while they're fresh in my mind.

I can say with absolute confidence that the Spirit of God has blessed our camp this entire week. I've seen it in the big ways and the small, the spoken and the unspoken, actions and words, new people and old. God is truly everywhere and His glory is a magnificent thing. He has come down and empowered every facet of our mission trip. Here are only some of the ways:

As early as Sunday, in fact, even before we piled into the bus and vans to leave Shannon Forest, I met a new kid named Jacob Carroll. He's going into ninth grade and he'll be enrolling this fall, so this was his first exposure to the student body of Shannon Forest. He's very nice, polite and respectful, but what I remember the most is how many of the other kids went up to him, greeted him with open arms, interacted with him, and made him feel like one of the gang. Throughout this whole trip, the way they just took him in, you never would have known that he was new. He got along just fine with everybody, and he was a terrific roommate. There was another little boy named Milton who is really shy and keeps to himself most of the time. I worked with him last year when we did puppet ministries at the nursing home on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. He was back this year, and again, he was welcomed with open arms. The kids went out of their way to be friendly to him, included him in all of their activities, and they treated him like an equal. He's going to be a junior this year, and I know he'll remember this.

Our first two nights were not spent in the comforts of Saint Christopher Camp. They were spent in the Habitat homes, some of which had only just been finished. The carpets were dirty, there was no TV, radio, or Internet, and many of the bathrooms had dirt and grime accumulating at the bottom. I loved those two nights. Being at those homes freed me from the distractions of the outside world. It gave me the opportunity to get familiar with Jacob and his Dad, along with Milton Crain and his Dad, too. We held conversations that went on well into the night, and we found a lot of common ground. We also got to know Brian, the resident occupant of the House. We ate pizza, played some rounds of checkers, and listened to some fun music as well. Lots of good memories.

The people working at the construction site on the Habitat Homes...there's not enough I can say about them. If you had driven by at any point in the morning or the early afternoon this week, when the temperature was at its hottest (near 100), terrible humidity, and not a cloud in the sky, you'd have seen 65-70 kids out there working. Many of these kids had never done any construction work in their lives. A few of them were middle school age. Yet you'd see groups out there pouring mortar, lifting cement block, digging in the dirt, doing vinal siding, doing furnishing work, fixing up the interior of the houses, hammering on rooftops and unfinished walls (you would not believe how hot it gets on those rooftops, closest to the sun). I saw all these groups out there working together. I didn't hear one person complain about the heat or the work. I didn't see anyone get sick or pass out from heat exhaustion, and quite a few went without water breaks for lengthy periods. That's God's Spirit at work. There's no getting around it; you just had to know God was assisting us out there, giving us strength when we needed it, encouraging and supporting us through our co-workers. Not only did we finish our assigned tasks, but we went beyond them. The vinal siding people got out there an hour earlier on the morning of the last day, after a whole week, to finish the job. Nearly the entire bottom layer of cement was layed down for one house's foundation. The interior furnishings of three houses were completely done by the end of the week. Think about that: three houses! The Habitat people gave us great praise for our efforts, and were so appreciative that we came there.

The nursing home ministry may seem like it's a "behind-the-scenes" deal while the real work gets accomplished in the outdoors. I'm telling you, it's not. What we do for those elderly people who may have to spend the rest of their lives in those homes is just as important as building a house for a family that needs it. It is called reaching out to others and spreading the love that Jesus taught all throughout His ministry and continues to empower us with today. There were so many opportunities to do that in the residential homes. We made lots of new friends who smiled when they saw us coming toward them, shook our hands, told us they were glad to see us. I'm not saying every elderly person there was like that; many of them were just the opposite. I heard an older lady yell at me during Bingo, and a man named Oscar got upset because he thought we didn't get him a card (even though we did). But even so, when you see people like this, and get through to them that you're not there to hurt them or to bother them, but to love them by sitting down, talking and listening, I promise you, it will feel like you're in Heaven. It is that good. That is, as Alvin Sell calls it, the fire from Heaven. We got to make clip-on visors for the adults, memory boards, tote bags, and cards telling them how much we enjoyed being with them and that we couldn't wait to come back and see them again. We took 15-20 of the adults to Chuck E. Cheese, which gave them a chance to get out of their everyday surroundings, and go out and have fun, see a show, and play games. I'm feeling it even as I type this. When you take the time to make someone's day like this, then you're making an investment for Eternity. They feel it, and you feel it too. God blesses you both abundantly in that same love.

You want more proof of that? The director of the larger residential home stopped me and the adults yesterday, and she pulled us into her office. For 15 minutes, she went on and on about how grateful she was that we had come, the way we had impacted the lives of the people living there, doing arts and crafts, singing their favorite hymns and praise songs and all of that. She said she was so moved by our approach to the project that she wanted to implement our style into another nursing home located elsewhere. She wanted to make it feel less like a "nursing home" where the adults are surrounded by nurses and workers everywhere and things like that, and more like a living place where they can play games, do fun activities like we did, and interact more. We listen to this and are just in awe. That's a blessing from Heaven that our work made that kind of impact. God be praised!

The re-sale store was the third major component of our service work. I was only there on our first full day, but I know they had the smallest group out of our 88 people, about 9 or 10 I think, and with a few exceptions, their roster was subject to change every day. Yet these people worked just as hard, if not harder, as the rest of us. I can quickly remember one day this week when the manager of the store got hold of our crew in early afternoon. She told them it was blistering hot outside, the construction crew had already gone back to camp for the rest of the day, and that they were free to leave too. But our group wouldn't leave. They didn't want to quit even though by all counts they would've had a justifiable reason to. They wanted to finish the work they began. I just loved to hear that. These people lifted crates and boxes down from shelves on old ladders that had paint stuck to them, they had to set up the actual store and re-set it every morning, which meant moving heavy furniture, doorframes, and all sorts of material. They set up a "Christmas in July" area and had to hunt through bin after bin of stands just to get the Christmas tree to stand upright. They piled into a dirty, sweltering truck and made back-and-forth deliveries to bring these supplies back to the store and set them up. And they worked outside, in the heat, and made sure the trash was dumped or kept in check every day. This small group did their own lion's share of the work this week, and they had some great stories to tell during our nightly assemblies.

