Our last day serving

Day 6 - Wednesday

How do you know you've done A LOT of painting? You run out of paint! On our last day of serving we painted our final devotional area - Keyhole. Keyhole meant something to us as a group as we had many devotions there. We all kind of viewed it as our place.

We knew we were going to be tight with the amount of paint left in the big bucket but we were determined to not leave any bench in Keyhole unpainted. We used what paint hadn't dried on the lid. We took our rollers and rolled them around the sides of the bucket. We pushed as hard on the roller as we could to squeeze that extra drop out. We discussed painting the same number of benches on each side, just in case we couldn't make it. No worries. Just like with the fishes and loaves, God provided. We had just enough paint to cover every bench!

After finishing Keyhole, we painted the trim white on a few more buildings.

The day before Trouble and Chacho went swimming at the Kusel Lake public landing. After using all the brown paint and accomplishing everything and more that the camp had on our list, we thought some time swimming would be great fun. We also wanted some time relaxing away from the campers. So we went to the Kusel Lake public landing. The water was very cool and refreshing and we practically had the place to ourselves. The great thing about the public landing is that you feel like you can walk out forever because of all the sand that was dumped.

I'm sure we were a funny sight to see. Lindsey was on Sarah's back. Erika's arm was in a garbage bag and resting on the shoulders of the taller people when she couldn't hold it above her head anymore. Brit and I held on to Caleb's shoulders as the water was over our heads and we got tired of treading water. Caleb skipped rocks. Everyone was smiling. We didn't get to swim very long before we had to head back to camp for dinner but it was just long enough to refresh us.

After dinner, we got cleaned up and ready for all camp game - Clue. We were a little late so we missed the rules but we figured it out. Each counselor was someone from a different country with an appropriate accent. Our favorites were Ruggles the Russian, Pazzo the German dancer, and Trouble and Fender from Great Britain. To make the game take a little longer each counselor made the cabin group do something prior to being allowed to ask their questions.

Ruggles liked to laugh and he made every group tell him a "yoke". He sat on top of the slide and said, "Yoke me! Yoke me!" He also didn't like jokes about chickens and said, "No more chickens! My chickens already hatch." If you didn't tell him a joke, you couldn't ask a question. He made a comment about how in America people want his signature but in Russia they want his blood. Someone in the group told him that we wanted his blood too to which he replied that he had a port in his back and to help ourselves. Before the game was over Ruggles looked at Erika and said (refering to her arm), "In Russia we would have licked it and moved on."

Pazzo made everyone sing her a song before answering a question. The first time we saw her we sang You Are My Sunshine and even Erika sang! The second time the group did the Hokey Pokey. Then they sassed her. After the group asked their question, she told Ruggles that because they sassed her she gave them wrong information.

Fender and Trouble were the gents from England. They had horses (brooms) and were playing polo. They were riding Nigel and Chester (their horses) around camp and in order to ask them a question you had to catch them. This was no small task. Nigel and Chester also liked to be fed carrots and sugar cubes. The more you could pretend with these two the better. Nigel and Chester visited us in our cabin that night. Brit and Erika were riding them around the stairs to the loft. I missed all the fun but Hannah got it all on tape. Somehow Nigel and Chester and friends came home with us to Seymour. A few girls had one last ride around the Zion parking lot before heading home.

Riding their horses

H is for Hear

How hard is it to hear? Is it difficult or a chore? What does hearing require? Do we have to do anything out of the ordinary in order to hear?

How would you define hear? Is there more to hearing than just simply "detecting a sound"? The youth all agreed that yes there is more to hearing than detecting a sound.

Does hearing mean something more than the medical terminology for Christians? It most certainly does! Let's look at scripture to better understand what hearing is all about.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:19-21

Quick to listen and slow to speak. Clearly listening and hearing is very important, crucial even. Often listening is more important and the first priority over speaking or doing. However, both are mentioned.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do. those who consider themselves religious and yet to not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. James 1:22-26

The first two sentences of the previous passage gives us a clear, Christian, scriptural definition of "hearing". Don't just listen to the word but DO WHAT IT SAYS.

