My summmmmmmmmer

Storm

Just stupid busy the last couple days. But something that my mentor Gary told me the last time I met with him came to the surface of my memories. That memory was that even in the midst of the craziness of life you have to be obedient to the Lord. I felt like life was moving way too fast the last couple days and then I sat down and started reading and just prayed about my worries and anxiety. I had a huge first exam in one of my classes and a lot of people asked why I was so calm? I can't really give them an answer other than I was just trusting in God that what I knew was enough and that I was going to depend on Him for the strength and wisdom I needed to pass this thing.

I felt so good when I finished my test. A lot better than I thought. If we cast our worry on God and really think about what matters I think He will help put in perspective what really matters. Right before the test I thought... How much does this grade on this exam really mean to me? Sure it looks great but when it comes down to it, I really have a lot of other real cares and thoughts that matter for eternity rather than temporary.

Life is like a storm sometimes. You can see the Chaos. And just in case you were wondering chaos refers to a state lacking order or predictability. Kind of funny how a lot of us might describe this as life. But within the chaos and craziness there is a beauty in it all. There is a sense of control. A control that only comes from the God above. No one can control a storm... no one can control life... only God has a handle in this all.

One Sentence or a couple

I had a great conversation with a brother in Christ the other night. The depth of the conversation was awesome but two sentences stuck out the most that really made me think and in fact still has me thinking...

"People are always asking why God is letting all these people die. Maybe the question is why is letting you live?"

It is one of the questions/statements that you have take a step back. I remember when he said this to me. All I could do was say wow. Wait. I need to repeat that. This is one of those statements that really make you reevaluate life and how you look at it. God is so much more powerful than we can ever imagine. Yes our God is the most passionate being that you can't even imagine but He does as He pleases. Even when life doesn't make sense. When people die, when people suffer and when tragedy hits. It is all for a reason. God is always in control. The last line which says why is he letting you live really is thought provoking. God will remove us from this Earth when He wants. So... what will we do with the time we have? I want to be the most intentional voices of God I can be. I want to be used up. When I was back at Malibu, that is something that Gil, my boss, would always say. That when he was done here he wanted to be used up. That is the way I want to feel. When God calls me home I want Him to look at me and say, "This is my son, to whom I am well pleased."


Sometimes we just have to follow where the Lord leads us. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." Proverbs 16:3.

Closure

I have yet to really address my departure from Malibu. First of all was the departure of my very good friend Andy Thompson. He was my garbage man and a summer staffer during third session. Andy was the guy I referred to in earlier blogs as the guy I really started to hit it off with. In short, our friendship grew deeper and stronger as the session went on and as the goodbye came around it was evident it was going to be hard for us both.

As the summer staff is beginning to board Andy calls me away from the crowds of people to get one last chance for just the two of us to say our fair wells. As we get away we both just start sobbing. We realize that with Andy heading off to South Carolina that we don't know when the next time we will see each other. It is weird when you really can't say any words but hug each other and know deep down that this was/is a cool experience and friendship.

Three days later the day came in which I had to pack up all my things and leave Malibu for who knows how long. As I hug everyone and step on the Laker(water taxi) I realize once again that Malibu goodbyes are the worst things ever. One, you have to leave a place that you have grown in Christ and with others.. oh and not to mention its the most beautiful place on Earth. Two, when you travel by boat your boat takes off soooooo slow that you are literally waving and crying at your friends for a good 10 minutes.

Overall, my adventures in Malibu have been very worthwhile. I learned so much and I have no regrets going away. I just know one thing, the summer flew. As many people ask, what are my thoughts about heading back next year? I have no idea. My plans are in God's hands. I really don't have any jurisdiction anymore.

Run

"Run" from Resonate Church on Vimeo.

Run: A Response from Resonate Church on Vimeo.

"Surrender" from Resonate Church on Vimeo.

Dreaming Big

Dreams. A man who helped change the United States once started off a speech with “I had a dream…” A dream is what changes the world. One day someone had a dream to fly. One day someone had a dream to reach the unreached teenagers of the United States (Young Life). It takes one idea, one thought, one movement to go through with your dream. There are far too many people in this world secular or Christian that never follows through with their dreams or passions. If your heart is aligned with the Lord then your dream should be one that follows what He wants with you. But if the Lord gave you a dream would you follow it? Would you really go for it? Would you leave the country?

