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
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. -1 Thessalonians 2:8
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, July 4, 2011
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
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
Friday, June 17, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, May 20, 2011
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
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
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
Sunday, May 15, 2011
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!
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!
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