Hearing has two parts and we need to make certain we are doing both parts, listening to God's Word and doing it, in our daily lives. How often do we go to church, listen, socialize, and then go back to the daily grind? How often have we missed the connection of hearing and doing?

Verse 23 says "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like". Nothing too difficult here to understand! Listening to God's word and then not doing it are the same as forgetting what you look like. Being an imitator of Christ is DOING. Performing tasks requires DOING.

How are you at this? How is your listening? How is your hearing?

What good is it if we don't listen then do? James said it - it is worthless, dead.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

James is very clear in this passage when speaking about our faith. If all we do is claim our faith and listen without doing then our faith is dead. Does this mean that our actions help get us to heaven? That we somehow have to earn our spot?

NO! By the grace of God we are saved, through our faith. Out of our faith comes good works; those good works which God prepared, not us. God calls us to live out our faith. Living faith takes deeds, good works. Those deeds that are done not for boasting or self exemplification but instead done for serving. If we have a strong, rooted faith in Christ, then we live it out in our deeds. We hear, we listen, then we do what the Word of God instructs us to do.

How about your faith? Is it dead? It is easy to have a living faith while on a servant event or some other Christ-centric trip. What about when you're not on a trip surrounded by other believers? What about 10 years from now? Will your faith be strong and living then? Will you be listening and doing? Will your faith be stronger than it is now? I hope so! Remember, we must do both parts of hear - listen and do.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sane. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Matthew 7:24-29

Matthew is one of the books that speaks the most about hearing. In this section Matthew says that if we hear the words of God and do them we are like the wise man. He built his house upon the rock! Remember the song?

Our faith is built on the rock of Christ. If we hear His words yet don't live by them, our faith is weak and set up for destruction! How is your faith? Is it built on the rock? Alive and fruitful and ready to withstand storms? Or will your faith crumble when the storms of life rage because your faith has no foundation?

Saying "I go to church" doesn't cut it yet people think it does. Their faith is dead, weak, and worrisome when a storm or trial comes their way.

Grab your Bible and look at Matthew chapters 5-7. Pay attention to how many sections begin talking about hearing. Matthew is very clear as to what happens when you hear and don't do. The risk is not worth it. Do not bring destruction upon yourself!

Hijinks!

Day 5 - Tuesday

We painted the camp brown for 1.5 days. We were prepared to joyfully paint the rest of the camp brown but instead we got to stack wood! This was just going to be a brief reprieve from paint but it was very welcome.

Caleb and Erika were still gone getting some prescriptions filled for Erika when we split into two groups after chapel. We left Sarah behind at camp with Trouble and Chacho figuring that Caleb and Erika would join them when they returned. The rest of us drove to the campground to take our positions at the woodshed while we waited for our first truckload of firewood to arrive.

We didn't even have the first load stacked when the second load arrived! We were determined to change that. By the time the third load arrived we wanted to appear that the load wasn't enough to keep us busy. Truth was we had just finished and quickly sat down when we heard the truck.

Let the hijinks begin! The next load included a stump. Maybe because we failed to mention that we sent back about half a load of wood because it didn't fall out of the truck. Our bad but it made for quick stacking! What are we supposed to do with a stump?

This was only the first of many.

Here's your stump back.

Then we had this great idea to ambush Caleb when he brought the next load of wood. We worked extra quickly so that we could get set up and find enough wood pieces for everyone that resembled weapons. Sadly Caleb wasn't in the truck this time. So our buddy Glen made sure Caleb would be driving the next time. Thanks, Glen!

In the meantime, we had 2 lovely messages from our friends that we needed to take care of plus a load of wood to stack.

Right in the back of the truck, awww!