Can a dream be too big? The question isn’t the size of the dream but if you think the God of the universe is as big as you the bible says He is then no dream is too big for Him. There is nothing that the Lord cannot do. In Philippians 4:13 it says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The Lord has the power to do immeasurably more than any of us can imagine. In Ephesians 3:20 it says Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. So are there dreams that are too big? No way! Something that I have been thinking about is how we shy away from praying big prayers. We pray for things that in our eyes can be accomplished. Why aren't we praying big prayers? Isn't that kind of insulting to the God of the entire universe? I don't think God enjoys us putting Him in a box. I think He wants us to dream. He wants us to pray BIG prayers.

Some might oberve someone else's dream as stupid or too big. But something that I have been learning is that what we are being told by the Lord might not make sense to others. I once quoted Crazy Love "If our lives make sense to unbelievers then something is wrong." But I would go further into saying that sometimes our lives won't make sense to even fellow believers. That the things that God might be calling us to do might not make any sense but it is what God wants so you do it. So what I pray is that fellow believers would understand that it is between that person and the Lord. That this dream might not make sense but that you must trust in the Lord that it is the plan that He wants for that person. Who are we to judge what God has told another person? Trust in God. Listen to Him and worry about what He wants you to do and trust He has it under control with others. He works in mysterious ways, don't underestimate Him.

I am back

It felt so great to be back in camp. Seeing the summer staff that I left but most importantly my second family in the property staff here at Malibu. They all welcomed me with hugs. It was awesome to hear what was happening in camp while I was gone.

As my time here is winding down, I have lined up some things that I want to accomplish. Updates will be posted on here eventually...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gb7n9B_8m8

Just check out this video

Week out for the wedding

Well I left camp.. Crazy I know. It had been since May 11th that I had seen the great city of Kennewick, WA but more importantly my parents. I missed them so much so it was great to come home. But while I was home I had the honor of being a part of two dear friend's wedding. Cameron Fancher and Cassandra Paeschke. They were both friends of mine growing up and the graciously selected me to be a groomsman. Well it just so turned out that this wedding party included our friend group from high school. In short, it was a solid and may I add good looking group of young adults.

After spending about three days with my parents I jetted off to Spokane where the wedding would take place. That night we had the rehearsal followed by the rehearsal dinner. This night just gave me a taste of the excitement that I was about to have the following day...



To get the wedding day started the groomsmen plus Cam met up in his hotel room to get our stuff on. After that we met up with the ladies at the wedding spot. Before we started off to take pictures I was able to watch the all important first viewing of the groom and his bride. It was a heartfelt time for the wedding party as we saw our two great friends see each other and then exchange their vows with one another. It was an honor to watch. I have to be honest I was holding tears back.

The next thing we did was take photos.. Hopefully I can throw some up on here but either way I can say that pictures were fun.

The wedding ceremony was amazing. With friends and family there and the beautiful weather that we were blessed with we had quite the show. While watching this beautiful occasion and witnessing two amazing friends come together it really made me think about what a gift marriage is to us all.

God gave us this covenant we call marriage. And this covenant has been destroyed. Destroyed by divorce but alas there are those who stand firm to the believe that it is until death do us part. A covenant is an agreement that involves promises and commitments. The Bible describes the marriage as a spiritual covenant that is just as binding, and just as sacred, as the covenant that God has made with His people. A fact that many fail to realize is though it is a man and a woman that make the commitment to be married, they are joined in that commitment, bound in that covenant relationship, by God. Our Creator instituted marriage from the beginning and only He has the authority to bind, or say what does and does not break that covenant. Jesus declared, "..What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate" (Matt. 19:6). A marriage covenant involves more than an individual, their spouse, and the law of the land; it involves God and the covenant that He has bound when a man and woman vow their commitment before Him. The only One who has the authority to declare what is a legitimate reason to break that covenant is the one who bound it, and that is God.

