Day Three: Special Scriptures

It is heading toward the late end of the day, so this won't be terribly long... but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss today's blessing-blog. :-)

The theme of today is Scriptures that have been a special blessing to me this year. There are only a few main ones that come to mind, that have been the subject of much contemplation and encouragement, although I have been blessed by many others during the studies of this year. This particular chapter that I want to share has been referred to and thought about much over the course of the last several months. It is quite encouraging to me! (I've added in a couple of thoughts, in brackets.)

Isaiah 54 
1. Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate [or single woman] than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

2. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

3. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

4. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5. For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. [what a husband!]

6. For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

11. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13. And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

What peace, what encouragement this passage provides. God is my Husband; He provides me with children though I have none of my own. He promises that though things at hand seem difficult, He is making something beautiful out of my life. Special thoughts to my heart!

Day Two: Capturing Memories

Do you have a journal?

You should.

I began writing in a journal when I was 12, to record the events of an upcoming family vacation. I'd done a tiny bit of diary-writing before that, but nothing consistent. Since then, I've filled three and a half notebooks and who knows how many computer pages with events of life, miracles from God, lessons learned, and real words. Words that I can write because no one reads them. I don't have to proofread myself, or say words that might sound fluffy and fake. I love it! :-)

However, there's more reason for journaling than to simply vent my feelings or express my hopes and dreams. There's more to it than jotting down the ways God has led me, to make me realize at that moment how He is guiding. It's not just for the current; it's an investment for the future.

Occasionally, as I finish up an entry, I flip or click back towards the beginning and read words written days, weeks, and months before. Sometimes I even pull a box out from under my bed and read pages recorded in years gone by.

The result is the same every time: I am awed by the ways I have grown and the lessons God has taught me.

A few weeks ago, I scrolled through computer journal pages from December, January and February. Wow. Those three months were amazing ones. I realized just how much I had forgotten of the beauty, peace, and joy of that time in life. Here are a few excerpts to give you a peek:

January 1, 2012 - 11:53 a.m.
This blog post (some of my blog posts are actually journal entries).

January 2, 2012 - 8:40 a.m.
Filled. It's the perfect word for what I have experienced in the past few weeks. True, there have been ups and downs, but true to His promise, God has filled me--and is still in the process of filling. I'm sitting here on my couch, thinking of the night [three weeks before] when I was home alone. I experienced God's true peace, and it was the first time in a long time that I surrendered it all. I sat here just in front of the Christmas tree like I'm doing now. And now, I am back at last, filled and desiring more. God is so good. More than good--He's amazing!

January 7, 2012 - 2:51 p.m.
This week I've been discovering just how challenging it is going to be to live completely and fully for Christ--letting Him live through me. When you're back at home where everything is go, go, go… with often no chance to catch your breath, things tend to fall apart. Resolutions fail, schedules stretch, stress rises. It's definitely going to be a challenge. But I want it more than anything! At least, my head does. My heart… it's a little more prone to head the wrong direction. But God is faithful.

January 29, 2012 - 8:18 p.m.

This morning I had an extra-long devotional time, reading from Patriarchs and Prophets and Authentic Beauty. I am realizing more and more the shortness of the time we live in, and feel an intense urge to KNOW God. Really know Him. Time is so short!! I really want to learn to build my entire life around Him. I think I need to think more about what that will really mean for my life today. What do I need to give up in order to truly follow Him?

February 2, 2012 - 1:44 a.m.

Another blog post.

February 3, 2012 - 7:35 a.m.

Something is happening. And it's good. The elders' meeting I was invited to last night.... all about evangelism, doing something we've never done before in our church. Our Friday night youth meetings… all of us searching for meaning, purpose, connection. ____'s burning desire for service. Mr. ____'s burden for souls. My longing to do more. ____'s bold idea to scrap structure and do the work instead. The willingness of youth to actually attend prayer meeting. The realness of the people at GYC. ____'s three apologies, in a quest to draw closer to Jesus. Pastor Folkenberg's genuine appeals to win hearts in UCC. So much is happening, more than I've ever seen before. Surely Jesus is coming soon.... I want to be ready.

February 10, 2012 - 6:25 a.m.

I decided yesterday that we need a picture of Jesus in our office. All the work we do is for Him; why not behold His beautiful face every day as we work?? There is nothing else to remind us of Him. Or maybe I could simply put a picture of Him on my computer, then I could look at Him whenever I wanted. I just feel like the work I do is for Him but I don't think of Him as I do the work.

