Beautiful Things

When I was around six years old, I asked my mother about sin. I wanted to make sure I was going to make it to heaven. Not to meantion, I was feeling a little guilty that day for making my sister cry. I had asked God over and over again, "Please forgive my sin" afraid that he couldn't hear me or that I was being insincere. When my mother told me that we had to ask God to forgive our specific sin I quickly got to work, sitting on the back porch stairs, naming off every misdemeanour I could remember, always worried that I had forgotten something.

We all worry about sin. For those of you who don't believe in God, why do you feel guilty when you do something wrong? A lot of the time when I invite a friend to church the immediate response is that God will strike them with lightening for stepping into His House because they know they aren't right with God. You were created with a desire to know Christ. Whether you want to or not, you feel guilty for your sins. That's called the Holy Spirit, people. Like our God-given conscious. It's a thing.

You can't get right with God until you believe He can forgive you of your sins. Until you mean all the "I'm sorry's" and the "I won't do it again's," He's waiting to forgive you. He's waiting for you to love Him. Because trust me, He already loves you.

John 10:10 says, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Jesus died to give you life. Eternal life. "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23) but God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a cross, one of the most gruesome and humble deaths; He took your sins, before you were created, and took them upon Himself, so that you may be forgiven.

If you ask.

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The other day I was sitting in service listening to a missionary speak. He lives in Haiti with his family. He talked about how Haitians are pained at being known as one of the poorest countries in the world. Mass graves, now overgrown with wild grass, hold the bodies of the victims of the earthquake. Entire villages are living out of tents around the rubble. Yet, out of all the destruction and hurt, brokenness creates healing and beauty.

Brokenness creates healing and beauty. I love that.

Jesus wants you to come to Him just as you are. Brokenness and all. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Accept.
Believe.
Confess.

Revelations 3:20 says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in."

You have to make the choice. Jesus is waiting. And He loves you.

Disconnect.

First order of business, happy August everyone!

Second, I am happy to assure you that I did not fall off the face of the earth. As silly as it may seem, I've been kind of off in my own little world. I have been entirely unmotivated to do anything, and in doing so have wasted some of the precious weeks left of summer. No more! This is me, motivation and all, writing to you about my life. Aren't you lucky?

You may remember my babbling last year about my infamous Camp Table Rock? Back to the archives we go. Let me remind you: Fun in the Son: Year Four, Back to Missouri, Knowing Your Faith, Proving the Truth, Seeing the Face of God, Go Light The World. Because camp has a certain repetitive aspect to it, I won't bore you with the exciting details of my adventure this year. But I will say this, my fifth year as a camper at Fun in the Son has been just as great as the last four. The seminars this year were over Evangelism. This is the second year I have heard this seminar, but I learned as much this year as I did the previous.

At the beginning of the week we filled out a witnessing questionnaire. The gist of it is this: we were all created with a desire to know about Christ, God will not be disappointed if we give our all in presenting the Gospel, we are successful witnesses even when the other person does not accept Christ, people do care what God has done in your life, and it is our responsibility to share God with those around us and make sure that those lead to Christ are discipled in their walk with God.

One of the verses that really stuck out to me this year is Acts 26:17-18, which says, "I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me." Last year I really got into the evangelism kick, especially when it came to my classmates; however, now that I look back I'm not sure I was doing it for the right reasons. It is our responsibility as Christians to share God's Word with those around us, despite the consequences. James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." The Bible says to share God's love and message with is people. James 4:17, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." You know what you have to do. Go change the world for Christ.

Go Light The World

I woke up early the last day of camp to get ready for the bus ride home. We had to have everything out of our cabins by breakfast so I rushed around making sure I wasn't leaving anything behind. The last day of camp is always bitter-sweet; no one wants to go home because Fun in the Son is the best place in the world to be but we are all ready to make the changes at home that we have at camp.

The last service Pastor Rick preached was about the reliability of the Bible. It has been proven through the Bibliographical Test, which is what all documents are tested with to prove their accuracy. Reliability is determined by the number of surviving original manuscripts of a document, the time span between the original and earliest copy, and how much discrepancy there is between copies. The books of the Bible are the only documents that have been prepared with such extreme carefulness. Men called Talmudic and Masoretic Scribes copied the Bible letter by letter. When they were finished every letter was counted to ensure that it was accurate.

When the service was over we all walked to our cabins for the last time and dragged our luggage to the charter buses. We mentally prepared ourselves for the ten hour drive home and loaded onto the buses, making sure that our luggage was stored before we climbed aboard.

