news conversations

I was watching "the today show" this morning, which I would not suggest for anyone looking for real, hard news stories, and this story came up.  At first, I couldn't believe the reactions from people in America, about how terrible this is and what a horrible thing the scottish government is doing.  How could something called the compassion law be bad in any way?  

After some extensive conversations with my brother, and hearing from others on the most wonderful FB, however, my thoughts are changing.  Perhaps he should not be allowed to go free, and should be required to serve his life sentence because he is living under the laws of the world.  Honestly, my opinion on whether or not he goes free doesn't too much matter, seeing as he probably is and there's not much any one can do about it.  

However, this did bring up the question of compassion and love for our enemies, which is some thing that I think is hard to grasp.  Romans 12:17-21 was brought up, which

 ends with "Do not be overcome by evil, but repay evil with good."  

Also Matthew 15:43-48, which speaks about loving our enemies.  

Although it may not be the governments place to do this...i don't know what i think about that...it is most definitely ours.  This man has killed 270 people, he is a convicted terrorist.  And according to the word of God, We are called to love him. not because he is dying of a terrible disease, but because he a creation of our perfect God.  He has done nothing to deserve the compassion of our hearts, or the compassion and mercy of our father, but neither have we.  

Loving your enemy is never easy, but as we live in this world of sin, 

where everyday another senseless death occurs, we should remember that "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  (ro

mans 5:8)

We are called to love the people the world tells us to hate.  the people who have sinned against us and our God, because Christ has also died for them. 

 

15 things I learned this summer

1. Be vulnerable.  Allow yourself to be open with people.  Allow people to love you through your faults.  
2. Botox all you want, your still gonna die.
3. Solja Boi is still a bad song, even when you take the lyrics off
4. Young children and I don't get along well.  
5. Macdonald's ribbon cuttings have the potential to be awesome
6. I love hot tea
7. God is our ultimate romancer
8. I love climbing.  Belaying is fun too
9. Mudpits have the potential to smell really really bad
10. I don't think I'm allergic to poison ivy
11. I love being outside
12. the bachelorette is really dumb.  I can't stop watching it.  
13. I want to live for testimonies, not titles
14. twitter brings people together,
15. God is completely in control of our lives.  He is an all powerful teacher and lover and grace giver.  He is an awesome God.

Notes from Staff Discipleship. Matt Oarth Changes lives every day. Sunday was no exception.

We have been hanging out in 1 Samuel for discipleship time this summer.  Sunday's was amazing, and completely relevant to future plans I have.  THough I would share the notes I took.  

This is the passage we looked at.  Pulled from Biblegateway.com: 

1 Samuel 12

This is basically Samuel's farewell speech.  He has been faithful in his leadership to Israel for many years, and is now stepping down into the place of advisor to the king the people have selfishly asked for, and he has anointed. (God gave the people what they asked for...more on that later)

SOOO

1.  ³ Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right."

Samuel asks in leadership, and in humility, if he has wronged the people.  He is determined to make it right if he has.  So many times today, as leaders in many things, we feel "above the law" and NO ONE is allowed to call us out.  Samuel's humility in this place is such an example that the opposite should be true.  As leaders we should be blameless, but since that isn't possible, we should right the wrongs we commit against people, and not be too proud to admit that they have been committed.  The people in this place, however, can find NOTHING wrong from Samuel's leadership.  He has faithfully served his people-SERVANT LEADERSHIP.  He has never dug into the offering plate to take a little larger salary for himself, or pulled the choice meets off the burt offering.  He has humbly served his people with integrity.  He has removed the plank from his own eye and therefor can call out the people he is serving.  Notice he removed his plank FIRST!  

vs. 20"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

2.  The people of Israel to this point had been ruled solely by God.  He was their king.  They begged Him, however, to send a warrior king to serve them and help them win in battle.  This was a sin against God.  They rejected Him as their king, and asked for one of their own to replace Him.  God did provide, however, and gave them a king, who Samuel has anointed just before this passage.  Samuel calls down a thunderstorm in the middle of the dry season to prove to the nation that they have sinned against God by begging for a king.  But God has grace on them and loves them through their sin.  He is merciful through our pain.  When we beg for a something "if I have this I'll love you more" God gives it to us, knowing that its not what we have that makes us love Him more, but the attitude of our hearts.  Even when we worship Idols, EMPTY IDOLS God is still there waiting for us to return and repent of our sins and love Him again.  

