Let the children come

Yesterday marked the first reason why I am doing summer camp this summer. Yesterday was a monumental day in my life as well as the life of three of my campers.
As we were sitting in our small groups (bible study) and I was doing the lesson, my first and second graders were asking me really good questions about God. They asked how he could just be here and not come from anything. They asked how Jesus and God were two different people. These questions made me think, but they also challenged me to give them the very best answer that I could give them. These questions gave me a flash back to the night I asked Jesus come into my life while sitting in the living room with my mom and dad after asking these same type questions. I responded to my campers that many times these questions are reasons why people are not in Gods family, because they do not have hard evidence on how God was here, but that is where faith comes in. I shared with them my favorite bible verse in Hebrews "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not yet see." (vs. 11:1)
Yesterday was a hard day for me, I could have easily walked up to my boss and told them that I could not do this anymore, that I was done with summer camp. Yesterday I disrespected in so many ways by one of my children that it broke me down and I allowed Satan to tell me that I couldnt do this anymore. After the bible study and talking with three of my campers I will not focus on Satan. I know "satan does not win" and he should not win in my life. Yesterday my faith in things not see was the faith that I would make a difference in my campers lives this summer. By living out Gods love in my life and showing a Christian spirit and lifestyle three of my campers asked Jesus to come into their hearts. They asked to have a relationship with God. As I prayed prayers with each one of my campers and spoke with them about the decisions that they made, I was filled with JOY that the kingdom of God was Celebrating just as I was Celebrating for my campers. As I watched each one of them tell their parents grinning from ear to ear with excitement-I know I am here for a reason, and that reason is to share the love of Christ to my campers, so that more came become imitators of God.
I pray that these children will continue to build their christian principles and values, and will continue to strengthen their relationships with Christ. I pray that God will continue to bless me in helping me live out my faith daily, and be examples for them. I also pray that you too are being imitators of God for the little children watching you in your life. Let the children come to the lord, and walk by faith.

Love,
Mindy

Busy Bees

Hey Bloggers,
So sorry it has been forever since I have updated. But I have real reasons as to why I havent had the time.
1. Fathers day:
I love my father and all the wonderful encouragement he gives me each and everyday. He has truly been one of the many reasons I am who I am today. He models Gods love in his life and makes me strive to live my life for God daily.
2. Two and a half years:
I celebrated two and a half years with the boyfriend last week. I am so incredibly blessed to have him in my life and very thankful for being introduced to him. As I have written before I had just come out of a bad break up when I met him, but he took the time and showed me what love really is. I love our friendship, our relationship, and our love. I am glad God has blessed us with each other.
3. WORK WORK WORK:
I am working as a summer camp consular at a church in a near town. I LOVE it, but the hours are LONG. I get very discouraged many weeks and allow satan in my life consuming negative thoughts and attitudes about my job, but I have been praying for a spirit filled with joy and positivity radiating through me. I have had many reasons why I should not be doing what I am doing this summer because of selfishness, but when I feel a child wrap their arms around me giving me a big hug goodbye-I know its worth it, when i see a child singing in chapel with their arms raised praising God- I know I am making a difference, when I hear the excitement in their voice when they say my name in the morning-I know God has me here for a specific reason.

clothe yourself in good fruit

Growing up in church the fruit of the spirits is something that has constantly been drilled into my head. At summer camp this summer we are studying the Fruit of the spirit, and how our lives should look with them in it. When I first heard that we were learning about this I was not too over joyed. But little did I know though these fruits have been drilled into my life every year since I can remember, they now mean something so much more to me. It is how my life should be each and everyday. Not only am I studying these fruit with my children who are eager to learn God's word, I am also having them apply to my life.
How are you wearing these fruits in your life?

Give me Faith

These past few weeks I have been dreading the start of work, a summer camp day camp where I will be a consoler with 20 1^st and 2^nd graders from 8-6 every day. I have dreaded driving to the meetings only to not have anyone to talk to because I was the only one who didn’t know anyone there,. I have dreaded the hours of work that I will be getting also including a summer class, boyfriend, and a life outside of that. I have dreaded having to do something all day everyday for the rest of my summer with no vacations and that put a lot of bitterness in my heart. I kept saying God why could I not find this job, or why could this job not have come available earlier to me. I have questioned the place God has put me in every moment of every day.

As I got ready tonight for our open house I still questioned it. When putting on a BRIGHT NEON orange T-shirt that was required for the staff to wear I kept saying “I look like a highlighter” “I don’t want to go to this” “I don’t want to do this” I made statement after statement about how this isn’t where I was supposed to be because I did not know anyone before interring into this task. When I walked into the church building tonight I still felt the same way, still filled with anger that I had chosen this as my summer job because I was not going to have any free time or any time to do anything for me.

I set up my room with papers that the parents should receive and then I waited. I began to pray and ask God to change my heart. I could not sit and get these children and parents excited about summer camp when all I wanted to do was run to the nearest exit, hop in my car and drive home. I asked God to do a work in me and soften my heart. One by one as the children came to pick up there stuff for camp I was beginning to realize why God placed me here. I will be dealing with children this summer and teaching them about how wonderful God is. Each one of them has a purpose in this world and a place and I hope that I will begin to help them see that their hope is in God.

After meeting the children we had to attend the church’s Sunday night worship. I was still not enthused about this because still I was new, I didn’t know anyone and being a pastors child when visiting churches I always have my family right with me. As the worship team started singing I heard a familiar song…

“I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you to open my eyes
To see that You're shaping my life
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you're good and your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give you my life”

This is what I have done this summer, I have given my life to God to do his work and help change the lives of my campers. Through God I can make a HUGE impact in everyone that I come in contact with. No more bad attitudes, no more questioning, God has given me the faith to take this new step and this new experience.

attitude of graditude

This week something horrible has consumed my life. My attitude.
My attitude has been negative about work starting up: no more free time, harder to spend time with my family and boyfriend. My attitude has also been bad toward school: i have a summer class online-its not as easy as I thought it would be. Tuition is about to start piling in and loans must be made in order for me to attend. And this week I have also put myself down way too many times.
I now know the true meaning behind that old quote "attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." My attitude has not been what it should be. I need to refocus and look to God more than I have this week and its only Wednesday.
I personally feel that our attitude is one thing that we sometimes let Satan control even though we may not realize it. If we give our attitudes to God, and let him shine through us during each situation then we will be bigger witnesses for him. Its also nice during those times to sit down from what your doing and just pray to God to help you change your attitude about a certain situation and let him give you the words or the wisdom to know what to do during those circumstances.

Love,
Mindy