I can not believe that the week I have been looking forward to since March is already over. I am so grateful for the opportunity to go to Camp Table Rock every year and I am so grateful to the staff and youth leaders who make it possible. I hope that this school year I can remember what I learned at camp and apply it to my everyday life.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20

Seeing the Face of God

Thursday I decided to sleep in as long as I could. I was totally exhausted, as was everyone else. During the morning message I almost fell asleep. It was about how the Bible is different from any other book. It is unique in its continuity. The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years, over 40 generations, by 40 authors. The authors were kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, etc. and it was written in a variety of places including the wilderness, a dungeon, a palace, while traveling, and during military campaigns. It was written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. And in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. There are 24,633 surviving, handwritten manuscripts of the New Testament. How is it possible that it doesn't contradict itself? It is the holy, inspired Word of God.

The rest of the morning was the same as any other. After lunch there is a dunk tank and the people who win the group games the day before get to chose a leader to dunk. It was my team's turn to dunk someone. You have to hit the target from quite a distance and most people aren't accurate enough. I am proud to say that I hit the target and successfully dunked a youth leader.

Our group game was the obstacle course. The obstacle course is a game we do every year, and it is one of the hardest things I do at camp. First you have to hop through tires, then balance on a long, thin pole without falling off. There is a chain link fence that you have to climb; the easy part is getting to the top but once I get up there I can't seem to find an easy way to swing my body to the other side. It was especially hard this year because all of the metal was so hot that it burnt my hands. Once you get off of the fence you do monkey bars and slide through a tunnel. In order to get ten seconds off your time you have to throw a football through a hole. I made the football and ran back to the beginning as fast as I could. Our team didn't win that game.

For boating activities I went cliff jumping. The biggest cliff is around thirty feet (depending on the water level). I decided I would wait until senior year to jump off of that cliff. I jumped off the small one however, which is about as tall as a high dive at a pool. When you get to the top of the cliff you are afraid to jump because it looks like you will hit the rocks. I was scared at first but I flung myself off anyway and soon after climbed the cliff again.

Thursday nights are always the most powerful nights at camp. This year the speaker was a college student from Kentucky Mountain Bible College. He held a revival at my church a few months before and my youth group was especially excited to hear him speak. When he was finished he gave everyone the opportunity to "nail" their sins to the cross. When everyone was seated again we broke up into our small groups and went out onto the field to have communion. The stars shine brighter at Camp Table Rock and when you look at them after a service like that it is as if you are looking up into the face of God.

I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.
Acts 26:17-18

Proving the Truth

Camp has a pattern to it; even though no two days are alike we have the same schedule every day, every year. This is fine with me because I like routine. I like knowing what I will be doing every second of the day. So my Wednesday morning started out a lot like Tuesday. The only difference was I woke up an hour earlier to play some volleyball.

Before I knew it it was already time for service. Pastor Rick talked about how the Bible can be proven as scientific fact using the Legal Historical Method of Proof. He used examples of oral testimony, written testimony, and exhibits and artifacts. Oral testimony can be proven true because millions of people have tried what Jesus said and have found happiness, peace, joy, purpose, and fulfillment in life. Written testimony is also true; there are over sixty prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Jesus and over 270 prophetic ramifications of Christ prophesied. For example: Isaiah 53 was written 700 years before the birth of Jesus. He told us that the scientific chances that 48 out of the 60 prophecies would be fulfilled perfectly was 1 in 10 with 157 zeros behind it. That is amazing! There are also many exhibits and artifacts that prove Christianity to be true. There have been many archeological discoveries that supported the Bible. The Jesus of the Bible is who He says He is!

Our group game that day was four square. I hadn't played that game since at least sixth grade. It was like a blast from the past and it was the only game our group won. We were so proud of ourselves.

That afternoon I went tubing again and again I thought, "Why do people enjoy this so much?" One of the girls on my boat said that tubing should be used as torture. That evening was the Camp Table Rock talent show and my youth group decided to do the Interlude dance with glow sticks. Everyone else was definitely jealous.

The service that night was rethink truth about violence. Pastor Rick showed us clips of different video games that enable you to violently kill people. He also showed us lyrics to hit songs that talked about violently murdering the innocent. I will tell you that after seeing that I am scared for my generation.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
1 Peter 3:15

Knowing Your Faith

Camp Table Rock is located on Table Rock Lake, the cleanest lake I have ever seen. Every afternoon we pack three hours with boating activities, swimming, and cliff jumping. In order to get on a boat however, you have to wake up earlier than everyone else and push your way through a crowd of sweaty teenagers to sign up for a boat. It is total chaos. My favorite thing to do out on the lake is to ride along with my friends in a tubing boat. It gives you such a sense of freedom with the wind blowing through your hair and water splashing up in your face. 