Matt did a much better job of explaining this, but I was really touched by the servant leader part.  I feel like God has called me to ministry in low income communities to low income families.  Not only has he given me a heart for theatre and middle school students but also for community and the families of the students I teach.  I pray that one day I have the opportunity to be in a leadership position in a youth-theatre-afterschool community-outreach-love-everyone center.  And that God gives me the heart of a servant leader like samuel was.  

Beginning to Finish Well

It has been one amazing day! My face is getting better, which is such a blessing, and God has helped me remember names better than ever before! I am SO pumped about this week.  I also got to have a great GREAT conversation with a girl on staff tonight.  Thanks for the prayers! God is doing great things here already!!

Here are some pics I took at the end of last week and today! 

(captions are below)

these are the girls that were on my hall for week three that I really bonded with! It was cool to see how God placed them in my lives! I also really bonded with their chaperones, but there were not available for photographing ;-) I also got a text from the second and third from the right today, which were the two I got the closest two, which gave me hope that I can continue to poor into their lives.  

staff red shorts and matching! registration is fun! 

this is the experience for kids walking into worship! SOOOO fun! 

Wave action!

Fun Staffer friends and a random gag gift! 

Week three

Finding time to blog here is hard by the way

Week three was amazing! We had 750 campers, a huge increase from week two, which only had 350! It was exhausting and long, but amazing! I can't believe that today marked the beginning of the last week here! 

I worked our OAG course two of the three days again this week, which was SO fun! We had one camper get below 3 min(a new camper record) and another break her ankle within the first 10 feet of the course.  What a week. some Chaperones had terrible attitudes at the game, but most of the campers were great, and made up for the adults.  

I also found out yesterday that I have an infected lymph node in my face(my star node for those who keep up with anatomy) which hurts SO much.  I have antibiotics, but if they don't work, which they aren't yet, I become a "surgical case" which I don't want to happen.  Please pray the antibiotics work!

I bonded with a church this week more than I have with any all summer.  Especially one specific girl. She is 15 and still, I think, in middle school mode.  She has no idea what respect looks like, and doesn't yet understand what is important in life.  My heart broke for her this week because I want her to know God intimately and she has no desire to.  I'm not sure she is a believer, and if she is, she has a very immature walk with Him.  Pray for her as you have time this week, and that camp somehow broke her a little, and that she would be ready to truly live God's word. 

Also pray that I will bond with the people on staff.  I don't feel like I have had many deep conversations with people and I want to build deep relationships with these people.  I know its a little late, but I desire these relationships so much, and they aren't really there yet.   

One more week.  pray its a blessed and powerful one, and that God's spirit fills the students who will be here!

what i get to see

Pics from Week 2

these are in reverse order, mostly out of laziness and lack of understand of how to change the order

"Decker's Got Talent" week 2 edition-AWESOME!! rap

pre-gaming fellowship

This is a picture of my life at camp:outside with my Bookbag, nalgene, and crossroads name tag

Early Registration night-getting that nine square on

Enjoying some swing dancing on the weekend-this is not swing dancing, this is just fun

Some Pics from Week 1

these are also backwards....fail

Annual staff "Tap Out Week One" Outback Dinner

Hanging out with campers pre "Decker's got talent" week one

Getting drunk on Community for Brad's 21 (the boy in the middle is Brad)

700+ campers worshiping our God-amazing!

Climbing tower-kicked my rear end

Of Week 2

This week has been a little intense so far, but God is brining us through.  First, there was the Gaffney Serial Killer, for whom signs were posted all over campus, so I'm sure some campers were a little freaked out.  Its funny though, because there is a group here this week from Gaffney, staying on my hall.

(i don't know if you knew this, but Gaffney is about a ten min drive from GWU)

I had the opportunity to talk with the Youth Minister and the head female chaperone from that group when they checked in, and they were so revealed to be away from Gaffney.  It was a bit of a change in perspective for me.  Some of their youth were also friends with the 15 year old girl who was killed, so I know they are still dealing with that, although the threat is gone now.  

We also have some sickness going around our staff, colds and upper respiratory infections and allergies and poison ivy.  none of which are super serious, they are just causeing people to not be available to work,  Pray for healing, as we are missing about 6 staff members.

I was thinking though last night, that perhaps God is using these illnesses to teach us that camp is not run by us, and that His strength is what we need to rely on.  We cannot do it by ourselves! 

Overall though, Camp has been amazing! It is a huge blessing on my life in these past 2 weeks, and I know it will continue to be.  Pray for healing, and staff unity, and that no one feels lonely, that we can see each other's needs and fill them.  Pray that as a staff, God will use us to break down cultural barriers that surround these students, and that God would use our lips to fill them with His truth.