There are three things that make up a covenant the promise, the sign, and the seal. In marriage the promise is to married to this other person for the rest of their lives. The sign is the ring of course which is the physical showing of the promise that has been made. And the seal of marriage is sexual intercourse. The seal of sex for marriage kind of gives the whole saving sex until marriage a whole new meaning because it is the seal to the promise that two people have for one another, the seal to marriage.

My dad came up to me after the wedding and asked if I felt any pressure to get married because of being a part of the wedding and all. I would be lying if I didn't start thinking about how cool it will be for me on that special day. But as far as pressure, I am not too worried. It is all in God's hands.

The three amigos at the rehearsal dinner: Noah, Kevin and I

Another Start

A second session came to a close and once again transitions in Young Life are hard. We literally watch a group of fellow believers leave who we have just spent a month of pouring into and learning from, and say hello to a new group of excited friends who we need to be just as excited about getting to know. The two groups basically just trade spots on the Princess as they arrive and leave. But within this heart break of trying to adjust to a new group the Lord has blessed getting to know these wonderful new people.

Within three days I started to bond with one of my summer staff on ODC. He and I just felt a really quick connection with one another that just took off. Within 72 hours of knowing each other he found out that I would be going home for a week during his session. His comment was something like this, "What am I going to do for a week?" And after about 96 hours him and I were sharing one on one conversations about doubting and how the Lord can teach us so many things. I can just tell that this is a relationship that has been appointed by the Holy Spirit. I just pray that the Spirit leads me in it.

Tonight I started to chat with these two girls on summer staff regarding the book Forgotten God and the mainly the Holy Spirit. It was another conversation that was totally annointed by the Holy Spirit. We talked about how the Holy Spirit is working in us and let me tell you it was awesome. I am just excited to see what different conversations I have with them throughout this month.

Kramer and I got our Erasing Hell books from the store the other day. We are stoked to read them. We are trying to see if some of the other interns would be interested in reading it with us. I would love to make it into a sort of Bible study. When I read the first line of the introduction it said something like this, "If you are excited to read this book you have issues." That kind of made me rethink my motives in reading this book. For some reason.. still excited but maybe I am not all that excited in the news that I will hear I suppose.

Tomorrow is my day off. I expect the Holy Spirit to turn my head and make me have intentional time with Him. We need to expect God to show up because if we don't then what is faith really... because last time I checked the Bible it says

"Faith is being sure of what we Hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

Lets be sure and certain and expectantly looking for God to show you something. If we don't we are just putting God in a carrying bag that we just like to pull out whenever He is convenient. Whenever we want Him to show up then we will ask Him and really believe, only when you really want to see Him. What we need to do is constantly be in touch with what God wants us to do and look for and see. We need to expect Him to be there... ALWAYS.

Joy and Peace

Intern fun nights are definitely highlights for the each week. This past intern fun night was CRAZY. We decided to try to do as many things in camp in one night. One of the coolest things about the intern fun nights is that they are always a surprise for the interns except for those that plan them(me, cody, emma, and katie). So the night began with all the interns running through the ropes course. We then got them together and told them to follow us as we ran them through the obstacle course. So as we are muddy and wet and starting to get cold we lead the group to the outer dock. As we arrive we tell the group that we are going to go night zip lining into the inlet. And the night doesn't end there... We then run into the camp and jump into the 80 degree pool to warm up a little. After we get out we head over to Hamiltons for some coffee and cocoa. Needless to say it was a solid night.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy. Romans 15:13

So lately I have been going through every verse that Forgotten God mentioned in one chapter of the book regarding the Holy Spirit. When this one popped up the other day I knew God really wanted me to focus on it. I love that the Holy Spirit will overflow hope which fills us with peace and joy. If we stay in touch with the Holy Spirit and trust in its leading then joy and peace won't be something we have to learn or try to have. It will be natural for us.

Needtobreathe

My favorite band is Needtobreathe. There love for Jesus and music is evident in a lot of their songs. Their songs just make me happy. I was talking with my fellow intern Kramer, who also shares in this love for Needtobreathe and he asked me one day if I had heard how they got that band name. He followed by telling me this story...