All of that goes without mentioning the other details, like nightly worship meetings and other such gatherings. We met in the Kimbel Chapel each night, and every single night, the Holy Spirit came down and showed its power in a new way. The praise band, the speakers, the testimonials from each crew, even the opening announcements had that power. It was great to come back from a hard day's work, exhausted and dead on my feet, and just be lifted up by a supernatural power greater than my own. Hearing the testimonials, most of them coming from the kids themselves, and just listening to the power and conviction behind them was especially encouraging. The trip has done just as much good for us as it has for the people we're helping. As much love as I had for this assembly before, I have even more of it now. God's love; it never fails, and it never dies. It does nothing but survive and grow stronger and wider. We are even more of a unified body of Christ. Never have I felt that more than I have this week. I love these kids, I love these adults, and I just love what we're doing down here.

I'm glad to be going home tomorrow, but I'm sad at the same time. I miss my family, of course, and I'm anxious to get back to my job and all the daily rigors of life. Still, it's so great to be able to just leave all that behind for a week, to be around a whole school of people in love with Jesus Christ, and to come back feeling refreshed and inspired all over again. I only pray that I won't let that feeling fade away with time. We always have our ups and downs in our faith; it wouldn't be faith if it wasn't tested like that. But it's important to know that God wants us to be on fire for Him every moment of our lives. We need to live each day in the love of Christ, ready and willing to share it with others who need it so much, because we can never give enough. We need to live each day never forgetting the One who gave Himself for us so that we could live in Eternity with our Lord and Savior. We need to live each day as a servant, humble and prepared to put the next person ahead of us and leave our own needs and wants aside. We need to live each day as models of how God's love works and changes lives, and how His truth stands tall and proud against the ridicule and persecution of a secular world. I wish I could do that all of the time, but I thank my God for forgiving me when I fall short, and for replenishing my spirit like He did this week.

What a tremendous week! Praise the Lord!

Song of the Day: Selah - "You Raise Me Up"

Verse of the Day: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

Finishing the Work

Last night featured some more entertainment from our assigned teams as they competed in more fun relays and contests. It's been a closely fought contest thus far. For now, the Hermits are routing everybody, but other teams like Peel My Nanner, Crabiators, and Turtle Time are close behind them. Flock of Seagulls is trailing pretty badly, but oh well. You can't win 'em all, I suppose.

Today was our last day of actual work here at Johns Island. The guys on the construction site really wanted to get their vinal siding project finished up before the day ended, so they took a small group of 15 boys to the site early with a continental breakfast the staff at St. Christopher's was nice enough to provide. Again, the day was hot and sunny, but not quite as hot as the past few days.

I finished up with the nursing home group, and I could tell most of them were tired, dead on their feet. While I was hole-punching memory verse papers and cutting out construction paper, I saw quite a few about to nod off in their chairs. It's been a long week. But we had a terrific last day. I saw all my new friends at the home again, like Guy, Linda, Oscar, Shirley, and William. Guy is one of the few people at the small home who still has most of his mental faculties together. He's very frail and his hands shake a lot, but his mind is as sharp as ever. He can tell so many stories about war and his service; he's like a talking history book! I made him a tote bag that had a naval ship on the front and a Bible verse (Phillipians 4:13) tied to the handle. Linda is an Italian lady who I had a long conversation with yesterday. She's very funny and it was nice to see that she remembered who I was today. Oscar is a man who usually sits with his wife Mary near the kitchen window; they've been in the same spot for almost the whole time we've been here. I think he got a little offended when he thought we didn't get him a card. Shirley lives in the larger residential home, and she has such a beautiful room. She showed me all the figurines and ornaments on her bookshelf; she said she won them from playing Bingo. We hung her memory board from yesterday beside her bed where she could see it clearly. William is another very good friend I made who's got most of his wits about him. He's very conversational, and he always shakes my hand whenever I go up to greet him. He loved the tote bag I decorated for him, and held it up for the whole room to see. He claimed that he had the best-looking bag in the entire nursing home. Hehe. I don't know about that, but it was really nice to hear.

For me, this has just been an incredible week of service, ministry, and growing closer to the Lord. I've been so richly blessed with friends, new and old, an awesome staff of adults in so many facets of the camp, and had lots of opportunities to share the love of Christ to people I don't even know. I just can't put down in words how it affects me when I see these elderly folks respond to us, whether in singing, or just talking to us, carrying on a conversation or whatever, it just touches my heart in such a way that it makes the whole day seem easier. Thank you again, Lord Jesus, for sending me to Johns Island. Thank you for giving me such an opportunity to do Your work in new ways, and to grow and develop in my spiritual walk with you. I pray that I'll carry the lessons that I've learned here at Saint Christopher's and Habitat for Humanity beyond this camp, all the way back to Furman and Greenville in the fall. It is in the name of your Son, Jesus, that I pray, amen.

I'll update some more later...

Singing Praises All Day

Picking up from last night...

Dinner was excellent; we had chicken stir-fry with carrots and broccoli and eggrolls. Then the kids broke up into assigned teams and assembled on the beach. Once there, the teachers began a series of contests and relays for our amusement. For instance, they had to make the most creative-looking sand castle, and they had to come up with the most entertaining cheer. It was lots of fun, and the kids really took it to a level beyond any of our expectations.

We met again in the Kimbel Chapel for worship time. The praise band sang another collection of wonderful songs. There's nothing I can say about this beautiful group that I haven't already said. Then we heard an inspiring message from Ryan Godsey, a Bible teacher at SFC. Man, it's hard to believe he was so quiet and reserved when he first came to Shannon. Since then, he's really blossomed into a hard-hitting speaker. I've known few people who speak with the power and undeniable conviction that backs up his words. It's awesome how God just works through us.

I woke up at about 6:00 this morning for breakfast. I was shifted back to the nursing homes again, and I'm glad I was there. I got to witness another incredible demonstration of the Holy Spirit's power at work. Our group sang lots of praise songs and hymns, and the residents got so into it that they sang with us! I looked out into the room and just saw them, mumbling their mouths, making sounds that no doubt would have been clear words if only their motor functions worked right, trying so hard to sing with us. I can't tell you how much that touched me. It was just overwhelming and it just tells so clearly what really matters in the eyes of God. It's not how you sing, but the fact that you sing, or try to sing. He doesn't care one lick if you're exactly on key, the tone or the pitch of your voice, or any of that. He cares that you make the effort to sing praise. That's what pleases our Lord.

More updates to come!!!

Sweat and Mortar

Oh goodness, what a day.

This morning, we got up at about 6:30 and had a quick breakfast at the camp's dining hall. I made sure to fill up my water bottle (thank you, Chick-Fil-A) as I filled my plate with French toast, Raisin Bran, and a banana. We headed out around 8:00 to go to the Habitat construction site.