February 12, 2012 - 9:57 p.m.

Trying to comprehend the infinite love of my heavenly Father... I picture my own daddy. I picture dads of friends who  I consider almost like my own. I think about how my heavenly Father is like that, only better. He loves me just as much, only more....

February 15, 2012 - 7:59 p.m.

Am I willing to be one of God's etceteras? That was an interesting challenge to me as I listened to one of Eric Ludy's Bravehearted Thots this evening. An etcetera. Not a somebody. Not someone whose name is known. Simply an etc. in the list of people who have done the most for God's cause. Am I willing?

Reading these kinds of words, I can't help but be re-inspired to follow Christ more than I ever have before. My heartbeat quickens, my brain begins running in a track. What must I do? How can I do it?

If you don't journal already, I encourage you, go find a notebook or computer notepad and write down what God did for you today. Then do it again tomorrow. And the day after. Your future self will appreciate it, and be changed because of your words today.

(Today's special blessing was supposed to begin with an R - I chose reading my journal. :-)

Day One: Great Memories & Thankful Things

Great memories. Hm...

I switch over to Google Calendar and click arrows back to January...

* * * * *

Jessica to Do and Dare Camp. Aha! Great memory there - the rest of us girls at home were afraid of getting sick from wintertime bugs that were making their rounds, so we ate a ton of garlic the night that Jessica came home. And then I had to go pick her up from YD... oops. Sorry! ;-)

Or the day I finally sent the Sabbath School bags off to Voice of the Martyrs after a whole year of them sitting in my car, then my room, then the shed, then my car again. What a good feeling to have that done!

An evening meeting with the elders, about evangelism plans for the new year - resulting in a two-quarter-long evangelism training class that I'd been wanting to do for a long time. Exciting things began happening!

A visit to the Martins' home. (Need I say more? It was relaxing and a lot of fun, as usual.)

A trip home to Walla Walla with the girls for my birthday. :) We were surprised with amazing weather for February - at least 60 degrees!

Jury duty day, which resulted in a surprise meet-up with Sammy, and a lunch in the park with her. (She was chosen to be on the jury; I wasn't.)

Planting baby seeds for the first time indoors with grow lights. So much fun to watch them sprout!

The beginnings of Acts memorization. I'm not up to date by any means now, but I learned that it's not hard at all to memorize several chapters within a couple of months! I will be trying that again next year, I'm sure. :-)

Roller skating in Spokane; watching little friends attempt and succeed. And skating around a rink with a little hand hanging on for dear life... special times!

Cami's graduation warranted another Martin visit. (with Brown twins, too!)

A last-minute acceptance of an invitation to Sammy's birthday party. (So glad I could go!)

Cheyenne's surprise visit. Yup. Memories made. ;-)

YD Camp 2012... last fun times with Nathan, and new friends made.

Camping with Melissa and her brother and boyfriend. (Kyle, I think that one went south...)

A last-minute dash to NWYC that resulted in me participating in two nearly-impromptu special musics. Great friends!! :-)

A camping trip with my family to the middle of nowhere.

Looking at stars and galaxies through Josh's telescope. There are some pretty awesome "fuzzies" out there! ;-)

Answered prayers in regards to future plans.

* * * * *

Ah, time does fly. But these memories put a smile on my face! God really has been so good this year, in spiritual matters, and plain old life. :-)

GreaThings

I haven't been here since July.

Since then, friends have moved away, magazines have gone to press twice, I've gone on camping and hiking trips, new YD staff have arrived, and the church evangelism training class has ended.

And yet, a little over three months' absence is only a quarter of 2012. Time has dashed by and I don't often get a chance to stop and think about what it has produced.

And so, it's only fitting that I begin blogging again with a time of reflection over the past year. A friend of a friend is leading a blessing-a-day challenge, called GreaThings - two weeks of specifics to ponder and remember.

What has God done for you? Will you join us?

It's over

Camp came... and went.

Registration...

Child Evangelism class

RC Airplanes class

Digital Photography class

Firebuilding class

Health Evangelism class

A few spare minutes...

Unit sharing - each person shares from their devotions 

Line call

Second week campfire

Fishers of Men unit

One of those who caught the fire :)

Sabbath afternoon outreach - Health Evangelism class

Listening...