When Bear Rinehart(lead singer) was 18 years old he went to his father(who is a pastor) and asked him, "Dad when do you know when you need got enough?" His father took him down to the water by their house and had Bear go in with him. He then grabbed Bear by the neck and held him under the water. Just when Bear was about to drown he brought his son out of the water and he said, "When you need God as much as you need to breathe, that's when you know you need him enough." Pretty crazy cool way to get a band name. I would speculate that Bear's experience with his father is something that has changed his life forever because I know when I think about it gets me thinking of how much I want to know God. Am I wanting Him enough? Am I wanting Him as much as I need to live? That He is my substance to life. I want to live this way. I want to breathe in His Spirit. I want to be reminded that every breath is for Him. It isn't my own.

But, as it is written,

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him"—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

When I read this verse I knew I was reading something that was thought provoking. Through this passage I see how the Holy Spirit POWER is something that we can't even imagine. This passage talks about the Love of God and how God himself reveals the depth through His Holy Spirit. If that doesn't motivate you to find the Holy Spirit yourself then I don't know why you are wasting your time with the whole Christian thing. We are always trying to pin down how to define God's love and how it works. NEWS FLASH---- we aren't supposed to totally figure it out on our own. That is what the Holy Spirit is doing within us. Just reread that verse. It is sooooo deep I just have to keep reading it over and and over and I still don't totally comprehend the power and magnitude of this sentence. All I can do is seek the Holy Spirit. I'll let Him reveal to me in His time.

Came down with a bit of a fever today.. Pray for healing so I can serve up to what God wants me to do.

Exciting night

There is nothing like getting called from the intern office by Sharon(head of kitchen) to come quick because there is something going wrong. At about midnight, Sharon came rushing into the intern office asking for Andrew and then requested that the rest of us (me, james and joel) come as well. We come to the kitchen to see that the food storage's roof seems to be raining down. We quickly run up to Capilano which is a cabin right above the storage space to try to diagnose the problem. As we arrive we are welcomed by an inch of water covering the entire floor. We are soon to find out that this water is all caused from an overflowing toilet that hasn't stopped running. We quickly plunge the toilet and stop the water. We close down the night by mopping up the remaining water on the bathroom floor, as well as taking care of the water in the store room. Just a regular emergency call at Malibu at midnight.

The night began with an amazing Thai dinner over at the Goff's with the entire intern community plus the Goff's and the Richerts. The food was amazing and the fellowship was even better. It was a good night to get away from camp.

Let your Light SHINE!

1 Peter 4:10

Day 1/7 is not named 1/7 because it is the last day for our departing campers and the first day for our incoming camp. I think it is called this because it literally feels like two days are in one. I wake up at 7:30 am to help start loading departing campers bags, this continues through breakfast until the bags are all fully loaded on the outer dock waiting for the arrival of the Princess. The remaining gap between 10 and 1130(lunch) is used for preparing camp for the next camp. After lunch which consist of mac n cheese(in my opinion worst boat day meal), I have about a half hour to rest up before the boat arrives.

As the boat rounds Patrick's Point the camp horn is fired off and everyone heads to the outer dock. Once the boat pulls in I am in charge of catching the bow line and tying it off. Once we get the go ahead from the captain we rush on the boat to prepare the unloading of baggage and freight. The next 45 minutes consists of constant moving of bags on and off the princess. It is quite the extreme process. During this time we will move around 700 total bags and between 10,000-20,000 pounds of freight and freezer.

We get about a 30 minute break and then the ODC heads down to the THQ(trash headquarters). This is where the trash rodeo takes place. During the next hour or so we all sort through trash of campers pulling out nonburnables and recycling. This is also the time where we search for thrown away clothes and food that campers just got rid of just hours before. The last two weeks I have found a pair of jordan shorts, two pairs of nike high top socks, a sweet t-shirt, and a pair of NIKE Ids. The Nike Ids were embroidered on the back with the verse 1 Peter 4:10.

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of Gods grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

It was a verse that I found really applicable for our intern community here. Needless to say I am keeping the shoes.

My night seems to never end because at about 9:15 I go into the kitchen to prepare juice for the leaders to get for their campers after the obstacle course. And by the time all the leaders make it the clock hits midnight. But wait there is more... The left over and extra pizza which was made for the leaders is given to us interns and the boys in Chinook(where i live) stay up until 1 am swapping man stories.