Oh wow, I finally got the chance to do construction work today. And I'll say this much: the summer weather did everything in its power to test my limits. Temperatures soared to the upper 90s with heat indices well over 100, and hardly a cloud in the hazy sky. I spent the day working with my friends Joe, Mark, Adam and Ryan Godsey on building a foundation for a house. That meant we had to spend hours lifting cement blocks, piling them on at the corners and the perimeter, mixing mortar, and then laying it down on the blocks. It was exhausting work, but I feel like I did all right. Considering I'm pretty much the most out-of-place guy when it comes to construction, I thought I worked pretty well; at least I didn't pass out in the heat. We got about two layers done before lunch, but by the time that was finished, the sun really beat down and the heat and humidity jumped up to dangerous levels. Nevertheless, we managed to get a third layer finished before we finally had to call it a day. We worked about six hours total, but it didn't seem that long. I thank God for giving me the strength and just equipping me with the tools and resources I needed to help my friends and be productive. In short, I really enjoyed working out there today. It was hot, dirty, frustrating, and flat-out exhausting, but just knowing that other families and people will be helped by our efforts makes it worth every last drop. I'm not kidding; keeping that in mind really helps to keep you going. Know that you're suffering for a worthy cause, doing God's work and helping those who are less fortunate. That's enough to sustain the soul more than any amount of water can do.

I didn't get a chance to post this last night, but I wanted to finish out the summary for yesterday. We had a good dinner of pasta, meatballs and breadsticks I'm sure the construction people were grateful for that especially. We then had some fun on the beach. I took a walk on the sand and stuck my feet in the cool seawater while most of the others played Ultimate Frisbee. After the fun in the cool of the evening, we came back together around 9:00 in the Kimbell Chapel for worship and singing. That's always a highlight on these trips, and last night was not an exception. We listened to some powerful testimonies, sang praises to God with the praise band (I can't believe most of that old freshman class that helped us three years ago are seniors now...) and wrapped up with a great message on prayer from one of the adults. It was awesome in every way. Thank you, God, for sending me here.

More updates to come!!!

Song of the Day: Building 429 - "Glory Defined"

Verse of the Day: "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Awesome!!!

Hello, readers. We're finally at Saint Christophers's, the official campsite at Johns Island. So I can finally have access to a working computer and pass along an update on my week.

I am having such an incredible time so far! You would not believe how God is working down here on the island. He is showing His power and majesty in so many ways it's hard for me to list them all. But I'll try to take it day by day.

Sunday

Well, we piled onto the bus and the school vans and headed off around noon. We drove for about three hours until we got to Orangeburg, not too far outside of Columbia. We stopped for an early dinner at Cracker Barrel, always a fun place to eat. Then we drove on until we made it to Johns Island. We stopped at a local Piggly Wiggly's to get groceries and basic cabin survival stuff. We were assigned to four homes built by Habitat for Humanity, so that was definitely interesting. I stayed with two older adults and two younger boys in a cabin called Joy. They're great and fun to be around. So anyway, the first evening was pretty uneventful, mostly just settling into our cabins and digging into the supplies. We spent most of the time just sitting around and talking. The great thing about living without things like radio, TV and internet is that it frees you of distractions and gives you more time to interact with the people around you. And that's always helpful.

Monday

We woke up at about 6:00 for breakfast, then we piled into vans and headed to the Sea Island Re-sale Store for Orientation. It was basically a briefing on the history of Sea Island and its association with Habitat. After that was over, I stayed with about 10 to 15 other boys to work at the store for the rest of the morning. Mostly had to help bring down boxes of Christmas decorations (yep, Christmas in July) and rearrange the outlet room. So we did that until about 11:00, after which we all got back together for lunch at the Citadel Mall. Then we headed for downtown Charleston for the rest of the afternoon, which gave us plenty of time to see some of the sites. Of course, it was so hot there (98 degrees) that we didn't try to do too much. We mostly tried to stay in the shade and keep cool with plenty of fluids. But we had a great time. We came back to the Habitat Homes around 5:00 or so for a pizza supper, after which we were told to get to bed early. The real work would begin today, hehe.

Tuesday

Woke up early again (we'll be used to this by the end of the week, I hope) for breakfast cereal. I got shifted to the lunch crew the previous evening, so I didn't have to do construction work yet. We spent the morning making over a hundred ham, turkey, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the construction crews on the work site. also helped the girls clean out their cabins, sweeping and mopping floors and counter tops. Then we headed to the local residential homes to see the elderly people living there. They're all very kind and great to interact with. We took them to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch; the older man I was helping really enjoyed the shows that were happening onstage. They even played some of the games in the arcade room like Skeeball; my man won about 43 tickets and got a small puzzle. He was really happy. By about 2:00, we had to go to another nursing home to help host Bingo for the residents. They seemed to really enjoy it; I don't think they get enough really vigorous activity during their daily routines. We left the home at about 4:00 and left the Habitat homes for our official camp site at St. Christopher's.

More updates to come!!! God is so wonderful; I'm so glad He led me here!!!

Off to the Coast

Okay, I don't have much time. I'll be leaving very soon today for my mission trip to Johns Island on the coast. Please lift us up in your prayers. Pray that the Lord will get us there and back safely, and that while we're there, that we'll carry out His work dilligently and with a dedicated spirit. I'll tell you all about it when I return.

Take care, all!

Song of the Day: Shaun McDonald - "Gravity"

Verse of the Day: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." - Romans 12:2

Home Again

Well, we said farewell to North Myrtle Beach for another year, packed up and headed home. It is exhausting for me to help put the luggage carrier on top of the car (and later to pull it off again) as well as hefting so many bags of luggage, but anything to help out. Muscles heal fast, after all.

Last night was definitely our best one. We went out and had dinner at Logan's steakhouse. I remember it was so crowded and we were told it would be a 45-minute wait. So while the family sat down in the lobby, I stepped outside and talked with a good friend of mine I haven't seen in a long time. That was a blessing to be given that amount of free time to catch up with her. She's having sort of a rough time balancing her work with her different activities like karate. It's also been hot and dry up in Illinois where she lives, so her wildnerness preservation isn't going that well either. On top of that, her computer's not working, although her brother's trying to fix it. Anyway, please pray for those concerns. She's a hard, determined worker, and I wish I could spend more time with her.