Buried in the truck. Just kidding? Not nice, guys, not nice.

Now not only did we need to set our ambush up but we needed to come up with a message to send back to them. No worries though, we got it all taken care of.

This time we ambushed Caleb and Sarah!

Being the good Bible scholars we are, we decided to use a VERY law-oriented verse to get them back. It was slightly difficult to get this in the bed of the truck. The first time Caleb heard the wood hit the metal bed and got out to see what was up. Thankfully, Fender the Ninja, came to the rescue and grabbed the wood before Caleb saw it. With his ninja skills he was able to place the piece of wood in the truck silently. Caleb said he stopped and looked in the bed of the truck prior to leaving the campground and saw it then but he didn't know the reference until he looked it up. Have I mentioned that this is a VERY law-oriented verse?

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral,
those who practice magic arts, the idolatoers, and all liars - they will be consigned
to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.

Not long after this verse was sent and we rejoiced at our genius it was break time. The two groups were reunited at the campground since the campground had shade and where they were loading the wood at camp had full sun. There we were standing in a circle drinking water, eating jolly ranchers and other snacks when the camp director showed up. He immediately went over to Fender and started talking about some lady calling camp about a bad word on a piece of wood on the back of the camp truck. Fender was sweating, the girls and Daniel were sweating but for some reason Caleb wasn't sweating (figuratively, I'm sure he was sweating literally for other reasons). Once I noticed how relaxed Caleb was (he wasn't even paying attention but distracting himself with his phone), I sat back and enjoyed watching everyone get nervous. The director let them sweat it out for a bit and then said, "Psych!". I found out later that it was our good buddy, Glen, who included the director in our hijinks. Thanks, Glen!

Sadly we were never able to get them back. The group at the campground did disappear for a bit as we traveled to the bog (swampy mud hole). As we were walking back from the bog we heard the truck returning with more wood but everyone was gone by the time we climbed back up to the shed to stack the last load of the day. The shed wasn't completely full at the end of the day so we finished it up the next morning.

The whole gang. Great job, guys!

The hijinks didn't end when we were done working for the day. We opted out of the all camp game Capture the Flag to "pack". Packing took a few minutes and then we sat at our picnic table between the cabins and talked and listened to music on Caleb's phone. The campers and counselors from the lake side of the camp kept running by and quickly figured out we weren't playing nor would we reveal their hiding location to the team on the cabin side of the camp. A couple of our youth decided they had to go to the bathroom (not so much) and walked with one of the counselors from the lake side team. They helped her find the hidden flag without her getting sent to jail. Thankfully everyone was a good sport about the youth involvement. I think it helped that the flag didn't get stolen, just found.

The night ended with as many smiles as it began with our second campfire on Med Hill. We sang a silly song called I've Been Redeemed and learned that we can't get to heaven in Fender's shoes cuz the Lord don't want no big canoes. We also learned we can't get to heaven in Caleb's pants cuz Caleb's pants are full of ants. We ended the day by watching a beautiful sunset, eating s'mores, and having a great devotion led by Caleb.

Kick it!

Lord of the Dance polka!

S'mores

Welcome 6th Graders!!

Sunday, August 19th was sunny, warm, and full of water and laughter. What were we doing? Welcoming the 6th graders to Jr ZYO with a pool party.

The afternoon started with a devotion from Caleb then the quiet yard quickly got loud! All the kids were in the pool in a heartbeat. Josiah started the afternoon off right by showing off his mad basketball skills.

Others attempted the same feat and, while they were able to get the ball in the hoop, no one else had the pocket hanging out.

Before I knew it, kids were flying everywhere! Some off the diving board and some were being thrown in the water by adults and other kids.

Also happening was a full out water war. The kids had grabbed the water guns and were spraying everyone. Well, they kept to people in the water for a short period of time. Then they moved on to the spectators.