I love Boat Day!!

Going Fast

This week flew by so fast here at camp. The second session is already half way through and I feel like they just arrived. It is kind of scary. Time really flies by when God is in the center and you are having the time of your life. Broken Heart went really well last night. Every week is different. Every week a different response from the campers. This week when the new heart(orange) was revealed the kids wanted to clap and cheer(first time that has happened). After the drama a leader came up to me and thanked me for what we put on. I reassured him that it wasn't us but God. He then went on to tell me that it was the most spiritual thing he had seen all week. It was crazy to hear. He then told me about his cabin and I could just feel the passion he had for his guys. He was starting to break down when he told me how much he just wanted his guys to get the whole God thing. These moments are the ones that remind me that it isn't about me. It isn't about this drama. It's all about getting this kids to get a small glimpse of who God is.

Went skiing tonight for the first time this summer. Kind of forgot how to get up at first... then once I was up forgot the technique of the cut. By my second go around I received some pointers and was ready and it was a blast.

"But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through"
— Francis Chan

Day 5

Hey y'all it is day 5 again. I will be performing in Broken Heart. Please lift up our team in prayer as we present the Gospel in a different way for these kids to see. There are some inner city kids who might need to see something different, so this could be it for them.

Ryan Smith one of the main program guys here on assignment had to leave on a family emergency today, so if you guys could lift him up in prayer that would be great. Prayer for him and his family as well as the program team here to readjust in how they will go about program for the rest of the session.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. God really has blessed my summer so far and I know it has a lot to do with the prayers that you lift up for me. Thank you.

God is good... all the time.

The 4th of July

I decided that I would try to get on here more frequently to write a small blog rather than write a huge one every month or so. Today was my day off, only fitting that it was also July 4th. My day off didn't consist of much... I slept in for too long, and then went with some of the boys to check out a water fall. After we adventured for about 2 hours we decided to visit the Malibu neighbors the Goffs. While we over there we spent time together hanging out. I was able to get away for a bit and have a great quiet time with the Lord.

I just finished Forgotten God. The book really opened up my views on the importance of the Holy Spirit. It really is an aspect of my Faith that I never really recognized or believed in it enough. If any of you are interested in reading I would definitely recommend you to check it out. It is a very eye opening and convicting book.

So if I graduate with a Health Fitness teaching certificate, I limit myself in areas where I can get a job. I recently was looking at Young Life's job listings. Just browsing. But I came across a job titled Teacher Staff International. It kind of sparked my interest. It would allow me to teach and be on young life staff. Just an interesting thing to think about. Still a ways off before I even have a teaching certificate so really this job listing was just something to check out.

May the Holy Spirit consume you.

"You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence." Acts 2:28

Broken Heart

The regular season has begun.... Malibu will officially have 400 kids here for the next 11 weeks! I can already tell that this summer is going to be a great one. Our first session of work crew and summer staff on the ODC are already great. We have some really strong guys which makes our boat days of moving over 30,000 lbs of freight a breeze.

As the first week has ended and all the other interns have finally arrived, it is finally feeling like the summer camping season. Before the season began I was chosen to take a role in a traditional Young Life drama called Broken Heart. The role I was asked to do was Satan. I was excited to be a part of such a impacting part of camp but was unsure of how I would enjoy being the villain. The first week of the drama nerves were racing as the whole cast prepared. As we all bathed it in prayer and told God that it was His thing not ours, He gave me a peace in my heart. As the drama went on, the Lord blessed it. It went so well and the impact on the campers was evident as many stayed afterwords as their leaders comforted them with tears.

The aftermath of playing the role of Satan is interesting. For the last two days of every week at camp I will be recognized by all the kids as Satan. Kids would say "Hi Satan!" as I would walk by them in camp. It is kind of a crappy name to be called.

I just recently started reading a book called Forgotten God by Francis Chan. In this book Chan focusses on the Holy Spirit and how it is a God that we have forgotten within the Trinity. This book has been very influential in my times here at Malibu already. I have really tried to focus more on being more in touch with the Holy Spirit inside me. I think the Holy Spirit is one of the main reasons why I have made a couple of drastic decisions lately.