Well, the wait at Logan's turned out to be less than 20 minutes instead of 40. I guess they found us a table after all, because we were soon seated. After a fun dinner, we headed to the bowling alley for a good old-fashioned boys against girls contest, specifically my Mom, sister and her friend Aimee against my Dad, brother, and me. I don't remember bowling nearly at the level I did last night before in my life. I actually managed to keep pace with Dad, who can hit strikes in consecutive frames when he's on his game. Anyway, we all had a fantastic time, and it was a nice, friendly competition. No one got defensive or embarrased; we kept the banter light and breezy. That was great to watch. Just about everybody had good frames and bad; I remember that I bowled strikes on two consecutive frames, only to come up with goose-eggs on my next two. And oh! I've got to post this. My sister was getting up to bowl in one frame. She stood for a moment, ball in her hands, and stepped forward. Then she barely drooped her bowling arm forward to drop the ball onto the rink. Except the bowling ball slipped right off her fingers, plunked down next to her foot, and rolled back toward us! Oh my gosh! I just about collapsed laughing so hard; I couldn't stop! She looked embarrassed, but she took it in stride and played her turn like it was no big deal. And me without my camera. That would've been a shot to remember. Ah well. We had fun; that's what counts.

After four games of bowling, we stopped for some ice cream at a small parlor not far from our hotel on Ocean Boulevard. We had a good time just walking down the empty (but well-lit) street eating ice cream and sharing fun conversation. Poor Mom and Dad had aching limbs from bowling, and they still have them now.

So anyway, I'll only be home the rest of today and tomorrow before my sister and I depart for Johns Island on Sunday for our mission trip. So just be praying for God's grace and strength as we prepare for that. I'm excited for what God's going to do while we're down there. It's going to be awesome to watch it take place.

Song of the Day: MercyMe - "Here With Me"

Verse of the Day: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

All You Need is Love

A few days ago, I was pleased to discover another of my friends from Furman has an account with Blogger. He is someone I am good friends with, and he led the creative arts/drama for BCM last year. For as long as I have known him, he's always impressed me with how indepth and articulate he is about his beliefs as well as his faith. Unlike many people I know, he doesn't stop thinking about what God is telling him with just one reading or one analysis of Scripture or any form of writing. He likes to dig in deep, probe every possible layer, and debate on multiple points. He's never satisfied with rote recitations of Scripture with one be-all, end-all interpretation from them, and he challenges both himself and others to really study them with open minds to all sorts of lessons that God can give us through them. There are many things about what he calls "extreme religion" that trouble him a great deal. Here's some of his thoughts:

I am sickened by the ignorance of extreme religion. I am sickened by people who consistently claim to love Jesus, or God, but clearly hate the people God would have loved, and does love - gays, lesbians, abortionists, feminists, liberalists, fundamentalists or any other -ists that have beliefs that may be something other than socially or religiously toward the extreme.

I am disturbed by beliefs that women (and men) be bound to strict rights and responsibilities based on ancient writings taken out of their context, and further placed forcefully into our own.I am made deeply concerned by Christians who are willing to squelch any form of questioning that may not involve clear answers, as if all answers can be found in some form of scripture, even on subjects that scripture never mentions at all. I am amazed at the open, intentional hypocrisy of Christians who thus think that they know God well enough to believe in a boundary-laden, concrete systematic theology.

I am mystified by people who allow Luther, Calvin, Augustine, Aquinas, James Dobson or Focus on the Family, the Southern Baptist Convention or any other person or entity speak for them and form their close-minded thoughts concerning religion and the world. If that is all that they can bring to the table, then I say go back to the Reformation, go back to the Third Century, and go back to Nashville. Those thoughts only hinder the world; they hinder it from the progressivism that ushers in equality, and justice, and oneness and peace that Jesus talks about.

Hard, powerful stuff. This is another thing I really like about my friend. He's not afraid to mince words, or to cut right to the heart of a topic. If there's a problem out there or something that he knows is wrong, he'll come right out and address it. Would that I could always have that boldness!

I have to say that I absolutely agree with every one of his points. Jesus loves people. He doesn't play favorites or set standards or boundaries around his love. He doesn't say he loves this group more than he loves another one, or that he lets a certain people off their sin easy while condemning another. None of that is true. None of it can be found anywhere in the Bible. His love is absolute, perfect, and unconditional. We, ALL of us, have the chance to know it, and to be saved by it. The only thing that stands in the way of that love is our sin. It's not about what we've done or what we have or what kind of group we are; none of that has any value in the eyes of our Lord. It's about the fact that we are sinners who have fallen short of His glory, and His only desire is for us to accept Him, let Him take away our sins, the thing that separates us from His love, and enter into a personal relationship with Christ.

When we choose to ignore people, to look down with condescending eyes on someone who we feel somehow isn't worthy of our time, not even to smile or say 'hello' or 'how are you doing,' we aren't showing God's love to others. We aren't following Jesus' example. Jesus did this sort of thing all the time. He spoke with the different tribes and nationalities. He ate and communed with "sinners." He gathered 12 ordinary men, losers by the world's standards, and made them his disciples! I just love this. It's not about our standards, our status, or our codes. It's about the love of Christ displayed unconditionally to all people. There isn't a person on the face of this Earth who doesn't have the chance to know that love; there really isn't. Shouldn't that inspire us to reach out to them, and to be the living examples of Christ's transforming power that God wants us to be?

That's what I want, and I'm only sorry to admit I've messed up on that so many times. Whether I've let my own problems get in the way and not allowed God to take care of them that I've missed opportunities to get out and meet people, or just "not cared" on a given day, I'm nowhere near perfect on that. I can only say that God is a loving, forgiving God whom I can always cry out to for forgiveness of my own ignorance, and who is always right there to take my burdens away and to cleanse my heart. I can't put into words the feeling I have knowing that God forgives sin, and forgets it. It really is as far away as the east from the west. Knowing I don't have to live in bondage to it anymore is the most liberating feeling I can think of. Shouldn't that inspire us to show that love to other people we meet, regardless of background or beliefs that differ from ours? None of that can set limits on the love of Christ. His love is unconditional and he wants us to share that free gift to others, bringing them to Him.

*sigh* I want to thank my friend for posting this. He's an awesome believer who has a boldness and courage that I wish I could have more often than I usually do. Lord, I pray that you will fill me with that boldness as only Your Holy Spirit can. Please convict my heart and show me Your will in ministry to others. I love You, Father God.

Beach vacation continues to be lots of relaxing fun. Last night was quieter than usual, as my parents went out for a well-deserved night on the town. They had dinner in Myrtle Beach and then went to a dance club where they got to do some shagging. :) That left me and the siblings at the hotel, so we ordered a pepperoni & cheese pizza and watched movies for most of the evening and night. Mom and Dad didn't get back until soon after midnight.

