Details

  So today has been a busy day already.  At the end of each week of camp we have what we call variety night.  For Junior camp each cabin prepares a little something: song, skit, whatever.  For teen camp it is an activity group.  Each group comes to drama twice throughout the week.  Bethany and I are in charge of this activity group this year.  So that means planning dramas and such for the kids to do.  So we spent a few hours figuring that all out.  Which dramas to do, which group should do which ones and rearranging groups.  Praise GOD, that is for the most part worked out!  It’s always a challenge to balance everything so that the evening is not too serious, too funny or too much the same.  Some of the groups have a lot of work ahead of them but it should be a great night and, I pray, glorifying to GOD.

  Also today I will be meeting with the director and his wife to discuss all of those last minute details.  Who knows what all will come up.  They will be leaving for almost a week on Friday, so that’s a little crazy, as camp starts next weekend.  You can pray for them, especially Tina.  She does 1002 things every year.  This year her son just graduated and they had family down for about a week so she’s had that to think about and now heading off to a family reunion.  Much work. 

  But praise GOD, things are coming together.  We still could use another male and female adult counsellor but GOD will provide that or He will give us the grace to survive without them. 

  Tomorrow will be another full day.  Tuesday morning, and all day Wednesday and Thursday I’ll be working for a former co-worker.  When I left work in February I told her that I could possibly work for her so that she could have holidays in July.  So…I’m working a few days.  In the afternoon tomorrow we’ll have band practice for teen camp and then band practice for GIFT, which is a monthly praise and worship/fellowship night begun by Unquenchable, the band that was formed in September, and sadly, is going to cease to be.  The band will cease to be that is.  GIFT will, Lord willing, continue with new musicians.  (GIFT stands for Growing In Faith Together)  So, much to do.  We have our staff camp meeting on Wednesday evening and the backdrop still isn’t finished, although it looks great. 

  In all of it though, it’s so easy to side-tracked and think about the service, the ministry, the work and totally forget about Jesus Christ.  It’s for HIM, for HIS glory that we do this.  If it is for any other reason it’s in vain.  GOD may still choose to work in spite of us but will be hindered by our lack of focus.  He says in the gospels that if our eyes are good than our whole body will be full of light.  Another way to say that is if our eye is ‘single’ or focused on one thing, then we will be filled with light.  One focus, one GOD, one Glory.  To HIM be honour, glory, power and dominion both now and forever, amen.

True Life

Something that has been at the back of my mind ever since last summer is the need to share the light and joy of Jesus Christ in Fort Frances, which is the biggest centre in this area although by no means a city, especially with the youth.  I spent a year in the highschool there.  There is definitely a lack of GOD.  From my own experience I’m not necessarily even talking about how ‘bad’ it is.  It isn’t good.  Last I heard Crystal Meth is making it’s rounds.  But even without that, there’s just no life.  I think there are a lot of places like that, most places but because this is where I am I care more about it and am more aware of it.  What makes me sad is that to my knowledge there is little to no programs or ministries to teens in this town.  I would love to see a drop in centre go up.  A place where kids can come and be exposed to true life.  I’m not the only one who has a similar vision.  I would also love to have a little coffee house, either for kids or more of a women’s ministry.  GOD hasn’t opened the doors for these things yet.  He hasn’t really opened any doors for me in Fort but I know He wants to work.  There is much to do here.  But most of all, prayer is needed.  Will you please raise your voice in prayer for this area?  Pray that GOD’s name would become famous here.  Pray that the churches would arise in prayer.  That individual Christians would start meeting Jesus and encountering Him and seeking Him personally and then as churches.  Pray that GOD’s presence would be felt here.  That people would come face to face with our awesome GOD.  I believe pray works.  Not because prayer is powerful but because the one to whom we pray is powerful.  It says in 1 John 5 "This is the confidence we have in approaching Him that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, we know that– whatever we ask — we have what we asked of Him."  I believe it’s GOD’s will to reveal His glory here.  I believe that He wants to be made known.  Please join me before His throne with confidence and ask that it would be done here.

