End of a Day

It's the end of the first full day at Camp Kaleo and the daily tiredness is starting to set in (for campers & for staff.) It has been a challenging day in some ways, but rewarding in so many others. I don't know that words can accurately express all that I was able to take part in, but it will certainly do for now.

• Watching campers & staffer alike joining in motions to new songs with enthusiasm
• Lots of laughter at a full camp game game of wiffle ball
• Campers begging to get back in the pool because they never get to swim like this at home
• Learning that a young camper bought her first bathing suit for this trip for the same reason
• Getting to watch our staff love on these children in so many situations
• Giving big shouts of encouragement as they hit the target shooting bows & arrows
• A young man (who likes to test boundaries) sitting with me at dinner and having a great conversation
• The same young man hearing the adults at his table talk about the good dinner rolls & going to get another one for them to share
• Sharing the truth that we are sons & daughters of the King and praying it takes root even if we won't necessarily see the immediate impact

Round 2

I am entering into another week of the "Rescue Is Coming" theme this summer as we partner with Vaughn Chapel Baptist to host camp for kids in Milledgeville. This is a unique venture for all of us and has already presented nechallenges as we get acclimated to a new environment. We have already broken down some barriers with our campers (faster than expected) and are starting to see some opportunities to share Christ. I am humbled to serve with such a great staff from both churches & look forward to the relationships we will build with each other from this time in the mission field.

A Sinner's Prayer

Create in me a clean heart, o God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Create: make something new that I cannot make on my own. I will will try & fail to do this every day under my power.

In me: not external, but in the wellspring of my soul that will affect everything else that I do

Clean heart: I recognize that my heart will not be pure based on my willpower. I am not content with my heart's current state & I humbly ask that you make it clean for Your sake and for mine.

o God: I call on You as my first and last resort my King. I will call on Your name as the Creator of all things, the King to whom I pledge allegiance, my compassionate Father, and the lover of my soul.

Renew: my dedication to You unfortunately fades. While I do not wish for it to be this way, I seek out Your regenerative love and beg You to refresh my soul.

Steadfast spirit: while I recognize that I fluctuate in the intensity of my devotion to You, I can honestly confess that my heart desires to seek You more consistently. It is only in Your ability to forgive my sin and set me on the right path that my spirit is made stronger. I desire unwavering intimacy with You, my Lord, and believe in Your magnanimous love that makes this possible.

I Had a Plan

As part of my Type A personality I like to plan things out-sometimes in more detail than others. I have ongoing project lists, meditate on objectives, and spend a lot of time writing things out in my Franklin planner and on my whiteboards. It's a way for me to get a firm grasp on what is going on and to be able to look ahead at what needs to happen next.

As a result of all of this anal-retentive planning I can be come frustrated when things don't go exactly how I had envisioned. It can be as simple as a conversation not going as I had envisioned, detailed plans suddenly veering off script, or big changes in life direction and lifestyle. All of these require shifting of direction and reaction. This is something I have improved on in recent years, but it takes conscious effort to work though. 

This is a reminder that I can continue to plan, but the world doesn't revolve around me and my objectives. God's plan also doesn't necessarily work according to my life maps even if I have been engaged in prayer and thought beforehand. The lessons I have learned in flexibility & adaptability are valuable and ongoing. It molds in me a willingness to adjust, creates better interpersonal relationships, and continues to mature my faith in God's omniscience. 

Words on Paper

I have a desire to write and while I am still in the refining stages of style and communication, I feel the need to develop the regular discipline of writing. One of my life ambitions is to write a book and I know that the consistent practice of blogging will help me to prepare for that process. I think back through what I have experienced that day, what insight I might have gained from Scripture, and what revelation I received from God. I usually sit down at my laptop and the ideas flow forward from my fingertips.

That is not happening today. Yet, in my stubbornness, I am insisting on writing a blog that is essentially about not writing a blog. It reflects a discipline that is necessary for future success. There are obvious spiritual parallels that I can make here as well, but for tonight I will refrain. 

Today I am simply reminded of Doc Carlin, my AP English teacher from high school (and friend & colleague) who would often pace around our classroom declaring, "Words on Paper!" It was his way of telling us to put our writing skills to work. The results will not always be ethereally life changing, but the practice is necessary just the same.

I Got It

I realized this morning while enjoying the peace of the morning air and a good cup of coffee that I am too dependent upon my own ability to get things done. I believe firmly in God's provision and will, but sometimes neglect to rely on Him as much as I should. I am not negating the importance of perseverance and hard work. I am simply acknowledging the reality of my own stubbornness and my life pattern of self-reliance. You would think that my previous experience of personal exhaustion and clear evidence of God-led victory would have already changed that in me.

Mark Batterson says that we should work like it depends on us and pray like it depends on God. I have the first part of this equation down pat. It's the second half that will unleash the power of the Holy Spirit in my life and in ministry. 

That'll Do

When do we finally have an "IHHE" moment? It's the "I Have Had Enough" recognition that causes us to make change. We reach a point of exasperation, defeat, desperation or devastation and decide that things cannot remain the same. Change begins when we are no longer comfortable with the status quo. As long as we are comfortably complacent with the health of our family life, the depth of our spiritual intimacy with God, and the level of sin we are engaging in, nothing will change. Having an IHHE revelation spurs us to press in more closely to God for forgiveness, wisdom, and discernment. It is the only real impetus for long-lasting life adjustments. 

Dissatisfaction with our current path is the catalytic mechanism for positive life transformation.