I woke up at about 5:00 this morning and did my usual walk/jog to the Cherry Grove pier that I do every time we come down here on vacation. I have to say, this year more than any, the walk was much easier than I can remember it being. I'm grateful for Health class and my exercise regimen at Furman; it's made my legs so much stronger than the years in which I was left panting and aching from the hour-long stretch to the pier and back.

Tonight has me excited. My family will be doing something we've never done here at the beach before: bowling! It's looking like tonight will be our last night down here (unless a room unexpectedly opens up at the last second) so we plan to make the most of it. Hope all is well with those of you taking the time to read this! Later!

Song of the Day: Matthew West - "More"

Verse of the Day: "God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Sunny Days

Wow. It's not easy having to take your laptop nearly a mile across the street just to access the internet. But then again, you'd think I'd be used to it after lugging it around Furman all last year. Of course, Furman's not this hot...

Anyway, my week at the beach has been so much fun. Mondey evening, the family went out to the Chesapeake House for dinner. It's a restaurant that offers mainly seafood, but also has tasty steak and fried chicken. I went with the steak, but I think it gave me a bad case of indigestion. No idea why. After that, we honored another old family tradition by going putt-putt at Fun World. However, not one of us played at our best; I think I can safely say that Fun World kicked our butts soundly. Dad got the lowest score, of course, but we were picking up fives and water stroke penalties right and left. It wasn't pretty. Maybe next time, the course will be more friendly.

Yesterday, we enjoyed another morning and afternoon of fun and relaxation on the beach. I got in some reading on the sand, but for some reason, it was hard for me to stay awake out there. I kept having to get up and soak my feet in the cool ocean water to keep myself alert. Weird. I also did some swimming in the hotel pool and the lazy river. The hot tub was so pleasant that I could've stayed in there forever if I wasn't so afraid of nodding off.

I spent the latter part of the afternoon doing a bit of shopping on Ocean Boulevard. I picked up some souvenirs for friends and got some birthday cards for people. My sister's birthday is coming up on August 8th, the same day as my friend Lauren from Furman. I've been working on a special video project for Susannah that involves a drama production she and her friends did last year. They really enjoyed it, and I've had a whole collection of photos from the event sitting in my archives gathering space. I looked back at it early last week, and the idea hit me. Why not put Microsoft Movie Maker to use and turn it into a video CD/DVD for her birthday present? I've been working on it every day, adding stuff, trimming it here and there, trying to make it as good as it can be. I really hope she likes it.

Anyway, we ate dinner at the Colonial Mall in Briarcliffe yesterday evening, and we also got to see "War of the Worlds" at the Cineplex. I came out of it with a lot of mixed emotions. Honestly, I thought the movie stunk for the first 75% of it, and then it started kicking tail for the last 25%. It turned out pretty much what I expected for a Steven Spielburg movie: plenty of action, drama, and suspense, but the acting, dialogue, and pacing just felt off. Tom Cruise had some good moments where he sparkled, but others...eh. The other characters were pretty much hit or miss for the most part. I don't have too much else to say about it. I'd grade the movie with a C.

Today has been fairly quiet. I changed up my routine (which is all of two days old, hehe) somewhat and slept a little longer, opting to forgo my usual morning workout. I plan to jog the distance to the Cherry Grove pier early tomorrow morning, so that'll make up for it. Susannah and her friend Aimee went back to the mall to take care of some school clothes shopping (needless to say, they'll be there a while), and my Dad took Baxter out for a little father/son time. That left Mom and me to sit outside on the porch and look out at the beach and talk. Fun stuff. :)

So my week's been excellent so far! It looks like I'll be leaving on Friday (still no word on whether we'll get an extra night or not), so the next time I post, I'll probably be back home...for a short time, anyway. Take care, all!

Song of the Day: Truevibe - "You Are the Way"

Verse of the Day: "So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days." - Ephesians 5:15-16

Beach Greetings

Hello, all. I'm typing this from beautiful (and hot) North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I'm here with the family for our annual week-long vacation. Of course, I had to take my laptop down to an ice cream shack on Ocean Boulevard, and then purchase some ice cream before they'd let me use internet. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Ice cream on a blazing hot and humid day at the beach is a GOOD thing.

Anyway, the trip down to Myrtle yesterday was actually quite fun and didn't seem too long at all. Rodney sent me a Bible brain teaser in the mail a few weeks ago, and I decided to make copies for my family to try out to pass the time. Hehe. They are ultra-competitive at these things. Time and again, my sister would look up and try to peak at my Mom's sheet, only to get swatted by my Dad's "Long Arm of the Law" (if you've ever been a little kid on car trips, you know what I mean). I think my sister won anyway. So that was good fun.

We arrived at the Altavista hotel at about 3:00; we made excellent time getting there. Parking the car and then unloading was a bit troublesome because we're not used to actually having a hotel staff help us do it, but that was very nice of them. After we got settled in, we headed over to Bi-Lo to shop for a week's worth of supplies. Of course, we couldn't make supplies last an entire week if our lives depended on it (we'll have half the rations eaten by Wednesday, I'll bet a dollar), but we'll get by. We then went out on the beach to just sit and talk. That's the norm for our first day; uneventful save for the trip and the unloading.

Today was our first full day, and we spent the majority of it outdoors. I got up bright and early at 7:00 to try out the fitness room on the fourth floor (it's great), showered, and had breakfast. Then I went out to the beach with my parents, where I read one of my favorite books: High Calling, written by Evelyn Husband (widow of Rick Husband, one of the astronauts who was killed when space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry on February 1, 2003). I went for a short beach walk with Mom, and then played some in the pool with my brother. This evening, we're planning to have dinner at the Chesapeake House near Myrtle Beach, and then play some putt-putt later on. Did I mention my family is ultra-competitive? Watch out. Hehe.

To anyone taking the time to read my ramblings, I hope your week is off to a fantastic start!

Song of the Day: Jaci Valesquez - "Crystal Clear"

Verse of the Day: "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall guide and direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (Rick Husband's life verse)

The Road Ahead

One adventure ends even as new ones lie on the road ahead. Don't you just love the clever ways I find to work the title of my journal entry into my posts? Hehe. But anyway...

Day 5 of Creative Arts Camp was the final round, and for the kids at least, it wasn't exactly the way they wanted to end the week. The leaders, including myself, kept them in the Sanctuary from 9-11 in the morning to rehearse for their program on Sunday evening. It will incorporate a segment of each activity they've engaged in during the week, including drama, guitar, handbells, movements, and singing. Naturally, kids don't like to sit still anywhere for that long, and trying to keep them dead quiet is a fool's errand (not that it stops us, mind you). Time and again I'd roam the halls outside the Sanctuary and find boys scurrying off claiming they were going to the bathroom. Uh huh. I don't fool that easily. But I could understand their impatience.

