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. 

The Mask

   Think about movies you have seen. In the movie did someone ever act like someone they were not? I can think of so many examples. People act like someone they aren’t for different reasons: to fit in, so they do not get bullied, to protect those they love, and so on.

   At the end of Iron Man 3 he says this quote: “you can take away my suits, you can take away my home, but there’s one thing you can never take away from me: I AM IRON MAN.” Tony Stark’s identity is that he is Iron Man. But in the same movie he says this quote: “my armor was never a distraction or a hobby it was a cocoon, and now I’m a changed man.” He gives up his suits. So yes he is still Iron Man but, he said it himself, his armor was a cocoon. It was a mask he put on. It wasn’t really him.

   We act like different people to please the world. We put up masks to protect ourselves. But then that makes us wonder do people really love us for who we are, or for the masks we put on? We cannot keep on acting like someone we are not. We are called to witness to the lost. People want to know the truth, but they need to see that we are truthful in order for us to be able to witness to them. They need to see the real us or else we will look like all the other people in the world with masks on.

   I have found that being truthful with others helps you connect more to them. Believe me, I used to wear a mask and it was hard for me to connect with anyone on a real level. Now I can see God working through my everyday situations. It is an amazing thing.

   I'm not going to lie to you, at times it will be difficult to be the real you. You may have to show your weaknesses to others. But, most of the time, people will respect you for being real in a world filled with things that are fake. And, if they do not, at least you will have made an impact on them.

   So will you continue to wear a mask, or will you be the real you and make an impact on others?

   2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Memorial Day

Memories, ah sweet memories. We all have memories, both good and bad. Sometimes we have to wonder if the memories are worth it. Wouldn't it just be better for us to forget everything that happened the day before if all of it was just painful?
So, where exactly am I going with this? Well, today is Memorial day and Memorial day is when we look back. We look back at the past. We look back at the battles that were both won and lost. We look back at the people who died serving their country.
Sometimes looking back can be difficult. We remember painful times of hurt and loss. However, those memories are important. If we didn't have those memories we wouldn't be where we are today. Experiences make us who we are. Without certain events occurring in our lives we wouldn't be who we are today. That's why we need to look back. That's why we remember those who served for our country and didn't come back, no matter how difficult it may be to do that.
So on this day remember what it means to be an American. Remember those who served so what we can be American.
Thank you to all the veterans out there who have served for our country. You all are amazing.

What Should I Do?

   So think of a decision you have had to make in the past few weeks. Was it easy, or difficult? I personally do not like making decisions. Now, I’m not talking about the little decisions like what flavor ice cream do you want? I mean, that one is obvious: chocolate ;) I’m talking about the big decisions in life that will change your life forever.

   See, in my opinion, the toughest decisions are the ones that impact other people, not just me. When thinking about making decisions I thought back to the movie The Princess Diaries. Mia had to decide whether or not she would rule Genovia. Her decision not only impacted her, but other people as well. If she chose to be Queen of Genovia she would have to work to learn how to be a queen, move to a different country, speak in public (which she wasn’t that good at), and lead a country. If she chose not to be Queen Genovia would no longer have been a country. Her decision changed the lives of so many people. She chose to be selfless rather than selfish.

   However, along with decision making, comes some problems. Yes we need to be selfless, but we also need to remember ourselves. Otherwise we could end up like the starving baker in the book Habitudes. The baker kept making food to feed others, but he never fed himself. So he kept getting thinner and thinner. It is just like that for us. We need to feed ourselves by reading the word and spending time with God. That way we can help others.

   When it comes to making decisions it obviously is not that easy. That’s why we need to trust God and pray for guidance. He will help us with our decisions, if we ask. But, when we ask, we need to be willing to listen to what He says.
   So, the next time you have a decision to make will you listen to God, or do what you want?

   Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:5, Philippians 4:6-7.