After we signed up for boat activities we ate breakfast, had our one on one time with God and before we knew it service had started. The morning messages this year were about Knowing Your Faith. "Do you really know what you say you believe? Is this your faith or your momma's faith?" The Christian faith is the most intelligent faith in the world because it has sufficient and reliable evidence. Pastor Rick talked about how faith isn't based on feeling or emotion but on fact. That really hit home for me. It is hard to continue to worship a God that you don't feel close to; however, just because you can't feel Him doesn't mean He isn't there. 

We broke up into our small groups to discuss the sermon before breaking up into groups of two for accountability partner time. I must admit, I used to hate having an accountability partner but this year was awesome. I connected to my accountability partner and shared with her stuff that I haven't shared with anyone before. We both opened up to each other and it made for a great week. 

It was already time for lunch and group games came afterwards. The game we played was a field game. I can't recall what the name of it was but someone thew a ball into the air and if your number was called you had to go after it and hit someone with it to get them out. It would have been fun except it was just so hot outside and I could feel my skin burning beneath the sun. 

After group games it was lake time. To get on the dock you have to say a Bible verse that you memorized that morning. This is hard for me; I am horrible at memorization. With the help of my friends I got onto the dock and we went tubing. I tubed for the second time of my life; it was painful and I am still not sure why people love it so much but it did give you an adrenaline rush. 

We got back to the dock without any incidents and floated around in the water for a while before going back to our cabins to shower and get ready for the evening. After dinner there are volleyball and basket ball tournaments. I don't usually participate and it was so hot that the girls in my cabin stayed inside and talked until evening service. 

Each evening service is about a topic that everyone tries to avoid. That night the topic was on rethink truth about sex. Pastor Rick talked about how the media glorifies sex outside of marriage and how we should save ourselves for our spouse. Again, the alters were full after service and when we had cabin devotions everyone had something to share about their struggle. 

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 

Ephesians 5:3

Back to Missouri

I left for Camp Table Rock at five thirty this morning along with seventy other teens. I love waking up four in the morning and watching the sun rise over the city. The ten hour bus ride to Table Rock, Missouri is honestly one of the highlights of my camp experience. I can't adequately explain to you how riding on a charter bus is enjoyable; being on that bus with all my friends is one of the best moments of my life.

Ten hours later we pulled into the Camp Table Rock driveway and walked out into the humid Missouri air. Every year we sit through an orientation that is just so full of information you can't really remember anything. We were assigned our cabins and, as the camp counselors say, let our suitcases explode onto the floor. I was lucky enough to be put in a cabin with my good friends whom I love dearly. (I say that I love them dearly because it is sometimes hard to love someone who doesn't stop talking even though it's one in the morning and you have to wake up at six.)

We head off for our separate team games. The first game I played was a game called electric fence. You have to jump over a rope about three feet high and if you touch it you have to start over again. Your whole team has to get to the other side of the rope first to win. I was thrown over the rope this year. The feeling of flying is exhilarating.

Our first service started out with praise and worship, which is always my favorite part of camp. When the music starts to play everyone runs to the front of the chapel, trying to get as close to the stage as possible. We all start clapping and you can feel the Holy Spirit surrounding you. I was singing at the top of my lungs and was wishing I could sing louder.

Every evening service Pastor Rick brings a message about rethink truth. That night it was rethink truth about drugs. These services are so powerful they bring you to tears. In the past four years that I have been attending Camp Fun in the Son I have learned so much. Drugs are not something to mess around with; one day can ruin your life forever. Pastor Rick also talked about how the media influences our decisions about drugs; it glorifies drugs through music, television shows, and video games.

At the end of each service there is a time of prayer. Half of the chapel goes to the front to pray that God will forgive their sins. It is such a powerful moment.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20

Fun in the Son: Year Four

I leave for Camp Fun in the Son tomorrow at five thirty o'clock in the morning. It sounds horrendous to get up that early and drive ten hours to Camp Table Rock in Missouri but it leads to the best experience of my life. For four years Fun in the Son has been ministering to Iowa teens and I am so blessed to be one of them.

Even though the activities never change and the sermons are always based on the same subjects, every year is a new and exciting experience. I always take away some piece of information that I didn't know I was looking for. The last week in July is a week of spiritual renewal for my youth group, both teens and adult sponsors.

This year my mother and sister have the privilege of tagging along with me (even though my mom sees it more as torture). I have been packing all afternoon and jumping around from room to room while doing it. I am so excited to see what God is going to do in my life this week and the lives of my friends.

Something to pray for: One of my very good friends stopped attending church a while back. She is not coming to camp with us this week. I miss her so much and I just ask that somehow, someway God will work in her life this week and she will return to our youth group.