Go. Be. Do.

My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is. Then I thought: My future is lost, as well as my hope from the Lord. Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison. I continually remember them and have become depressed. Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young. Let him sit alone and be silent, for God has disciplined him. Let him put his mouth in the dust - perhaps there is still hope. Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; le...

Sightsee day in Portage...may be the same route, but it is always different.  Seeing the expressions of the first-timers and hearing what say about what they are seeing is worth going back...over and over and over again. Alaska is beautiful. No doubt about it. However... If it were all about the beauty, I would take a cruise. Going to Alaska summer after summer is about the people who need Jesus.  It is about the people who love Jesus.  It is about the people who come to serve Jesus in the amazing state of Alaska. I have met life-long friends these past six summers.  Someone new each time.  Different states, different places in life, but lifers we will be after meeting while serving God in Alaska. There's something special about the Last Frontier...no matter how many times you visit.

This week at camp has been amazing.  God has shown up and shown off...and we have one more day to go! The kids are opening up and letting their reservations go.  We are physically tired, but spiritually we are alive and kicking.  The worship tonight around the campfire was icing on the cake of a spectacular day.   Do not think that we have not had our fair share of challenges this week.  Satan has tried to get us caught off guard at times with problems that require time and attention, but never anything with the campers.  They have been great!  And, God's plan always wins out...His perfect plan. Weeks on end...months, years maybe...this week will be on my heart as a one in a million camp experience.   Words are not even going to come close to describe how I feel about this week...what all I/we have seen God do this week...how 17 campers and 8 staff can all take over a small part of your heart...how much fun (pure, simple fun!) we have all enj...

Someone asked me today how many years I have been involved with Bible Memory. It all began back in 1987...as a camper. In 1988, I counseled for the first time. In just a few years we are looking at 30 years. I am blessed. I wouldn't trade my experiences during BMC for anything! God has been...is...and will always be good. So busy today, I didn't take any photos...but I am sweating so much I don't want to carry my phone in my pocket, either. :) Maybe tomorrow. As for now, let me rest in knowing we had a wonderful day. A day where God was glorified, kids had fun, and all here were blessed.

There are times when God totally blows my mind with how well He can orchestrate an event and bring together a group of people to make something great and awesome and fun happen! Today is one of those days! First day of Bible Memory Camp is in the books and it was awesome! We have... Had so much fun. Been enlightened by the teaching of God's Word. Challenged to be a missionary wherever our feet take us. Shot arrows and bb's at targets. Played games together. Made new friends. Been reacquainted with old friends. Swam in almost too warm of water. Fought noodle wars. Played in the sand. Heard a story of how God uses the events of our lives that we sometimes don't understand (or make a mess of ourselves) to accomplish His will in the end in spite of it all.  All for His glory. Enjoyed the company of 25 other people all here for the same purpose of getting to know God better, hear His voice, and having tons of fun doing it! And, so much more... All because He...

Now Peter and John were going up together to the temple complex at the hour of prayer at three in the afternoon. And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple complex, he asked for help. Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us.” So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. So he jumped up, stood, and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. Acts 3:1-8 How many times can one do something before it becomes routine?  common?  ordinary? I am not for sure of the answer, but I kno...

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer.  You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come."... Simon Peter asked Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow You now?  I will lay down my life for You." Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for Me?  I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!" John 13:33, 36-38 Can anyone else relate to Peter?   So devoted.  So determined.  So living out loud. Peter had already gone through the whole washing of the feet scene with Jesus.  Now Peter finds himself again in the hot seat, getting the record set straight by Jesus. We mean it when we say it.  We want to follow our words with action.  For awhile, it actually happens. Then the temptation comes.  We sta...