Hey Parents! Ever wonder how amazing your kids are?! Becasue the have blown me away the past few days!
Wow has it been a long day! All of the kids are fast asleep in their bunks and gearing up for a long day tomorrow! It has been such a joy to spend time with these kids and to witness them growing closer to Christ each day. This week we are learning what it means to be "Zapped" by God's love and power. Today, one of the kids told me that without God's power and love in our lives, we would be like a TV that had no outlet to turn it on.. pointless.
We discussed the story of Peter walking on water towards Jesus this morning. When Jesus told his disciples to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, they ran into a huge storm. When they looked up they thought they saw a ghost. Matthew 14 says "The figure on the water spoke to them and said, "Be brave! It is I. Don't be afraid." Peter looked out at the man and said "Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus said, "Come." This is where Peter shows courage and jumped into.. or onto the water. He focused everything on Jesus and forgot about the storm that was going on around him. He was plugged in, connected to Jesus. He was walking on the water. But then Peter started to look around and saw the wind and the storm. He got distracted and started to sink. Peter cried out "Lord, Save Me!" Immediately, Jesus reached out and caught him. He said 'Your faith is so small. Why did you doubt me?'
Peter had a 'superpower' for a moment while he walked on water. But Peter was just like you and me. An everyday, normal human. Sometimes he got it right and sometimes he got it wrong. Like us, the times he got it right were when he was focused on Jesus, when he wasn't distracted and was really plugged into the power of God. The times he got it wrong were when he took his eyes off of Jesus and tried to do it all himself.
Sometimes, we feel like we are stepping off the edge of the boat to do the right thing. We may be afriad of what is going to happen and sometimes we get distracted by a fear or a storm in our lives. We have to remember that it's God's power, not our own, that keeps us from sinking.
Our Bible verse this week is 2 Peter 1:3a, "Gods power has given us everything we need to lead a godly life." We may go through times where we think that stepping off the side of the boat is scary and insane, but if we learn to depend on God and to keep our eyes focused on Him we will tap into the things that God has given us to overcome the storms and discover the things that He has planned for us.
Just like one the kids said, without God we are like a TV without an outlet. The campers have blown me away and we havent even made it half way through the week yet. Tonight they all made a goal to spend a minimum of 5 extra minutes with God before they went to bed through prayer, journaling, reading the Bible, or talking through the lesson with a counselor. I am so blessed to have the oppurtunity to witness the kids grow closer to God each day. They are being "Zapped" and plugging into Gods Power and Love.. becasue we have a God that loves and forgives us no matter what.
These campers get it. I am constantly amazed as I listen to their conversations, watch their actions, and listen to them worship a God that is bigger than big. Or in the words of a camper "A God that is bigger than big, large, huge, and ginormous."
It is a great week to say the least. One that is life changing.. for the campers, counselors, staff, and myself.
Tomorrow is another full day of worship, a low ropes course, water games, swimming, campside cookout, and a carnival! Please keep us in your prayers as we hit the halfway mark! I know it will be another amazing day so stay tuned for more!
If you are not on facebook, here is a link to the pictures that I am posting. It is a public album so you should be able to see them without an account. If not, let me know!
-Emily
PS: I have videos from each day but the internet is SUPER slow this week :( If I cant get them to upload you will all get copies at the end of the week!
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