Week 7 2010

Day 1
A thumbs up from Jo-el says it all. Last week of summer camp for 2010 and all went well last night and for the day today as campers either went to paintball or shot rifles this morning.
Reading from the Psalms this morning in Chapter 29 and was reminded at the power of our Lord. The Psalmist writes "Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, Ascribe to the Lord glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness."
We are to recognize that all glory belongs to God meaning all credit, all honor, any recognition for any part of creation has to go to God alone. Every breath we breathe is to be given credit where credit belongs and that is to God be the glory.
Also, we are to recognize that in him is strength. He is strength! What is anything without Him? Nothing! To say that one is weak apart from God still gives the thought that there might be some particle of power that can come apart from Him. There is no strength without Him. We must recognize that the smallest particle of strength we possess even in our disobedience comes from Him only by grace. How thankful we should be for even the smallest of things.

Now, imagine the possibilities that come from a child of God who is giving Him all glory due and as well depends upon Him for power. We see the possibilities written in the scriptures as many young men and women surrendered to the Lord's will and lived by faith in Christ Jesus and as a result the power of God was made manifest to all and Glory was given to His name!!
My prayer for this week is that all of the campers and staff would give God the glory He deserves and realize the source of strength in all things. And may our lives be such power that even the skeptics cant help but to praise the Son of God in Glory!

Now that's a reason to give a big thumbs up!!
(By the way, Jo-el had just rode the zip-line across the pond)

Day 2
There is nothing quite like the comforts of home. Your bed, your room, even the smells are comforting as they all make up what is your place of rest and escape from the world outside. Well for one week these girls have a new home and even with the camp bunkbeds not being as their own beds at home they still have a level of comfort that is not available in a tent. So last night a portion of the girls chose to go camping and settle for the discomfort of the tents and to awake with the ground wet with early morning dew. They were ready this morning to return to the cabins and to take a hot shower before breakfast.
I read this morning in Ezra Chapter 3:11 "And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel" And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid."
It is no surprise that such a people were ecstatic about the foundation being laid for the house of the Lord. For sure, they had longed for and waited for this day. They were captives in a place not there home. The smells of home had faded but were certainly not forgotten. This one thing however must have been on the hearts and minds of the faithful and that was that the house of the Lord was what most gave the assurance they were home. To be once again in the place where the temple of God was gave them reason to sing, give thanks and shout with a great shout!

Our homes should as well have as their foundation the Lord. The children of Israel were reminded while in captivity of what took place at their home in Jerusalem. The worship of the one true God! Sacrifice and praise to him daily could now be restored. I would hope that we all might understand the goodness and enduring love our our Lord and dedicate our homes to praising him.