Fortunately, we did finally finish the entire runthrough, and we then assembled in the gymnasium for a pizza lunch. I don't think I've had Cheetos and grape-flavored Kool-Aid since I was in elementary school. So that was a nice nostalgic bit. One poor boy got smacked right in the eye with a basketball and had to sit on the bleachers with a cold drink box pressed against his eye for the rest of the period. Please pray that his eye will soon feel better.

And that was basically the end of my experience with Creative Arts Camp 2005. I won't be in town to help with the Sunday program because my family and I are leaving for North Myrtle Beach that morning. We'll be staying at the beach until at least Friday, although my Dad is pushing for us to stay one night longer (no success as of yet, though). My sister is bringing another of her close friends with us named Aimee, who I remember quite well as one of the freshmen who helped bring new life to our school's fledgling Praise Band back when I was a senior. Man, time flies. I can't believe that was so long ago now. But anyway, I just want to say that I enjoyed Creative Arts Camp immensely. Looking back, it was a real growth experience for me because I was forced to come up with a lot of the material for my class alone, and set my own pace and agenda for it. Needless to say, that took a whole lot of preparation and prayer most of all. I treasured my quiet time with God early in the morning when I'd get to the room and my helpers wouldn't be there yet. I'd read a few passages from Matthew (the book that I'm currently studying) and then spend several minutes praying, asking God to empower me with His Holy Spirit and use me to reach out to the kids in my charge with His love and compassion. If the kids and adults' reactions are any indication, I believe God answered my prayers beyond my highest hopes. To God be the glory and honor. :)

Song of the Day: Amy Grant - "Ask Me"

Verse of the Day: "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." - 2 Corinthians 9:8

Winding Down

And so passes day 4 of Creative Arts Camp, the second-to-last day of the week-long event. They say all good things must come to an end. Maybe so, but the results of those good things should bear fruit for eternity. :)

From the looks of it, today was the day that exhaustion from the week seemed to catch up with a lot of people. Kim Shaw, the camp director, looked about dead on her feet, and who can blame her? She's only taking care of her family and kids, which includes a cute little seven-week-old baby boy, in addition to her many responsibilities with the church. If anyone has a lion's endurance, it's her in my opinion. The assistant music leaders helping teach her classes also looked pretty tired. Even Lynn in my drama group came in looking for all the world like a sleep walker. I promptly went downstairs to the gymnasium to fetch her a Dr. Pepper, for which she was very grateful. Anything to help out. It was the last day of normal classes, true, but we still needed to be at the top of our game.

Two of the arts & crafts teachers placed a big canvas drawing of the Earth in our drama room. For some reason, it sparked a contest among my co-workers to find out how many of us could broad-jump over it. I think I won.

Anyway, once drama class got underway, I continued to work with the kids on our portion of the program for Sunday evening. Even with stretch exercises, it wasn't until we repeated Psalm 150 a few times that I started to hear some enthusiasm in their voices. Today I added a new component to the program. I selected two "soloists" out of the children to read John 3:16-17, one verse each. Since these were longer, I encouraged them to really slow down and pronounce loud and clear for more impact. Both soloists did a great job on the two verses. Then the kids performed the final scene of the skit we've been reading all this week. Once again, I held a discussion at the close of the readings to find out what they had learned, and once again, the kids were extremely responsive. Two girls said they learned not to judge people based on outward appearances. A boy learned that God's love stretches to all people in all the nations of the world. One girl said she learned that we are all alike because God created us, and He created us to be unique. Another girl said the skit encouraged her to pray and talk to God at any time of the day, no matter where she was or what she was doing, just like the main character in the skit did. I was so impressed and excited by their answers. It showed that God worked through this drama to teach the kids more about His love and how to share it with others. God is so awesome and wonderful. His name be praised!!

Tomorrow, the kids will assemble in the Sanctuary to do rehearsals for Sunday evening. I gather most workers including myself will be handling "crowd control," in other words, roving around and making sure they're quiet. Never a simple task, but I'm sure the promise of a pizza lunch will help them. Please pray for my co-workers Lynn, Justin, and Lauren as they prepare to go on a mission trip to Orlando, Florida with other members of my church. They'll be doing Bible clubs for children and families as well as working to repair homes and businesses that have suffered damage from last season's onslaught of hurricanes. That is a huge opportunity for ministry and service, and I know God will use them and shine through them in such a great way. That's about all for right now.

Song of the Day: Todd Agnew & Chris Collins - "Grace Like Rain"

Verse of the Day: "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself; each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

Praise Him!

These summer weeks go by so quickly, it's hard to take a step back and soak in God's blessings. But that's why I have this treasured journal, of course.

So Day 3 of Creative Arts Camp proved to be another terrific day. I had my doubts about how well I'd be able to function at first. I didn't fall asleep last night until around 3:00 in the morning and had to wake up at 7:00, only four hours of sleep. I have no idea why sleep didn't come, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to work my best as a result. You know what? Once I got to church and started my daily activities, loss of sleep was an afterthought. I knew God was giving me energy and strength all morning as I set things up, took children from place to place, sang along with them in music and movements class, and staged the next part of our drama. Looking back, I am astounded that I managed to keep going all day on just four hours of sleep and hardly any food in my stomach.

Now I hope that none of you reading this are going to follow my example. By all means, get a good night's sleep and eat your breakfast!! Any other night, I'd have slept reasonably well and had plenty of time to eat breakfast. But today I had to lean on God to give me the strength to function. Thank You, Lord.

Today's routine was a little different. On Sunday, the Creative Arts children will be putting on a special program for the evening worship service, in which they'll showcase all the things they've done and learned in the week. A piece from the arts and crafts, choir, movements, instruments, and drama will all be shown for their parents. So half of today's drama class was spent getting them ready for our portion of the program. I decided to use Psalm 150 and have the children do a dramatic reading of the verses. We have 13-15 kids, so each of them will get to read at least one verse, with a few of them doubling up, and they'll start and end it together with "Halleluia!" and "Praise the Lord!" I added hand motions because when I read this Psalm, it feels perfect for something like that. We had to recite it several times at the end of class because I really wanted them to get into it. I made it clear I wouldn't accept reading a verse in a robot voice without emotion. I wanted the words to leap off the page with excitement and passion. I wanted the kids to say those praises like they meant every word, like their hearts were behind it. So it took quite a few recitals before we really started to make some noise. By the end of the class, the kids were shouting the verses so loud and clear they could hear us all the way down the hall. Music to my ears and to God's ears, I'm sure. :)

Now excuse me while I try to catch up on sleep...