These kids are ruthless! Nobody was off limits. If you were near the pool, you were fair game. If you got in the pool, watch out! Those that didn't have guns were defending themselves with noodles. I don't know how many times I jumped because a noodle hit the water just right and made a very loud noise. At times the guns were being fought over and kids and adults were being dunked. We all learned that Savannah has an iron grip and trying to get a water gun from her is impossible! At various times during the afternoon a truce was called between a few individuals. One adult (Scott) had the great idea to put ice water in the water gun. That started a whole new war and at times it involved ice cubes, cold water in water bottles, and once it involved a bag of ice on Nathaniel's back. Brrr!

Josiah enjoyed playing the color game with people. The way this game works is Josiah holds you and you try to guess the color he is thinking of. If you get the color wrong, he dunks you. At one time Josiah tried to play the game with his dad and when he went to dunk his dad, Josiah ended up dunking himself!

Looks like he guessed wrong.

The afternoon ended with a wonderful meal. Our chef did an amazing job considering he was being shot at most of the time he was grilling (I told you they went after everybody). The burgers tasted great. I just hope the one I ate didn't have pool water on it. After the meal, the youth came up with a lot of event ideas for the year. I hope we can get to all of them!

T is for Task

How does hearing the word task make you feel? The youth were in agreement that task isn't inherently a negative word nor a positive word. Task became negative or positive depending on who was asking them to perform the task. If the task was something that they wanted or had choosen to do, then hearing the word left them feeling happy and excited. On the other hand, if a parent or teacher asked them to do a task they didn't have much desire to do, then the word became negative and burdensome.

Let's read from Acts 20 about a task that is talked about. How does our attitude towards tasks compare?

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. Acts 20:17-21

In this short section Paul is speaking about how he lived admist his severe testing. Are you able to honestly say to others, with confidence, look at how I lived? Do we really want people to look that closely at how we live? Paul, just like in Imitate, could tell us to look at him and how he lived his life. Paul took his call from the Lord, did his task, and did it well. We have no reason why we can't do the same!

We should live as Paul lived; serving the Lord with humility (remember, we don't boast because everything was prepared by God beforehand). I know I fail in preaching what is helpful. Maybe I'm worried that no one wants to hear what I have to say or that I would be ridiculed or shunned. Paul, however, is clearly answering the Lord's call.

"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." Acts 20:22-24

We read that passage twice during devotions and quite slowly the second time around. Honestly, would you go to Jerusalem knowing you were about to face prison? A lot of people don't want to leave home, or their town, or their state. Why should we take a risk and move away? Imagine God calling you to serve somewhere else where you don't know anybody. Do you want to live away from family and friends? Maybe in a different culture in a different country? Most people say no way!

How amazing is Paul?! He knows that he might be imprisoned and face hardships. Maybe he'll even be beaten for his beliefs and preaching. Yet he still goes! Why does he go? Why is Paul so willing? How can he be so confident? He says that his life is worth nothing to him and his only goal is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord has given him. Wow.

Is this a section that we would rather read over quickly and pretend we didn't see it? Do we read this section and say to ourselves, "Wow, I am so glad I am not called like Paul" or "I'm glad times are different and I can stay home, in Seymour, because I want to".

At this point in the devotion, I strayed from Caleb's well-written, thought-out outline and yes, I did apologize outloud to him. I felt it was an appropriate time to share a story with the youth that I am also going to share with you now. Sorry, Caleb!

It was March of 2010 and I was still at home on short-term disability due to having my gull bladder removed. Justin was also home as he was working evenings at the time as well as being a textbook salesman. It wasn't uncommon for him to get a phone call from an odd area code so when he first got a call from an 820 area code he assumed it was for textbooks and left the room to take the call. When he came back, he told me it was from a high school in Seymour, Indiana. The first word out of my mouth was a shocked, "Indiana?!" My conversation with God went something along the lines of "Really, God?! Really?! Indiana?! God, you know that state wasn't ever on my list of places to live. I know it wasn't on my places of where I didn't want to live but... Do people really live there?!"

