Sometimes people just don't know what LOVE is...

If there is one thing in the whole world people just don't understand, it is love. The reason is because it has been so distorted by sin that people don't know what it really is anymore. But God! Is not just going to leave us hanging, He gave us Scripture for a reason. He knew we were going to screw this up so He made a way for us to begin understanding again this Truth, it is an ongoing learning process but when Christ sets up an example for us to follow, we better listen and we better follow. Jesus addresses this in John 15:13. Listen to this verse carefully, God created Love (I think He should know how it really works) and the Apostle John was the "disciple whom Jesus loved" which tells me he is probably the only person on the planet to come the closest to understanding the depths of God's Love. The verse says:

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

Here is the context of that verse: after the Lord's Supper before the crucifixion before He is arrested. Which means they're sitting there after the Passover and Jesus is talking to them, John records in four chapters some of what Jesus tells them. This is one of those things, said right in the middle of what He is telling them and if you think about it, this is only a few hours before He was to be arrested. Judas has already left to deny Him, Peter has already been confused about why he is going to deny Him. And here is Jesus telling the disciples exactly why (had they been paying attention) He was about to do what He did.

He Loved them, us, we are those friends he laid His life down for. It was us He loved. Now think about it: could this Love come from a feeling He got? Think about it! People say love is a feeling, but it's not! If Jesus had made decisions based on feelings where do you think we would have ended up at? "Hmm... You know God, I really don't feel like taking on your wrath for all sin in the world today. I kinda like the way I look, I don't necessarily want to get over 90% of my skin ripped off this morning. Umm... that crown of thorns? I would really prefer one of gold, ya know? I don't really feel like being mocked today, I'm just going to go on living like everyone else so that I'll blend in and they won't notice I'm different. Hey God, I really don't feel like having most of my back torn off so can we skip the 39 lashes?"

What if Jesus had said that?!?!?!?!?!? Where do you think we would be at? But that isn't what He said, we all know that! It was something along the lines of: "Father? This is really going to hurt... but I knew they would mess up, and I gave them the option of following Me from the start, but they can't do it. They left Me, I wanted to help them but they wouldn't let Me!! But they are My children, My people, I could choose to hate them because they stabbed Me in the back, or I could choose to Love them. But Loving them is going to be so much harder. That requires dying, I'm God! I can't die! But I will, because that is the only way I can get them back..." What does that tell you about Love?

The world says that love is just a feeling, that it is something you can "fall into" or "fall out off" at a whim. But that is not Truth. The Truth says it is a decision you have to make. You can have an attitude of Love, a heart of Love. But to get that you have to start by deciding to Love. No, not deciding "Well, I kinda like this person, I decide I'm going to love them" that is not correct either. There are different kinds of love, there is the Love of God (the greatest and most perfect Love of all), there is spousal Love (that is Love in purity and in righteousness, a symbolism of God's Love for you), and there is also Brotherly Love (Love between the Believers of Christ). That last one (brotherly Love) is the hardest one to understand it seems. We just don't know how to communicate it, and when someone genuinely Loves you with brotherly Love some people just take it the wrong way. It is when you know that this person is someone you can trust (be them male or female) and you can connect with them through the bond you have in Christ that is when you are able to Love someone with the Love of God. The friendship and fellowship with your family is that which sets us apart from the world, because that friendship is not based on what someone has done, nor is it based on what you can get from the other person, it is based on our relationship with God.

College

Upon leaving EWYR I have had a whirlwind of a schedule to keep! First off, rather than flying back to North Carolina I flew back to Kentucky where I spent the weekend with my family. Monday we drove back to North Carolina, and Tuesday and Wednesday I spent at home running errands and packing for school. Thursday I moved into my dorm, which was empty cause I was the only person on the whole campus who moved in on Thursday, everyone else moved Friday. The past two days have pretty much been chill, getting used to my surroundings, meeting people, hanging out with the other freshmen and such. Today was alot of fun! I went with the New Student Orientation to do a photo scavenger hunt (I didn't have to actually go, I'm not in orientation, I just wanted to go to meet people) and then this evening went to the Q&A dinner, then hung out with some of the other girls in my dorm. I am going to an (from what I've heard) awesome church tomorrow with a group of girls here in Lolley, which is good cause now I have a ride :)

I a really looking forward to this semester, getting to know some of the girls on my floor and talking with them I know this semester is going to be great and that I will learn alot and grow not only from the classes I take but also from the friends I've made.

So excited to see what God has in store!!!!!

Last of Camp

I've been home for a week and realized I never reported on the last two weeks of camp. They were both reunion camps where the kids that came had been here for at least two or three years. during the girl's week I had three girls in my devo group: Britany, Marisa, and Ramona (or Mo). They were absolutely nothing alike and I am still thanking God they got along anyway! Britany was very quiet and shy and at the beginning of the week she would barely talk to me, but at the end of the week she began to talk to me and to let me in on her life. Marisa was completely different, she talked from the moment she got off the bus, she would tell me all about her family and about her life at home, which was defiantly not easy at all. Mo was a character, i loved her to death! And I remembered her from last year (she didn't like me much, but we also didn't get much of a chance to get to know each other). I won't lie, I was scared to death she would hate me and just ignore me all week, but God is good and apparently I was cool enough for her to like! We had a blast, including our very good bonding time while walking through the woods in the pitch black Monday night (following our wonderful outdoorsy-woodsman male staffer who was leading the group through the woods thinking he knew where he was going but as it turns out he can't see in the dark. I, who can see in the dark, did not realize this till later. In retrospect though, it is absolutely hilarious!). So all in all the week went very well.
The boys week also went well, we had 8 young men between 12 and 15 years old. In my devo group was Joel and Chris/JoshS/CJ/Whatever your name is this week/Stamper (we never really knew what to call him cause he changed his name preference so often). Joel is a sweetheart, he was one of my first campers last summer and I was so thrilled when he remembered me! We had a blast through the week and I enjoyed seeing how much they had learned and grown since last summer! CJ had actually come earlier in the summer as a SIT (staffer-in-training) for a week, during that week we was sitting in on one of the devo groups and as one of the staffers was leading another boy in the prayer of salvation CJ also prayed to receive Christ. Then he came as a camper that last week and now he is really wanting to come back for a full summer next year. Pray that he stays strong and that he is able to come back next summer and that God will grow him in ways that will prepare him for his job as a staffer.