Song of the Day: Twila Paris - "He is Exalted"

Verse of the Day: "Praise the Lord. Praise God in His Sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with the tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." - Psalm 150

Planning Ahead

Day 2 of Creative Arts Camp went just as well as day 1, maybe better. The first part of our morning wasn't too busy at all, really. My partners and I just spent the time talking about random things and growing closer together. Have I mentioned how much I love these three kids? They work so perfectly together because their personalities play off each other so well. Justin is the hyperactive clown, Lauren is the quiet, gentle soul, and Lynn often plays the mellow person or the peacemaker. These three are only just entering high school, but they are so wonderful to work with. I'm glad God has blessed me with a team like this.

Anyway, we helped to supervise music and movement this morning. So far, that has been the most fun class to sit in and observe. The kids learned a cute limerick involving McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut, which I promptly changed to Chick-Fil-A. Hey, I gotta stick up for my work place :) They also learned the lyrics for "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" in Spanish, and they did another song in Swahili. They did so well that the teacher's aide had to buy the music instructor coffee on a bet. You can't lose with odds like those.

We had delicious bon bons and blue raspberry punch for snacks, and then my group met up at the drama room to rehearse the next scene of our skit. I was really anxious about today's scene because this is where the story really connects to the main message this week of showing the love of Christ to all the nations of the world. The message is that we all have our differences, every one of us. We like different things, we come from all kinds of different backgrounds, we speak different languages, we have differing beliefs, etc. But we as Christians can't let ourselves be scared of other people, nor should we look down on them simply because they're not like us. We must always follow Jesus' example and share His love with every person we meet. Our differences should never polarize us; they are how God made us to be special and unique individuals. We are ALL crafted in the image of our Creator, yet we can boast of nothing except our victory over sin by the blood of Christ. Knowing this, our goal is to challenge the kids to live out the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples, to go out and lead all the nations to follow God. And this is the really cool part. You don't have to be a preacher or a minister to do that! You can show God's love by example, by living positive, moral lifestyles, being willing to serve rather than be served, having compassion for those around us, and living every day in obedience to God's will. Just doing that affects other people; God's Holy Spirit moves through us and radiates out from us, drawing other people in by our example. I was truly encouraged by how the kids responded to the message today. They picked up every theme and really paid close attention. That made me feel so good. In all honesty, I don't care if they forget about the games we played, the tongue twisters, the rhymes, or even the skit by itself. Those things are all definitely fun, but they are secondary to the real message at work here. If they can grasp that, then I'll be happy beyond words.

I spent the evening at the house of Rodney Norvell, my campus minister at Furman. It was great to see him and some of the old BCM gang again. Andrew, John, Liz, Will, and Bryan were all there. We had hamburger meat, tacos, and homemade ice cream with fruit (thank you, Liz!!) as we shared funny conversations as well as prayer requests and missions updates. Please pray for Rodney and his missions team as they get ready to head down to Cuba tomorrow. Pray that Tropical Storm (soon-to-be-hurricane) Emily will stay far away from them instead of following in Dennis' trail like the forecasters are saying it will. :( Again, it was great to see those guys again, even though it meant giving up one Bible Study with my Sunday School class. Oh well. It'll be the last time I'll see any of them for the next few weeks. Please slow down, summer. I'm not ready to think about classes just yet...:P

Song of the Day: Philips, Craig, and Dean - "Friend of God"

Verse of the Day: "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:3

So the Drama

Hello, all.

Well, Creative Arts Camp officially began today. I was really nervous last night because unlike Vacation Bible School, I didn't feel anywhere near as prepared to do this. I had to come up with a lot of the material on my own and set my own pace and agenda. So that led to a sense of things not feeling very organized, but I'll tell you this. That's where God comes in. All last night and up to this morning even as I was frantically making copies and pulling things together, I was sending prayers up to Him, asking for His guidance and strength. The camp really challenges me not only to work harder, but to dig in deeper with my faith, and depend on God to set my course.

Anyway, I woke up at 6:00 this morning to get ready, head to church, and make last-minute copies of the script I wrote for the drama class. All the while, I was juggling so many ideas for theatre games and improv situations and things like that, so it was hard to get focused and keep everything straight. It wasn't until 8:45 that I finally found the kids and the leaders (they were in the Sanctuary, of course; the most natural place for them to meet and yet the one place I overlooked). I met up with my co-worker Lynn, who is wonderful, by the way. It took us a while just to get organized; we were left to choose our own room to work in. So that was pretty cool.

After that, the day really took off. First off, Lynn and I gained two more co-workers. All three of them are still in high school, but they have terrific chemistry and are full of energy. We worked so great together. That right there was an answer to prayer. Thank You, God.

Since our drama class wasn't scheduled to start until later in the morning, the four of us split up and went around the church to the other classes, pitching in and helping out where we were needed. I made the rounds to the art room and choir room, labeling guitars for the class that Randy Kirby, our minister of music, is leading. I helped run off some copies of spreadsheets for a keyboard class and got the chance to stay in there and listen to them play. They did a beautiful song about the moon shaped like a boat in the sky that can be seen by all the nations. One kid had trouble finding the low C and G notes on his keyboard, so I tried to help him with that. Another boy didn't want to participate at all and just laid on the couch most of the time. Me and another leader worked with him, but he didn't look like he was enjoying it. But all in all, that was a great time to listen to the kids make music.

We had a quick break for snacks in the gymnasium, and then my group got together so I could show them my script for the first time. I figured what we'd do was act it out first for the kids and then let them tackle it, so they could get the feel for what it was like. Everyone liked it and said it was well-written, but it was a real challenge for me to write something that not only carried a message, but toned down to their level of understanding as well. So we began with body and vocal warm-ups, which are always fun. Then we played a couple of theatre games like the "Um" Game (you can guess how it's played) before we introduced the main skit. We rotated characters and let the kids play it out three times. Most of them picked it up real well and caught on to the little nuances of their roles. Finally, we finished up with some Mime games. Mime really is easier than it looks. You make it up as you go along. The object is to be funny and exaggerated since your body poses and expressions do the talking. Some of the kids were nervous at first, but I was amazed at how well many of them grasped the idea of miming.