Now I'm not ignorant and I knew that people did, in fact, live in Indiana but I didn't want to go to Indiana. I had no family in Indiana. Seymour was a small town and I was used to big cities. I loved my current job. I was tired of moving. The list of excuses went on and on. I fought the move tooth and nail. I did not want to move to Indiana. I know I had a conversation with God about how I don't make friends easily and that I was making some awesome friends here in Wisconsin and my family was here. I know I told him that I was sick of moving and wanted to settle down and why couldn't we just do that here?

Obviously, I moved to Indiana. I do strive to be more like Paul but I tend to ignore God's call more often than not. I shared some of my list of excuses, what are your excuses for ignoring God's call?

But praise be to God! He promises that no matter where we live, how much we ignore his call, he will use us. Today I challenge you, and myself, to put Christ first. He left home and went to the cross, he had to. Paul went to Jerusalem and went to PRISON (Indiana is no prison) and he was still preaching Christ crucified. Take the risk and ask God to lead you where he would have you go. He may just pleasantly surprise you.

"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holdy spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in amoung you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:25-35

These are Paul's final words as he was departing. He gives us the same warning God gives us about people abandoning the truth. Wolves will come in and they speak to people and distort the truth. These wolves don't care and have no respect to God's flock. In fact, they seek to destroy and kill.

The wolves are no different today. We are called to be on guard and be ready. Be steadfast in God's Word and Ways.

We read about one of Paul's tasks. What is your task? Are you still discovering that task from God? Do you wonder if the day is coming when God will call you to the next task? God has a task for you but it may take some time to learn and understand how He is calling you to serve Him. We always have the task of serving God. Paul knew his task and he did it joyfully, despite the unknowns and warnings that are far greater than what will face us, those of hardships and prison for preaching Christ crucified.  Let us strive to do the same regardless of what we might face.

For if God is for us, who can be against us?

Roller Coaster Ride

Day 4 - Monday

No we didn't go to a theme park. Remember we're here to work? The roller coaster ride I'm talking about was an emotional one, for everyone.

The day was beautiful and sunny and brown paint was EVERYWHERE!

Okay, so the paint was mostly on benches and the barn but lots made it to our faces. All of us had so much fun getting our faces painted and then walking around camp. Oh the looks we got! The laughs we had! The burning from the hot sun beating on dark brown paint! Swimming felt so good, the water was cool and the paint came off.

After dinner, the roller coaster stopped climbing and we were headed back down. I was supposed to go hang out with a friend for a couple of hours while the group played the all camp game Eagle's Nest. I would meet the group back at camp for devotions. Every place my friend and I went was closed - even the grocery store! So we headed back to camp to sit at a picnic table and talk by the cabins. By this time I knew something was wrong with my knee but the tenderness was quickly forgotten when Hannah came running back to the cabin saying something about how Erika might have broken her wrist. 

While Caleb took Erika to the hospital, I wrangled those left behind and made a plan for campfire atop Meditation Hill. It didn't take long until I was a little tired of hearing the phrase "poor Erika". I may not have known Erika very long but she struck me as the type of girl to take everything in stride and make the best of it. I was fairly certain her and Caleb were having a great time. I was right, Caleb later said that it was the best ER visit ever. 

So if Erika and Caleb were having fun, shouldn't we? I was bound and determined to remove the long faces and replace them with smiles during campfire. I was so concerned with the group's low spirits that I prayed all the way up to Med Hill. I knew Erika was in good hands but were mine good enough? Oh yes, the self doubt crept in big time. Could I lead the group in devotions and not fall on my face? Would I be able to lift their spirits? Those thoughts ran through my head and I quickly turned them into prayers. God would be with us and He would give me the exact amount of strength and knowledge I needed to get the job done.