Even though I was sequestered away up in my little office on the hill for most of camp, I had a few special opportunities to spend time with campers during the space of two weeks. Choir practice afforded me a spot next to a camper who made a very special decision by the end of the week (see her counselor's post here).  Two nights as a relief counselor put me in the youngest girls' unit one night and the oldest unit the next - very different!  One Friday afternoon I spent some time with the RC Airplanes class. With each wedge into the camp experience, I was able to spend quality time with individuals who were willing to talk and share their heart. It was so special!

Only three nights ago, I sat on a log bench and listened to teen after teen share how much Christ meant to them, how they had been changed because of camp, and how they were going to live their lives differently than before. More than one made a public 100% commitment to Christ - and I could tell they were serious.

Just imagine how quickly God's work could get done with consecrated young people like these sharing with everyone they know! Life is tough, and there are obstacles to overcome. But with God's strength, these youth can go anywhere and do anything for Him! I can't wait to see the way He leads their lives. :)

"With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come—the end of suffering and sorrow and sin!"*

*Education, page 272

Photos by Jonathan Hill.

Rocks = hearts

On my way back up to my creekside office from Earth Lodge, I often stop at the rock garden, which records campers and counselors from years gone by at Young Disciple Youth Bible Camp. It's a lot of fun to examine the jumbled array of faded names, years, and creativity. Each one prompts a memory of the person it represents.

Photo: Heidi Reinecke

Photo: Heidi Reinecke

But when I walked by the other day, a different realization hit me. As I looked over the rocks, it dawned on me...

These represent hearts.

Each rock stands for one young person whose life has been influenced in some way or another by the camp(s) they attended.

It's not just a few rocks, either. There's a whole pile. Think about it: a minimum of 60 campers per week (usually many more than that). Multiply that by the number of camps held at YD since moving to Washington in 1999 (at least 24 if not more). It adds up!

These campers have left their mark at YD, but YD has left its mark on their hearts. And they will never be the same. God spoke to them at camp, and whether they listened or not, they were pointed toward the goal of establishing a living relationship with Jesus. It's our prayer that they will follow after that goal!

In just five days, counselors will arrive to begin orientation, to learn how to reach the hearts of their campers and draw them to Jesus. Pray that they will be able to consecrate their minds and hearts to God so He can use them to change lives.

Pray for the campers. Pray that their hearts will be touched by the words, the actions, the sights, the sounds, the messages of YD Camp. Pray that they won't pass up the opportunity to learn how to live a true, happy, and fulfilled Christian life.

Just pretty rocks? Not at all. They're so much more. And I want to be a part of the influence for eternity!

Won't you pray?

Young Disciple Youth Bible Camp: July 11-29, 2012

Purpose

I wave my little blue keychain across the keypad to deactivate the alarm. Beep! I step inside the office. A stream of sunshine greets me through the window. Setting my bags on the cabinet next to my desk, I slide my notebook out of its case and snap it into the dock. Power on…

So begins my day.

Every so often, I shiver with excitement as I realize a simple fact: I love my job.

It's an amazing combination of creative graphic design and spiritual encouragement for young people. To the casual observer, it might seem like a regular job, but it's not. Not at all. My work has purpose. I don't work for the sake of climbing any corporate ladder, or enticing people through design to buy needless products. I work for a much higher goal:

Inspiring young people to follow Jesus.

Suddenly, I’m no longer sitting in my chair. I’m kneeling by my bed, agonizing—a frustrated 15-year-old at the end of her rope. A longing inside me burns for something that will satisfy my heart, and change me. Nothing is working. I don’t know what to do.

Then I remember. I reach into my bedside drawer, underneath my Bible, and pull out a purple-tinted magazine. I open it to the middle, the Bible lesson. The title: Conversion and Righteousness by Faith. Could this possibly hold what I’m looking for?

And so began my study of the Young Disciple Bible lessons. Each one encouraged me to dig deeper in the Word, and strengthen my connection with Jesus. On the days I spent time studying in the morning, I actually had peace throughout my day.

The memory fades. I lean back in my chair and smile at the sunshine. I smile at the ways God reached me, and I long to be the means to reach other young people who are searching in the same way. The work I do, the work I love, is this means. God not only fills my desire for purpose, but inspires young people to serve Him. Isn't He amazing?