Deep thoughts...

This morning, I woke up and really didn't want to do anything. So I sat down and started to watch tv. There was really nothing on, so I went to the OnDemand thing and looked to see if there were any good free movies on. I decided to watch a movie called Jack. It's with Robin Williams. The character Robin plays is named Jack. He has a disorder that makes him grow 4x as fast as normal. So like when he was born, his mom was only 2 months pregnant. So by the time he was 10 and in 5th grade, he looked like he was 40. By the time he graduated high school, he looked like he was in his 60s or so. But it got me thinking...technically Jack only really lived 18 years, but he lived it to its fullest! How are we living today? How am I living? Am I living everyday as if it's my last? Am I living like John 10:10 says that I CAN live? Honestly, I don't think I am. I tend to lay around and sleep or watch tv instead of going to the park and walking-taking in the scenery- or cleaning my apartment so that I can invite friends and family over to hang out...it's making me sad to think about all this. Anyway. I just wanted to encourage those that read this to live life to its fullest! Get to know the people that you work with or see or talk to every day. Get to know the One that created us. I'm going to try.

Well, here I am back from 6 days of Christ! Camp was stinkin awesome! God did some great stuff while we were there. I think there were about 100 or so commitments to Christ - first time - then there were some rededications and commitments of baptism. I don't know the final number. There were almost 500 middle school students there. Every day was packed full of stuff to do...no down time at all! We got up at around 6 or 7 and didn't go to bed til 12 at the earliest. Needless to say, I'm physically and mentally drained but spiritually FIRED UP!! Sunday night: Jeff had told us adults that worship was going to be intense...almost like high school. No "fun" worship (where we jump around and such), etc. He told us as family groups to pray for the Spirit's "downpour" there at the service...and oh my goodness He did!! Even before worship started, God was already moving in lives. Jeff gave a salvation call, then he asked if anyone was struggling with something. It was then I sat down and prayed for the kids in there. In that moment, I honestly believe I heard the still, quiet voice of God tell me to get my Bible, stand up, and look for a girl in my group. I was so scared because I'm not good at the one-on-one thing, but I got up anyway and watched. Just then I saw two of my girls walking toward the back. I met up with them and we went outside to talk. Ok. You know how God allows you to go through some crap? Well, the crap that I've experienced, struggled with, and conquered through the blood of Jesus were the very things that these two girls were struggling with!!! Hallelujah! So I got to encourage them and pray with them about it. Then the next day during my quiet time, He spoke to me again. People who know me well, know that I work at Chick-fil-a. A lot of our "regulars" went with us to camp. Every single day I heard at least one thing about work. I was honestly trying not to think about it because I wasn't there. This was my vacation (unpaid, but a vacation)...I'm not supposed to think about it!! Well, everyone who said something to me got the reply that I didn't want to talk or even think about it. Well, God wanted something different! During my quiet time it talked about how Moses felt as he heard all the clawing and screaming from the ark as they were drowning and he couldn't do anything about it! There are people that I work with every day that are clawing at the ark. The difference is that I CAN do something about it! I pray that they'd see God radiating from me so that I can tell them of how awesome He is and how He has changed my life! God told me that I needed to start praying then for the people who don't know Him at work. Crazy stuff, huh? When I heard Him speak, I was scared, yet excited! I have never heard His voice so clearly before. It kinda freaked me out, but at the same time it was great. I know that He loves me and cares enough for me to speak to me like that. There was one song that we sang that really made me think:

"Oh praise the One Who paid my debt and raised this life up from the grave!"

Think on that....meditate on it....let it soak in your brain. How awesome is our God!!

Camp

This blog comes 5 days before we leave for middle school camp. I'm excited, nervous, anxious, yet ready for what God is going to do there both in the lives of our students and in my life and the other adults' lives as well. I am paired up with someone I've never officially met but have seen at work before and a friend of mine who's only staying til Sunday. This is the third year out of three that I've been paired with someone I don't know for the week. I'm not complaining because one out of the two have become REALLY good friends. I wanted to get paired with her this year, but I guess God has another plan! He is ultimately in charge so I'm just going with the flow! (haha the theme is downpour) I guess I'm writing this so that you would pray for us. MS camp is the 15th thru the 20th and HS camp is the 20th thru the 25th. If you would partner with me and pray for the students whose lives will be changed, as well as the adults. Pray that God will move with power...that His Spirit would be ALL over the camp (we will have the WHOLE camp to ourselves this year!). Pray that hearts and lives will be changed and that they are willing to change. When I get back next Wednesday, I will write and tell of all God's goodness! I can't wait! Thank you for praying with me. May God bless you this week!!
Rachel :O)