Our church’s camp went extremely well this year! It was a long week: filled with plenty of action and adventure. As a whole, we did things such as go-carting, canoeing, swimming, paintball, and a night activity. Many made good decisions for God, and several were saved.
Sure, I am still catching up on sleep (I think, on average, I went to sleep at 2am, and woke up at 6:00am), and it is a lot of hard work and preparation; but it is all very rewarding. We had a prayer list of things that we wanted to see God answer at camp, and He answered all of them specifically. I pray that every decision would be kept for God’s glory.
I could probably go on for a while on everything, but that would all get kind of redundant. Instead, I’ll just leave everyone with a few pictures:
This was taken before we left with those who rode the bus to camp...about 1/2 of those that actually were from our church.
Monday officially starts the first day of Mt. Zion Baptist Camp. A LOT of planning goes into every detail of this last week of June. Today, we had our big camp work day to set up and prepare for everyone to come at 10:00 Monday morning. This year, about 50 workers and 120+ campers plan on being here. The thing is: we do everything. Dozens of people from our church put hours upon hours into preparing the stage, purchasing and planning for meals, keeping the campground clean, and all of the logistics involved. In the end, though, it is very rewarding.
Our speakers this year are Pastor Aaron Samples for the teens and Pastor Chad Delhotal for the juniors. The theme for this year is “The Jericho Project: Mission Impossible.” Our spiritual focus is on hidden sin and victory against all odds. For the program, the theme is all about espionage. The campers are divided into four teams, and each given an ID badge and handle. The main competition for those teams is who can knock down their wall by various things like accomplishing secret missions, doing well in Bible quizzing, and being victorious in field competitions throughout the day. Whoever gets the most points for the day gets to have their wall (about 30 painted cardboard boxes) knocked down.
However, in the Bible’s account of the victory at Jericho, we know how it was accomplished. By marching around the city 13 times over seven days, then as the finale, the priests blowing their ram horns and the people shouting with all of their might. So, in the year of the 2010, also the year of the Soccer World Cup in South Africa, what do we use as improvisation for the hard-to-find ram horn? Nothing but the infamous vuvuzela! If you don’t know what that is, just Google it! Let’s just say it is a fad that every spectator at the games love, but everyone watching them absolutely hate! Yes, whichever team wins the day’s competition gets to blow their vuvuzelas and shout, so the walls of Jericho come tumbling down…
The funniest part about all of this is that they were purchased before the whole World Cup thing. One of our church members had the idea of buying these big, cheap, plastic horns; and we went ahead and got them; unknowing of the phenomenon they would be in just a few weeks. So, as most of you will be sitting at home sometime next week at about 7:00pm EST, be assured that the walls of Jericho will be tumbling down in Hannover, PA to the sound of vuvuzelas and a bunch of screaming teenagers.
Reminiscing can sometimes be a very discouraging thing. One can look back into past years, and think of bad decisions, mistakes, and utter regrets. However, as a born-again Christian, I can honestly say from experience that the only regrets I have are when I could have done more for Christ. I have never regretted obeying Him! Never have I thought that life would be better if I had lived for myself instead of my Savior! When I am in His will, life is simply perfect. Yes, there are trials and tests, but we have strength from God to overcome them.
Why am I reminiscing? Because I am overjoyed with the life God has given me. I do not deserve any of it. I am married to the very love of my life, I am in a wonderful church, with a beautiful home, no debt, and a whole life of serving Christ to look forward to, until He returns or God takes me to heaven.
Over the past several months, I have heard of some friends that I grew up with or went to college with. Thankfully, many are serving God with there lives. Unfortunately though, a large number have thrown away so much of their lives. Some that seemed to be godly young people are now no longer darkening even any church door. The flesh and the devil have won the battle in many lives, ruining all sense of a biblical testimony, and making a large number all but disband from the Army of the Lord.
I took this picture behind our church last Sunday night. PA is very scenic!
I have never regretted my salvation. Not once. There is no greater joy in my life than to be redeemed from sin and hell. I have a Comforter in times of struggle, a Father Who supplies every need, and a Savior Who died in my place.
I have never regretted marrying the most godly, intelligent, tender-hearted, and beautiful woman ever created. Nor do I regret being completely pure at the altar; never having even touched her, let alone holding her hand, kissing, etc. That day was, after salvation, the greatest day of my life.
I have never regretted one biblical standard that God has given my wife and I; from modest dress, to separation from this world, to abstaining from all alcohol, to conservative music, and to faithfulness to my church.
I have never regretted choosing to give my life completely to God; taking my ideals and goals off of the table, and letting Him fill in the blanks instead.
I have never regretted giving one minute of my time to God: whether it be in prayer, Bible meditation and study, or witnessing.
I have never regretted choosing, attending, and graduating from my alma mater. What I learned there was spiritually reviving, uncompromising, and altogether priceless.
I say this again: I have never regretted any decision I have made for Christ–any step of obedience–any standard. My life is overfilled with heavenly joy!
I love these Bible verses…no explanation needed:
Psalms 119:97, 101-104 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day…I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. “
Psalms 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”
Colossians 1:10 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
It is hard to believe that we have been married for a whole year. Trust us though, we are still newlyweds–and plan on being so for a very long time!
The graphic is a modified version of the cover of the anniversary card that I gave Andrea. The background picture is from Mexico (edited with a few masks, and I think 8 layers total). The foreground is from our wedding, along with the Webdings font heart (just type the letter ‘y’).