I think that night's campfire was my most favorite. My knee hurt but not enough to keep me down and Fender and I taught everyone some new songs. We also taught everyone how to polka! You can't visit Wisconsin and not polka. Plus something is missing when you sing Lord of the Dance and don't polka during the refrain.

The night was a little bittersweet with two people missing but I enjoyed hearing phrases like, "We need to bring Caleb and Erika up here tomorrow night to watch the sunset", "We need to sing these songs for Caleb and Erika", "We need to teach Caleb and Erika that song". I also received many questions similar to "Abby, tomorrow night can we.. (insert action) with Caleb and Erika?". By the end of the night I had a list of things we needed and wanted to do the next night with Caleb and Erika. Planning the next night's campfire helped to keep our spirits up when it felt like a part of each of us was missing. Thanks to the wonderful technology of cell phones, Caleb was able to give us the update about Erika's wrist and he let us know when they were starting the drive back to camp.

Polka!

The Wedding Song - we taught this to Caleb and Erika the next night

The most nerve wracking part of the night was attempting to fill Caleb's shoes and lead devotions. His feet are much bigger than mine! With God's help I accomplished the task and had a lot of fun doing it. The mood walking down Med Hill was a lot better than walking up. Everyone still wanted to see with their own eyes that Erika was fine and she was the first thought on everyone's minds but now we were all looking forward to their arrival back to camp and the wonderful time we would have on Med Hill the next night.

Thanks for entrusting them to me, Caleb!

I is for Imitate

Think back to when you were younger. I'm sure you played a game called "Simon Says". Playing with one Simon is usually pretty easy until Simon starts giving commands quicker and quicker but even then it is still pretty easy.

Imagine you're playing Simon Says but now there are two Simons giving commands. Now you have two people to listen to, two sets of commands given and sometimes at the same time. Maybe one Simon tells you to do something and the other says the opposite. Suddenly it gets a little harder to pay attention and follow the commands.

Now imagine you're still playing and back to one Simon. This time though two fools show up. These fools are trying their hardest to distract you. Maybe they're giving their own commands or threatening you or trying to get you to do something that sounds better than what Simon says to do. At times you may be confused and stressed out and find it hard to hear Simon's voice.

Just as we are to imitate Simon in the game so are we to imitate Christ in our lives. The Bible does not just tell us to imitate Christ, we are also instructed to imitate those who have lived and currently live in the faith.

Are these instructions to imitate Christ and those who lived in the faith easy? Maybe at times when we are surrounded by fellow believers and separated from distractions. In school, at work, around town, with friends, moving away from home, when you see and experience pressures unimaginable then imitating Christ might get a little tougher. When we are pressured, threatened, or treated unfairly, how clearly does that one voice stand out? This time it isn't Simon's voice we're listening to but Christ's.

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 3 John 1:11

The call is pretty clear in 3 John - imitate what is good and not what is evil. This seems fairly simple, right? If it isn't right, then it isn't of God and we shouldn't do it. So why do we do what is evil? When are you the most vulnerable to do evil? Are there any ways in which you can change those situations and times so that you imitate Christ instead?

In order to imitate Christ we need to know His ways and His Word. If we give up God's Word, studying His Word, nurturing our faith, we are apt to imitate evil.

Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children. Ephesians 5:1

Here we have it very, very clearly to follow God's example. Not only that but we are dearly loved children! Think back to day 1 (Faith), we are born of God. Since we are born of God, we love by following His commands and His teachings. That is how we show others we are God's children and how we overcome the world. Through God we have victory! Why would we want to imitate anything or anyone else? If we do imitate something other than God, what is the result? Not heaven. We have been given the ultimate example of serving, of loving, of humility and we must imitate Him.

