Leaving The Mountaintop

   “What do you think of Camp Yolijwa now you’re here, don’t you think you’d like to come another year, talk about it don’t be still, church of God up in the hills, Camp Yolijwa Doubling Gap PA.” That is a song I have sung every year for fourteen years now; because we sing it every year at Camp Yolijwa. Every year I went there I learned something new and got closer to God. Camp can be a great thing, but there were times I never wanted to leave the camp in the mountains.

   See camp is a place that prepares us to go into the world and spread the gospel. It also helps us in our Christian walk. That is why I never wanted to leave the mountain and face the real world; because the real world is not filled with Christians who are trying to build you up (or the awesome food you get at camp :). But, when I felt like I did not want to leave, I was forgetting one big thing. Camp prepares you for the world and calls you to live out the Great Commission.

   This got me thinking about Elijah. He thought that he was the only one left who still worshipped God. And, on top of that, he was also being hunted by the queen who wanted to kill him. Elijah went to the mountain top to be with God, but God told him that his work was not done yet. Elijah had to leave the mountain as well as everyone else who comes to camp for a week. I mean what good is it being one of the few who know about something that can save everyone in the world if you do not share it? I am not saying that God needs our help to share the gospel, but God does let us be a part of His story. Why wouldn’t we want to spread this news no matter the cost?

   There are lives out there that are lost and at times it can be difficult to leave our mountain. Whether that mountain be our comfort zone, our church, our home, or whatever it is. But, in the end, will you say to yourself “I’m so glad that I lived a comfortable life and now I can die and go to heaven?” Or, will you say “I’m so glad that I did all I could for others and lived a life helping God with His story?”

   1 Kings 19:1-18

The Power, And Responsibility, of The Father

   So tomorrow is Father’s Day; and that got me thinking about all the dads that I know. But, what is a father?

   When thinking about this I thought about the movie The Game Plan. For those of you who do not know, The Game Plan is a movie about a star football player who just realizes that he has an eight year old daughter. The rest of the movie focuses on their relationship. One quote from that movie is “I would not underestimate the power of the father.”

So, what is the father’s power? The father does have a lot of power, especially if we look at the Bible. But as one of my favorite superheroes says: “with great power comes great responsibility.”

   I’m going to bring up a verse that some people have problems with Ephesians 5:22-33. This is the passage that talks about wives submitting to their husbands. Most people read just the 22nd verse, but if you do not look at the verse in context you miss out on so much more. Especially if you read verse 25 which says “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” So the husband has responsibility to care for his wife and love her (which also means compromising, hint hint guys). He will have to answer to God for what he has done, and what he told others to do, throughout his life. He is in charge of the household but if he leads his family down the wrong path he will have to answer to God for that.

   Like I said fathers have a lot of responsibility that comes with their power. They are held doubly accountable. They must answer to their wives, family, bosses, and God. I do not know about you but that seems intimidating to me. I know that fathers get a lot of hack, but usually they are doing the best they can. So, obviously fathers are human. They are going to fail at times. But, that is why we have a heavenly father. He will never fail us and is there for all of us.

   Happy Father’s Day to all you fathers out there. Hope you have a great one.

   Ephesians 6:4 and Hebrews 12:7

I Don't Like Your Attitude

   ATTITUDE: it’s a little thing that makes a big difference. That was on a poster that I used to see every day in my sixth grade classroom. Since then, I have heard that phrase used many times. I never quite got the grasp of it though. I mean how can your attitude affect you and others so much? It was not until a little later that I understood why attitude is such a big deal.

   There’s a quote by Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean movies that goes like this “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?” That quote really helped me understand what that poster meant. I will be put through many trials in life; and there will be some things that I cannot change. However, I can change how I feel about the problem. I decide if I will go to work with a good attitude or a bad one. No one else can make that decision for me. Now, I can be affected by other peoples’ attitudes. But even then it is still my choice whether or not I let how others feel, or what they do to me, bug me.
   So, what is your attitude going to be when you are going through a hard time? Are you going to let other people and events dictate how you feel?
   Philippians 2:14-15

A New Chapter

   Everybody ready? Okay, cue the graduation music. Start calling out the names of the graduates. And cue the tears from mom, the beaming smile from dad, the younger sibling thinking "yes I get an extra room to myself," and the older sibling saying "welcome to real life kid."

   Yes, it’s that time of year again. Graduation: it is such a big deal in the American culture. And, in a way, it should be. But I think it’s important for us to remember something many people see graduation as an ending, but I see it another way. See, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, graduation is: “the award or acceptance of an academic degree or diploma.” Yes, in order to graduate, you need to get a diploma. But graduation is so much more.

   Everyone has different paths they will take after graduation. Some will choose college; others will choose to go right into the workforce. But no matter what people choose they all seem to have one question: “what will happen to me in the future?” This, of course, leads to many other questions. However, this proves that graduation is much more than getting a degree. It is the beginning of the future for the graduates.

   I don’t know about you but when I graduated I was scared out the wazoo. It was also exciting, but I had no idea what the future held for me. Until I got to Lancaster Bible College I had a difficult time trusting God. I still do sometimes but a verse helped me. Jeremiah 29:11 “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” See, God is always with us. He is looking out for us. So no matter what chapter we are at in life we can rest in that truth.

   Happy graduation to all of the graduates out there! :) Good luck in the beginning of your next chapter.