All in all, a splendid first day. The Lord is marvelous in all His works. He answered my prayers abundantly and beyond my hopes. I have one of the best teams I've ever worked with, a room all our own, plenty of material to use, and our numbers are growing with only one day! Please continue to pray for us. This is shaping up to be an unforgettable week!

Song of the Day: Point of Grace - "Steady On"

Verse of the Day: "Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You." - Jeremiah 32:17

Dennis the Menace

I want it on the record that I was the first person, to the best of my knowledge, to label category 3 Hurricane Dennis, "Dennis the Menace." I should require all newspapers and meteorologists that use that moniker from here on out to pay me a dollar.

Hehe. Only having a little fun with an otherwise deadly serious weather situation. The poor Florida Panhandle is in the crosshairs of yet another major hurricane that is less than 24 hours from striking the land. And unlike the pussycats that were Tropical Storms Arlene and Cindy weeks ago, this one is a truly deadly behemoth. Dennis is easily as powerful as Hurricane Ivan last year, and it's only a few wind speeds away from regaining category 4 status. In fact, it was nearly a category 5 (the top of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) a few days ago before it lashed Jamaica and Cuba. Trekking over those landmasses sapped a lot of energy from Dennis, but just this afternoon, as it cleared the islands and re-emerged in the Gulf of Mexico, practically hugging the western Florida coast, Dennis roared back to near-full intensity at an alarming rate. I could tell that the weather forecasters were quite stunned at how quickly the storm's minimum central pressure dropped in the afternoon, which paralleled the increasing wind speeds.

Okay, enough of the "techno babble." Dennis is one deadly and dangerous storm, and it's coming for the Florida Panhandle. My prayers are with the residents still trying to evacuate and especially for those who have decided to stay. Choosing to ride out a major hurricane packing a 15-20 foot storm surge is a huge no-no in my book. For goodness' sake, people, get out of there now while you still can!

Song of the Day: Avalon - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"

Verse of the Day: "Lord, You establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us!" - Isaiah 26:12

Taming the Tongue

Happy belated Fourth of July, everyone. :) Mine was very pleasant. After I worked a few hours in the morning and early afternoon, I drove down to Whitmire to meet my family and grandparents for the rest of the day. We had a relaxing time swimming, sitting around talking and just enjoying each other's company. We ate chargrilled chicken and ribs for dinner along with my granddad's homemade vanilla ice cream that is unrivaled by any other. Then once it was dark enough, we shot our own collection of fireworks in my uncle's backyard. Fun times, all.

So on the heels of yesterday's celebratory aura, today was more routine and normal, but still another great day. I worked a full morning and afternoon shift at CFA, and then came home to some great news from a couple of my dearest friends. Lauren is about a month into her service at Connie Maxwell, and from her own blog, I can tell it has touched her life in ways I can't describe. She's met and befriended kids from all sorts of various backgrounds and several of them have dealt with rough times and circumstances that are just hard to imagine. I really feel God is doing a great work with her there; she has such a kind, compassionate heart and a loving spirit; she's the kind of person these kids can really open up with. I also heard from my friend Ashley down in Columbia. She's been busy lately with work and shopping for her apartment, as well as getting signed up for graduate school courses, but she's doing well also. Please pray for Lauren and Ashley and all they've got going on in their lives.

Anyway, this is Tuesday night, which means it was Bible Study night once again. Doug was back, along with the majority of the college students, and we had another awesome meeting. If you can't tell by the title of this entry, our discussion focused on James 3:1-12, a passage on taming the tongue. It was a real eye-opener of a lesson, mostly because I think it touched a nerve with a lot of us. The tongue, our words, is a tool with so much impact. When we master it, and develop self-control, it can be a powerfully motivating tool for others. But when we are careless with our words and say hurtful, destructive things, it really is like a violent fire that ruins and destroys. It can shatter relationships, alienate potential seekers of God's love, and make us hypocrites if we allow our speech to wander into sarcasm, gossip, and disrespect. I should know; I've been guilty of that more times than I'd like to admit. But as Doug says, we can master our tongues and practice self-control by praising God in the midst of the rough times. One thing he likes to do, which I've also done many times, is when things in his life get overwhelming and he's at a point where he knows the first words that come from his mouth will be displeasing to God, then he'll go to his room or his office, close the door, and start praising God. By listening to or singing a praise song all by himself, he'll always feel totally refreshed and renewed in less than 10 minutes. Just amazing how much difference taking the time to praise God in everything, good times and bad, truly makes. It's better than any pain reliever. :)

After Bible Study, some of the students and I went out for a quick bite to eat at a local Chick-Fil-A (thankfully, we weren't near Haywood). It was lots of fun sharing light-hearted comments and conversation over ice cream and chicken nuggets, and not necessarily in that order. Pray also for my friend Stephanie. She'll be a senior at Furman (!) this fall, and she's been in a relationship with her boyfriend for five years. From the looks of it, he is planning to propose to her very soon, and I can tell she's terribly excited about that. She's a terrific model of a leader being used by God and seeking His will every step of the way. So just pray for them. Thanks bunches!

Song of the Day: Salvador - "How Far is Heaven"

Verse of the Day: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men. who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My friends, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grape vine bear figs? Neither can a salt stream produce fresh water." - James 3:9-12

Let Freedom Reign

I love Sundays on or before the Fourth of July. Mostly because I'm in our church Sanctuary Choir and we will always put together a medley of patriotic hymns and music that is just wonderful to sing. This morning was no exception. I sang in all three of our morning worship services (8:00, 9:00, and 10:15) simply because I loved the music so much. The choir sounded just excellent. Full of passion and energy, which is exactly how we should approach a holiday such as this. It truly is more than just the fireworks and the barbeque.

The rest of today passed quietly with few things happening that are noteworthy. I was glad to have the afternoon to relax a little. I worked 7-8 hour shifts back to back the last two evenings at Chick-Fil-A. Exhausting, yes, but I was happy to have the hours. However, we got wind of a shooting that occured near the front entrance of our mall late last night while we were preparing to close down. Apparantly, a group of people got into an argument and one person pulled out a gun and started firing. At least three people were shot, including one man who was shot in the leg. Thankfully, none of the injuries were life-threatening. There was an ambulance and at least ten or fifteen police cars parked out front. Needless to say, it made quite a few of my co-workers uneasy about getting ready to venture outside to their cars to leave for the night. I parked on the other side of the mall, having gotten there earlier in the day, but that incident was more than enough to make me double-check my surroundings prior to going to it outside. I know my parents were terribly worried for my safety, and I honestly don't blame them.

Song of the Day: Camp Kirkland - "God Bless the U.S.A."

Verse of the Day: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38-39