The Potter

Sometimes we pray for things (like patience) and then GOD answers and we’re totally unprepared.  I prayed about a week ago for more servanthood flexibility.  Funny.  This week I think almost every day has turned out differently than I orginally intended it too.  Nothing too crazy.  I was just thinking about it yesterday though and had to smile to myself.  GOD answers those prayers.  That’s why sometimes I’m a little scared to pray them even though I know that I need to.  Praying those prayers and then reaping the ‘consequences’ is what takes us to higher and higher levels of intimacy with Jesus, in which case, I’m willing to pray those prayers.  As I was looking through dramas for camp I came across one entitled "The Potter".  Jesus chooses someone.  That person sits down in front of Jesus and Jesus starts shaping and moulding this person.  At first it’s gentle and refreshing but then it starts to hurt.  The person jumps out of the chair, complaining.  Jesus motions for him to sit again, which he does reluctantly.  The same thing happens.  One of the final lines of the person goes something like "Lord, I want to mould me, but it hurts!  But I will let You."  Becoming someone who GOD can use to bring glory to His name, someone who reflects Him flawlessly, entering into the very presence of GOD, it’s not a comfortable business.  As Oswald Chambers wrote in "My Utmost for His Highest", "Either sin or God must die."  If we want to draw closer to GOD there are other things that have to go.  But oh, so worth it!  Praise GOD, He is the only one worth pursuing!

Encouraged

I attended the graduation ceremonies tonight of the Christian school where I received all of my primary and secondary education.  My brother Kevin graduated.  I am so impressed and proud of this graduating class.  GOD has allowed me the privilege of spending a large quantity of time with several of the individuals who graduated since they first entered highschool.  I am consistently amazed and blessed to see how they have grown since they first entered grade 9.  It is so amazing to see a class that as a whole is seeking after GOD.  The theme for the evening was "Here I am, send me." from Isaiah 6:8.  Very encouraging to see a group of kids having a living faith and wanting to live it out.  Praise GOD!  I wish you all could meet this group of people!  I love them all dearly.

No Youth

  I met with Clem tonight.  Between asking his son Owen (almost 2 years old) for my binders back and watching him, Owen, drink my iced tea, it was a good meeting.  We have decided to discontinue youth for the summer.  So this Thursday will be our last youth until September, Lord willing.  That’s one less thing on my plate for the summer.  Mixed feelings on that one.  On one hand it’s sad that we won’t be meeting b/c there were some kids who just started coming and I was building relationships with a few of them.  On the other hand there are a lot of things going on in the summer anyway so it will be nice to be able to focus on them more fully.  It will be interesting to see how everything works out for the summer and then for the fall.  Maybe more on that later. 

Fish Tank?

  We started the backdrop today!  Yay!  It’s going a lot better than I expected.  I was really wondering what I was getting myself into when I started tracing the backdrop on to the plywood.  But now after several hours work, I must say, I’m getting excited.  At one point I even turned to the boys who were helping me and said "Don’t you feel like you’re in a fish tank?"  So yay for that! 

  Because it’s the end of the year, myself and Clem (the guy I lead youth with, he is also the drummer for our band, Unquenchable) will be meeting, Lord willing, tomorrow.  There are a lot of things to talk about regarding youth and the band.  Whether or not to continue youth through the summer, having a kickoff for youth, and what will happen with the band come fall.  (3 of the 6 of us are leaving for college) 

Camp Shipwreckked

Camp is coming up right quick here!  I’m the Program Director this year.  Sounds like a snazy title but I’ll be doing a lot of the same things I always did when I was just a "Counsellor".  Something that’s different about being Program Director is that now I’m in charge of all the games and activities the kids do during the day.  Also, we’re having a theme this year, which is totally new and exciting.  I wanted to have a theme for the simple reason that having a theme and decor sticks in kid’s minds and is attached to scriptural principles.  So, for example, when they think about camp this summer they may think, "oh, remember the fish that were hanging from the ceiling!  Why were those there?  Oh yeah!  We were in the Coral Reef.  Why were we there?  Oh, yeah!  We were shipwreckked.  Why?  Because we started out in a rubber dingy and couldn’t make it across the ocean just like we can’t get to heaven unless Jesus rescues us."  That is my prayer anyway.  We will be on the ocean floor for the two weeks of camp.  For Junior camp (ages 8-13) the point is that the only way to the Port of GOD’s Eternal Presence is on the LIFE Boat with the Captain, Jesus Christ.  In other words, the only way to be saved and live eternally is through Jesus Christ.  For teen camp there is this element but then also, because it is a discipleship camp, we will take it another step that even after we become Christians we still need GOD (the Holy Spirit) in order to grow, enjoy the life He has for us and to share that joy with others.  I’m excited about all this.  We start painting the backdrop for the stage on Monday, Lord willing.  I already have 6 dozen inflatable sea creatures, mostly fish as well as other decor items.  It’ll be a lot of work getting it all ready, especially blowing up all those fish, but I’m really looking forward to it!

Welcome

This past year has been interesting.  Every day brings new surprises.  Being in full time ministry but not under any specific organization I always struggle to answer the question, "So what are you doing now?"  So I am creating this site so that those of you who are interested in knowing what I’m up to can keep up to date and hopefully know better how to pray for myself and the work that GOD is doing here.