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 1:6

For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews. 1 Thessalonians 2:14

In this passage Paul is writing a letter to the church in Thessalonica. Paul mentions how the Thessalonians became imitators of him, Silas, and Timothy while they were preaching to them. After Paul left, he wrote this letter to those new to the faith, new converts. The letters were encouragement for them during their trials and hardships. So also can the letters to the Thessalonians be encouragement for us when we are going through our own sufferings for Christ.

Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 1 Corinthians 4:16

Yet again Paul is telling people to imitate him. Buy why? Because Paul is a messenger of God and as a messenger of God, he points people to God. By imitating Paul we can essentially imitate God. So let's be like Paul!

Are you living your life the way Paul lived his? Could you share the Word and message of Christ and tell people to imitate you? Is your life at that point? Or would your words not align with your actions and way of life? Our words should speak of a strong, unshakable faith that points to and glorifies God. Our actions should echo our words and our faith and glorify Christ.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7

Here we read of more encouragement to imitate those who have lived the faith. Now it seems a little more realistic to imitate as Paul is telling us to imitate our faithful leaders. A little easier to imitate someone we know, someone we can see and talk to and remember. Who in your life has lived a life full of faith that you want to imitate? Why do you want to imitate this person? Think about them and how they live their life.

I pray each day you will wake up and strive to be like Christ. Try to imitate that person you just thought of because by imitating them you are striving to imitate Christ.

The world is a dark, sinful place and we are called to be the light of Christ and let our light shine. Imitate Christ, let your light shine in this dark world. The world needs your light.

Kick it!

Day 3 - Sunday

Sunday morning we got up early and went to church at St. Paul's Lutheran in Wild Rose. A big thank you to Barb who got up early and made sure we had breakfast before we left for church!

That afternoon we started painting the old barn now chapel but the group's favorite time came after dinner when we did the Fitness Trail again. This time we brought rakes to clean the path up a bit and Fender (our counselor) came along with us. The Fitness Trail needs more help than we were able to give it in one evening but it was as much fun as I remembered it from when I was a camper at LuWiSoMo, maybe more.

At each station along the trail is a sign that shows you what to do in pictures. The trail starts off with four stations of stretching.

After completely stretching your muscles, you go into some exercises. At some stations no one could figure out what we were supposed to be doing, so we made it up as we went along. The trail was filled with a lot of laughter and some exercise.


Britt is jealous as Lindsey didn't even break a sweat.

That day my family had driven up to spend the week at my grandparents' house (which is 5 minutes from camp) and stopped off at camp while we were on the trail and participated with us for a little while. What fun to see them!


Ben's pretty sure he's a ninja.

After the Fitness Trail, we enjoyed our first campfire with a guitar player! Thanks, Fender!! After being around the fire for a short time, we had to move to the cabin because of rain. Wisconsin is about as dry as Indiana so everyone was praising God for rain. It was so nice to feel the raindrops! I had almost forgotten what rain felt like - so cool and refreshing.

During cabin campfire we learned a new song that we sang every night the rest of the week - Kum Ba Yah. I'm sure you know the traditional version and we were a little miffed when Fender wanted to teach us Kum Ba Yah since we all thought we knew it. This new version is more upbeat than the traditional version. The lyrics are as follows, if I have remembered them correctly, I usually messed up the end of the refrain.

Somebody's singin', Lord. Kum ba yah (3x)
Refrain: Singin' rain, storm, fire, wind. Kum ba yah
Kum ba yah, Lord, Kum ba yah (2x)
Kum ba yah (4x)

As we were singing through the rest of the song we started to get the hang of it. Then Fender shouted, "Key change!" and after the key change he shouted, "Kick it!" complete with kicking his leg out. Everyone sat still and quiet in the cabin and looked at each other. I don't think I ever heard these girls as quiet as they were right then and there. I'm pretty sure that was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Fender just kept singing and we joined in on another round of singing Kum Ba Yah. When we were done, Fender looked at everyone and said, "Tomorrow night when we sing this I expect you all to kick it with me". No worries there as Monday night we rocked the campfire but that's another story!