One of the most profound things that I have learned so far from this book is how forgotten the Holy Spirit is. Jesus gave His disciples the ultimate reassurance; Another Comforter would come. Jesus said that the Father would give the disciples "another Counselor to be with (them) forever" (14:16 NIV). In this case, the Greek word another means another that is just like the first(as opposed to another that is of a different sort or kind). So Jesus was saying that the One who would come would be just like Him!

What an amazingly comforting verse. Even now we seem to prefer to have a physical God when we have the same God dwelling within us. The power of the Holy Spirit is hard to understand but amazing to start to see glimpses of.

Heavy Load

Sometimes God gives us challenges that we really don't know how to face. Generally when it seems like a task to big for oneself you look for different alternatives then what God has to offer. Instead of asking Him how to face the challenge He has presented, you run and hide. But running and hiding is the worst thing to do and the challenge that you thought once to be daunting just got bigger and harder to solve.

If we present our problems directly to God when they happen things become much easier to cope with. “He himself shall dwell in prosperity . . .” (Psalm 25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). The previous sentence is something that I read in My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It rings true in my heart right now. While here at Malibu, dwelling in prosperity seems much easier than back in the real world. Maybe it is due to the feel of this place. Some call it a thin place, meaning its a step between heaven and earth. It feels that way to mean. Life at times seems so much more clearer while I am here. Life is more at Peace.

So as these worries, tribulations and challenges come our way we need to turn and present them to the Lord. "Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God. By the Peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your heard and your mind in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7. Let us present our request to God with everything that is on our hearts. For as we walk with Him, He will guard and guide us in the ways of righteousness.

One of the ODC's challenges for work today consisted of moving an 11 ton generator. For those of you who don't know what 11 tons are.. that's 22,000 pounds of machinery. Well this problem was one where if I faced it alone.. I would have no idea how to solve it. You see, we weren't moving this 22,000 pounds with a tractor or lift. We were doing this with our hands, chains, jacks, wood, straps, pulleys, I-hooks, and metal bars. The first step which I wasn't there for and probably took the most time was raising the generator 3 feet in the air. Oh one minor detail if the generator fell backwards away from where we were moving it to, it would fall into the ocean. So slowly and carefully Gil(single handedly for the most part) raised the generator up 3 feet. This step took about a week or two since Gil didn't really focus on it all at once.

The second step to moving the generator happened today. As an ODC which consisted of me, Bruce, James and Gil we managed to move the generator a total of 15 feet and turned it 90 degrees. So to perform this ridiculous human feat we used wood to make skids for the generator to "glide" down. Then we used come-along pullies that were chained up to the generator to pull the thing the distance we needed. We used metal bars and placed them under the generator (with jacks) to help with the gliding the beastly thing. As we pulled from different I-hooks with pulleys and there you have it, 11 ton generator moved. I will soon have pictures hopefully. We also took a time lapse of the process which I hope to have up here at some point.

May God guide our lives constantly.. not just in the heat of battle.

Just burnt

You would think that the time in between camps would be really laid back and relaxing. It was exactly the opposite for me this week. I was constantly trying to figure out some problem or moving some sort of construction material for the new buildings. I found myself working a complete day, even past dinner, one one problem in particular and that was a water heater tank. It was the death of me. No matter what I tried to do I always seemed to mess up somehting with it. For instance when I put a plug on a pipe I wasn't going to use, I used a plug with a hole in it.. then when I was finally finishing up the project I connected the hot to the cold and the cold to the hot.. that set me back a good 45 minutes. All in all though.. I finished it.

Today was the nicest day this year for me. It had to be in the 70s and completely blue skies, not a cloud in sight. It was great. I got totally burnt. But I always say the burn turns to tan baby!

The other interns here right now are sooooo great. I like em haha. We are a very diverse group of people but I think for the most part we mesh quite well. It is weird to think that we only have part of our squad up here so far. I just got introduced this new board game by my soundtech buddy Nick and his wifey Stacy called

I might be a little addicted already. We played the past two nights. I didn't either of the games but it was something new. I would describe it as a mix between risk and some other game.

The Lord is very comforting.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Let the adventures begin

As soon as I take a step off the water taxi I finally realize that I am back. I am back in a place that has a special place in my heart. And let me tell you, it felt gooooooood! After saying my hello's to everyone, it was time to change right into my work clothes because there was a camp coming in 4 hours. There was grass to mow. As I equip two other interns and myself with landscape tools we go to work and take down grass that measures up to a foot high. By the time we finish up, the horn is blared indicating that the Malibu Princess has rounded the corner and everyone needs to report to outer dock. This was the beginning to an amazing opening weekend to my summer of 2011.

For about a year and half or so I have discussed with Gary Hopkins baptism. I talked to him about what it meant and going into last year I had a great idea. I wanted to get baptized at Malibu. It was the place where my faith began and it was a place that will always be in my heart. The idea was to have Gary(my mentor) baptize me sometime during the summer. But our plans were squashed when it was revealed to us that under Young Life policy baptism is not allowed on property. This summer however I still had the burning desire to be baptized here at Malibu so I talked to Gary going into the weekend. It felt like the perfect opportunity, it was preseason, so there wasn't as many campers, there were a lot of friends that were here that I wanted to share it with, and I just felt pulled by the Holy Spirit that it was something that I needed to have done.

So as the weekend winded down and times for the baptism seemed to be slipping away, I decided to be baptized at night at 1130 pm. Now this water wasn't just any water. It was water that was below 60 degrees. And just to please the Young Life policy we all went out to Hamburger point which technically isn't YL property but it owned by the natives. As Gary and I walked out into the water it was apparent to me that Gary wasn't handling the water very well. He shivered and sputtered a prayer as his early signs of hypothermia kicked in. And so, in front of a group of friends, interns and property staff, in a place that is always going to mean a lot to my faith, I was baptized.

I am going to try to update this blog as much as I can throughout the summer. I hope to share my adventures and the journey that God has set before me.

Couple of crazy things that happened this weekend as well:
-Broke a wheel off a tractor, then fixed it
-Poured over 3 cubic yards of concrete
-Helped to push a 850 pound replacement part for the hydro with two tractor and plenty of hands up a hill
-Took part in three way plunging attempt to unclog plumbing ("this is bigger than the three of us")

God Bless!

Just felt the need

One thing that has been evident lately to me is the ability for a human to worry. Worrying is something that for the most part is pointless. We worry about things such as what we will get on a exam, or why someone(girl/guy) hasn't called me back, or when am I going to find someone, I hate being single. I believe that we worry so much about our future that we miss the very present that occurs around us sometimes. But it takes obedience and trust to really enjoy the present time. The Present time is when we grow the most.

The Lord has given me a lot of examples as well as scripture and stories in this area lately. He has made it evident to me that this is an area in my life that needs more prayer and attention. The times that we worry usually consists of times where things aren't going exactly the way we want them to go. First, we have to look at that bolded words... we want. It isn't what God wants, it is what we want selfishly for us. It's what we think the standard is for our life, which generally is a worldly one for the most part. When God rescued us from our sin and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is in us and will always be with us.

Some believe that just because they have God in their hearts that life is going to come easy. That because God has a plan that this plan won't be hard. But you see God never claimed that if you believed in Him that your life would be easy. In fact Jesus said that life would be harder...

Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. John 15:20

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26

He never said that homework wouldn't be hard, that people wouldn't fall away, that divorce would happen, or any other struggles you would face. He never said he was going to prevent these things. He did however promise that through all these things He would be with you. That He would be your refuge.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

I believe that the Lord has a plan for each of us and as we grow closer to Him he will start to unveil the many riches that will come with it. He keeps things from us for a reason. He puts us through times in our lives so that we can become more stronger than ever.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

So as these times of worry come your way, remember that all you have to do is look up and remember that He is with you and He is never going to leave your side. He has the the master blue print but we only get to see a step at a time.

"Do not give in to fear or worry, those robbers of abundant living. Trust Me enough to face problems as they come, rather than trying to anticipate them." -Jesus Calling

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5